Vanity Fire: A young, usually volunteer, firefighter sets a fire allowing his department to respond. Often he calls it in or is the first to arrive and is wanting praise for his quick actions.

President Obama announces the pending release of “tortured” detainees’ photos, awaits the firestorm, then plays the hero by reversing his decision.

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2009/05/obama_detainee_photos_and_vani.html

Is everyone sufficiently distracted?

>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/13/AR2009051301751.html
>
>Snippet:
>
>A month after making public once-classified Justice Department memos detailing the Bush administration's coercive methods of interrogation, President Obama yesterday chose secrecy over disclosure, saying he will seek to block the court-ordered release of photographs depicting the abuse of detainees held by U.S. authorities abroad.
>
>...
>
>"The publication of these photos would not add any additional benefit to our understanding of what was carried out in the past by a small number of individuals," Obama said yesterday. "In fact, the most direct consequence of releasing them, I believe, would be to further inflame anti-American opinion and to put our troops in danger."
>
>Flip-flopping is fine (better than fine) when it comes about after close review and consideration.
>
>One day the photos may be released (and should be). However, now is not the time to inflame old wounds.