An inconvenient briefing
By Creature
With Tony Snow slated to take over the White House daily press briefing, it has become fair game, and fashionable, to declare that the daily press briefing is broken and in desperate need of repair. So, what would be the best way to ensure transparency and a return to productive, informative briefings? Why, it's simple, take out the television cameras and shut down the live feed. It's genius really. Maybe, without a stage, the stenographer class will stop its showboating and return to the steno pool from which it came.
This all begs the question: How come I didn't hear anyone in the Bush administration complaining about the daily press briefing when the press was helping them whitewash their ill-advised march to war? Sure, the moment the press finds a bit of backbone* it's all boo-fuckin'-hoo, the press has ruined the stew.
Today the Associated Press takes a look at this call to disarm the media through the eyes of a few former press secretaries. I find the hypocrisy astounding.
Why is there no actual news being imparted? Perhaps it's the stonewalling, the spinning, and the lies.
Why has it lost it's usefulness? Perhaps it's the stonewalling, the spinning, and the lies.
Why are the daily sessions not a serious affair? Perhaps it's the stonewalling, the spinning, and the lies.
I blame the press for a bunch of things. Things like, oh, maybe, giving GWB a free pass leading up to the 2000 election, giving GWB a free pass for the mess that was the Florida recount, giving GWB a free pass for not preventing 9/11, giving GWB a free pass for not capturing Osama, and of course, giving GWB a free pass during his march to war, but for the deterioration of the daily press briefing, I blame the White House. It's a fact: the daily press briefing has become an embarrassment--an embarrassment for the White House. No wonder they want an end to the show.
Brief more.
*Of course the media only found their backbone AFTER they felt safe enough to hide behind Bush's falling poll numbers.
**And because I'm such a giving guy, here's a bonus thought that couldn't fit into the post above: No comment, it's more than just an answer - it's a political philosophy.
(Cross-posted at State of the Day.)
With Tony Snow slated to take over the White House daily press briefing, it has become fair game, and fashionable, to declare that the daily press briefing is broken and in desperate need of repair. So, what would be the best way to ensure transparency and a return to productive, informative briefings? Why, it's simple, take out the television cameras and shut down the live feed. It's genius really. Maybe, without a stage, the stenographer class will stop its showboating and return to the steno pool from which it came.This all begs the question: How come I didn't hear anyone in the Bush administration complaining about the daily press briefing when the press was helping them whitewash their ill-advised march to war? Sure, the moment the press finds a bit of backbone* it's all boo-fuckin'-hoo, the press has ruined the stew.
Today the Associated Press takes a look at this call to disarm the media through the eyes of a few former press secretaries. I find the hypocrisy astounding.
The problem, they say, is that the daily session has become a hostage to television cameras with both sides frequently posturing and sparring to the point that little actual news is imparted.
Why is there no actual news being imparted? Perhaps it's the stonewalling, the spinning, and the lies.
"The press briefing today I believe has lost much of its usefulness," said Marlin Fitzwater, who was a press secretary for both Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.
Why has it lost it's usefulness? Perhaps it's the stonewalling, the spinning, and the lies.
Ari Fleischer, President George W. Bush's first press secretary, wrote in The Washington Post: "Gone are the days when this daily session was a serious affair..."
Why are the daily sessions not a serious affair? Perhaps it's the stonewalling, the spinning, and the lies.
I blame the press for a bunch of things. Things like, oh, maybe, giving GWB a free pass leading up to the 2000 election, giving GWB a free pass for the mess that was the Florida recount, giving GWB a free pass for not preventing 9/11, giving GWB a free pass for not capturing Osama, and of course, giving GWB a free pass during his march to war, but for the deterioration of the daily press briefing, I blame the White House. It's a fact: the daily press briefing has become an embarrassment--an embarrassment for the White House. No wonder they want an end to the show.
Brief more.
*Of course the media only found their backbone AFTER they felt safe enough to hide behind Bush's falling poll numbers.
**And because I'm such a giving guy, here's a bonus thought that couldn't fit into the post above: No comment, it's more than just an answer - it's a political philosophy.
(Cross-posted at State of the Day.)
posted by creature at
2:18 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home