Anyone watching the press conference about the accidental shooting in Texas?

Mona Charen also disagrees with your ridiculous statement that this is a "signficant story." Her exact words were that this "has zero public relevance," and she couldn't be more correct.

Coming back days later to continue this, eh?

McClellan thought this should have been released Sunday morning. Ari Fleisher agrees. And notice how quickly public support that nothing more should come of this has gelled once Cheney made a public statement. That would have happened faster if the White House had done a better job managing the story.

There was no story to manage, and Fleisher was wrong.

You and him are WAY too concerned about what other people, including people that hate us, think.

You've been on this forum almost as long as I have. You didn't stay around because you are liberal and you want to "rub our noses in it." Why in the world are you so damned concerned about when a bunch of gas bags with highly overinflated egos get information when their sole purpose is destruction of this administration? That's the only explanation I can figure as to why a so-called conservative would think this whole deal is anything more than a 1 line AP wire that says, "VP Dick Cheney accidentally wounded a member of his hunting party in Texas. The wounded man, identified as ____, is being treated and is expected to make a full recovery."

There, that's it. That's ALL the attention this story deserved.

re was no story to manage, and Fleisher was wrong.

He's only the former Bush Admin White House spokesman. What does he know?

Why in the world are you so damned concerned about when a bunch of gas bags with highly overinflated egos get information when their sole purpose is destruction of this administration?

I don't give a rats backside about the press. I am more concerned about making sure that the average citizen gets a significant story in a timely manner - and this was a signficant story by any stretch - and waiting to release it just made it worse for the White House.

Once again, note how quickly things turned for Cheney when he gave the interview to Brit Hume. The White House should have released a statement first thing Sunday morning, and then Cheney should have sat for an interview Monday or Tuesday. It would have shortened the news cycle that much more quickly.

One of the weakest parts of the Bush Admin has been staying ahead of the news cycle. Where they do, such as with the NSA wiretapping case, they do well. That is the point I am trying to drive home here. I am not accusing Cheney of anything other than being careless by hunting. I am not calling on him to resign. I did not expect him to manage the media - he was in a state of shock afterwards, which is normal.

But I do expect the White House to do a better job of managing the news than they have typically done over the years, and this is a prime example of the problems they have inflicted upon themselves.

>>He's only the former Bush Admin White House spokesman. What does he know?<<

Does that mean if thought tax cuts were a bad idea, you'd follow his lead because he's the former spokesman?

>>I am more concerned about making sure that the average citizen gets a significant story in a timely manner<<

This is such horse$h!&, its hard to know where to begin. First, as we've discussed, this isn't significant. Why you think it is is beyond me You haven't made the case for it being significant and have been refuted at every drop. Please, for goodness sakes, drop it before you end up looking like a bigger fool.

Second, what was untimely about it? Exactly what was the harm in the public knowing about this 24 hours after the fact rather than 2 hours after it? The press is in a tizzy because they for some idiotic reason think they have the right to be the first to know. What's your excuse?

Finally, the average citizen doesn't care. Why you do, I'll never know.

>>how quickly things turned for Cheney when he gave the interview to Brit Hume<<

There was NOTHING that changed. The press still hates him (even more now since he went to Fox), and the public doesn't care. I challenge you to show me anything else that changed after the interview.

>>I do expect the White House to do a better job of managing the news than they have typically done over the years<<

This is very short sighted. Better based on what? Keeping YOU updated? There are hundreds of things any real conservative would be upset with about this WH. News management is not one of them. I can't believe that you haven't figured out we are dealing with a press that hates all things about this WH. There is never going to be ANYTHING they can do to balance that.

As stated elsewhere, the only reason anyone would be upset with the WH over this story is that person has some idiotic notion that they have a right to find out about a personal matter of the Vice President's more quickly than within 24 hours.

Does that mean if thought tax cuts were a bad idea, you'd follow his lead because he's the former spokesman?

He is expressing an opinion that relates DIRECTLY to what he did for the White House.

I won't bother with the rest of your post after that one. You may have the last word, since you seem hell-bent on beating this particular subject beyond recognition.

they have a right to find out about a personal matter of the Vice President's more quickly than within 24 hours.

Oh, I will address this close. When someone gets shot, IT ISN'T FRIGGIN' PERSONAL - IT MERITS A POLICE INVESTIGATION.

Gawd, I cannot believe the rank stupidity I have seen on this subject, and warping of basic concepts that would make Lanni Davis proud.

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