FireEye Exec Responds to Criticism re HRC

[CraginS]

While we have spent a week having fun at FireEye's expense, it took only one day for the company to release a statement explaining their invitation to Secretaty Clinton to speak at their summit in November. See the June 1sr article FireEye Exec Explains Why Hillary Clinton Chosen as Cybersecurity Conference Speaker in the Western Journal.

From the article:

" 'I’m probably asking for it by responding, but context is important. I’m not defending the decision or how we communicated it. Any individual in the political realm can serve as a lightening rod in our society today,' Wes Simons, Vice President of Sales, Global Services and Intelligence at FireEye, responded on LinkedIn Saturday."

The linked article noted that, 

"Social media users were quick to criticize and poke fun at the company’s choice, responding with nearly 23 thousand comments between Twitter and Facebook."

[Well, DUH!]

One line in the article made me laugh:

"Simons proceeded to add that it is his belief that the question-and-answer format will provide for hard questions and insightful dialogue, rather than simply accepting prepared talking points from Clinton."

Has he never seen her, or any politician, respond to a question without answering it?

[Steve-Wilme]

Politicians don't respond to questions; they just use the silence as an opportunity to make their next tangential or unrelated point and advance whatever case they're promoting.  A VP of Sales should know that!

[CISOScott]

Respond to questions??? Has he never seen her? Here's how it will go with most politicians:

Question asker (QA): What do you think of topic A?

Politician (P): That's a very good question. Thank you for having the courage to stand up and ask that hard question. What we need in this society is more people like you, that feel the courage to stand up and ask tough questions of politicians. What a better world this would be if more people asked questions. [Insert topic politician really wanted to speak on in order to attempt to influence your opinion of them but has no bearing on the question asked] If all politicians do is stand up here and answer pre-screened questions, it does society no good. I am proud that this generation has people bold enough to challenge politicians with tough questions. Thank you again for that courage.

Next question.

[Flyslinger2]

Her performance in front of Ken Starr was legendary.  She should have been awarded every accolade Hollywood likes to self-aggrandize itself with-Tony, Emmy, Oscar, etc.  She had a couple hundred statements under oath to the effect of saying: "I'm sorry, I don't recall."

If I suffered from that poor recall my career would have been cut short years ago.

[Steve-Wilme]

Sounds very Yes Minister