Very Polite(?) Press Takes Another Dive At W. Conference

The New York Observer ^ | April 23, 2004 | Joe Hagan

[EllaMinnow]

When President George Bush’s live TV press conference last Tuesday, April 13, was done, Terry Moran, the 44-year-old White House correspondent for ABC News, had some regrets. He had asked Mr. Bush if he cared to explain how it happened that we had gone to war based on "false premises," a pretty direct inquiry—and yet Mr. Moran went away feeling … complicit.

"We need people who are not polite," he said. "We need to be more representative of America.

"I am what I am," he said, "a Midwestern Catholic boy whose mama raised him to be courteous to Presidents, nuns, sales clerks, doormen …. I don’t holler, because it would be fake for me. But I sure wish someone did in there."

Mr. Moran then said the White House press corps was sorely lacking someone like his predecessor on the beat, former ABC News White House correspondent Sam Donaldson, whose wild-man behavior and raucous, crazy-eyed bark had once been 120-grit sandpaper to Presidents Carter, Reagan and Clinton.

"I just wonder if our generation of White House correspondents has that grit and that character," Mr. Moran said. "I don’t think you can expect the reporters in that room to fake it. I think that’s the worst thing you can do. But the more diversity, the better. It would throw the public official off-balance a little more. If they had to come to grips with a number of different voices, that would help extract information."

Considering the reams of damning new information at hand that night in the East Room—from former counterterrorism chief Richard Clarke’s published revelations, to the findings of the 9/11 commission, to the news of escalating violence in Iraq—Mr. Moran said the press had taken a dive. Mr. Bush did his thing—he filibustered, deflected, stonewalled, recycled the company line—and the press watched, silent, as if afraid that if they showed bad manners, Karl Rove would never schedule another press conference. After all, the White House has effectively controlled the press by limiting televised news conferences—the fewest of any Presidency in history—which has had the effect of charging the one on April 13 with a certain high-noon theatricality. That night, each question had to be sweated over as if it was a rare event—since it was. But that very tension led partisans to react as if the press were a bunch of liberals playing "We Got Bush."

But Mr. Moran said the Washington press corps’ social makeup—he called it mostly white, suburban, upper-middle class—reflected a genial group for whom noisy, baiting, choleric behavior didn’t come naturally. And others have brought up mass professional ambition as the grease that keeps the Washington press corps from getting too loud.ÊAs in: The squeaky wheel doesn’t get the story.

[EllaMinnow]

They don't get it - they STILL don't get it.

[sauropod]

Terry Moran has his head up his a**!

[cyborg]

But Mr. Moran said the Washington press corps’ social makeup—he called it mostly white, suburban, upper-middle class—reflected a genial group for whom noisy, baiting, choleric behavior didn’t come naturally.


***What does he mean by that? Hmmmmmm

[EllaMinnow]

and there's more, like this doozy...

"A year ago, in May 2003, Dana Milbank, the White House correspondent for The Washington Post, complained that the press had lost its misanthropic edge in a time when it needed it most. He told an audience at Yale, his alma mater, that "about 40 percent of the Washington Post newsroom … is now taking some form of antidepressant." He called it the "Prozac Newsroom."

Now Mr. Milbank said that "a lot of our trade has lost some of its rough edge," but was waking from a long slumber. And, he said, there was at least one maverick left: "David Gregory, who will shout out a question."

Mr. Gregory, the NBC White House correspondent, declined to comment.

Helen Thomas, the former U.P.I. correspondent who is the dowager among all White House curmudgeons—and who last year called President Bush the worst President in American history—agreed with Mr. Milbank. She said the press had become "much more intellectual" since she started in 1961. "I think they’re better educated," she said. "A lot more finesse—but I don’t think they’re better reporters." But she also said of the April 13 press conference, "Well, now they’re coming out of their coma, they’re getting much tougher. I thought they did a good job at the news conference. I don’t know what has made them wake up, but I think they’re better now than they were."

[Onelifetogive]

But Mr. Moran said the Washington press corps’ social makeup—he called it mostly white, suburban, upper-middle class—reflected a genial group for whom noisy, baiting, choleric behavior didn’t come naturally.

Two things....

1) Mr. Moron thinks that non-white, non-suburban, non-upper-middle-class people tend to naturally exhibit "noisy, baiting, choleric behavior." How racist!!!

2) Mr. Moron is free to give up his job in deference to a "non-white, non-suburban, non-upper-middle-class" person. Why hasn't he?

[KJacob]

Nothing maddens me more then self-righteous journalists illustrating how important they think they are. Too many think they are part of the story instead of just outsiders.

[WOSG]

They were extremely rude and hostile to Bush. This is hysterical revisionism.

I ask you - 8 years of Clinton Press Conferences - did they once ask Clinton "What mistakes are willing to admit to us? Come on, out with it, tell us something you did wrong."

[EllaMinnow]

President Bush came out of that press conference smelling like a rose, and the media came out looking like a bunch of jackals...and they think it's because they were too polite? Sheesh!

The worse they are, the better GWB looks. I was afraid that they might be catching on to this, and might change their approach, but now I see no need to worry.

[EllaMinnow]

David "Stretch-the-Truth" Gregory and Company Ping.

[OldFriend]

LOL.....truth be told the entire puss corpse was so true to form that they made the president all the more heroic.

They just don't know how to get him, but they'll keep trying.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

As much as I dislike Sam Donaldson he really nailed Xlinton with the Juanita Broaddrick question.

[cyncooper]

What color is the sky in their world?

[LibLieSlayer]

His head IS his *ss!

LLS

[cyncooper]

As much as I dislike Sam Donaldson he really nailed Xlinton with the Juanita Broaddrick question.

You bring up exhibit A that these reporters aren't out to expose any old politician. They are out to get Republicans, period.

With Clinton, Sam asked so they could say it was asked and "answered" and it was time to "move on". Compare that to the press conference at issue here where the theme "ADMIT YOU MADE A MISTAKE" was repeated ad nauseum.

[Jeff Gannon]

But none of them address the idea of intellectual diversity. I am one of the only conservatives in the regular White House press corps.

They have become more aggressive in direct proportion to the intensity of the election.

How many times have you heard one of their questions begin, "John Kerry says..." or "Wesley Clark says..."?

[what's up]

How many times have you heard one of their questions

True...they're probably afraid the President's answer will nail Kerry and they wouldn't want that...

[TEXOKIE]

btt

[cyborg]

You are a White House press reporter? Wow. No there's not much intellectual diversity to begin with so how can they discuss it! :)

[alnick]

Earth to Terry Moran...

[cyncooper]

I will NEVER forget the insane behavior exhibited toward Scott McClellan at the height of the questioning of GWB's National Guard service.

What the hell is Moran babbling about with his representations that they are all too polite, while ceding Gregory may have a little spark in him. Moran has become completely untethered from reality.

I know you know. I'm just venting.