Posted on 02/19/2005 8:37:47 PM PST by ambrose
The 'Bush Tapes' Finds Future President Down on the Press from Git-Go
By E&P Staff
Published: February 19, 2005 8:00 PM ET
NEW YORK Even before becoming president in 2001, George W. Bush privately railed against press scrutiny and liberal bias, accusing the news media of a "campaign" against him, according to tapes secretly recorded by a friend. He talked of certain reporters as "pro-Bush" and called Time magazine "awful." Referring to rumors about him that appeared in the press, he commented, "They just float sewer out there."
Bush’s views, from 1998 to 2000, emerged Saturday in a lengthy New York Times report, based on a dozen tapes played for the newspaper by Doug Wead, an author and former aide to George H.W. Bush. The White House did not dispute the authenticity of the tapes, the Times said, or respond to their contents.
“Variously earnest, confident or prickly in those conversations, Mr. Bush weighs the political risks and benefits of his religious faith, discusses campaign strategy and comments on rivals,” the Times reveals. “And in exchanges about his handling of media questions about his past, Mr. Bush appears to have acknowledged trying marijuana.”
Wead said he recorded the conversations because he knew that his friend, George W. Bush, then governor of Texas, would be an important figure. The Times notes, however, that as author of a new book on presidential childhoods, "The Raising of a President," the release of the tapes might help him sell copies, although he denied that was his motive.
He agreed to play the tapes for the Times on the condition that the names of private citizens be withheld. The newspaper hired Tom Owen, an expert on audio authentication, who concluded the voice was that of the president.
Here is the section of the Times' report that focuses on Bush and the press:
"Many of the taped conversations revolve around Mr. Bush's handling of questions about his past behavior. In August 1998, he worried that the scandals of the Clinton administration had sharpened journalists' determination to investigate the private lives of candidates. He even expressed a hint of sympathy for his Democratic predecessor.
"'I don't like it either,' Mr. Bush said of the Clinton investigations. 'But on the other hand, I think he has disgraced the nation.'
"When Mr. Wead warned that he had heard reporters talking about Mr. Bush's 'immature' past, Mr. Bush said, 'That's part of my schtick, which is, look, we have all made mistakes.'
"He said he learned 'a couple of really good lines' from Mr. Robison, the Texas pastor: 'What you need to say time and time again is not talk about the details of your transgressions but talk about what I have learned. I've sinned and I've learned.'
"By the summer of 1999, Mr. Bush was telling Mr. Wead his approach to such prying questions had evolved. 'I think it is time for somebody to just draw the line and look people in the eye and say, I am not going to participate in ugly rumors about me, and blame my opponents, and hold the line, and stand up for a system that will not allow this kind of crap to go on.'
"Later, however, Mr. Bush worried that his refusal to answer questions about whether he had used illegal drugs in the past could prove costly, but he held out nonetheless. 'I am just not going to answer those questions. And it might cost me the election,' he told Mr. Wead.
"He complained repeatedly about the press scrutiny, accusing the news media of a 'campaign' against him. While he talked of certain reporters as 'pro-Bush' and commented favorably on some publications (U.S. News & World Report is 'halfway decent,' but Time magazine is 'awful'), he vented frequently to Mr. Wead about what he considered the liberal bias and invasiveness of the news media in general.
"'It's unbelievable,' Mr. Bush said, reciting various rumors about his past that his aides had picked up from reporters. 'They just float sewer out there.'
"Mr. Bush bristled at even an implicit aspersion on his past behavior from Dan Quayle, the former vice president and a rival candidate."
I don't think it's bad at all, in fact I think it just adds to my affection for the President :)
Just scanned through these comments and I am delighted to witness such tough minded common sense here.
We are going to be alright.
Well, he also mentioned Ashcroft as a possible Supreme Court pick...
I don't see how someone could say "not that bad"... as you said, "NOT AT ALL BAD"... Basically, he's no different in private than in public. He's not another one of those two-faced politicians. Remember that Newsweak profile of Kerry that came out after the election... the difference between the public Kerry and private one were about as different as night and day...
I used to read Time International. It is actually worse then the US edition.
SNL just had a skit where they mentioned a new paper made from goat manure. They said, "It's the NY POST".
Maybe certain MSM outlets have more enemies than they know.
Exactly. The types of things he talked about could have revealed a much more cynical, manipulative politician. His core, is his core.
Actually per the Federal Secrecy in Communications Act.....you cannot tape a conversation unless both people agree to the taping and is so stated on the tape also an audible beep must be played every 5 seconds for the duration of the taping.
Doug is a good christian man and has worked for Reagan,Bush1 and W. He needs no money and uses his money to help people who need it. Maybe I need to find a new freerepublic. I stand behind him 100%. Go ahead and ban me. He is a motovational speaker. www.dougwead.com
P. S. go pound sand!!!!!!!
I wish I had not bought the guy's book, or his earlier one.
NY Post has 10 conservative columnists and 0 liberal...SNL was bashing a conservative paper...SHOCKING
Why would anyone ban you for having an opinion?
From what I have read so far, the tapes make Bush look good.
THey make me like him even more.
What kind of "good Christian" records a person without telling them and then uses those tapes to make money?
E&P is beginning to show its agenda.
Before we hear the Eason Jordan tape.
And to think ... the media doesn't understand why we don't trust me
the kind that asks permission!!!!!!
No, it's really not that bad... I went over to DU to check out the DUmmies' reactions to the tape expecting them to be happy that something like this came put about our President. Instead, many were upset that the article was posted in the first place, because it made him look TOO good!
The one thing that upset me a little was that the President expected Christians to be upset because he refused to kick gays... No real chrsitan advises kicking anyone because of their sin. The focus is always on the sin rather than the sinner. The mantra is "Hate the sin, love the sinner."
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