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NBC's Richard Engel has done some good reporting from Iraq. But scratch the reporter's surface, and you find a political partisan eager to echo the anti-Bush party line. Witness his exchange with Ari Fleischer on Morning Joe today. Engel twisted the former Bush press secretary's words, accusing him of alleging an Osama Bin Laden connection with Iraq. Fleischer had palpably said no such thing. The springboard was Fleischer's citation of a 1998 OBL interview in which the terrorist boss said America was weak because it is unable to see through long wars. Fleischer went on to argue that America's resolve...

Here is video of Ari Fleischer, former White House Press Secretary, saying he believes Helen Thomas has “crossed all lines, all boundries” with her anti-Jewish remarks made to a Rabbi who interviewed her at the White House recently on the occasion of a Jewish Heritage Celebration. Thomas said in the interview that Jews should, “Get the hell out of Palestine,” and “go home” to “Poland and Germany.” Fleischer was interviewed by CNN’s Don Lemon, who seemed to be defending Thomas. Lemon asked if the fact Thomas has “broken down many barriers for women should count for something?” Fleischer responded to...

<p>MIAMI — Tiger Woods has summoned someone even more significant than swing coach Hank Haney to help facilitate his wildly anticipated comeback.</p> <p>Two sources in the golf community have told The Post that Ari Fleischer, the former presidential advisor to George W. Bush and the man who was brought in to help repair the steroid-shattered image of Mark McGwire, has been huddling with Woods, plotting a strategy for his return to golf — at the Arnold Palmer Invitational starting March 25 at Bay Hill in Orlando.</p>

It's bad for our democracy to exempt half the country.If you thought Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme was bad, wait until you hear about the inverted pyramid scheme the federal government is working on. While Mr. Madoff preyed on people who trusted him with their money, the federal government has everyone's money, and the implications of its actions are worse. Picture an upside-down pyramid with its narrow tip at the bottom and its base on top. The only way the pyramid can stand is by spinning fast enough or by having a wide enough tip so it won't fall down. The...

Below are some alarming tax numbers from Ari Fleischer, a former press secretary in the Bush administration, as printed in the Wall Street Journal. Fleischer notes that the highest-earning 10% of the country already pays almost 73% of U.S. income taxes. The number of Americans who pay no tax is over 40% and heading for 50%. When that happens, there will be a permanent, built-in majority opposed to any changes that require more taxes, other than further increases on the top earners. The same permanent majority can be expected to favour more and more public spending, since they won't have...

[Great 16:33 minute video where Ari Fleischer ABSOLUTELY PUMMELS Chris Matthews] Chris Matthews misunderestimated former Bush press secretary Ari Fleisher last night on “Hardball.” When the MSNBC host attacked, Fleischer gave him a lesson in verbal pugalistics. The “Hardball” host had barely said hello when he went on the attack. “What brings you back?,” Matthews challenged. “Is this the return from Elba? Is this the 100 days of Napoleon`s return from Crawford? What is going on with this network of former Bushies — current Bushies, I should say — singing the old song?” “Well, Chris,” Fleischer responded coolly, “I’m here...

You called Scott McClellan last night. What did you ask him? ARI FLEISCHER, FORMER W.H. PRESS SECRETARY: Well, I did. Actually it was before the story broke about the book. So, it was a social call and Scott brought up the book. We talked about it and he told me he thought it was going to be an honest, brutal, I mean honest, blunt book — he didn't say brutal. And I'm not sure I thought it was going to be as bad as it sounds like it is. HEMMER: What do you mean? FLEISCHER: From what I'm hearing from...

I haven't seen Chris Matthews this excited since a Barack Obama speech sent that special sensation skyward. The Hardball host is in an absolute frenzy over Scott McClellan's allegations. So much so that guests on this evening's show are having a hard time expressing themselves as Matthews expounds at length. Ari Fleischer finally called Chris on it. And while David Gregory didn't express his ire in words, he made a facial expression that left little doubt as to his annoyance at being cut off in mid-sentence. The screencap shows Gregory's grimace. But be sure to view the video here to...

One of President Bush's former White House spokesmen told a gathering of young Jewish activists here that he was deeply troubled by Barack Obama's relationship with his pastor. Several national media outlets have aired video clips of inflammatory remarks made by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., the recently retired pastor of the Trinity United Church of Christ, an Afrocentric church on Chicago's South Side, where Obama has been a member since the early 1990s. Obama, a leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, has denounced Wright's harsh condemnations of American policy, which include an assertion that the United States brought...

Ari Fleischer was at the debate last night and will be on the Dennis Prager show now to discuss it.

The day after the Senate voted to condemn MoveOn.org for its full-page New York Times ad attacking Army Gen. David Petraeus, a coalition of conservative organizations met to plot their next move. Brad Blakeman, head of the new group Freedom’s Watch, proposed another full-page ad in the paper of record. But he suggested taking on a slightly less risky target than an active four-star general: the Iranian president. “Ahmadinejad Is a Terrorist,” blared the resulting creation. It was turned around quickly, landing in reporters’ in-boxes the evening of Friday, Sept. 21 — a good way to get it ignored. Still,...

The press briefings of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld are widely acknowledged to be the best show on television, and watching him perform in person is probably even more entertaining. By contrast, it must be hell to be trapped in the White House briefing room with Press Secretary Ari Fleischer. Reading the transcripts of Fleischer's performances on the Web, though, is fascinating. In a review last week of the various war briefers, my colleague David Plotz gave short shrift to Fleischer-dismissing him as an evasive bore. This doesn't give Fleischer nearly enough credit: He is a great evasive bore. There's a ...

The television ads launched this week by a new advocacy group called Freedom's Watch all have different storytellers tapping into the same narrative vein. There's the man who lost both legs in Fallujah last December saying if we pull out now "everything I've given and sacrificed will mean nothing." Another features a woman who says she lost two family members to al-Qaeda -- her uncle on 9/11 and her husband who died fighting in Iraq -- adding that should the United States pull its troops out now "it will mean more attacks in America." ............................................... As the ghost of Obi-Wan...

Pro-Bush group spends $15M defending war By: Mike Allen Aug 22, 2007 07:29 AM EST A new group, Freedom’s Watch, is launching Wednesday with a $15 million, five-week campaign of TV, radio and Web ads featuring military veterans that is aimed at retaining support in Congress for President Bush’s “surge” policy on Iraq. "For those who believe in peace through strength, the cavalry is coming," said former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer, who is a founding board member of the group. The big ad buy, funded by high-profile Republicans who were aides and supporters of President Bush, reflects a...

IF, I say IF, Libby is acquitted, Special Counsel Fitzgerald will be re-titled Special Clownshow Fitzgerald. Although Sunday afternoon seems a bit early for speculating on *why* Fitzgerald blew his case, (only partly because it is really Thursday, and mainly because the verdict is not in yet), let me offer this as Fitzgerald's Biggest Blunder: Playing eight hours of Libby tapes from his grand jury testimony. Why? Assuming the jurors are human, after eight hours they were probably reeling, and may be quite sympathetic to the notion that Libby was reeling too. Too bad Fitzgerald didn't have video of Libby...

WASHINGTON (AP) - Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer leaked the identity of a CIA operative to Washington Post reporter Walter Pincus during a 2003 phone call, Pincus testified Monday as the first defense witness in the CIA leak trial. Pincus was one of the first reporters to learn the identity of Valerie Plame, the wife of former ambassador and prominent Iraq war critic Joseph Wilson. Pincus said he learned her identity July 12, 2003 but did not immediately write about it. Plame was outed by syndicated columnist Robert Novak two days later. Pincus testified on behalf of Vice...

Former White House spokesman Ari Fleischer says Lewis Libby told him over lunch that the wife of a prominent war critic worked at the CIA. The date of their lunch, July 7, 2003, is at the heart of the obstruction and perjury case against Libby. That's because it is several days before Libby says he learned from a reporter that Valerie Plame worked for the CIA. Fleischer also testified that Libby told him it was "hush-hush." He testified under an immunity deal he reached with prosecutors. Fleischer sought the deal because he discussed Plame with reporters. Libby's attorneys plan to...

President Bush's ex-spokesman invoked the Fifth Amendment when asked in front of a grand jury about the illegal outing of spy Valerie Plame, prosecutors revealed this week. Former White House spokesman Ari Fleischer sought and received immunity from prosecution for unmasking the secret agent. Armed with this immunity, Fleischer is now expected to testify Monday in the perjury trial of Lewis (Scooter) Libby. Fleischer is expected to tell the court that Libby, formerly Vice President Cheney's top adviser, told him on July 7, 2003, that "he had some information that was hush-hush," said special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald. What was hush-hush...

Current Weather Recent Editions - Mon. | Tue. | Wed. | Thu. | Fri. January 26, 2007 edition Search Archives: Advertise Subscribe Contact Us Blogs Email Alerts Photo Gallery Home New York National Foreign Editorial/Opinion Business ARTS+ Food & Drink Sports Calendar Style Travel Obituaries Comment Digg del.icio.us Email Print LIbby Wants Details on Fleisher's Deal By MATT APUZZO Associated Press January 26, 2007 posted 4:49 pm EST A D V E R T I S E M E N T A D V E R T I S E M E N T WASHINGTON (AP) - Attorneys for former...

The Westchester-county-based 24th District could be a focus of national attention if one Republican in particular makes the race: Ari Fleischer, one-time press secretary to George W. Bush, left the White House in 2003 and returned to his home county to do communications consulting (at one point, he advised major league baseball teams on public relations matters), write his memoir of the Bush White House and take on speaking engagements and TV commentary. Friends of Fleischer note that the Westchester native has done just about everything congressional—managed campaigns, worked as a press secretary in both houses of Congress and served...