>--- Gregory Lipman <gregory.l at mazdaace.co.jp> wrote:
> > Wierd. I just ran across this:
> > http://blogs.salon.com/0002874/2004/05/20.html#a849
>
>Yes, but further up on that blog (about the blog)was yet another
>contender for quote of the day (or year):
>
>BUSH (to Brit Hume): "I appreciate people's opinions, but I'm more
>interested in news. And the best way to get the news is from
>objective sources. And the most objective sources I have are people
>on my staff who tell me what's happening in the world."
Washington Times reported on some of Bill Sammon's book _Misunderestimated: The President Battles Terrorism, John Kerry and the Bush Haters_ (gosh-a-golly! people hate Shrubya?
I love the Terrists (tm) <-> Kerry <-> Bush Haters
'Aware of the facts'
The media's questionable Vietnam analogies are just one reason Mr. Bush does not pay much attention to press coverage of his administration.
"I don't watch the nightly newscasts on TV, nor do I watch the endless hours of people giving their opinion about things," the president said. "I don't read the editorial pages; I don't read the columnists."
Yet Mr. Bush regularly monitors the news pages of a select few daily publications.
"I get the newspapers — the New York Times, The Washington Times, The Washington Post and USA Today — those are the four papers delivered," he said. "I can scan a front page, and if there is a particular story of interest, I'll skim it."
The president prides himself on his ability to detect bias in ostensibly objective news stories.
"My antennae are finely attuned," he said. "I can figure out what so-called 'news' pieces are going to be full of opinion, as opposed to news. So I'm keenly aware of what's in the papers, kind of the issue du jour. But I'm also aware of the facts."
Those facts are extracted from news stories each day and presented to the president by a half-dozen aides, Mr. Card among them.
"Since I'm the first one to see him in the morning, I usually give him a quick overview and get a little reaction from him," Mr. Card explained. "Frequently, I find that his reaction kind of reflects [first lady] Laura Bush's take."
Indeed, the president often cites articles that Mrs. Bush flags for greater scrutiny, even when he has not personally slogged through those stories. Mrs. Bush routinely delves more deeply into the news pages than her husband, who prefers other sections.
"He does not dwell on the newspaper, but he reads the sports page every day," Mr. Card said with a chuckle.
'A clear outlook'
Mr. Bush thinks that immersing himself in voluminous, mostly liberal-leaning news coverage might cloud his thinking and even hinder his efforts to remain an optimistic leader.
"I like to have a clear outlook," he said. "It can be a frustrating experience to pay attention to somebody's false opinion or somebody's characterization, which simply isn't true."
Although the president is not steeped in the minutiae of individual news articles, he is mindful of the press' collective power as a political force. So he makes it his business to keep track of broad news trends, even if he doesn't plow through all the details.
"I'm aware if there is yet another story about X, Y, Z in the newspaper," Mr. Bush said. "I'm aware if there is seven straight days of a certain news story being run. I'm aware if there is three days of something."
The president regularly strategizes with his spokesmen, including communications director Dan Bartlett and press secretary Scott McClellan, about how to best manage the news.
"I'm in constant touch with Dan and Scott about how to handle a particular story," Mr. Bush said. "I help fashion responses — 'Are you comfortable with us saying this about that?' — on a regular basis." http://washingtontimes.com/national/20040511-123505-8871r.htm