[fishtank]

Questions about Bush’s conservative principles

By: Byron York

Chief Political Correspondent

September 15, 2009

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/Questions-about-Bush_s-conservative-principles-8243811-59271787.html

Latimer got the assignment to write Bush’s speech. Draft in hand, he and a few other writers met with the president in the Oval Office. Bush was decidedly unenthusiastic.

“What is this movement you keep talking about in the speech?” the president asked Latimer.

Latimer explained that he meant the conservative movement — the movement that gave rise to groups like CPAC.

Bush seemed perplexed. Latimer elaborated a bit more. Then Bush leaned forward, with a point to make.

“Let me tell you something,” the president said. “I whupped Gary Bauer’s ass in 2000. So take out all this movement stuff. There is no movement.”

[Verginius Rufus]

Byron York makes the mistake of assuming that if Matt Latimer says Bush said something, he said it. Dana Perino and others who were in the White House have cast a lot of doubt on Latimer's reliability. For example, Bush had recently met Sarah Palin before she was picked as the Vice Presidential candidate, but Latimer tries to make it appear that Bush had no idea who she was ("Governor of Guam?").

It's the Scott McClellan syndrome--there's a surefire way to attack favorable media attention...make up stuff that makes President Bush look bad.