You probably remember how Democrats and the media (but I repeat myself) savaged the Bush administration for their supposed use of Orwellian euphemisms for various military and intelligence policies ("enhanced interrogation," for example). What do you suppose their reaction to this will be? Byron York reported Thursday that the administration is now referring to the conflict in Libya as a "kinetic military action":
In the last few days, Obama administration officials have frequently faced the question: Is the fighting in Libya a war? From military officers to White House spokesmen up to the president himself, the answer is no. But that leaves the question: What is it?
In a briefing on board Air Force One Wednesday, deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes took a crack at an answer. "I think what we are doing is enforcing a resolution that has a very clear set of goals, which is protecting the Libyan people, averting a humanitarian crisis, and setting up a no-fly zone," Rhodes said. "Obviously that involves kinetic military action, particularly on the front end."...
Now, White House officials are referring to the war in Libya not as a war but as a "kinetic military action." As common as "kinetic" might be among those in government, it still seems likely to strike members of the public as a euphemism that allows the Obama administration to describe a war as something other than a war.
How do you think the press will treat this one?
