Posted on 11/08/2005 10:13:07 PM PST by indianrightwinger
White House to 'hit back' at Democrats Aides plan aggressive response to claims intelligence misused
From Dana Bash CNN Washington Bureau Tuesday, November 8, 2005; Posted: 11:55 p.m. EST (04:55 GMT)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Top White House officials say they're developing a "campaign-style" strategy in response to increasing Democratic allegations that the Bush administration twisted intelligence to make its case for war.
White House aides, who agreed to speak to CNN only on the condition of anonymity, said they hoped to increase what they called their "hit back" in coming days.
The officials say they plan to repeatedly make the point -- as they did during the 2004 campaign -- that pre-war intelligence was faulty, it was not manipulated and everyone was working off the same intelligence.
They hope to arm GOP officials with more quotes by Democrats making the same pre-war claims as Republicans did about Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction.
Democrats have pointed at declassified information they say shows the White House was "deceptive" in pre-war statements.
Telegraphing the beginning of a communications effort is a tactic the Bush team has used in the past, especially when it comes to Iraq.
The examination into the intelligence used to justify invading Iraq has intensified on the heels of the October 28 indictment of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, who resigned the day he was indicted. (Full story)
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Time for new leadership, huh? meaning what?
Wowwww.....calm down!
Next year is election year. Bush team has done extremely well in election years. So, we may be entering Bush's strong times.
They should ask Tony Snow to fill Scott's job, he made mince meat of Bill Maher and crew last week.
I'm sorry to say this, but if warning their opposition about a coming offensive is considered "hitting back"? Don't even bother.
They shouldn't be telegraphing warnings, they should simply Hit back. How hard is it? tell the TRUTH. Don't say, hey, we all had fault intelligence. State Saddam was a brutal dicatator that tried to assasinate a U.S. President, committed mass murder, fired on our troops, and denied U.N. inspectors entrance. Now the Iraqi people are about to vote on their new government after passing a Constitution. State how this positively impacts the WOT and educate people of our own constitutional history.
None of this needs to be strategized.
They are making this a damn sight more difficult than it really is, and diluting the impact of the offensive by warning "shock and awe" is coming.
My advice for the W.H. starts with a simple act. Get rid of Scott McClellan. Replace with an Ari figure.
Why don't they talk to FNC instead of CNN?
I almost died laughing. Where did you find it?
Count me in! What took so long?
How in the world do you do something like that? That's absolutely fantastic. I'm amazed!!!
Amen. See post #18. Both of us had the same thought!
I keep seeing that comment on FR. But I have no idea what difference a new Whitehouse spokesperson would make. Do you really think anybody standing behind that podium would change the poison coming from the press idiots that cover the Whitehouse? Nobody watches the press briefings anyway. You could put anyone from Ted Nugent to Rush Limbaugh up there and people like Helen Thomas and David Gregory would write the same trash.
So, a job profession called "spokesperson" is useless?
Scott has been a total failure.
People used to derive great enjoyment and motivation from Ari's rounds with the press core, espesially with Helen Thomas. The people that count that need encouragement, the activists that get the less active involved to win elections.
You ask what good a Press secretary can do. The difference between a good press secretary and a bad press secretary is that a good one puts the reporters on defense. The defensive tone carries into their reports and into their coverage.
The MSM on Defense rather than Offense is GOOD for the administration. It changes perception, it changes tone of who controls the debate.
Personally, I think Scott was told very forcefully to not engage the librats in the enemedia. We all would love to see this policy change.
Dear President Bush: Give Flagg the job. I'd love to nuke the bums with their own words. /dreaming
Anonymous WH sources to CNN????? That's a bad joke right there. SETUP ALERT!!!!!
Cannot bring back Ari -- look at the timing when he quit!
Anyone remember her classic tarmac news conference the day that ridiculous NYT story ran about the "RATS" ad? She killed that story in about an hour. She also brilliantly handled the "Clymer" episode, and even the last minute DUI dirty trick. People forget that Bush was in some sticky spots during the 2000 campaign, just as he is now. Hughes knew what to do. Besides, David Gregory will look like a real ass attacking a woman every day.
What I really want to see is Bush announcing two things: 1)Osama was killed in the earthquake; and 2)Karl Rove isn't going anywhere unless he wants to.
It wouldn't change a thing about what they would write but it would sure make me feel better to have someone put the likes of Thomas, etc. in their place. I want someone like Marlin Fitzwater -- he wasn't afraid to give it back to the media.
Amen.
Of course not. But, gaffes and misstatements don't help the situation.
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