He lists dozens of instances where America or Japan have provoked China's army, but fails to cite a single example of Chinese provocation.
While some might think that the warrantless searches of electronic devices may be a valuable counter-terrorism tactic, Kelly did not cite a single instance where an electronic device search had lead to a terrorism charge or conviction.
Mr Leon protests that the government does not cite a single instance in which analysis of metadata "actually stopped an imminent attack".
"The government does not cite a single instance in which analysis of the N.S.A.'s bulk metadata collection actually stopped an imminent attack, or otherwise aided the government in achieving any objective that was time-sensitive in nature," he wrote.
"I cannot cite a single instance of a postdoc taking a leave using FMLA, although I know many who had children during that time," says Busch-Vishniac.
The Nation didn't believe that the State Department could "cite a single instance of forced espionage".
He does not cite a single instance of the VA in action.
Breyer said the state could not cite "a single instance" where a doctor's admitting privileges at a local hospital would have led to better treatment for an abortion patient.
As the historian Deborah Lipstadt points out in her book Beyond Belief, the New Republic portrayed the government's attitude as "persecuting the refugee". The Nation didn't believe that the State Department could "cite a single instance of forced espionage". But these voices were drowned out in the name of national security.
While Carla Thomas and her father, Rufus, for instance, are fairly well known, many Americans would be hard pressed to cite a single one of their songs or identify either of them in an MTV lineup.
No surprise, then, that the artist was hard-pressed to cite a single possession to exalt above others.
