Ari Fleischer: Still saying nothing after all these years

[kskiska]

The former Bush White House press secretary's memoir is long on praise for his boss and criticism of the "liberal" media, and short on revelations.

By Eric Boehlert

Historians curious to learn more about the inner workings of the Bush White House probably know better than to hope for much from Ari Fleischer's new book, "Taking Heat: The President, the Press, and My Years in the White House." The former White House spokesman who earned his stripes by telling beat reporters as little as possible during his two and a half years behind the podium, before stepping down in May 2003, offers up little in the form of fresh analysis. Instead, readers learn Bush was committed to ousting Saddam Hussein, upset by the corporate Enron-like scandals, and a really great boss: "President Bush runs a very inclusive, tight ship. He is one of the most uplifting, personnel-oriented, tough, demanding, humorous bosses you'll ever find."

(snip)

Elsewhere in "Taking Heat," Fleischer, who chastises the press corps for not checking its facts, writes matter-of-factly that the bungled CBS report on "60 Minutes Wednesday" last September was based on "forged" documents, an inaccurate statement. In January, the independent panel set up by CBS to investigate the matter reported it could not conclude that the documents were forged.

The book is filled with curious omissions. There's no reference to Fleischer's now famous -- and ominous -- warning to a White House reporter who early in the administration asked a pointed question at a briefing. Afterward, Fleischer called the reporter at his desk and notified him his question had been "noted in the building."

And there's also no mention about how Fleischer, along with off-the-record White House aides, helped fan the flames of a fabricated 2001 scandal about exiting Clinton staffers who allegedly trashed the White House. Just a week in office, Fleischer piqued reporters' interest by confirming the acts of vandalism were being "catalogued," while aides lavished journalists with descriptions of phone lines being cut and trash strewn all over the West Wing. (The General Accounting Office looked into the matter and concluded those wild accusations were false.) Nonetheless, Fleischer writes, "Through my first six months on the job, the press repeatedly tried to bait me into a fight with President Clinton on a variety of issues. I tried hard not to let them create a conflict."

more…
http://salon.com/news/feature/2005/03/14/fleischer/index.html

[VPStoltz]

1. Another lying Repug piece of crap

I heard him interviewed on NPR. He said his main objective was to stick with the truth and you know you won't get in trouble (something like that). And then as expected, he went on to double- talk and lie and weasel and dodge and, well, show his tarnished Repug side.

[Skittles]

4. yup - he is a bush whore

nothing but a bush whore

[Firenze777]

2. Don't forget his brother cashed in big time

in the Iraq 'reconstruction' payola. The two of them are very interested in pointing fingers anywhere but at themselves.

[agincourt]

3. Does he say anything,

about why he thought the terrorists had our national security codes on Sept.11? Or is he still watching what he says?