Bob Barr, former Republican Congressman and outspoken civil libertarian, has penned a remarkably candid column for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “Presidents all the same when scandal strikes.”
Excerpts:
In the best tradition of former President Bill Clinton’s classic, “it-all-depends-on-what-the-meaning-of-is-is” defense, President Bush responded to a question at a White House news conference about what now appears to be a clear violation of federal electronic monitoring laws by trying to argue that he had not ordered the National Security Agency to “monitor” phone and e-mail communications of American citizens without court order; he had merely ordered them to “detect” improper communications.
This example of presidential phrase parsing was followed quickly by the president’s press secretary, Scott McLellan, dead-panning to reporters that when Bush said a couple of years ago that he would never allow the NSA to monitor Americans without a court order, what he really meant was something different than what he actually said…
When caught with a hand in the cookie jar and their survival called into question, administrations circle the wagons, fall back on time-worn but often effective defense mechanisms, and seamlessly morph into one another…
A critical component of White House Scandal Defense 101 is rallying the partisan base. This keeps approval ratings in territory where the wheels don’t start falling off. The way to achieve this goal is you go negative and you don’t let up. If you’re always attacking your accusers, the debate becomes one of Democrat vs. Republican, rather than right vs. wrong…
The signs are everywhere that the Bush White House is busily implementing all parts of this defense strategy. It would be refreshing if it decided to clear the air and actually be honest about its post-Sept. 11 surveillance. However, that’s unlikely.
Too bad politicians can’t be this frank while they’re still in office.
Technorati tags: Bob Barr, Spy Scandal, Public Relations, Politics
I Found It on the Internet So It Must Be True (Again): Los Angeles Times Quotes Fake Press Release
Aren’t reporters supposed to be naturally skeptical? Lately, they’re acting like they’ve all fallen off a big turnip truck — publishing fake information from the Internet left and right.
First a TV reporter in Nashville reports, with a straight face, that it’s against the law to offer “nutrition to a prostitute“; then my old college colleague Jay Stowe, now at Cincinnati Magazine, similarly screws up.
But this tops those. It’s the LA Times, for gosh sakes. As their correction puts it:
Regret the Error reports:
Wyoming is also considering a law making it illegal to offer nutrition to a wolf. (Actually, that’s a joke. Do not publish as fact. Thank you.)
Technorati tags: Journalism, PR, Public Relations, Media