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April 27th, 2024

Satire

Sean Spicer would like to clarify his clarification of his clarification

Alexandra Petri

By Alexandra Petri The Washington Post

Published April 16, 2017

Balaam and Dostoevsky

I have some more clarifications to make in addition to the hundreds of clarifications I have issued already.

First off, when I said "You had . . . someone as despicable as Hitler who didn't even sink to using chemical weapons," I should have heard the words "even Hitler" coming out of my mouth and realized there was nowhere else the sentence could go that could possibly be good, and I should have clapped my hand over my mouth and waited for the press conference to be over.

Next off, when I then tried to clarify that statement by saying "I think when you come to sarin gas, there was no -- he was not using the gas on his own people the same way that Assad is doing," what I should have done was cut off the microphone, leap from the stage, and run off to live in the woods forever.

Also, instead of saying the phrase "He brought them into the Holocaust center, I understand that," I -- well, where to begin? I should have seized the podium on my shoulder, strode out of the briefing room, and walked and walked until I came to a place where no one knew what the thing on my shoulder was, and then I should have settled there and started life anew, never sparing a thought for whence I came. Definitely I should not have coined and used the term "Holocaust center."

Let me also clarify that when I said "What I am saying in the way that Assad used them, where he went into towns, dropped them down to innocent, into the middle of towns, it was brought - so the use of it. And I appreciate the clarification there. That was not the intent," what I should have done was stop talking. In fact, I should have bludgeoned myself repeatedly with the podium so that it was no longer possible for me to continue talking. I should have taken a vow of silence at the beginning of this press conference, honestly.

Then when I issued a statement to explain that "In no way was I trying to lessen the horrendous nature of the Holocaust, however, I was trying to draw a contrast of the tactic of using airplanes to drop chemical weapons on innocent people," I should have noticed that the word "However" had crept into the sentence after the phrase "in no way was I trying to lessen the horrendous nature of the Holocaust," lit the whole sentence on fire, and thrown it off a high tower, Denethor-style.

Then when I issued a clarified statement to explain that "In no way was I trying to lessen the horrendous nature of the Holocaust, however, I was trying to draw a contrast of the tactic of using airplanes to drop chemical weapons on population centers," I should have gone home and rethought my life, but, also, I should have found any human being and asked them, "Hey, does this correct the problem with my statement? No. Wow, it is good that I asked."

Instead of clarifying that clarification to add that "In no way was I trying to lessen the horrendous nature of the Holocaust, however, I was trying to draw a contrast of the tactic of using airplanes to drop chemical weapons on population centers. Any attack on innocent people is reprehensible and inexcusable," I should have instead clarified that when I said I would be Donald Trump's press secretary, what I meant to say was . . . no.

And when I told Wolf Blitzer "I mistakenly used an inappropriate and insensitive reference to the Holocaust for which, frankly, there is no comparison. And for that, I apologize. It was a mistake to do that," I should have -- that was fine, actually.

But on Wednesday when I added to my apology the additional apology that "To make a mistake like this was inexcusable and reprehensible. . . It's painful to myself. . .. I've let the president down," instead of noting that I had let the president down in this "solemn time," I should have clarified "Do not forget that this Hell that I live in is a Hell of my own creation. I am myself the instrument of my misery. I myself am Hell."



Previously:


03/06/17 The world's most forgettable man
12/14/16 Beyond Pizzagate: These are the real conspiracies
08/29/16 A transcript of Hillary's disastrous debate prep
08/15/16 Hillary Clinton's late-night panic
08/01/16 What Hillary really meant to say on her historic night
07/18/16 Pokemon Go, an honest review
06/27/16 Keep calm and --- what the heck just happened?
06/09/16 Hillary Clinton's victory speech, translated
06/01/16 Why isn't Hillary fun and trustworthy?
05/22/16 Games people rig, by Bernie Sanders
05/16/16: What really happened at the Trump-Ryan meeting
03/28/16: I, Cthulhu, endorse Donald Trump
03/21/16: Yes, I love puns. Stop saying it's a disease
03/14/16: Donald Trump's Gettysburg Infomercial
03/11/16: The Miami debate was Hillary's personal nightmare
03/03/16: Chris Christie's wordless screaming
02/29/16: But seriously, how do we turn this Donald Trump thing off?
02/19/16: Donald Trump for pope
02/15/16: What really happens at a Dem debate
02/01/16: Barbie is past saving
01/25/16: For the love of all that is holy, save small talk
01/20/16: Sean Penn meets the Almighty
01/05/16: 'Said' is not dead. Save boring words!

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