Bush-approved book can’t justify policies

[AGENDA21]

In every administration, there is always one journalist that the White House trusts above the others to represent its point of view. In this administration, it is Fred Barnes of The Weekly Standard magazine.

Snip..

Now, Barnes has produced a book about George W. Bush, "Rebel-in-Chief," recently published by Crown Forum. Although not explicitly authorized by Bush, the book virtually carries his endorsement by virtue of his having given Barnes an interview just for this book and allowing senior White House staffers to speak to him on the record.

Snip..

Although Bush is said to be famously loyal to his staff, Barnes cannot explain the firing of National Economic Council Director Larry Lindsey in 2002. He was fired "merely for show," Barnes tells us, "a demonstration of White House concern over a struggling economy."

This is just b.s., and Barnes knows it. It hardly makes sense to fire your chief economic adviser when your official position is that the policies devised by that adviser are working perfectly. Indeed, Barnes writes, Bush greeted Lindsey after the 2004 election and said, "You’re the guy whose tax cuts won the election for me. ... We call it the ‘Lindsey recovery’ around here."

http://www.columbiatribune.com/2006/Apr/20060422Busi002.asp

[tularetom]

1. Well it's stretching it a bit to call Barnes a journalist

From the few times I've seen him he should be called Monica Lewinsky.

[Eric J in MN]

2. Fred Barnes admitted to Bill Maher

that he would oppose warrantless wiretapping if Hillary Clinton were president.

But Barnes supports it under Bush and claims it's legal.

(Real Time with Bill Maher, interview via satellite)