Break with tradition! W will take no questions at For. Relations Council

[DeepModem Mom]

He'll use THIS "august" group as a "backdrop."

White House Briefing:
No Questions
By Dan Froomkin
Special to washingtonpost.com
Tuesday, December 6, 2005

President Bush will deliver the second in a series of four speeches on his Iraq strategy tomorrow in Washington to several hundred members of the Council on Foreign Relations -- an august group of scholars, policymakers and journalists whose Web site is an Internet hotspot for intellectual foment about foreign policy in general and Iraq in particular.

But rather than probe the group's expertise or even respond to its concerns, Bush is just using it as a backdrop.

In a sharp break with the council's own traditions, Bush is being allowed to speak -- for 50 minutes -- then leave without taking any questions.

"Obviously, we strongly suggested -- certainly made the case -- that it would be in the interest of the president and in the interest of our membership that the president take questions," council vice president for communications Lisa Shields told me this morning.

"But true to his format, they declined."...


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/linkset/2005/04/11/LI2005041100879.html

[fooj]

1. The shameless rat bastard is a coward.

:grr:

[WI_DEM]

2. His staff know if he attempts to answer questions he'll make an ass

out of himself. If I were the Foreign Relations Council I wouldn't let him speak if he can't answer questions.

[BlueEyedSon]

3. I'm sorry, isn't that EXACTLY his tradition? nt

[Tony_Illinois]

4. If They Had A Set,

they would retract the invitation, right?

[A Simple Game]

6. Yes they would.

And if it were up to Me, I would wait until he was almost to the door, and slam it in his face. Of course there would be cameras there to record the snub.

[mike_c]

5. he can't speak extemporaneously...

...without sticking his foot in his mouth. Why do folks like the CFR let him get away with it?

[Tony_Illinois]

7. Please --

he can barely speak with a script. But on his feet, having to "think" and actually process a coherent, intelligent response to a reasonable question, ". . .fool me, don't get fooled again".