WHITE HOUSE ANGER AT BOOK BY BUSH 'AXIS OF EVIL' SPEECHWRITER!

Drudge ^ | January 5th 2002. | Drudge

[ConservativeMan55]

XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX SUN JAN 05, 2003 19:25:38 ET XXXXX

WHITE HOUSE ANGER AT BOOK BY BUSH 'AXIS OF EVIL' SPEECHWRITER; CONCERN MEDIA TOUR WILL MUDDLE MESSAGE; FRUM DESCRIBES PRESIDENT AS 'TART'

**World Exclusive**

Former Bush speechwriter David Frum -- credited with the phrase 'Axis of Evil' -- has infuriated top officials at the White House with his controversial new book, the first insider account of the W. Bush Administration, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

Frum helped make international headlines when President Bush's 2002 State of the Union address linked international terrorists to Iran, Iraq and North Korea.

But now Axis Man must walk a fine line between the art of hyping a book and overshadowing a president's own words and policy.

WARNINGS NOT TO GRANDSTAND

"He's going on the TODAY show to talk about North Korea, Iraq?!" an alarmed Bush intimate told the DRUDGE REPORT on Sunday. "Mr. Frum should seriously consider letting the president speak for himself on these highly volatile matters."

MORE

Frum, who left the White House less than a year ago, is set to launch THE RIGHT MAN: THE SURPRISE PRESIDENCY OF GEORGE W, BUSH on Tuesday with a high-impact media tour, giving the speechwriter and journalist a platform to elaborate on his Bush insights.

Among the White House staff, there was a "dearth of really high-powered brains," Frum, a neoconservative, writes in RIGHT MAN, obtained exclusively by the DRUDGE REPORT.

"One seldom heard an unexpected thought in the Bush White House or met someone who possessed unusual knowledge."

MORE

"Bush was a sharp exception to the White House code of niceness. He was tart, not sweet," charges Frum.

[RIGHT MAN was ranked #2134 on the AMAZON hit parade Sunday evening]

Native Canadian-style quips not withstanding, Frum reveals a grudging admiration for Bush throughout his prose.

Frum writes of the president: He "was hardly the obvious man for the job. But by a very strange fate, he turned out to be, of all unlikely things, the right man."

Bush is neither dumb [as portrayed by the left] nor nice [the president assigns cute nicknames to people only to remember who they are], Frum claims.

With his upclose look at White House players Rove, Hughes and Card, Frum is the first Bush staffer to publish a firsthand account.

Insiders question the "quick turn around" of the book, and one top Bush adviser is said to believe Frum rushed to cashout on his direct access to the president, sources said.

RANDOM HOUSE has printed 125,000 copies of the book. The TODAY SHOW has reserved a money slot for Frum on Tuesday morning. And with North Korea/Iraq currently on the covers of both NEWSWEEK and TIME: Enter the speechwriter.

Developing...

----------------------------------------------------------- Filed By Matt Drudge Reports are moved when circumstances warrant http://www.drudgereport.com for updates (c)DRUDGE REPORT 2003 Not for reproduction without permission of the author

[Wphile]

Doesn't sound ANYTHING at all like Drudge has portrayed it;

WHAT? You're kidding? Drudge misreported something, and on a Sunday night to boot? Why, I never. For shame on that Matt Drudge. (/sarcasm)

Drudge is a sensationalist, period. He'll twist the facts and distort the truth only at attempts to further his audience. He's had some gems but most are duds.

[Howlin]

This is probably going to turn out like that film, Journeys with George. Wishful thinking on the part of Bush haters.

[IvanT]

"So this Frum is a Canadian? How the hell and why does he get into this country and seek being a voice in American policy? I am amazed by Peter Jennings because the man is the biggest snob, liberal scum trying to make himself important by escaping Canada and working his way into American affairs. What the hell is the Bush team doing having Frum involved in writing some speeches??!!"

erm.....I would imagine that Frum is writing these speeches because he's damn good at them. He's highly educated, and I would suppose maybe there aren't too many Americans that are as good at it as he is.

[Howlin]

Although I agree with your statement, I didn't make the one you referenced.......LOL.

[Mamzelle]

re: What's really instructive is to consider how paltry the pickings of dissension and scandal are in this WH, to the point where mudrakers are reduced to ginning up as scandalous appearances by former staffers on talking head shows. In comparison, by this time in the Clinton administration, one dead body and several mind blowing scandals had already been delivered to the meat eaters in the press corps.)))

Thinking exactly the same thing. Speechwriter, basically pro-Bush, wants to promote his new book (which is pro-Bush). Trading on his time in the WH by writing a book! Shocking! The press must really be frustrated to run with this non-story.

[gnarledmaw]

"...Frum, a neoconservative,...Native Canadian..."

The liberal from Canada, who inserted phrases that sounded like they came from the mouth of "The Tick" into the presidents speeches, wrote something that isnt flattering to Bush.

Im shocked, absolutely shocked I tell you.

[gnarledmaw]

Unrelated but, does anyone know why he doesnt get a real dog? Whats with presidents and bait animals?

[FreeTheHostages]

Frum: OK, I went to Harvard Law School and this numb-skull was in my "section" -- which means for all of the first year I heard the sound of his voice.

David Frum is one of those "intellectual elites" but he doesn't know it. He speaks with an affected over-pronunciation of consonants bordering on a British accent. He is totally in love with himself.

He's brighter than your average bear, but he's way-kidding himself if he thinks his brain is "high-powered." His Harvard Law School grades were good but not great.

[FreeTheHostages]

Nope, he left in the careerism mistake of the century. Thinking his short tenure at the WH was enough to get his ticket "stamped," he left with the expectation that he was sure to get some plum job as a pundit with lots of $$ in no time.

There was a scandal/rumor he left because of the speech -- but that's not the case. He took credit for the turn of phrase "axis of evil" -- or rather his wife did via an email that got out to the press -- but at that point he was already leaving anyway.

I went to law school (at Harvard, I confess) with this egomaniac. He was in my section. I listened to him talk the whole first year -- he has this fake British accent. He's just not as bright as he thinks he is. (Although he was far brighter than the average classmate there.)

I don't think of people who are of Pure Ambition as lasting long in the Bush administration. Which is a good thing.

[FreeTheHostages]

What's with bait animals?!! LOL -- Barney is related to one of Barbara Bush's dogs, I believe. I think it's for good luck.

Little dogs are probably less destructive of White House antiques?

[FreeTheHostages]

Now that's a useful link. I'll watch the CSPAN.

But I'd caution everyone: Frum's not a policy guy. He was a speechwriter. He has as much to do with setting policy in the White House as Mary Mattalin should have/did. He's relatively young (my age) and with no substantive background (contrary to Ms. Rice or Mr. Rumsfield or any of the real players). He's "just" a wordsmith. A passable wordsmith who wishes he were King.

(And he's no Peggy Noonan. Of course, no one is.)

I know Frum. I distrust people with as much raw ambition for pure power as he has -- at least without a goal to go with it.

[leadpenny]

Thanks for your insight. We'll start a thread on Frumpy boy next weekend.

[leadpenny]

Oh, if he read your comments, would he know who you are?

[Marysecretary]

We were happy enough when Dick Morris railed against Clinton or Georgie boy wrote his book about him. Nobody should say anything until Presidents are out of office. Then they're fair game--IMHO. M

[Marysecretary]

Since most colleges and universities tilt to the left, I agree with your synopsis about humanities departments being in abyssmal condition these days.

[Marysecretary]

Yeah, and a dog that died. He ruins everything he touches.

[FreeTheHostages]

Yes, he would recognize my name. He would also think of me as a flaming leftist, because I thought that the anti-apartheid movement was a good idea. And he thought very much INSIDE THE BOX and anyone who supported a civil rights issue just HAD to be a leftist in his mind. I remember a tense exchange between us in which he suggested that my support for democracy in South Africa was somehow inconsistent with being a Republican. Boy, has time passed him by on that issue. My support for South Africa was consistent with me being a Christian -- and I might note that one of the first pillars of apartheid to fall was the Dutch-Anglican church.

There were only I'd say 150 or so in each of 4 sections when I went to Harvard Law and we were stuck in the same section with the same group of 150 for a whole year. Only about 15 of us talked very regularly. I was one of 2 conservatives -- he was the other. I was not impressed by him intellectually. (I have a math degree undergrad and generally was not impressed by any lawyers intellectually -- I think a mediocre physics student beats the best of lawyers any day intellectually.)

[leadpenny]

Thanks. I'm trying to think of where I've seen Frum over the past 5-10 years. I believe it has always been as a talking head but I don't remember which group he was with. Was he with some think tank or polling organization?

[FreeTheHostages]

He's been writing for the National Review and basically trying hard to be a pundit.

Frankly, I really don't like people who worry too much about power, but he's not the worst egg in the world. Everyone in Washington has an ego. He is a good writer and thinker. I get a little harsh on him 'cause (1) he's in to power and (2) he thought I was a leftist 'cause I supported the end of apartheid -- which to me is just the kind of thinking that will lead to the death of the Republican party if it's not fixed right quick.

David would have been smarter if he had stayed in the White House longer and gotten some seasoning. I think Drudge's report is probably accurate. No one in the White House can want a kiss-and-tell book from a lower-level guy: they're too interested in sailing a leak-proof ship to welcome this book. Even if it's generally friendly.

[Redbob]

"It doesn't take a degree to deal with the Middle East. Just a couple of nukes."

Doesn't take a degree.
More like 7000 degrees, eh?
LOL!