NYT: Communicator in Chief Keeps the Focus Positive in Iraq

[kskiska]

By ELISABETH BUMILLER

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 - President Bush's opening statement at his news conference on Wednesday was striking for what it left out: any mention of the 31 Americans who died overnight in the crash of a Marine helicopter in Iraq, the largest number of American deaths in a single incident since the war began.

(snip)

Mr. Bush's decision not to mention the helicopter crash in his opening statement, the Bush adviser said, was part of a longstanding White House practice to avoid having the president mention some American deaths in Iraq but not others.

"It's almost a policy," said the adviser, who asked not to be named because the president does not want aides talking about the inner workings of the White House, "because if you mention one, you have to mention them all."

The president took a similar approach in November 2003, when a Chinook helicopter was shot down in Iraq and 16 Americans died. Mr. Bush stayed at his ranch and let Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld do the talking, and officials said they did not want Mr. Bush to be consumed by headlines. "If a helicopter were hit an hour later, after he came out and spoke, should he come out again?" Dan Bartlett, a senior aide, said at the time.

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http://nytimes.com/2005/01/27/politics/27spin.html?hp&ex=1106802000&en=3f333f92256c66c0&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[PartyPooper]

1. This evil one is worse than LBJ.

At least LBJ acknowledged the fallen soldiers! And, from what I've read, Lyndon Johnson suffered from severe angst over the Vietnam war.

Junior is totally disconnected. In other words, he's a f***ing sociopath!

[Cha]

2. bush lies!

He's a freakin' degenerate LIAR!