Along with many others, I also like the award-winning PolitiFact.com feature of the St. Petersburg Times. It cuts through the half-lies, pseudo truths and parsed misrepresentations of self-serving politicians.
Recently, PolitiFact’s “Flip-O-Meter” nailed President Obama for changing his mind about releasing photos depicting prisoner abuse of detainees being held overseas. The president had previously stated that he would release them. Now he won’t. So, PolitiFact accorded “Full Flop” status to President Obama.
Frankly, the president made the right call by changing his mind. Ask any American serving in Iraq or Afghanistan right now if they would appreciate the likely tradeoff of more governmental transparency: a ratcheting up of jihadi emotions and the subsequent likelihood of more American deaths and casualties.
The issue is with the connotation of “Full Flop.” It typically connotes a cynical change done for political expedience. Think Mitt Romney.
This one involved a decision that arguably lessened the threat to Americans already in harm’s way. Had he not “flopped,” the president would have been wrong. The worst kind of wrong.