Credit Run Out
>> Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Source: Jamaica Observer 5.4.2010
US President William "Bill" Clinton in dealing with the Monica Lewinsky Affair stared right into the TV cameras, maintained eye contact and adopted the seriousness of a judge and said:
"I did not have sexual relations with that woman."
We are yet to see any evidence of anyone who was willing to admit, either privately or publicly, that they had believed that statement.
Jamaica is never far behind. We have our own President (of the Employer's Federation), another W.C. making this statement concerning the Chen Affair:
"I did not ask for an intervention and have no information that suggests that the Jamaican government has done so."
We have not done a survey to assess the extent of the credibility of this statement. However, some nagging questions refuse to go away.
- How were the details of Chen's visa revocation and subsequent actions by him and others on his behalf "leaked" to the media?
- Who was that impostor on TV giving "information" but not "seeking intervention"?
- If one makes a call to the fire department informing them of a raging fire, is that not also seeking an intervention?
Latest media reports are that Chen is still waiting for an official reply to this re-application for a US visa.
Then we have no less a person than the PM of Jamaica, the Hon.Bruce Golding M.P. in stark and irreconcilable conflict with the prestigious US law firm, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips in respect of representation made to the US State Department and Justice Department.
There is a disconnect; dem credit run out.
Clovis' cartoon in the Jamaica Observer speaks volumes.
2 comments:
Denials, more denials and denials again. Isn't this the root of corruption, we need answers from the "DRIVA"?. I fail to see how any country can make successful strides with so many 'bangarang' of issues in focus.
I just saw this item for the first time and write to set the record straight as to who "leaked" the story of my Visa revocation:
I received a call from an RJR reporter at about 2:30 p.m. on the day after (Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010) I was told that my US Visa had been revoked. I confirmed that the information which he said that he had received from various sources at the airport about my visa was true but asserted that it was a private matter that I would rather not make public. He made no commitment as to whether it would be run as a story. I wasn't satisfied and called his editor and asked that the story not be carried as I did not see why my private business should be made public. He politely declined saying that it was newsworthy and they ran the story on the 5:00 p.m. newscast. I immediately received a barrage of calls from concerned friends and acquaintances. A reporter called from POWER 106 saying that they had received a report from a source at the airport saying that they good information that "all my family members' visas had been revoked". I stated that this was untrue. Calls from other reporters followed intermittently. That night, a close friend suggested that I send out an email outlining the facts as I knew them as there was much confusion and speculation and it was having a damaging effect on my reputation. I wrote a letter and emailed it the following morning to most of the people on my email list including business associates and the JEF membership. Excerpts from my letter were published in the Gleaner of Saturday, Feb. 28, 2010.
I stand by the content of the letter as it is the truth.
On the issue of whether I asked the Government to intervene, that is simply not true unless asking whether they had been informed as to why my visa had been revoked can be regarded as an "intervention". I felt that it was my duty to inform the Prime Minister as he had appointed me to several public bodies and I report directly to him on several issues and projects. Obviously, the revocation of my US visa would be a material fact. Also, I was fully aware of what had happened in other countries re visa revocation and felt that there may have been wider implications for USA-Jamaica relations. The US officials have subsequently denied that my personal issue is linked to any larger matter and the Prime Minister has publicly affirmed this view.
I find it interesting that I am waiting for an "official" response from the US as it seems to suggest that there is an "unofficial" option. Alas, our press don't like boring stories.
I know that you are a "Cynic" by trade, and quite a good and entertaining writer to boot, but there are still many of us who do public service earnestly and don't expect any personal benefit in return.
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