Grim, Defensive, Bush Meets Press, Shoring Up War

[kskiska]

by Joe Hagan

On Tuesday evening, April 13, President George W. Bush, furrowed and wound tight, shrouded in determination, moved down a red carpet in the East Room of the White House to engage the press on prime time television. His evening appearance was meant to re-establish his leadership for the American television viewer during a week when violence in Iraq had stolen the news cycle from the Administration’s policy of unshakable resolve.

Prepped and rough-edged, Mr. Bush, was at first grim, stern, alternately energized and halting, emphatic and inarticulate, mixing his confident smirk with stumped silences as he batted out his message with in terse slogans: "We must not waver …. We serve the cause of liberty …. We’re changing the world," he told the television audience.

(snip)

These were facts that could no longer be controlled by the same P.R. professionals who rolled acquiescent reporters one year ago, before American troops stormed the sands of Iraq. This time in 2003, President Bush was leading the public where he wanted them to go, from his role as the wartime commander-in-chief. The press, with little traction from an opposition party, were cowed.

"What a symbol that was for their media strategy and their success at it," said Mr. Fineman. "A year later, no reporter feels ‘embedded’ in the White House. Just the opposite. There’s a lot of built-up animosity and resentment and even some self-loathing involved here in the press room, and indeed in all the media. Were we taken for a ride? Literally—taken for a ride?"

more…
http://www.nyobserver.com/pages/frontpage1.asp

[KissMyAsscroft]

1. Awwww...the poor babies got taken for a ride...

Gee...maybe if they did their fucking jobs that wouldn't have happened...ya think?

[madmax]

2. I'm with you

f*ck them - no mercy. Cretins, they've all lost my respect.

As a child of immigrant parents I was raised to believe that the press was the gaurdian of the truth. I believed that well into my forties until the Clinton witch hunt, the campaign of 2000 and the past 3 years of a lap dog press. Afraid to ask the questions and inform the American public.

[Th1onein]

3. I am so FUCKING sick of Bush.

And the fourth estate, if we can call them that, anymore, should be, too.

[CheshireCat]

4. Finally, the press awakes from their hypnotic spell!"

Wow!! Fineman has done a 180 in the past few months.



"A year later, no reporter feels ‘embedded’ in the White House. Just the opposite. There’s a lot of built-up animosity and resentment and even some self-loathing involved here in the press room, and indeed in all the media. Were we taken for a ride? Literally—taken for a ride?"


"Now, he(Fineman) said, the President is "not going to catch a break."


If a large percentage of the press fells like they were "taken for a ride", I honestly feel that the Bushistas' are in for a troubled period of time!

It will be interesting to see if bush can get through the months and days prior to the election without the world seeing his legendary temper.


Peace