It is true that the Sunday shows don't have very many viewers. HOWEVER, the shows produce sound clips which are wound into the stories of the coming week, and very often the press and democrat agenda is determined by what makes news on those shows. Consequently, squishes like Warner and Lugar contribute nothing to the coming week's news cycle and are very often detrimental to the GOP making its case.
As I said, guests are not determined by the White House, unless they send out Rumsfeld, Cheney, or Rice. President Bush is a guaranteed draw, but he doesn't do well when interviewed by someone like Russert (probably because he is worried that he will lose his temper) and so shouldn't appear. Reagan Man is right that the White House should be fielding more articulate people and sending Rumsfeld out last week was a good start. I imagine Thanksgiving weekend was given a pass as there are few viewers. However, I think that they should have done more ...maybe letting Rice grant some interviews.
The President cannot order the senators around. However, I would like to see a little more effort on corraling that group of windbags. I intend to do my part tomorrow and will be needling Lugar's staff about his crummy response today.
One thing I would like is for the President to grant an interview to Wallace or Hume on Fox. I think he wuld do better than with one of the networks.
In addition, the President needs to have some appearances that will entice coverage by the media. Heck, have another carrier landing...that will get coverage as they all hope he will crash and when he doesn't then they can rant about it (while showing footage) for the next year. LOL!
Getting articulate Republicans onto the Sunday shows is a tough nut to crack. If the Lugar/Hagel/McCain group wasn't available, would they invite other senators? Or would they suddenly feel the need to interview Mayor Bloomberg? This is just one tough problem we face. Another is the absolute travesty of coverage on the war. I heard someone on Fox today comment that "the press has decided there will be NO heroes in this war." I think she was right, and this is a terrible thing.
Good post, MM. Thanks for focusing in on the main issue of this thread. It is incumbent on the Bush administration to make a better effort at getting their message out. They need to get the facts and truth disseminated through whatever fog of war the left has set up. We're winning the war in Iraq, but losing the war of words at home.
One thing I find ironic, is that when a bill or amendment that is a "tough sell" comes up in the House or Senate...the politicians will sometimes through the media, gripe that President Bush, Cheney, Condi, or Rummy didn't "come down to Capitol Hill and push for it"...
IOW---they expect the White House to lobby in their behalf, but where are they, when the White House needs them?
I have to disagree on having Condi on so much for a number of reasons. One reason is she is not Like Warren Christopher or Maddie Albright, she does not sleep or bluff her way through the job. Condi is actually working very hard traveling all over the globe making a difference, making us new friends and really accomplishing things,and she still accompanies the President on all his overseas trips, and many other important meetings. Another problem with when the MSM wants the Biggies in the GOP and the Administration on their shows is just to keep harping at controversial subjects even if they are way in the past. It is a chance for Russert or other DNC cronies to ask a thousand ways from Sunday questions that they have been itching to get at for a while, even if that GOP leader or member of the Administration has nothing at all to do with the Controversy. They are so stupid they will ask Gale Norton about tax Cuts (Russert's obsession), Gitmo torture, etc. just to pound at the Administration.