Williams tells why smirk gave him an interview (you may puke)

[donsu]

http://www.tvguide.com/news/thebiz/


All the President's Sharpies
Brian Williams wound down his momentous year with a White House exclusive

-snip-

TVGuide.com: Is this the model for future treatment of big, exclusive stories?
Williams: It's just spreading out the material. We still have material from our day with the president that we haven't aired. We have this audience that follows you online all day , an audience that follows you on cable, an audience that follows you on air. They tell me it was on cell phones and radio. I was sitting in motorcades tapping away on a Blackberry. I've said a million times, I can't change the fact that Americans have apparently decided to watch Dr. Zhivago on their iPods. I'm going to keep mine for music, but god bless them. If that's a watchable screen, then NBC News had to be on it.

TVGuide.com: Why did President Bush choose to talk to you right now? Why was it your turn?
Williams: It's actually very simple. The reasons are multiple: It's the end of the year. Presidents traditionally do a year-end round of interviews; that's as old as the hills. No. 2, it was my turn in the rotation. No. 3, we've been on them for months. Tim Russert was involved as our point person, obviously. I've been in touch with Dan Bartlett. It really was coming for a long while.… What was interesting for us, as I said Tuesday night on the air, was the access. We were allowed into a lot of different venues.

TVGuide.com: You are kind of a presidential buff. So there's still a bit of excitement in this for you.
Williams: I love the details. When I was a White House intern in '79, I loved how the White House staff mirrored the boss. Everybody who worked for President Carter wore his or her watches crystal down because he did. The boss always has a quirk that the staff mirrors, whether they do it consciously or not. In the Bush White House, everybody uses a Sharpie because that's Bush's pen of choice. They are all over the place. Sharpie now makes one for them. It bears a replica of the president's signature on the barrel of the pen. That I noticed by just looking at his inbox in the Oval Office.
-snip-
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"It's actually very simple. The reasons are multiple:"

[Vinnie From Indy]

1. Williams probably had to wear a diaper because of his excitement at being

so close to the boy king.

[Captain Hilts]

2. Carter's watch: it's a submariner thing.

You wear the crystal out on a submarine, and it will get scratched or broken on any number of things. Subs are hard on watches.

[CrazyOrangeCat]

4. Interesting . . .

[CrazyOrangeCat]

3. The world is spinning to pieces . . .

. . . and Williams notices Sharpies.

You're right, :puke:

[lpbk2713]

5. Those pens would be the only *sharpies* in the Oval Office.

The guy behind the desk is as dull as an old butter knife.

[Captain Hilts]

8. They're only good for autographs and moving boxes. Go figure. nt

[kevinmc]

6. "It's actually very simple. The reasons are multiple"= GE$$$$$$ n/t

[fiveleafclover]

7. Oh no, not Sharpies!

I use Sharpies all the time at work. This makes me sad. They've taken my Sharpies. I'll never find joy in them again.