Posted on 02/27/2005 10:21:12 AM PST by Brian Mosely
# NEW YORK, Feb. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- When George W. Bush confronted Vladimir Putin last week about the freedom of the press in Russia, Senior White House Correspondent Richard Wolffe reports, Putin shot back with an attack of his own: "We didn't criticize you when you fired those reporters at CBS." Details of the meeting, which included just the two presidents and their translators inside the historic castle that overlooks the Slovak capital of Bratislava, are reported in the March 7 issue of Newsweek (on newsstands Monday, February 28).
It's not clear how well Putin understands the controversy that led to the dismissal of four CBS journalists over the discredited report on Bush's National Guard service. Yet it's all too clear how Putin sees the relationship between Bush and the American media -- just like his own. Bush's aides have long feared that former KGB officers in Putin's inner circle are painting a twisted picture of U.S. policy. So Bush explained how he had no power to fire American journalists. It made little difference, Wolffe writes.
(Excerpt) Read more at biz.yahoo.com ...
How about when Bush melted the polar ice caps?
oh my God...
Earth to Putin... Earth to Putin...
Not really funny. People judge you by what is familiar and natural to them. That Putin would leap to that conclusion says a lot about him and it is not good.
Whew! Bad news when the Russian President has such a fundamental misunderstanding of the abilities and limitations of his American counterpart.
I saw that press conference and I think a Russian reporter made the statement about CBS, not Putin. Am I wrong? Anyone?
I wouldn't believe an msm headling, but, if true, this is telling. he thinks the whole world controls its media. we are light years apart.
Dear Lord....This man has NOT got a clue. See what Socialism does to the brain?
FReepers
Curiously enough, an American president can force the media to fire reporters if he plays dirty enough. Bill clinton forced them to fire at least five reporters who annoyed him, by threatening their bosses with the IRS and the regulators.
Of course Clinton also had the willing help of the media itself, which never criticized him for behaving this way. They probably agreed that the reporters who were fired deserved it because they weren't good little leftists like the rest.
Bush doesn't do that kind of thing. And the media wouldn't let him if he tried. But they were happy to cooperate with clinton in abusing their colleagues.
When the two presidents emerged for their joint press conference, one Russian reporter repeated Putin's language about journalists getting fired. Bush (already hot after an earlier question about his spying on U.S. citizens) asked the reporter if he felt free. "They obviously planted the question," said one of Bush's senior aides.
*** and besides, who gives a rip whether putin criticizes us or not? we do what we do, because we decide to do it, because we believe it's right.
I find this hard to accept. Putin was KGB. Those guys were vicious and evil, but never stupid. They paid American journalists to spout Kremlin lies (talking points in today's lexicon). They were well aware of who hired and who fired people in the press and media. There is absolutely no way Putin said this as reported.
I see Vladimir Putin has finally gotten around to activating that DU membership...
You are not wrong, it was a reporter.
That was nothimg compared to the time he was hiding bin Laden in the White House basement.
I agree.
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