WP: Bush Seeks to Use Media Leaks to His Advantage

[sabra]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/28/AR2006062802180.html

Bush Seeks to Use Media Leaks to His Advantage
Attack on Newspapers Continues as Some Democrats Accuse White House of Trying to Divert Attention

By Charles Babington and Michael Abramowitz
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, June 29, 2006; Page A11

President Bush rallied Republicans with another attack on the media last night, in remarks that highlighted efforts at the White House and on Capitol Hill to gain momentum from recent disclosures about classified programs to fight terrorism.

Senior administration officials say the president was outraged by articles in the New York Times and other newspapers about a surveillance program in which the U.S. government has tapped international banking records for information about terrorist financing. But his comments at a Republican fundraiser in a St. Louis suburb yesterday, combined with new moves by GOP congressional leaders, showed how both are working to fan public anger and reap gains from the controversy during a midterm election year in which polls show they are running against stiff headwinds.

...

Hours before Bush spoke, Democrats denounced what they saw as a White House-inspired campaign.

"This is all so people don't realize what else is going on," especially in Iraq, said Rep. Rahm Emanuel (Ill.), who is heading his party's efforts to regain control of the House in the November elections. "This is disingenuous of both the White House and House Republicans."

The White House dismissed such claims. "This is not press-bashing. This is a clear disagreement about a decision to reveal a classified program," White House counselor Dan Bartlett said in an e-mail exchange. "Are we supposed to just sit back and take it?"

[Rex]

1. It amazes me that how fast Repukes will turn on the M$M

and how fast the M$M will forgive them.

[Tellurian]

16. Plain and simple, Murdock has pulled out of supporting the GOP..

Bush and his ilk can kick and scream all they want.
Murdock has leveled the playing field. Get used to
hearing high pitched Republican whining. They will
even try to legislate the media into forcing them to
propagandize their agenda.

[Vidar]

17. I apparently missed something. What happened beside the Times story?

[Tellurian]

18. There was an announcement a few weeks ago..

Murdock is supporting Hillary IF she chooses to run for president.

[Vidar]

20. Thanks. I knew that, but presumed black ops,

so I didn't make the connection.

[Qutzupalotl]

27. No doubt so he can rally Republicans against her. nt

[Tellurian]

29. I don't think so..Murdock is a businessman. All he cares about is making $

Something Bill is good at doing.
Additionally, it must be embarrassing being tied to a LOSER!

[PSPS]

2. bush's 'advantage' trumps all else, including what's best for the country

> This is a clear disagreement about a decision to reveal a classified
> program," White House counselor Dan Bartlett said in an e-mail exchange.
> "Are we supposed to just sit back and take it?"

Reveal a classified program? bush did that himself regarding this very data mining program on national television five years ago. of course, the press continues to prop up the fraud by not mentioning that little discrepancy.

[The_Casual_Observer]

3. "Are we supposed to just sit back and take it?"

The usual bullshit, trump up a big nothing and then act like the victim in order to kick some Dem ass. Fuck you jr!

[Norquist Nemesis]

4. Bush was only pissed about his trampling of the Constitution

having a little sunshine on it. The hampering of fighting the terrorists is such over the top bullshit, unless anyone who is anti-Bush and/or anti-Republican is the equivalent of al Queda operatives.

He's pissed because, once again, he's been sneaking and going around the law in order to avoid a judge shutting down his racket. Has George Bush proven that he didn't use any of the NSA program to gain advantage or political opponents leading up to 2004? Has anyone from the press asked? Has it occurred to anyone that George Bush may be tracking financial transactions of his political enemies? Has anyone asked?

He refuses to allow any oversight. At the last minute, he tries to cover his ass and "brief" members of Congress. Does this sound like a by-the-book operation, or a coverup?

[rodeodance]

5. The White House dismissed such claims. "This is not press-bashing

[grasswire]

6. as Olbermann reported....

....the SWIFT program for the monitoring of financial transactions has had its own magazine and web site for years, detailing its work.

[mithnanthy]

13. Exactly!

Keith Olbermann explained it perfectly! WHY don't the other MSM report this fact? grrrrrr...

[6000eliot]

7. The press doesn't leak. They report.

[ClintonTyree]

28. More often than not.........

they merely echo White House talking points as "news".
I don't get it. How can he accuse the NYT of divulging "a valuable tool in the war on terra" when it's been public knowledge since shortly after 9/11, when he himself has bragged about the fact that they were going to follow the "terrists" money trail? :shrug: And why isn't the rest of the "librul media" reporting that fact? Damn that "librul media", damn them all to hell! :rofl:

[snowbear]

8. The funny thing is.... Bush's plan will backfire miserably...

What a freaken LOSER!

[truthisfreedom]

10. don't bite the hand that prints you.

[radfringe]

9. it's not about "accountability"

it's about partisanship....

The House GOP resolution, scheduled for a vote today, takes aim at the media and at government workers who may have shared classified information. Republicans said the resolution will allow their members to register support for Bush's anti-terrorism efforts and the anger that many feel toward news organizations. They said it also is designed to force House Democrats to stand with the media or Bush's criticism of it -- a choice many would prefer to avoid.

[bklyncowgirl]

11. The media may be one institution that has lower ratings than Congress

The administration saw an opportunity to beat up on an old enemy that is pretty much despised by most of the people in the country. This way they rally the right wing wackos to who the New York Times is anathema and the arguement about "national security" brings those who are not rabid right wingers around to their side.

Karl Rove is back from his legal troubles with a vengeance.

[annabanana]

12. I'd love to see some recent figures...

As to who people trust, and who they don't, media-wise.

[bklyncowgirl]

19. That's a good point.

Right wingers have always distrusted the main stream media for years, but I think that the overall media numbers have dropped precipitously because liberals and moderates--who had aways been comfortable with the MSM--have been appalled at corporate media's shilling for the Bush administration.

Let's face it, hardcore left and right we don't trust 'em. We trust talk radio--ours, not the other sides--and we trust those columnists and TV hosts that trumpet and support our view of the world.

As for the NYT, its lost credibility on the left with Judith Miller. It never had credibility with the right but serves as a useful whipping boy to drum up the wingnuts.

[maxrandb]

14. Wasn't Rove fired by Poppy

because he was caught planting a "bug" in his candidates office and using it to claim their opponent was spying on them?

Isn't this "remarkably" similar??

You don't think the administration would have actually wanted the NYT to report this story, do you? They only seem to do well when they have an enemy to attack. This works out perfect for them. They'll just have to be more careful in the future when they pull this shit. They probably didn't anticipate that their "apologist" at the Wall Street Journal would also report on this. Why aren't they calling for criminal prosecution of the WSJ?

Tin-foil hat firmly fastened.

[sadiesworld]

25. It's the phoniest BS I've seen come down the pike in some time.

What next? "The NYT, in their coverage of *'s removal to undisclosed location due to terror threats, leaks that * was in Peoria rescuing puppies from certain death by fire at local animal shelter"? Damn the NYT! :eyes:

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

15. Tricky Dick, is that you?

It seems that the administration has decided upon some sort of insane Nixonian scorched earth strategy for the midterm elections. I think this is going to be uglier than 2000h or 2004.

[rocktivity]

21. My e-mail to WP

Nowhere in your article is it mentioned that SWIFT has its own web site and magazine, and that Bush has spoken of having an international financial surveillance program previously. That would have given the story a little fairness and balance, since the information WASN'T classified and the Republican Congress are therefore making fools of themselves.

Other media outlets may be betraying Bush by telling the whole truth, but he can rest easy knowing that the Washington Post is doing still doing its suck-up best.

:eyes:
rocknation

[Supersedeas]

22. same ole election cycle agenda: demonize portions of 'Merica

[54anickel]

23. Terrorist funds-tracking no secret, some say

http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2006/06/28/1699436.htm

(Boston Globe, The (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Jun. 28--WASHINGTON -- News reports disclosing the Bush administration's use of a special bank surveillance program to track terrorist financing spurred outrage in the White House and on Capitol Hill, but some specialists pointed out yesterday that the government itself has publicly discussed its stepped-up efforts to monitor terrorist finances since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

On Monday, President Bush said it was "disgraceful" that The New York Times and other media outlets reported last week that the US government was quietly monitoring international financial transactions handled by an industry-owned cooperative in Belgium called the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Communication, or SWIFT, which is controlled by nearly 8,000 institutions in 20 countries. The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and The Wall Street Journal also reported about the program.

The controversy continued to simmer yesterday when Senator Jim Bunning, a Republican of Kentucky, accused the Times of "treason," telling reporters in a conference call that it "scares the devil out of me" that the media would reveal such sensitive information. Senator Pat Roberts, a Kansas Republican, requested US intelligence agencies to assess whether the reports have damaged anti terrorism operations. And Representative Peter King, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, has urged Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez to pursue "possible criminal prosecution" of the Times, which has reported on other secret government surveillance programs. The New York Times Co. owns The Boston Globe.

But a search of public records -- government documents posted on the Internet, congressional testimony, guidelines for bank examiners, and even an executive order President Bush signed in September 2001 -- describe how US authorities have openly sought new tools to track terrorist financing since 2001. That includes getting access to information about terrorist-linked wire transfers and other transactions, including those that travel through SWIFT.

"There have been public references to SWIFT before," said Roger Cressey, a senior White House counterterrorism official until 2003. "The White House is overreaching when they say a crime against the war on terror. It has been in the public domain before."

more...

[newspeak]

24. they've been using "media leaks"

for the past five years!!!! All they have to do is call up their corporate buddies at the networks or papers and tell them to spin it. Yeah baby, spin it!!!! If we really had a media, the 2000 election would really look different. Free pass on insider trading, drug usage, driving record, military record--but, Gore is a liar--Gore is a liar--Gore is a liar. Now keep repeating over and over again so the zombies can repeat it!!! If you ask someone what Gore lied about, the zombies just shake their heads and can't name anything. Especially when you point out Gore did not say he invented the internet.

[KansDem]

26. He's taken advantage of their shitting all over us these past 6 years...

...so why not their leaking?

Actually, this sounds like desperation on Bush's part. I don't trust the Corporate Media, but maybe they are beginning to act more like the Fourth Estate and less like the Whoreth Estate...

[Child_Of_Isis]

30. A Karl Rove trick to rally the base. More hatred please.

It's the only thing that motivates these people.

[The Brethren]

31. We have a right to a free press

We also have a right and a need to know what our government is doing and even if they are doing their jobs correctly.

"There can be no excuse for anyone entrusted with vital intelligence to leak it and no excuse for any newspaper to print it." Funny, I don't recall King George all up in arms and threatening lawsuits against the press when the Valerie Plame infor. was first "leaked."

'"This is not press-bashing. This is a clear disagreement about a decision to reveal a classified program,"' I would disagree with Bartlett. Yes, it is press-bashing. It is also bullying behavior coming from the most incompetent and untrustworthy admin. ever in our history who have the responsibility and power to address our security. Why should we take their word for anything?? Not to mention, criminals in our government benefit by wrapping themselves in "classified information" vs. the public's right to know.

I would also like them to explain - openly to the public what their "new interpretation of the Treasury Department's administrative authority" is that was part of this controversy to begin with. Helping themselves to yet more "interpretations" by the bush and co. to violate privacy issues? And while the repugs have their panties in a wad over letting terrorists know what is going on, did it ever occur to them that "sweeping up large numbers of international money transfers" also includes private information of Americans who are not terrorists?

[cyr330]

32. Couldn't see that one coming?

It was as visible as a flying sow. . . . no surprise there. . . .