E&P: Bush Holding Off-The-Record Meetings With Reporters

[Newsjock]

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002237283

In an apparent effort to mend his relationship with the press, President George Bush has been holding off-the-record meetings with White House reporters for the past few days, an apparent first since he took office.

Several correspondents confirmed to E&P either participating in such meetings or being invited to them, noting that at least two have been held in the past week, with one scheduled for Tuesday. Most have lasted more than an hour and at least one took place in Bush's private residence.

"It was very pleasant, he seemed very thoughtful and frank," said Stephan Dinan, a Washington Times reporter and one of about six reporters who took part in a session Monday afternoon. "It was on a wide range of stuff."

Monday's gathering also included reporters from the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, and Cox Newspapers, according to sources.

more

[CottonBear]

1. Good lord. Can you imagine being stuck in a room for an hour w/ DimSon?

:scared:

[jaysunb]

Desperation....

sung to the tune of " Anticipation " :evilgrin:

[JohnyCanuck]

2. Let me guess, Helen Thomas isn't invited. n/t

[jaysunb]

3. Would they invites Ants ?????

:rofl:

[mom cat]

26. Hell would freeze over before that would happen.

[0007]

29. Helen wasn't but I bet Jeff Gannon was.

[Skip Intro]

4. You'd think reporters would want to report what happened there

they're reporters, for God's sake

[salin]

5. IOW... Hey Ya'll forget that just the other day I blamed the mess in Iraq

on you (as if you all in the media make and enforce policy), and forget that I have ignored you and put on threat of enemies lists (if you ask me a hard question, I won't ask you another question, and will have my press secretary ignore you as well) for the past five years... comeon and lets spend a little casual time... and I know that my charm and the knowledge that you are priveledged to spend a few moments with me, will change the tone of how you report about me...

[LibDemAlways]

6. "to mend his relationship with the press" WTF?

There are very few members of the corporate media who have a fractious relationship with the chimp, and he would be no more inclined to meet with the few of them than he would Cindy Sheehan.

He's meeting with sycophants from the Washington Times. It could be for lots of smarmy reasons, but mending fences isn't one of them.

This story is just plain bullshit.

[stillcool]

8. ...one of those smarmy reasons...

Jeff Gannon by any chance? I mean, there's press...and then there's press.

[cliss]

10. Honestly.

This story is bull. So what does that mean, "off the record meetings"? That he'll be honest with them, but they can't report any of it?

What else do reporters do except report?

This story stinks.

[tritsofme]

7. The Moonie Times and the WSJ??

He's really sticking his neck out...

[Teaser]

11. WSJ reporters are tough.

The editorial board is in the pocket of the Bush admin. But the reporters are completely independent. They HATE the editorial board, think they bring the paper down.

That said, this is asinine.

[oasis]

17. L.A. Times dumped Robert Sheer and picked up Jonah Goldberg.

They've swung waaaaaaay right.

[treegiver]

9. Off the record?

From the above linked article:

Hutcheson said Bush initially sought to speak off the record with reporters on Air Force One shortly after taking office in 2001, but most opposed the idea. "The consensus was that you can't do that now that you are president, be off the record," he explained. "Air Force One is a pool setting and you are obligated to share with the press corps what you hear. We always argue to be on the record."

But it's OK now. Everything changed on 9/11 or it's not a "pool setting" or Clinton did it or something.

Why are they listening to him if they can't print what he says? Why is no one willing to admit that they've been to one of these shindigs. Shouldn't the headline read "Bush Holds Secret Meetings with Unnamed Reporters"? That's a real confidence builder.

"Secrecy is a monstrous canard." Ian Masters 7/18/99

[Dhalgren]

12. I can hear Bush now...

"Boys, and you too Miss, I have here in my hand a vial of anthrax. Don't be scared, I won't open it in here. Hell, I'm in here, too! Heh, heh, heh. No, this is to show you what could get put in your mail mailbox just any ol' day. In your family's mailbox. Hey there 'Stretch', you got a young'un, don't cha? Heh, heh, heh. It could happen, if my power as president is undermined any more, say, by bad press stories or what-not. This here anthrax could be put into your mailboxes by some unscrupulous evil-doer, and I would not have power to stop him - if all these bad press stories hurt my ability to protect ya. Ok, Karl, send in the next group! Thank yall for comin' in. He'll show you out."

[CJCRANE]

18. Yep, probably made them an offer they couldn't refuse!..nt

[Nickster]

34. OMG, that's almost the exact image that I got. Except mine was more

of a Godfather-ish type setting. But the basic message was the same.

[Supersedeas]

32. Exactly, the record is what puts them in a position to ask questions

So, now the Corporate Media is using their position of trust for 'personal' off-the-record access?

Confidence builder is right...but for whom?....Him maybe.

[Catrina]

13. If he was really smart (I know! I know!) he would never have alienated

the press in the first place. Nor would he have alienated those who disagreed with him. Imo, that was the biggest mistake he made (in terms of getting away with all that he's done wrong). He acted towards the press and his political opponents the way most dictators do, long before he needed to. That's why now he has so many enemies.

If I were advising him now I would tell him to talk to more mainstream reporters, those who have reported the truth and answer their questions. I would also tell him to meet with Cindy Sheehan which he should have done a long time ago. He would have had a few uncomfortable moments to be sure, but he would have neutralized her effect had he done so.

Clinton met with the father of a soldier killed im Mogadishu who was equally angry at him. We barely heard about that ~ Clinton admitted it was difficult for him, but acknowledged his discomfort was nothing compared to what that father would live with the rest of his life. Had he acted the way Bush has towards Cindy, that father would also have had a movement behind him then, as she has now. A few moments of discomfort was all it would have taken. What an arrogant fool he is!

Bush was vengeful and mean-spirited, telling reporters 'you get to ask ONE question, and NO follow-ups, hear?' People who behave that way are really very frightened. I think it's too late now to 'make amends'.

He treated the generals the same way and the CIA. Everyone who disagreed with him. They were 'cast out' ~ He gathered around him ruthless, ambitious, corrupt individuals because he knew they would do things decent people would not. Abramoff, Rove, Gonzalez, Tom Delay and, almost, Bernie Kerik ~ the list is long. Those who were decent, left. Paul O'Neill, Comey eg.

He also insulted and ignored at least half the population of the country, the people who pay his salary. A smart leader would have invited groups who disageed with him to the WH. Even Nixon had the courage to try to talk to war protestors, and from what I've read, they respected him for that ~

This has to be the most paranoid, frightened, arrogant, inept, infantile, bullying administration this country has ever had. I think, hope, their house of cards is finally beginning to fall apart ~ you can almost feel it ~ I think he feels it. In the end, he will probably blame others ..... apologists will question, not his judgement, but the advice he got in an attempt to salvage his legacy.

I would not want to be him right now, or anyone close to him!

Future generations may be told to look at these ambitious men who were so consumed with thoughts of war in the ME, that they risked everything to get there, and to 'be careful what they wish for'.

[HuffleClaw]

14. INTIMIDATION

is what this is about. 'yer with us or yer with the terra-ists!' is the message here. what a crock, but a great example of how frantic the administration is becoming of late.

[Judi Lynn]

15. Time to work a little of that old Bush "magic" on these clowns.

Someone probably remembered that within moments of joining _Bush on Airforce One, the press corps members somehow nearly wet themselves with excitement whenever he was around and bestowed his nicknames, and god only knows what. It was even mentioned in articles he had them eating out of his hand in no time at all. Idiots!



Do you know how STUPID you'd have to be to fall for this crap, like Gloria Arroyo, or press members?

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

16. Now they're "embedded" reporters

It worked during the Iraq invasion. Take a traditional outsider (journalist) and invite him to be part of the "in crowd" (a highly trained military unit or in this case President Bush's posse) and you'll never get an honest (i.e., unflattering) story afterwords. It's human nature -- once you're "in", you'll do anything to avoid being "out" ever again.

[Judi Lynn]

35. It's sad some can be manipulated so easily, but I'm certain it's true.n/t

[KansDem]

33. Yeah...whatever happened to the "charm offensive?"

Come to think of it, I haven't heard about the legendary "charm offensive" of G W Bush lately. Did he lose the ol' c.o. mojo?

[rodeodance]

19. I do not think it is good for reporters to get cozy with the President-

[rodeodance]

20. ~He wants to chew the fat," the reporter said.

.....Several reporters declined to comment on the record, but said they had been called personally by Press Secretary Scott McClellan to participate in the chats, some getting invited just hours ahead of time. "It doesn't surprise me because presidents do this," said one reporter invited to a session on Tuesday who requested anonymity. "Clinton did it toward the end of his second term. A little bit of legacy-building, post-impeachment, post-Monica."

Another reporter who had been invited to Tuesday's chat, but declined to be named, said it was obvious Bush was trying to improve his image in the face of dwindling public support. "It says to me they are trying to be more communicative," the reporter said. "It has not been a select group, he is having a few people through there."

A scribe who attended a session last Thursday called it "a little surreal....He wants to chew the fat," the reporter said. "He asked about our backgrounds, our families. He wanted to be informal, but it couldn't be, because of who he is."

McClellan did not respond to several calls seeking comment Monday.

[rodeodance]

21. "We always argue to be on the record."--Looks like it did not happen

.....Ron Hutcheson, a Knight Ridder reporter and former president of the White House Correspondents Association, said he had not been invited to a chat, but knew of several others who had. "He has done two of them," he said Monday. "I don't recall them happening before."

Hutcheson said it was likely part of the outreach aimed at improving support for the Iraq War. "He is personal and persuasive in the small group setting and they know that," he said of White House officials. "He used to do them during the campaign, come to the back of the plane and talk to reporters."

Hutcheson said Bush initially sought to speak off the record with reporters on Air Force One shortly after taking office in 2001, but most opposed the idea. "The consensus was that you can't do that now that you are president, be off the record," he explained. "Air Force One is a pool setting and you are obligated to share with the press corps what you hear. We always argue to be on the record."

Such concerns prompted at least one newsroom to consider declining participation in one of the chats on Monday.

Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times Washington bureau chief, said he did not know if any of his staff had been to such a session. But he showed concern over where such discussions might lead. "If people are going to make small talk about kids and vacations, it is not a big deal," he said. "But when you get in to policy discussions, it can be."

[teryang]

22. Very thoughtful and frank??????????

He is neither.

[pecwae]

23. Must not of said much, then. nt

[truthisfreedom]

25. "seemed." they don't want to talk about it.

[catnhatnh]

28. I don't know a lot about the Sinatras....

....but I suspect that in private,Nancy is the one he tries to be.....

[Maeve]

24. He's trying to renew his "folksy" image

That "good ol' boy you could have a beer with" thing that beguiled so many--"see, I'm not the mean, thin-skinned monster, just an average slob like you."

It may work on some, but most of them already work for Fox...

[Jim__]

27. If this is part of his "improve the images from Iraq" campaign -

it's not going to work. He can slap all the lipstick on that pig that he wants. Iraq is going down the toilet, and every thinking person that's paying attention knows it.

[zanne]

30. It's ironic that the press has been avoiding Iraq, isn't it?

We know that Iraq is blowing up--the mayor of Baghdad has cut off communications with the U.S., headless corpses are being found and there's rioting in the streets. Funny we haven't seen any of it on television lately, huh?

[rocktivity]

31. Operation Unscripted is definitely over, then

And if he's talking to the likes of the Wall Street Journal Washington Times, and AP, he's talking to himself--maybe that's why he appeared so "thoughtful and frank." He doesn't care about his approval ratings, my donkey.

:headbang:
rocknation

[MissMillie]

36. Yet another chance for Jeff Gannon to ask assinine questions?

I'm not surprised.

[Zhade]

37. Yeah, becausr the press is SOOOOO hard on him.

I mean, they only half-lie for him these days!

:sarcasm:

[DUHandle]

38. I wonder if they are actually reporters