NBC Camera Crews Tail the President (minor gag alert)

AP ^ | 1/17/2002 | Sandra SOBIERAJ

[Utah Girl]

It was ``must-see Thursday'' at the White House as a dozen NBC news cameras shadowed President Bush through an unusually packed made-for-TV schedule.

He walked his dogs, huddled with CIA and FBI briefers, reached out to labor union leaders, pored over education policy with his advisers, lunched with Vice President Cheney, waxed profoundly about the presidency to White House Fellows, talked NATO expansion with the Lithuanian president, signed a bill into law, gave marching orders to his commission on bioethics, sweated through a midday workout and received an award from the 4-H club.

The only door closed to NBC, which was filming for a day-in-the-life broadcast next week, was the one keeping cameras out of Bush's casual evening cocktail party with Republican lawmakers.

``The president and the vice president have agreed to open up the White House today so that American people can have a very rich understanding of the events that take place at the White House, including many of the scenes that take place behind the scenes,'' said White House press secretary Ari Fleischer.

And so, the executive mansion was essentially turned into a movie set, with massive panels of plastic sheeting erected on the North Lawn so that NBC anchor Tom Brokaw could tape his segments safe from the gaze of passing tourists. On the South Lawn, a remote-controlled camera at the end of a 20-foot jib caught Bush up close as he walked from the Oval Office to his limousine.

The one-hour NBC special, produced by its news division and called ``The Bush White House: Inside the real West Wing,'' will air Wednesday immediately before the network's fictional White House drama, ``The West Wing.'' Extra footage will be used for a separate Discovery Channel special scheduled to air Jan. 25.

Thursday was no average day for a president who mostly keeps 9-to-5 hours. And White House aides admitted in private that they jammed more into Bush's day than they normally would in order to give NBC cameras an idea of the breadth of what their boss does.

The meeting with Lithuania's Valdas Adamkus, for example, was originally scheduled for the following week but moved up to coincide with NBC's taping, a White House official said.

One of 12 camera crews roaming the grounds since around 4 a.m. EST was allowed inside the exercise room of Bush's private living quarters for his weightlifting routine - after he'd worked up a good sweat.

[Utah Girl]

Sandra, in her excitement to get a few good licks in on President Bush, forgets to tell us the date of this special. I might just watch it...

[Utah Girl]

Ping

[My2Cents]

The article says the special will air Wednesday, immediately before "West Wing", so I assume that would be next Wednesday? You're right, though, the date isn't clear.

[Wait4Truth]

MEOW! What a cat she is! First of all, the President arrives in the Oval by 7 a.m. and this is common knowledge. And I doubt that he has ended his work day at 5 p.m. EVER. I am so completely sick of the media that I can't see straight. The comments about him changing his day for a better photo shoot are ridiculous. Anybody that follows this President knows that his days are always jam-packed unless he is at the Ranch on vacation. One of these days, the bias of the press is going to backfire in their nasty faces.

[Cobra64]

``The president and the vice president have agreed to open up the White House today so that American people can have a very rich understanding of the events that take place at the White House, including many of the scenes that take place behind the scenes,''

Clinton could not have done this, here's why:

Too many co-ed interns in tight sweaters and thongs delivering pizza and Big Macs.

Hillary cataloging furniture, drapes, paintings and artifacts being hauled into the Arkansas U-Haul (Bill's private car).

Bill's private film crew changing tapes after filming sexual shenanigans of his guests in the Lincoln Bedroom.

Cleaning crew cleansing funiture, drapes, and carpet in the Oral office of human body fluids.

"Fixers" disposing of... well you know what a "fixer" is. If you dont' there was a movie by that name.

Hillary's smashed lamps and broken ashtrays in the executive bedroom.

White House cook staff reviewing and pondering bottles of hemlock, cyanide, in preparing special meals for the First Couple (fill in the blank_______________ .

I dare ya. These two brought honesty and integrity to Washington and the White House. Right?

IMOHO

[cody32127]

This is a major Barf alert! The 9-5 President is how they want to portray GW (LAZY,DUMB,IDIOT) This is all they have! THANK GOD! Didn't work on Reagan and it won't work now!

[cactmh]

Thursday was no average day for a president who mostly keeps 9-to-5 hours. And White House aides admitted in private that they jammed more into Bush's day than they normally would in order to give NBC cameras an idea of the breadth of what their boss does.

First of all, it is common knowledge that President Bush is in the office much earlier than 9am. Also, can you believe that they are trying to say that White House aides said they packed more in for the cameras? This is complete and utter B.S. (that an aide said this)

[Utah Girl]

I think the alleged civility towards President Bush from the press since 9/11 has gone by the wayside. Sondra is one of the worst, and none too subtle. The problem is that she just keeps rehashing the old tripe.