I guess it’s hardly news when a politician doesn’t give straight answers, but this is double-speak, or non-speak, at its best.   Check some excerpts from this Kansas City Star interview with Gov. Nixon on the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) delay in releasing E. coli warnings for the Lake of the Ozarks to the public:

Can you guarantee the people of Missouri that there will be no more disclosures about your office knowing earlier than you previously admitted about the DNR report?

NIXON: We’ve seen challenges with the water at the Lake of the Ozarks over this year. In May and June, a number of reports required the DNR to close the beaches. That’s a challenge for everybody.

We’re in the process of moving through and inspecting all 408 of the permanent facilities around there. We’re going to work very, very hard to make sure that water is cleaned up.”

What did you know and when did you know it?

The bottom line is obviously I think that there could’ve probably been more precise communication.

But the bottom line is it wasn’t a secret that there were challenges down there. That’s why those beaches were closed in May and in June, and the slowness of that report, once it came to decision-making situation we said get it out.

Check the link for the rest of the interview.  You have to read it to believe it.