Washington Press Corps Laughs...And Laughs...And Laughs...And Laughs...

[ProSense]

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/horsesmouth/2007/02/washington_pres.php">Washington Press Corps Laughs...And Laughs...And Laughs...And Laughs...

February 16, 2007 -- 11:59 AM EST // View Comments (60) // Post a Comment

I've hauled this one out before, but it's worth another look in light of the President's press conference yesterday. So let's play compare and contrast. Ready?

From All the President's Men, page 163, depicting a press conference in the early '70s at which reporters questioned Nixon campaign director Clark MacGregor about a particularly eye-opening turn in the Watergate case:

Snip...

When those reporters were stonewalled about something they considered important, they got angry. Now let's look at Bush's press conference yesterday:

QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President. Sir, we've now learned through sworn testimony that at least three members of your administration, other than Scooter Libby, leaked Valerie Plame's identity to the media. None of these three is known to be under investigation. Without commenting on the Libby trial, then, can you tell us whether you authorized any of these three to do that, or were they authorized without your permission?

THE PRESIDENT: Yes, thanks, Pete. I'm not going to talk about any of it.

QUESTION: They're not under investigation, though?

THE PRESIDENT: Peter, I'm not going to talk about any of it.

QUESTION: How about pardons, sir? Many people are asking whether you might pardon --

THE PRESIDENT: Not going to talk about it, Peter. (Laughter.) Would you like to think of another question? Being the kind man that I am, I will recycle you. (Laughter.)

John.

QUESTION: Thank you --

THE PRESIDENT: You like that one? "Recycling" him. (Laughter.)

QUESTION: That took care of one of my questions, as well, sir.

THE PRESIDENT: If that's the case, sit down. Next question. (Laughter.)

Look, the questions from the Post's Peter Baker were good, and the comparison is far from perfect, because in the first instance a campaign official was being questioned, and in the second the target was the President. What's more, the advent of the Internet and YouTube means reporters' performances at press conferences are far more public and more scrutinized than they used to be -- which probably means it's inevitable that reporters will be more careful and less confrontational. This isn't reflexive White House press corps criticism.

Still, the comparison's instructive. It's a reminder that tolerance and even jadedness towards official mendacity and stonewalling have become about as pervasive and unremarkable as the air you breathe. I mean, here you have testimony saying that three of Bush's senior officials helped destroy the career of a CIA officer. The President blithely refused to say whether he authorized it. And the response is...laughter? What the hell's so funny about this?

[cui bono]

1. I was struck by that as well as I watched. Incredible.

The press is disgusting. And where was Helen Thomas? Afraid to call on her, eh?

[speedoo]

2. They laugh on cue, so's they get to attend the next presser...

and sit there, and laugh again, on cue. Ain't that nice.

Worthless asswipes.

[terisan]

3. Is there one or more reporters you think we should confront about this?

Or an editor....

I would like to see several or legions of us confront a reporter or editor on their being part of an audience or a laugh track instead of part of a 1st amendment-protected press.

[CrazyOrangeCat]

4. Somebody is going to have to conront these sycophants.

I think you're onto something.

[ProSense]

5. This is from August 2006:

List of White House Correspondents

Welcome terisan.

[terisan]

7. Thanks for this list.....I am going to write to the AP n/t

[Straight Shooter]

6. These aren't real journalists at the press conferences. That's why they laugh.

Within the media, there are diamonds and then there are cubic zirconia. The press at bush's conferences are CZ.

Now, Jane Hamsher and her colleagues, those are genuine journalists. They are diamonds, the genuine article.

Someone should tell the sycophants that Americans aren't laughing at these mutual-admiration ego stroke-offs with bush anymore.

[mitchum]

8. "Oh Pharaoh, you're sooooo funny!"

[blm]

9. Same group LAUGHED at his searching for WMDs comedy bit. And scowled at Colbert

for noticing how compliant they are for Bush.

Oh yeah - the media has REALLY been doing its job the last 10 years, eh?

[mitchum]

10. Well, they have been doing their actual job...

[blm]

11. as chief promotional tools of the fascist agenda. But not the job the American people expected from

its newsmedia.

[mitchum]

12. Exactly