He has also given a strong hint that the Government has concealed evidence of sexing-up to save political embarrassment".
As the self-imposed deadline approaches, a token drawdown should suffice for the president to save political face without seriously risking operational effectiveness.
But when even the rating agencies are demanding growth, some version of plan B, however disguised to save political blushes, starts to look inevitable.
They're dying worse than needlessly; they're dying to save political face, and for every grieving or just aggrieved Afghan family we create the conditions for further atrocities to be visited on us".
The government promised aid for stricken families after an emergency cabinet meeting, but the gesture came too late to save political leaders from fierce attacks by newspapers which said they were warned of the disaster but did nothing.
But the leader also made it clear that even revolutionary credentials could not save political leaders if they go too far, a clear threat to Mr. Rafsanjani, analysts said.
In 2000, after serving as President and as parliament's speaker for almost a decade, he was humiliated in a run for parliament when he lost, disputed the vote, and then withdrew, largely to save political face.
Instead, they've tried to save political face by attempting to deal with this problem at arm's length.
But stranger events are to come, as the word being bandied about in the "smart" circles centers on both the White House and the congress allowing this debate to purposely spill over January 1; so all can save political face.
As long as mastery of the law and ability to play nicely with the other Justices is at the top of the list, then we should save political battles for elections and accept that elected officials from both sides will tend to appoint judges who reflect their understanding of the law, and stop worrying about a judge's identity -- religious, gender, or otherwise.
I'm saving my "political rancor" for the next mayoral election.
