Carole Coleman, the Irish journalist who threw a monkey-wrench into Bush's attempt at talking point distribution the other day, brings a new, yet somehow totally unsurprising revelation to the world at large. In this wrap up (RealPlayer or some alternative required) with one of her comrades, Coleman confirms what we've all long pondered as being the case: This White House requires journalists to submit questions in advance. "The policy of the White House is that you submit your questions in advance," she said, "so they had my questions for about three days."
Shocked? No, neither am I. It does make his bumbling attempts at working the press all the more disturbing, though, and makes the level of complicity of the press in allowing this administration to control the news cycles all the more didespicablespicable. And, I should add, the occasional, unintentional revelation more telling:
Q:In the last campaign, you were asked a question about the biggest mistake you'd made in your life, and you used to like to joke that it was trading Sammy Sosa. You've looked back before 9/11 for what mistakes might have been made. After 9/11, what would your biggest mistake be, would you say, and what lessons have you learned from it?
THE PRESIDENT: I wish you would have given me this written question ahead of time, so I could plan for it. (Laughter.) John, I'm sure historians will look back and say, gosh, he could have done it better this way, or that way. You know, I just -- I'm sure something will pop into my head here in the midst of this press conference, with all the pressure of trying to come up with an answer, but it hadn't yet.
Laughter. What a kidder, that Bush. Such a folksy so-and-so, gosh, don't he just tickle you to no end?
If you'll recall, after the dismal performance Bush gave at the prime-time press conference quoted above, there was a brief spike in the public debate over just this question. It was the "must-calls" and Bush's stumbling over the question quoted in the selection above.
Well, now we know.
Posts
June 26, 2004 8:09 PM
But don't you know? Bush doesn't read!
June 26, 2004 8:25 PM
That's why they make pre-submitted-questions-(as well as goat-books)-on-tape.
June 26, 2004 11:12 PM
Indeed, all reporters must now attend Press Rehearsal and face the risk of excommunication if they don't know their lines. Anyone mentioning the Emperor's lack of clothing, well... off with their heads!