Another White House Briefing, Another Day of Mutual Mistrust

nytimes ^ | February 27, 2006 | KATHARINE Q. SEELYE

[gitmo]

Mike McCurry, who was President Bill Clinton's press secretary a decade ago, is kicking himself to this day for ever allowing the White House briefings to be televised live.

"It was a huge error on my part," Mr. McCurry recalled the other day after watching a relentless White House press corps badger Scott McClellan, the current White House press secretary, about a hunting accident in which Vice President Dick Cheney shot a friend, Harry M. Whittington, and delayed telling the news media about it. "It has turned into a theater of the absurd."

SNIP

But today, those on both sides say, the relationship has deteriorated further, exacerbated by the live briefings.

"It's constantly getting worse," said Ari Fleischer, who preceded Mr. McClellan as Mr. Bush's spokesman. Perhaps surprisingly for a Bush defender, he attributed the soured relationship in part to what he said was a secretiveness within the White House.

"It's accented and compounded now because this administration is more secretive," he said.

He also said that the cameras altered the atmosphere, and that many reporters had constructive relationships with administration officials when off camera.

[gitmo]

This sounds similar to the assertion that money makes politicians corrupt. Cameras make reporters anal sphincters.

[ClaireSolt]

Close that down and do web press operation.

[Noachian]

...because this administration is more secretive,"

Secretive is the wrong word to use.

Every time Bush opens his mouth the MSM beat him over the head. Why should he give them more ammunition?

There is no reason to be informative to a hostile press corp. You'd think the MSM would get it by now.

[gitmo]

But they are secretive.

It took years to find their Rose Law Firm billing records.

It took 8 years to turn over the last of the illegal FBI records. Oh wait, they did that once or twice a year.

They secretly gave away military secrets to their communist buddies.

They ... oh, this discussion is about the Bush administration. Sorry.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I think you're on to something.

[MNJohnnie]

No, another day, another display of childishness, arrogance and stupidity by the Junk Journalists. Has the Establishment media outlived it's usefulness?

[Jonah Johansen]

Why not just limit the press conference to reporters and not Democratic Party Operatives posing as reporters. Maybe then we would get real questions instead of DNC talking points disguised as questions.

Why do the Republicans not acknowledge the obvious which is the mainstream media is branch of the liberal establishment it is no more "journalism" than Astrology is a science.
What they should do is hire a quick witted comedian to do the daily press briefings. Then have the real White House Spokesmen do real interviews with real reporters.
If that means Brit Hume interviewing Chaney, than so be it. if the networks refuse to assign real reporters the administration has no obligation to play along with the charade.
Playing along with the charade gives the public a false impression.

[CyberAnt]

The WH press corp is a bunch of prima donas who want their face time on TV - and they don't care how they get it.

Their goal is to make the WH look bad .. but they have only succeeded in making themselves look worse.

[hinckley buzzard]

I can't watch these regularly, but I've seen a number of them. I have never yet seen a question which elicited new or useful information. Maybe it is time to go to emailing of daily summaries, press releases, etc, to the media, with an email address specifically for media schmucks who just can't seem to restrain themselves, to ask their assinine "questions."

Put an end to this ludicrous spectacle.

[gitmo]

I can't watch these regularly, but I've seen a number of them. I have never yet seen a question which elicited new or useful information. Maybe it is time to go to emailing of daily summaries, press releases, etc, to the media, with an email address specifically for media schmucks who just can't seem to restrain themselves, to ask their assinine "questions."

You know, I had these same thoughts around the Judiciary Hearings. I kept asking myself what questions I would ask a candidate if I wanted to determine whether he/she would interpret COTUS instead of making up laws as he/she goes.