Dana Perino, American Hero [Kathryn Jean Lopez]From the article (I've linked it):
From the Washington Times :
Mrs. Perino is "the first press secretary to cut Helen Thomas no slack," said Ann Compton of ABC News, who has spent more than three decades as a White House correspondent.
One veteran reporter describes 5-foot-1-inch Dana Perino as "a little tiny thing," but the deputy White House press secretary brings to her job a big reputation for brains and the Wild West toughness of her native Wyoming.Must be something in that Wyoming water.Witness her recent exchange with Helen Thomas, who has covered every presidency since she followed the Kennedy campaign to Washington. When Mrs. Thomas, 86, kept firing questions at Mrs. Perino, 34, the presidential spokeswoman cut her off.
"Do you want me to answer the question, Helen, or do you want to ask questions? It's really hard to concentrate here. What's your question?" Mrs. Perino demanded.
Mrs. Thomas replied, "You repeat yourself so much that... "
"So do you," Mrs. Perino interrupted, then immediately called on another reporter.
Cheney vs. Harry Reid [Kathryn Jean Lopez]Too bad Dick Cheney isn't running for President in 2008. I could wholeheartedly support him. Oh, I just found some comments about Harry Reid's reaction.
From earlier today:
Scroll down for picture of the Cheney famous sneer. Plus there is a link to listen to his comments.Here's the full text:
I usually avoid press comment when I’m up here, but I felt so strongly about what Senator Reid said in the last couple of days, that I thought it was appropriate that I come out today and make a statement that I think needs to be made.
I thought his speech yesterday was unfortunate, that his comments were uninformed and misleading. Senator Reid has taken many positions on Iraq. He has threatened that if the President vetoes the current pending supplemental legislation, that he will send up Senator Russ Feingold's bill to de-fund Iraq operations altogether.
Yet only last November, Senator Reid said there would be no cutoff of funds for the military in Iraq. So in less than six months' time, Senator Reid has gone from pledging full funding for the military, then full funding but with conditions, and then a cutoff of funding — three positions in five months on the most important foreign policy question facing the nation and our troops.
Yesterday, Senator Reid said the troop surge was against the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group. That is plainly false. The Iraq Study Group report was explicitly favorable toward a troop surge to secure Baghdad. Senator Reid said there should be a regional conference on Iraq. Apparently, he doesn't know that there is going to be one next week. Senator Reid said he doesn't have real substantive meetings with the President. Yet immediately following last week's meeting at the White House, he said, "It was a good exchange; everyone voiced their considered opinion about the war in Iraq."
What's most troubling about Senator Reid's comments yesterday is his defeatism. Indeed, last week, he said the war is already lost. And the timetable legislation that he is now pursuing would guarantee defeat.
Maybe it's a political calculation. Some Democratic leaders seem to believe that blind opposition to the new strategy in Iraq is good politics. Senator Reid himself has said that the war in Iraq will bring his party more seats in the next election. It is cynical to declare that the war is lost because you believe it gives you political advantage. Leaders should make decisions based on the security interests of our country, not on the interests of their political party.
Re Harry Reid [Cliff May]Pffft, the dim dems use names all the time, then say they won't engage in name calling.
Did you notice that after Harry Reid called Vice President Cheney "an attack dog," he added that he wasn't going to engage in "name calling"?
As much as I like Tony Snow, Dubya could use somebody like Dana Perino these days.