Bush* Courts Regional Media (on Iraq)

[kskiska]

President Aims to Bypass Large News Outlets' 'Filter' on Iraq

By Dana Milbank

The Bush administration, displeased with the news coverage of the war in Iraq, has accelerated efforts to bypass the national media by telling the administration's story directly to the American public.

Yesterday, Bush granted exclusive interviews to five regional broadcasting companies -- an unprecedented effort to reach news organizations that do not regularly cover the White House.

The effort by Bush to reach out to about 10 million Americans through the regional broadcasters -- Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Iraq administrator L. Paul Bremer had similar sessions previously -- came two days after it emerged that soldiers in Iraq have sent form letters home to local newspapers asserting that the U.S. troops had been welcomed "with open arms" in Iraq.

Identical letters to the editor from different soldiers with the 2nd Battalion of the 503rd Infantry Regiment appeared in 11 newspapers across the country, Gannett News Service reported on Saturday. The news service reached six soldiers who said they agreed with the letter but had not written it, one who had not signed the letter, and one who didn't even know about the letter.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21714-2003Oct13.html

[PartyPooper]

1. Bu$h and his entire regime is a shameful and despicable fraud!

[jburton]

2. * doesn't like real reporters and their questions

So he's going for the easy-to-answer local reporters.

You know, cutting edge types who usually cover the local Cookie Festival or whatever.

They will be tickled to interview * so they won't ask tough questions.

[rocktivity]

3. A noble lieutenant colonel has come forward

and confessed that he's the one who had the letter written and distributed to to the soliders for signing. But according to this story, at least one soldier flatly denies signing the letter, and the soldier who says he knows nothing about it is in a hospital recovering from shrapnel wounds. (Maybe he was under the influence of Oxycontin when he read and signed it.) Having a seriously wounded solider insisting that things are getting better is self-defeating, to put it charitably. And on top of that, we're supposed to believe that the letters merely coincide with the Bush regime's decision to do a big public relations push. So this is what it's going to be like with Condi and Bush declaring that they're in charge? Well, they've sure started things off with a nice dull thud!


rocknation

[cthrumatrix]

4. Faux is not distorting enough? Hard to believe.....but they think

the press is too analytical....lol.

If shrub wants to "talk" with the people...then talk to the people...instead of a carefully screened group of folks with $1000 in thier hand for a dinner.

[Buns_of_Fire]

5. Be careful what you wish for...

When the national press looked like they might be slipping the leash, he's gone regional. When the regional press starts looking like they're slipping the leash, he'll go local. When the local press starts slipping the leash...

...He'll be coming directly to YOUR house to state his case directly to YOU! Him and his entourage will probably also drink up all your beer and won't flush the toilet when they leave. (My advice: pretend you're not home and don't answer the door.)

[TahitiNut]

6. duplicate

See http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=164290
and http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=164606