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Fifth Column | ||
Leftist BBC Rant: Are These Guys Government Funded?? | ||
2003-07-30 | ||
Americans can see their president on television almost every day. From policy speeches to White House meetings to photo opportunities on the road with selected groups, the sight of George W Bush is anything but a rarity. But opportunities for the nation’s press to question the leader are far less common. He will make comments before or after events such as paying tribute to the late comedian Bob Hope and he takes two questions after meeting visiting foreign leaders like Israel’s Ariel Sharon. Yet the White House can let months go by without giving the press any extended opportunity to ask questions of the president. Why, so he can be pelted with leading, liberal/leftist questions that are insulting and degrading? Mr Bush’s last news conference was on 6 March this year, 11 days before he issued Saddam Hussein with an ultimatum to leave Iraq or face invasion. Since then, there has been the war itself, growing concern about difficulties still being faced by US troops in Iraq and a row over the intelligence used to justify the attack. Other issues have also come up Mr Bush’s controversial tax cut, violence in Liberia, renewed criticism of the intelligence services who failed to stop the 11 September attacks and, most recently, allegations that the White House is trying to protect Saudi Arabia with its refusal to declassify a congressional report on those attacks. Puh-leeeze. News conferences offer an important mechanism for the American people to see their president answer questions on the panoply of issues facing the country. Reporters lob questions at White House spokesmen, but elements of the media have become increasingly frustrated at the lack of opportunity to hear directly from the president. On Tuesday, the influential Washington Post newspaper ran an editorial calling on Mr Bush to "Meet the Press". While not calling for the kind of monthly televised news conferences introduced by UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, the paper said even four appearances a year would be an improvement. It noted that Mr Bush had held just eight solo news conferences in his two-and-a-half years in power. At the same stage of their terms, Bill Clinton had held 33 such events and the first President Bush 61. When the press is dominated by assholes with a left/liberal agenda, why should he put up with their garbage? "News conferences aren’t a panacea. The questions can be silly or preening or off-point," the Post noted.
Thank you. next.
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Posted by:TJ |
#4 Did they let all of the NPR talking heads out of their cribs? Judging from the questions they asked, I think we can pretty well figure out who is on the distribution list for the last DNC strategy memo that Terry McAwful sent out. This is so bad and so transparent. My gosh, you would have thought that Howard the Dean and Gebhardt the Dick wrote the questions. Are we sure that George didn't stumble into the Iowa Democratic Caucus instead of the Rose Garden. You know, the mainstream media still acts like they have a monopoly on the news. They forget that Rush, Joe, Hugh, Laura and the rest of the radio You know we ought to start a pool and pick the overs and unders on how many states George carries in 2004, I say the overs and unders are 45. |
Posted by: SOG475 2003-7-30 10:40:11 PM |
#3 If you caught much of this AM's press conference, each leftie reporter seemed to start each question with a speech (designed to "frame" the response). I guess this is the "bonhomie" [sic] that he is supposedly failing to return. I don't know who they think THEY represent, but they are trying to shape the news. Screw tort reform, we need media reform worse. |
Posted by: Mark IV 2003-7-30 8:08:04 PM |
#2 ROFLMAO!!! I luv Rummy bits - he just does not suffer fools. Too funny, Matt. Kudos! |
Posted by: PD 2003-7-30 6:06:01 PM |
#1 Well, if Ms. Clarke has that much time on her hands she can always go to Rummy's press conferences. Ms. Clarke: "Mr. Secretary, how do you explain-" Rummy: "STFU. We kicked Sammy's butt up and down the stairs, and you BBC people just can't get over it." |
Posted by: Matt 2003-7-30 5:49:48 PM |