Ari Fleischer Joins Criticism Of Cheney's Response to Shooting

E&P ^ | Febuary 14 2006 | Joe Strupp

[jmc1969]

Fleischer, who was Bush's first press secretary - from 2001 to 2003 - told E&P that Cheney's accidental shooting of Texas attorney Harry Whittington on Saturday during a hunting trip should not have taken nearly a day to be reported.

"It would have been better if the vice president and/or his staff had come out last Saturday night or first thing Sunday morning and announced it," he said during a phone interview Tuesday. "It could have and should have been handled differently."

But Fleischer also took a jab at the reporting frenzy surrounding the story, saying most Americans are not as focused on it as the White House press corps. "The press is largely right on the issue--but it can be right and go too far," he added.

He also said that if he were still in the White House, he would urge the vice president's office to take some of the heat off Bush's staff: "I think you go to the vice president and say, 'you need to be handling this.'"

Fleischer's comments came just hours after Marlin Fitzwater, who served as press secretary to Bush's father and Ronald Reagan, also criticized Cheney, telling E&P he was "appalled" at the response to the incident.

[Descendant]

What did he say that was so bad? He said it would have been better if he came out sooner. You disagree?

The RINOs are the ones who take the party over the values it stands for...not someone speaking the truth.

[roses of sharon]

LOL, cut the drama, dirtboy, it does not work with me.

[dirtboy]

LOL, cut the drama, dirtboy, it does not work with me.

No, I challenge you. You accused me, a longtime freeper, in the following manner:

Hey dirtboy, with every new weekly smear Bush thread you start whining and hyperventilating, why?

In other words, you slurred me.

Back it up or retract.

[dirtboy]

What a lame response. You have nothing.

Please, then elaborate how the shooter does not bear primary responsibility in a hunting accident. I'm really curious to see rationalization taken to a new level.

[A Citizen Reporter]

No, dirtboy. You said he was "careless". Don't twist your own words.

[dirtboy]

No, dirtboy. You said he was "careless". Don't twist your own words.

And, once again, guns don't discharge by themselves. A hunter pulls the trigger. By every rational analysis I have read, Cheney was careless in hitting Whittington.

So since you disagree, perhaps you could postulate how he was not careless.

[A Citizen Reporter]

Cut the drama, dirtboy.

You are not in the Hamilton-Burr duel in Weehauken.

Boy those personal injury attorneys would have had a hey day in those days, if they'd have been thought of...LOL!

[Prost1]

Am I missing something....this was a hunting accident.

Just because it involves the VP does not make it a national event.

The VP has the right to privacy! Isn't that what the lib wackos are yelling about with the NSA stuff?

So, now we are to say the VP has fewer rights!

This was not a public event! It was not a political event! It was a private event and the news media is SPYING on the VP and his FRIENDS!

[dirtboy]

Cut the drama, dirtboy.

No, the poster levelled an accusation.

Or do you think that someone should be able to level such without backing it up?

[dirtboy]

The VP has the right to privacy!

Gawd, that is stupid when an accidental shooting is involved.

[conservative in nyc]

But I don't ever remember the Press treating Clinton like this

The White House Press Corps has been acting like a bunch of overreacting, egotistical, spoiled little brats because that's what they are. The cardinal sin of Birdgate was that the perfumed princes had to read about the story from *gasp* the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, instead of hearing it first directly from the White House. The White House Press Corps already doesn't like the fact that this White House doesn't leak as much as the Clintonistas did - it makes their jobs more difficult. Nor do they like the fact that the Bushes don't throw gala dinners every other week, like the Clintons did - they can't feel as self important by getting invited to that society crap like they did in the 90s.

But like it or not, the White House needs to deal with the White House Press Corp. Even with the Internet and talk radio, they still control most Americans' PERCEPTION of the White House. The perception painted by the MSM might not reflect reality - but once an issue has been framed by them, it's difficult (but not impossible, thanks to the new media) to convince others that the painting is a fake.

The White House Press Corps got into a little bit of a frenzy over L'affair Lewinsky. But the Clintonistas properly played the expectation game to make things seem better for the President than they actually were. For example, leaking to the press that the President was livid in the grand jury tapes was a very good PR strategy, since he didn't really come off as that annoyed, and everyone was discussing how not-so-annoyed President Clinton looked, instead of the substance of his grand jury testimony.

[Mo1]

Seems you have him stuttering *L*

[Sun]

Ari said (from the article) ".. that Cheney's accidental shooting of Texas attorney Harry Whittington on Saturday during a hunting trip should not have taken nearly a day to be reported.

"It would have been better if the vice president and/or his staff had come out last Saturday night or first thing Sunday morning and announced it," he said during a phone interview Tuesday. "It could have and should have been handled differently."

Doesn't he know that his criticism is JUST what MSM wants?

[A Citizen Reporter]

"By every rational analysis I have read, Cheney was careless in hitting Whittington.

UM, every analysis you've read where, in the PRESS? LOL

Yes. It was a hunting accident. Only ambulance chasers would put the adjective "careless" in the "analysis".

[dirtboy]

Doesn't he know that his criticism is JUST what MSM wants?

Ah, so now we decide whether or not to criticize because of what the MSM wants? Whether or not the criticism is warranted?

[Howlin]

By every rational analysis I have read, Cheney was careless in hitting Whittington.

Whittington was at fault here based on all I've heard; he left the line to pick up his birds and put them in the truck -- and then reapproached the line WITH THE SUN TO HIS BACK, to Cheney's left WITHOUT TELLING ANYBODY HE WAS BACK.

[dirtboy]

UM, every analysis you've read where, in the PRESS? LOL,

No, every analysis I've read on FR - the premier firearms website. We had lengthy discussions of this yesterday.

So try again to downplay this against the experiences of freeper hunting experts.

[Mo1]

But like it or not, the White House needs to deal with the White House Press Corp

They did deal with them

The press didn't like that they weren't the first priority and they threw a hissy fit

I'm sorry .. I just can't get all that upset because the WH didn't bend over to the DC Press Corp and grant their every wish

[A Citizen Reporter]

I'm sure you will be able to cite your sources.

I'm waiting.

[Sun]

In this case, YUP.

I think some of you are getting a little over excited about protecting Ari.