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Newsman to Tony Snow: 'Don't Point Your Finger At Me!' (David Gregory)
Editor and Publisher ^ | September 5, 2006 | EP Staff

Posted on 09/05/2006 3:35:58 PM PDT by Peach

NEW YORK A not especially eventful press briefing at the White House today turned rancorous with NBC's David Gregory telling Press Secretary Tony Snow, "Don't point your finger at me," and Snow accusing the newsman of being "rude" and delivering Democratic talking points.

Earlier, speaking to reporters, Snow, continuing the administration's media focus on the war on terror, accused "some in the Democratic Party" of saying "we shouldn't fight the war" and "we shouldn't apprehend al-Qaeda" or even "question al-Qaeda."

Snow got into a tussle with Gregory after the NBC journalist told him, in a lengthy remark, that the public may wonder why the president's statement and report today on the war on terror did not admit more failings on the administration's part. Snow observed that he had nicely summarized "the Democratic point of view," and Gregory took exception to this.

This exchange followed. *

Q Actually, Tony, I don't think that's fair, if you look at the facts. If you look at the facts.

MR. SNOW: Well, I do, because -- no, because, for instance --

Q No, no, no. No, I don't think you should be able to just wipe that, kind of dismiss the question --

MR. SNOW: Well, let me --

Q It's not a Democratic argument, Tony.

MR. SNOW: Let me answer the question, David.

Q But hold on, let's not let you get away with saying that's a Democratic argument.

MR. SNOW: Okay, let me -- let's not let you get away with being rude. Let me just answer the question, and you can come back at me.

Q Excuse me. Don't point your finger at me. I'm not being rude.

MR. SNOW: Yes, you are.

Q Don't try to dismiss me as making a Democratic argument, Tony, when I'm speaking fact.

MR. SNOW: Well, okay -- well, no --

Q You can do that to the Democrats; don't do it to me.

MR. SNOW: No, I'm doing it to you because the second part was factually tendentious, okay? Now, when you were talking about the fact that it failed to adapt, that's just flat wrong. And you will be -- there has been -- there have been repeated attempts to try to adapt to military realities, to diplomatic realities, to development of new weapons and tools on the part of al Qaeda, including the very creative use of the Internet. So the idea that somehow we're staying the course is just wrong. It is absolutely wrong.

* Elsewhere, Snow denied that the president's statement and report today on the war on terrorism were political in any way. "I think it belittles it by trying to dismiss it as politics," he said. But later, when a reporter asked, "But you don't disagree that he's trying to frame the debate for what is an important political choice?", Snow replied: "Absolutely. Of course, of course."

He also said there would be no troop withdrawals in Iraq any time and reiterated the president's strong support for Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld. President Bush "would love to see members of both Houses of Congress returning to that sense of cooperation we had after September 11th."

Here is an excerpt from Snow's remarks:

"There have been some in the Democratic Party who have argued against the Patriot Act, against the terror surveillance program, against Guantanamo. In other words, there are some people who say that we shouldn't fight the war, we should not detain -- we shouldn't apprehend al Qaeda, we shouldn't detain al Qaeda, we shouldn't question al Qaeda, and we shouldn't listen to al Qaeda. In other words, they're all for winning the war on terror, but they're all against -- they're against providing the tools for winning that war.

"And we think it's a perfect opportunity for Democratic leaders to say, no, we are serious about winning the war. We have now reiterated some of the basic precepts of administration policy and also the policy put together by generals over the months of the engagement in Iraq. And we look forward to working with members of Congress to figure out how best to prevent terrorists from coming here, but, more importantly, how to defeat terrorism.

"Finally, one other point, which is, there is a reiteration of a call to replace or have Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld stand down. The President strongly supports the Defense Secretary. It's not going to happen. Creating Don Rumsfeld as a boogeyman may make for good politics, but would make for a lousy strategy at this time. And, furthermore, if you listen to the speech that Secretary Rumsfeld gave last week, it was not only thoughtful, but comprehensive about trying to frame the ongoing war against terror, and also the war going on in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"So this, again, is something that the President would love to see members of both Houses of Congress returning to that sense of cooperation we had after September 11th, where the real goal was not to try to hand out pink slips at the Pentagon, but instead to win the war on terror in a way that is going to make not only America safer, but also the rest of the world safer so that democracy can take firm root throughout the globe."


TOPICS: Extended News; Government; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: americahaters; atoolforthemasses; btchslap; bulliedatrecess; bushhaters; butimaidiottony; davidgregory; girlymangregory; growupgregory; jackass; mediots; metrosexual; nbcnews; pinhead; pizzaface; proactiveacnecream; ratstooge; simperingweasel; sissyboy; whackamole; whatajerk; wwfsmackdown
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To: Seadog Bytes; Berosus; Cincinatus' Wife; Convert from ECUSA; dervish; Ernest_at_the_Beach; ...

Another Dhimmicrat, a partisan media shill. What a surprise.

Thanks SD for the ping.


341 posted on 09/07/2006 12:14:25 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (updated my FR profile on Saturday, September 2, 2006. https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: ntnychik; Prime Choice

RE: "Great Rummy pose headed to "Favorites""

That was always one of MY favorites too. Another great one was his (Prime Choice's) "All I ever needed to know about Islam, I learned on 9-11", a copy of which, alas, I cannot seem to locate any longer.


342 posted on 09/07/2006 1:09:05 AM PDT by Seadog Bytes (OPM - The Liberal 'solution' to every societal problem. (Other People's Money))
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To: SunkenCiv

I wonder why David Gregory is still a White House correspondent, after the scene he made a few months back. Remember when Vice President Cheney had that hunting accident, and Gregory insisted on knowing if Cheney was going to resign? In another age, NBC executives would have sent him to cover news in Darfur, after embarrassing the network like that.


343 posted on 09/07/2006 2:29:52 AM PDT by Berosus ("There is no beauty like Jerusalem, no wealth like Rome, no depravity like Arabia."--the Talmud)
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To: Berosus

He's headed off a cliff, just like Dan Rather. Meanwhile...


344 posted on 09/07/2006 7:16:38 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (updated my FR profile on Saturday, September 2, 2006. https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: Seadog Bytes; ntnychik
Another great one was his (Prime Choice's) "All I ever needed to know about Islam, I learned on 9-11", a copy of which, alas, I cannot seem to locate any longer.

Be of good cheer, then. Any time you can't find an old work of mine, just let me know and it's yours.


345 posted on 09/07/2006 7:29:56 AM PDT by Prime Choice (Kindness to the cruel is cruelty to the kind.)
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To: veronica

Poor David. He must have struck out in the "leather" bars last night.


346 posted on 09/07/2006 7:32:26 AM PDT by Panzerlied ("We shall never surrender!")
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To: Peach

BTTT


347 posted on 09/07/2006 11:38:53 AM PDT by Right_in_Virginia
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To: devolve

[Don't get 'smartie' about GW's handle!
Haven't you ever talked to 'Panhandle' here?]

Sorry devolve, in rereading this I realize my 'teasing' didn't come through clearly in my comments! It was a joke - gone bad!


348 posted on 09/07/2006 1:41:24 PM PDT by potlatch (Does a clean house indicate that there is a broken computer in it?)
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To: Prime Choice

Sacred Cow Burgers shut down recently, that's probably why you can't find its pictures in the usual place. Last month I got an e-mail Jay Dyson sent to those on his mailing list, stating that real-world concerns (recovering from cancer, a new child, etc.) kept him from maintaining the website. Oh well, it was good while it lasted. Now Seadog or another Freeper talented in graphics will have to run with the baton.


349 posted on 09/07/2006 2:35:38 PM PDT by Berosus ("There is no beauty like Jerusalem, no wealth like Rome, no depravity like Arabia."--the Talmud)
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To: Vision

A face that Darwin could have used to support his theory, for sure.


350 posted on 09/12/2006 11:22:06 AM PDT by top 2 toe red (To the enemy in Iraq..."Don't bet on American politics forcing my hand!" President Bush)
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