Current WH media strategy: Bush is Ike Turner, American people are Tina

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

The White House employed every bully pulpit the president has -- speeches to military, diplomatic and political audiences; interviews with key television anchors; Cheney's surprise trip to Iraq; private briefings for congressional centrists; a prime-time Oval Office address on Dec. 18 that reached 37 million people; and an East Room news conference. The humility theme was woven into speeches, often in the first two minutes to keep viewers from turning away. Aides had noticed that anger at Bush after Hurricane Katrina subsided somewhat after he took responsibility for the response.

The idea, one senior official said, was like fighting with a spouse: "You need to give voice to their concern. That doesn't necessarily solve the division and the difference, but it drains the disagreement of some of its animosity if you feel you've been heard."

Better yet, from the White House perspective, Democrats helped frame the choice when House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) endorsed Murtha's withdrawal plan and party Chairman Howard Dean declared it impossible to win in Iraq. "For most of the year we were debating events," the senior official said. "Now we're debating Democrats."

The president received the results he wanted. His approval ratings rose eight percentage points in the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll, to 47 percent. Bush, who had plenty to be morose about through the fall, responded with vigor as well. Instead of heading immediately to bed after the Oval Office address, as he usually does, he stuck around to chew through themes for his upcoming State of the Union address, another high-ranking administration official said.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10621076/page/2/

[Viva_La_Revolution]

1. Stayed up past his bedtime did he?

Too bad.

If he'd gone to bed on time, we could have pulled a 'Bobbit' on him.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

3. They presented that as an act of heroism, didn't they?

One thing Bush can ALWAYS count on is the media. No matter how bad things get, they're never more than a few keystrokes away.

[leftstreet]

2. So can we, as abused Americans, get a restraining order on BushCo?

Thanks for posting the link.

[loyalsister]

4. We've been here for a long time

"Who are you going to believe, me or your lyin' eyes?"
I can't remember the article, but some author pointed out he was reminded by that line from Richard Pryor's comedy routine when he thought about some of the lies the administration was getting away with.