Revolt of the Press Corps (press sick of Ask the President)

[Shallah Kali]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/politics/administration/whbriefing/

The press corps appears to have had about enough of those hokey "Ask President Bush" events.

Instead of taking questions from reporters, President Bush has become increasingly partial to playing talk-show host to an audience of sycophantic fans.

There were four "Ask President Bush" events last week and in each case, after a long speech and staged interviews with prepped guests, Bush opened the floor to some incredible softballs.

The format allows the president to come off as very smooth.

[still_one]

1. They want to revolt now?

where the hell were they for the last 4 years???

[Libby2]

2. They've always been revolting to me

:P

[amber dog democrat]

10. you would have to be a mindless doorknob to even THINK

the WhiteHouse press corps matters anymore. So do they have standards too ?
it'd be galvanizing to see if they really did stop sucking up to Scott Mouth-of-Sauron McClellen and the orchestrated "briefings"

As for these charades he is hosting - perhaps it makes him feel better to preach his own choir. And I suppose there are lots of people who still drink the Chimp KoolAide and believe in the myths. Maybe fewer than there were a year ago.

It would be funny to see these media mice in revolt however I don't have much sympathy for them.

[bread_and_roses]

18. "Scott Mouth-of-Sauron McClellen" ROFL

I love it! Thanks, you've given me my DU laugh of the day with that apt phrase. One of the great side benefits of the Trilogy movies is seeing the hilarious application to the cabal now in power.

[amber dog democrat]

20. Well he IS

I never saw a more depersonalized mouth-bot.
He's kind of like the people in Hitler's inner circle who hitched their star to the person in power. He will be a corporate figure head for the insurance industry after this.

[Zhade]

52. Hell, even Ari "The Mouth" Fleischer lied better!

Scotty is just pathetic.

[amber dog democrat]

57. yeah - Mr. Machine.

Scott , He's kinda like one of thise Disney animatronic manakins you'd see on one of the rides. in fact I am beginning to wonder if he was not replaced by one already.
Looks pretty realistic, no ?
I thought his mom was evil too but I AM going to relish seeing her take on Governor Goodhair.

[LiberalEsto]

28. I refer to B*sh sometimes as

Mauron.
It just seems more fitting.

[stickdog]

61. I think it's MaurAn.

Go USA!

[shugah]

3. the press is revolting

but we already knew that.

[JuniorPlankton]

4. It's appalling

The doesn't seem to revolting though. :(

[Bill McBlueState]

5. pretty amazing number

"As of Wednesday in Wisconsin, Bush will have had 12 such campaign forums, which is one fewer than the number of solo news conferences he has had in three and a half years in the White House."

[wishlist]

6. Only 3 major press conferences in his entire first term

I was wondering when the press would smell a rat after the way Bushco has avoided answering questions until now. No surprise that the forums are staged with preplanned questions.

Speaking of sick, I had the nauseating experience of watching part of a town meeting' with the Cheneys on CSPAN last night where they answered questions about school vouchers and eliminating estate taxes to an adoring crowd of their 'base'.

[stevedeshazer]

8. And all three were unmitigated disasters.

I got me a few questions for Mr. Bunnypants, too.

[MallRat]

31. No. They were HIGHLY MITIGATED DISASTERS.

If you didn't actually watch that April 2004 press conference, cable news left you with the sense that President was "strong," "resolute," and "determined."

He cited a deep "conviction," "reaffirmed his commitment," and "vowed to stay the course."

These are actual quotes from CNN, MSNBC, and FOX.

:argh:

-MR

[stevedeshazer]

46. I have no idea what point you are trying to make here

Yes, I watched it. SURPRISE! You don't have to have cable television.

I have watched all three.

What's your point? Is it semantics about my usage of the word "unmitigated?"

Your post makes no sense to me.

[MallRat]

47. For those who DIDN'T watch it, the media MITIGATED the damage.

Put down the flamethrower, Stevie. I wasn't aiming at you.

The only point I was making is that the press conference was a complete and utter disaster for Bush. And yet, if you watched the news coverage of the same awful press conference, there was minimal criticism.

Except for a few brave souls, who mentioned how Bush fumbled through the "what was your biggest mistake" question, no one dared tell the truth: the Emperor has no clothes.

-MR

[stevedeshazer]

65. Sorry

Something was wrong with by brain. Now I get it. :)

Thanks.

[TeeYiYi]

60. He's emphasizing your point . . .

. . . you said they were mitigated disasters and he upped the ante by adding "HIGHLY" and using caps for emphasis.

"No. They were HIGHLY MITIGATED DISASTERS."

See, he's on your side. :)

TYY

[porkrind]

71. !!! OMG !!! : Cheneys on CSPAN

:puke:

You saw this train wreck too?

I flipped by this and saw Lynn Cheney kissing ass to the religious right. (Yes, that Lynn Cheney, Lesbian Novelist, and astounding hypocrite) The crowd was a small hand-picked group of fundies and GOP stooges. It was a disgusting sham. Incredibly contrived. It reminded me of a Ron Popeil infomercial where the crowd acts like the gadget dujour will change their life forever.

:dem:

[TahitiNut]

7. And the presstitutes still miss the story.

The real story is that Smirky McNarcissist comes unhinged in the face of dissent and disagreement. He's surrounded by enablers and sycophants - his narcissistic supply. He's a psychopath: the poster-boy for Narcissistic Personality Disorder per DSM-IV. His weekly and month-long "retreats" to Crawford, Kennebunkport, and Camp David are, in effect, the times he gets his narcissistic batteries recharged ... a kind of perverted out-patient therapy designed, not to cure, but to tighten the leash.

It's akin to an immunodeficiency - he requires "clean zones" free of protest, dissent, or opposition wherever he goes, whether it be Europe, Canada, or muddled-America. He's pathological.

[orlin2k]

9. Republicans are ego maniacs

Karl Rove has to set up these love-fest so that poor little Bush won't get too depressed over his approval rating.

[catzies]

19. Welcome to DU, orlin2k!

:hi:

I wonder if they even tell the Chimperor what his true approval ratings are...I imagine they only tell him something like, "The peasants still love you, Sire!"

[Tight_rope]

70. LMAO Catzies thanks for the good laugh...Welcome to DU orlin2k!

[mom cat]

32. Welcome aboard orlin2k. I like your analysis of dimson.

:hi:

[Mari333]

11. Long overdue, too little , too late

The US press , during the blackest years of this country, rolled over and played dead for 4 f*cking years. The only free press left is the Internet.

[amber dog democrat]

15. Agree completely

Its the worst its ever been. I never thought the press would wholesale bacome an enemy of the republic and their form of treason is far, far more insidious - due to the complex subtle nature of their lies.

The only freedom of the press will be OFF LINE and far away from the corporate owned news sources. It almost feels like we have been assimulated by creatures from outer space.

[Ganja Ninja]

12. Ooh! Look out the bootlicking media is getting grumpy.

They hate to see armatures serving up softballs to the chimp. That's their job. If this trend continues they'll be unemployed bootlickers.

[DinahMoeHum]

13. Tee hee. There IS a limit to how long you can smell the

shit coming out of the toilet stall and believe it's lilacs.

:evilgrin:

[JDPriestly]

14. Showtime!

One thing you can say for Bush: He puts on quite a show! Everything is staged. Sometimes it’s obvious, like when he landed on the aircraft carrier in a pilot’s suit to make people think he actually flew his own plane (he didn’t), and announced, beneath a banner saying “Mission Accomplished,” that major combat in Iraq was over (it wasn’t). So, you say, there’s nothing wrong with dramatizing history, is there? Maybe not, but Bush has carried the play-acting to the point that even his national security meetings are scripted. Ever wonder who’s writing Bush’s scripts?

Sources: Suskind, The Price of Loyalty, 76, 147-148. 165-172 (influence of Bush’s political team on decision- making), 175 (David Aufhauser: “The White House defines questions of policy by political design”), 293, 314; John Dean, Worse Than Watergate, The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush (New York: Little, Brown and Company 2004), 72-74; David E. Sanger, “On the Road,” The New York Times, May 5, 2004, http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/05/politics/trail/05TRAI... ; James Carville, HAD ENOUGH? A Handbook for Fighting BACK (New York: Simon & Schuster 2003), 53-58; Richard Clarke, Against All Enemies (New York: Simon & Schuster 2004), 243-244.

. . .

Every Bush press conference is a theatrical event, and Bush is the star. He leaves the production, direction and script writing up to others like Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rove and their ghostwriters. Opening: casual encounters that look spontaneous. First act: propaganda monologue (by Bush alone). Second act: a few reporters are allowed to play their bit parts and ask questions to which Bush has already rehearsed the answers. If any reporter falls out of line by asking something he or she really wants to know, and the answer is not in Bush’s rehearsed script, the reporter gets gonged. When Bush does respond, he talks about something remotely related to the question and pretends it’s an answer. In fact, he doesn’t answer the questions asked and avoids the real issues by spouting sound bites from his script. Finally, the curtain falls on the greatest sucker-show on earth. Bush has revealed nothing that wasn’t in his script. The reporters pretend they have learned something and pass off Bush’s nonsense and half-truths to the public as news.

Sources: Dean, Worse Than Watergate, 64-65; Zach Fox, “Bush’s press conferences too scripted, author says,” Daily Trojan, University of Southern California, April 9, 2004, http://www.dailytrojan.com/global_user_elements/printpa... (quoting Ronald Suskind); “Press Irony at the White House,” Insight on the News, March 7, 2003, http://www.insightmag.com/news/2003/03/18/Politics/Pres... ; Mona Eltahawy, “Thomas Asks Questions While Others Feat to Tread,” Women’s e-News, September 11, 2003, http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm?aid=1521 ; Helen Thomas, “I can help Bush think of a mistake he made,” Toronto Star, April 18, 2004, http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename... ; Philip James, “Why Kerry must target Cheney,” The Guardian, May 4, 2004, http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,4915966-112564,0... ; Mike Allen, “On the Way to the Fundraisers, Stopovers Let Bush charge Taxpayers for Political Trips,” Washington Post, May 20, 2002, at Common Dreams News Center, http://www.commondreams.org/cgi-bin/print.cgi?file=/hea... ; Nat Parry, “Bush & the L-Word,” Consortiumnews.com, March 29, 2004, http://www.consortiumnews.com/Print/2004/0329004.html ; “The Bush Record: Top 10 Bush Lies,” DNC Special Reports, http://www.democrats.org/specialreports/top10_lies .

[LiberalFighter]

53. Too bad... Kerry was in the Navy instead of the Air Force

Then he could say I FLEW combat missions in Vietnam... did you?

It would be nice if Kerry could capitalize on the "Mission Accomplish" incident and embarass the jackass in the debate.

[TaleWgnDg]

62. yeah, what YOU said!!

. . . . . . . . Go, Johnny, Go! :bounce:

[Parche]

16. Portland Or event

He had one here in Portland, at a high school that is 3blocks west
of where I live
He had this lady on after being asked about some tax cut
she said, well yes It did help and i was able to add another 5
more jobs because of that ( I was thinking, add 5 jobs, lose 2000)
Then she said something about being in the military the same
year and at the same base and she knew him, so he had to be there?
It was something out of a evangelical convention or something,
it was to sugary sweet for me, i had to hurl a cheney

[Tuttle]

50. Were you there?

Or was this broadcast on local news?

If she can prove she served with Bush* she stand to collect a lot of money - $10,000 alone from Gary Trudeau.

Tut-tut

[LiberalFighter]

54. Someone should had investigated the woman...

to see if 5 new jobs were added and how that was done.

[Snellius]

17. "... I have felt that God was in the White House"?

"And although the president does not usually shy away from discussing his personal faith, he sometimes found himself in an awkward position -- trying to validate his supporters' views without endorsing them in a way that would alienate more-moderate swing voters. . . .

"Which is why the president deflected the comment with a joke when a 60-year-old man in Niceville, Fla., said Tuesday, 'This is the very first time that I have felt that God was in the White House.'

"'Thank you. Thank you all. Let me ask you a question: Do you like Jeb?' Bush asked, referring to his brother, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/politics/administration/whbriefing/

I don't get the joke. Is * already trying to pass down his divine right of fools to Jeb?

[wabeewoman]

21. I think he is saying

Jeb thinks he is God....

[gatlingforme]

22. Jeb is God? no, wait, umm, no George is God, no umm, God talks

to George and Jeb is Jesus, ummm..... no wait.. LOL

[Parche]

29. jeb

If you like Ferrets you like Jeb the ferret face

[JoFerret]

49. Oy! Stop picking on ferrets!

.

[tblue37]

68. I LOVE ferrets--

but I despise Jeb.

[kayell]

34. I think the scary part about this exchange is that the poor deluded

60 year old probably meant that he believed that as a religious man * had brought religious principles into the WH. But as wrong headed as the poor fellow was about that - Shrub assumes that the fellow as just paid him a huge complement and says "Thank you. Thank you all." Shrub assumed the man had just named him as God.

[Cocoa]

23. but often the press corps is essentially the same thing

remember the softballs during his "Ask the president" event right before the war?

It even included a religious question like the ones this article mentions. That whore April asked him how his faith guided him. :puke:

[Democat]

24. Bullshit, the press never gets sick of kissing Bush's ass

Watch, they will continue kissing up until the election, then they will start bashing President Kerry.

[democrank]

25. There isn`t one single thing

the mainstream media can do to resurrect their standing with me. Nothing.

All of them can shove their flag pins, their definition of patriotism, their moronic Question of the Day, their Bushinista megaphones, their Kobe Bryant and Olson twins updates.

They should hang their heads in shame for the suffering they helped cause through their willful neglect of basic journalistic principles. Their shallow games and mindless drivel in this time of national crisis gives new weight to the word....craven.

[llmart]

40. Agreed!

I was brought up to read a newspaper daily, but when the newspapers jumped on the bandwagon with the non-stop Clinton bashing, I stopped my subscription for the first time in 30 years and will never start up again, unless the state of journalism improves one-hundred fold, which I doubt. I also don't watch what passes for TV news any more unless it's BBC or McNeil/Lehrer.

[hatrack]

26. Day late, dollar short, y'all!

Gee willikers, it looks like the intrepid "journalists" of the WH Press Corpse aren't happy with the price they got for their collective soul.

Well tough titty, gang. You wobbled like Weebles, never falling down, never endangering your status as cadet members of the White House Kool Kidz by asking difficult questions or challenging the oficial line.

Now, you complain, it's all so boring and canned and scripted! So, what's changed recently? What's the problem? Isn't this what you wanted? Aren't you all still Kool Kidz?

Fuck all of you corporate press whores. Fuck you!

[mom cat]

36. Give um hell, hatrack, Thanks for the rant. It was right on,

:yourock:

[TaleWgnDg]

63. yeah . . . and hot damn . . .

(I don't think you left ANYthing out!)

[flordehinojos]

27. Priceless People of the DU forums

I have to say that I adore the creativity exhibited at DU for nicknaming our Chief Resident.

I absolutely adore:
SMIRKY McNARCISSIST -- it fits him to a tee.

followed by:
CHIMPEROR.

I love it when America Revolts and calls the Press Corps
THE PRESSTITUTES


These kinds of things are priceless to me and they make my day.

This particular thread has done just that.

Thank you all! :loveya:

[Swamp Rat]

33. Chimpy McCokespoon

[meow2u3]

42. Smirky McPsycho

[Swamp Rat]

44. HAHAHA! You win!!!

That's the best and most up-to-date one I've heard. The etymology of "George W. Bush" has evolved so rapidy...:D ... as he devolves.

[checks-n-balances]

51. Yeah - and someone at DU aptly named the present GOP

The rethuglicans. They're not ALL lyin' dirtbag criminal gangmembers, but most of 'em have earned the name.

And the monikker CHIMPEROR says it all about the neocons & Smirk's attitude, don't ya think?

Thanks, flordehinojos, for reminding me to appreciate the little and big things I like about DU!

[nolabels]

72. Did you try the dictionary

NEED HELP: The DU Slang Dictionary is back...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=450719

[PROGRESSIVE1]

30. No, the media is just abandoning Bushler's sinking ship!

[DeepModem Mom]

35. Great find, Shallah! Even NYT's Bumiller --

"Bumiller notes: 'As of Wednesday in Wisconsin, Bush will have had 12 such campaign forums, which is one fewer than the number of solo news conferences he has had in three and a half years in the White House.'"

[MODemocrat]

37. Bush loves preaching to his choir

That is so funny, I got my first laugh of the day. O8)

[wrate]

38. Is * arrogant or stupid or both.

Chris Mathews had Senator Byrd for an interview yesterday and Senator Byrd said that Bush does not answer questions to anyone, he is the POTUS and people should answer to him. That is how * "thinks"!

On the other hand, I don't mind the Ask the President travesty, but to think that people actually believe it is mind boggling.

[sofa king]

39. DSM-IV

Diagnostic criteria for 301.81 Narcissistic Personality Disorder

A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:

(4) requires excessive admiration

(5) has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations

(6) is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends

______________________

The President sure seems to ring the other six chimes of this character disorder, too. I'm considering putting together an article for DU on the subject. Thanks for the heads up, Shallah. I'm pretty sure I'll be using this article if I ever get back to work.

[progressivebydesign]

41. Hope everyone read the piece that is linked for this thread..

.. wow, a treasure trove of media smackdowns for Bush. I think the journalists (the real ones) are becoming emboldened by Bush's unpopularity, and the prize in November. They are becoming more and more willing to criticize Bush.. finally! The kool aid is starting to wear off from the post 9/11 admonishments. Maybe now, when the journalists are threatened by the WHite House for asking bad questions, they can console themselves with the idea that a NORMAL man will soon be occupying the White HOuse again. I bet the journalists long for days when even Poppy Bush was there.

[Disturbed]

43. A msg. from Dumbass to DUers

[Swamp Rat]

45. Msg. to Bushler - "HAHA! We know where that finger's been!"

:D

[Zhade]

55. Is that Photoshopped...?

NT!

[tblue37]

69. Probably.

A poster on "The Smirking Chimp" made a good case for its being Photoshopped. Also, I do notice that the finger seems lighter than the rest of the hand.

[Cha]

48. This would fit right in with our mass e-mailing, faxing, and

calling cnn today to state our case for their bias reporting of the news. Once again giving bush a pass and covering up good news about Kerry.

[bvar22]

56. If the "press corp" is really sick of this shit,

and they had ANY spine, they would boycott all press conferences and ignore ALL Whitehouse propaganda releases until:
Helen Thomas is restored to the front row and given the opening question at all future press conferences.

The press corps willingness to tolerate the treatment of Helen Thomas is a sign of their complicity and cowardliness. If they had had the courage to ask the hard questions (like Helen Thomas), bunnypants could not have demanded his war. 1000 American GIs and 12,000 innocent Iraqi civilians would still be alive.

White House Press Corp....YOU HAVE BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS!!!!

[bogey18]

66. Right on bvar

The white house press corps has disgraced themselves due to their fear of loss of access.

Access to what, for God's sake? How do they have the nerve to get righteous now? What the fuck has happened to journalism in this country?

[WillyT]

58. Another Press Smack-Down Here:

Link: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2220263

:kick:

[ItsMyParty]

59. From the CBS piece on this a few days ago---------

--they were reporting on this and had a 'documentary' type camera filming one of these events. Besides that it was by "invite only", there are only about 100 people, if that, let in. Most arranged behind him on the stage; then the camera shoots from up close so that it looks like thousands of people are there (very, very small area). They contrasted it with Kerry/Edwards and the thousands (showed them) at rallies and how they have to contend with (and do it well) protestors because these are not fake appearances. But the thing that was chilling to me was that I realized they didn't do these just for the p.r., campaign purposes; they did these to feed the pathetic little monkey. He struts around and is almost fluent in his speech---totally different from press conferences or speaking in front of these various conventions he has to speak at during the campaign season, etc. You can just see how they manipulate this sicko within the White House. They make him feel like "Mr. Man" and he sucks it up like coke up his nose. He's sick, period!!!

[brentspeak]

64. "Mr.President, I don't have a question..."

"Instead, I have three 'thank you's'. Uh, thank you for, um, thank you for doing...(psst! Mr.Rove! Can I see the card again?)"

[Tight_rope]

67. Oh! Now they are tired of the Bush game...Must be the ratings...

[Shallah Kali]

73. Updated link to the orginal article + a few more

Here is the direct link:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A4943-2004Aug16.html
Printer friendly version
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A4943-2004Aug16?language=printer

Bush Camp Controlling Admission to Events
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040816/ap_on_el_pr/bush_preaching_to_the_choir_1

Screening can ensure adoring audiences
http://www.columbusdispatch.com/election/election-president.php?story=dispatch/2004/08/16/20040816-A1-03.html