NY Times: A Warning From the White House

[marmar]

A Warning From the White House
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
Published: May 23, 2008



WASHINGTON – Every once in a while, when President Bush or his advisers are particularly exercised by something a reporter writes or a Democrat says, the White House blasts an e-mail to hundreds of Washington opinion-makers under the headline “Setting the Record Straight.”

This week it sent out one that raised eyebrows, suggesting the White House intends a more combative stance with the media in the twilight of the administration, as attention turns away from Mr. Bush and toward those trying to succeed him.

Under the banner of Setting the Record Straight, Ed Gillespie, counselor to the president, publicized a letter he sent to the president of NBC News, Steve Capus, accusing the network of “deceitful editing” of an interview with Mr. Bush. The White House complained that NBC had distorted Mr. Bush’s response to a question about a speech widely interpreted as an attack on Senator Barack Obama.

That was unusual enough; most disputes with reporters are settled – or at least aired out – behind the scenes. But the real aim of the lengthy missive could be found in its very last line, in which Mr. Gillespie accused NBC of blurring the lines between its news division and “blatantly partisan talk show hosts like Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann at MSNBC.”

This was a go-for-the-jugular move. NBC, which shares offices and staff with its more opinionated cable sister, MSNBC, is particularly sensitive to such criticism, and Mr. Capus responded by saying the “reporting accurately reflects the interview” and that, in any event, viewers could see the entire unedited interview on the MSNBC Web site.

Around Washington, the Gillespie “Setting the Record Straight” was seen as a kind of shot across the bow, a warning from a White House that is trying to keep the spotlight on the president when the press is more concerned with the presidential campaign. It also raised the question of whether the administration was using the letter to NBC to further Republican goals.

“It is routine for them to write memos and scream and yell, it’s all part of the game,” said Joe Lockhart, who did his own share of screaming and yelling at the press as President Clinton’s press secretary.

“But when it goes public,” Mr. Lockhart said, “it reflects a broader strategy to get something else done. Maybe it’s to put everyone on notice that we’re still here, or to put everyone on notice that you’d better be careful, we’ll embarrass you publicly if you get the story wrong. Or maybe it’s a political strategy to help McCain and help gin up the base. Or it could be all three. But it wasn’t a random act.” ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/23/us/politics/23web-stolberg.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

[gateley]

1. The Saudis don't give a damn what this administration wants,

the world doesn't, and we the people don't. I doubt if the media does either, since they're for-profit corporations and will give the people what they want. And it ain't Bush.

[Cheap_Trick]

2. and now an open letter to George W Bush

Kiss my white, hairy ass. Then go piss on an electric fence, monkey boy.