BUSH TAUNTS AMERICAN PRESS
Yesterday, we were treated with the spectacle of George W. Bush extolling the virtues of a “free presss,” that actually held him “accoutable.” Unlike in some unfree places (like Russia). Yuck. Yuck.
“Q To follow up on the issue of democratic institutions, President Bush recently stated that the press in Russia is not free. What is this lack of freedom all about? Your aides probably mentioned to you that our media, both electronic and our printed media — full coverage of the manifestations and protests in our country. Our regional and national media often criticize the government institution. What about you? Why don’t you talk a lot about violations of the rights of journalists in the United States, about the fact that some journalists have been fired? Or do you prefer to discuss this in private with your American colleague?
PRESIDENT BUSH: I don’t know what journalists you’re referring to. Any of you all still have your jobs? No, I — look, I think it’s important any viable democracy has got a free and active press. Obviously, if you’re a member of the Russian press, you feel like the press is free. And that’s — feel that way? Well, that’s good. (Laughter.) But I — I talked to Vladimir about that. And he — he wanted to know about our press. I said, nice bunch of folks. And he wanted to know about, as you mentioned, the subject of somebody getting fired. People do get fired in American press. They don’t get fired by government, however. They get fired by their editors or they get fired by their producers, or they get fired by the owners of a particular outlet or network.
But a free press is important. And it is — it is an important part of any democracy. And if you’re a member of the press corps and you feel comfortable with the press in Russia, I think that is a pretty interesting observation for those of us who don’t live in Russia to listen to.
But no question, whether it be in America or anywhere else, the sign of a healthy and vibrant society is one in where there’s an active press corps. Obviously, there has got to be constraints. There’s got to be truth. People have got to tell the truth, and if somebody violates the truth, then those who own a particular newspaper or those who are in charge of particular electronic station need to hold people to account. The press — the capacity of the press to hold people to account also depends on their willingness to self-examine at times when they’re wrong. And that happens on occasion in America. And that’s — that’s an important part of maintaining a proper relationship between government and press.
I can assure you that the folks here are constantly trying to hold me to account for decisions I make and how I make decisions. I’m comfortable with that. It’s part of the checks and balances of a democracy.
And so I’m glad to hear you’re editorial comment, so to speak, on your comfort with the situation of the press corps in the Federation of Russia.
Excuse me, but “the folks here are constantly trying to hold me to account for decisions I make and how I make decisions?!?” Is that on Bizarro world?
The US press corps (particularly the networks and cable news stations) have pretty much either laid down and died when it comes to holding your ass accountable for anything, or are actually in the tank for you and your administration.
At least in Russia, the compliant, pro-Putin media has the excuse of being forcefully coerced into it in many cases. Our pissant, yellow-stained media does it because they are a bunch of spineless cowards and sycophants.
UPDATE:
February 25th, 2005 at 5:43 am
It was, what, 6am this morning that I was watching this “press conference” on CSPAN? I don’t usually wish to reach for a bottle of high-octane booze at that hour, but Dear God, I was dumbfounded. I choose the cold shower route and banged my head against the wall for awhile.
How on earth did Pooty Poot keep from rolling his eyes during this escapade?
February 25th, 2005 at 6:07 am
if somebody violates the truth, then those who own a particular newspaper or those who are in charge of particular electronic station need to hold people to account.
Hey!
Maybe he was talking about Talon News….
nah–he probably meant Eason Jordan.
Jeffy-boy told the truth, doncha know. He copied Scotty’s words.
February 25th, 2005 at 7:58 am
“Our pissant, yellow-stained media does it because they are a bunch of spineless cowards and sycophants.”
Ah, Hesiod…eloquent as ever. So right now the press corps is a bunch of piss-stained spineless sycophants yet during the Clinton years they were ferocious and tenacious like pit bulls on crystal meth, relentlessly hammering away at him from all sides, huh? That’s quite a
transformation in just a few years, wouldn’t you say?
To what do you attribute this sea-change?
Is it…is it…Karl Rove?
February 25th, 2005 at 9:12 am
Damn, I feel sorry for the person who had to translate that gibberish.
February 25th, 2005 at 9:20 am
Karl Rove has nothing to do with it, nor does Bush. This isn’t about who is or isn’t president. Bush could be tarred & feathered tomorrow and the situation would remain exactly as it is now.
25 years of neocon think tanks infecting the public with rightwing propaganda has everything to do with the corporate news media having made the transition from “free press” to “RNC press.” Anyone too stupid to realize it is one of the zombies who helped make such a transition possible.
February 25th, 2005 at 9:53 am
Very glad to see you’ve resurfaced, Hes.
I listened to Cowboy George ramble on about the “free press” this morning on the radio. So puke-worthy and phony it made my skin crawl. Putin must have struggled to keep from laughing out loud.
How reassuring to see tomaig is STILL stalking you and still flogging the Clinton years. So original.
February 25th, 2005 at 10:12 am
“25 years of neocon think tanks infecting the public with rightwing propaganda….”
And this all culminated with the press doing a 180-degree turnaround in the space of a few months? What triggered this remarkable transformation?
February 25th, 2005 at 10:18 am
So now he’s on his high horse championing the insistence that the press is free, but only to print the truth, eh?
I should note, that there’s a thing called libel law that provides the perfect consequence for untruths that damage private people. But such protection extended to public personalities has considerable limits on what is libelous, for a simple reason. Democracy cannot survive without the press’ ability to criticize such public figures, even if they err by passing on what seems to be true, but is later found to be false.
I think irony swooned into a faint at this report, however, as this president has long and well demonstrated that he does not believe presidents should be held accountable for deliberate distortions, while the press should be punished by their bosses for inadvertant errors or - in Dan Rather’s case - for reporting something that’s true.
There is no double standard, though. Bush simply believes common people have one set of rules and the pantheon of royal elites simply gets to set the rules. And he’d prefer to avoid court review of the latter, which is why he and royal his cronies regularly pass laws trying to limit court reviews of the crimes against humanity they are guilty of.
AUGGGH!
And the cartoon was just hilarious!
February 25th, 2005 at 10:33 am
That cartoon has touched a lot of different nerves. I posted it on my blog because I pay attention to Bumiller, who is part of the WHPC. I really don’t know how they are bearing the shame that the Jim/Jeff scandal should be causing them. My god - they sat in that room with him for two years and bloggers had to break the story. Now they continue to ignore the bigger story, which is who got him access and how does the right wing media machine work exactly?
February 25th, 2005 at 4:54 pm
Comment #5 by Arvin puts it very well in a nutshell, with the exception of Bush and Rove having nothing to do with it. Rove orchestrates and Bush dances like a puppet for all of them.
February 26th, 2005 at 2:39 am
tomaig sounds like an underbridgelurker.
February 26th, 2005 at 3:57 am
KARL ROVE, THE PUPPET MASTER NOT ONLY HAS BUSH ON A STRING HE ALSO HAS THE MAIN STREAM SUCK-UP LAP-DOG PRESS ON THE STRINGS. H.D.
February 26th, 2005 at 9:43 am
C. Lindy, you’re right, of course. I was referring only to the big picture, i.e. the environment in which Rove the puppeteer and Bush the puppet - as well as those who act on their behalves - are allowed to act with impunity.
I do agree with Kevin’s point that democracy cannot survive without the press’ ability to criticize such public figures.
The problem we face today, however, is the press does possess the ability to criticize public figures but refuses to do so. I am weary - exasperated - from the many pitiful excuses as to why journalists on the whole have made a deliberate decision withhold information about so many matters of vital importance.
I used to make a lot of jaunts to poynter.org to read Jim Romenesko, but I can no longer even stomach that. With the fewest of exceptions, journalists want to rest on the laurels of their profession - asserting their field is worthy of respect and entitled to Constitutional protections even as they sell the rest of us down the river. They are corrupt to the bone and have done everything in their power to avoid doing their jobs, standing on the sidelines eating popcorn as an ugly tide of fascism washes over their country. I’ve given up on the press entirely because it actively works against my interests as a citizen.
February 26th, 2005 at 9:43 am
“tomaig sounds like an underbridgelurker.”
And yet nobody seems eager to address his question.