Posted on 02/14/2006 5:31:24 PM PST by jmc1969
Fleischer, who was Bush's first press secretary - from 2001 to 2003 - told E&P that Cheney's accidental shooting of Texas attorney Harry Whittington on Saturday during a hunting trip should not have taken nearly a day to be reported.
"It would have been better if the vice president and/or his staff had come out last Saturday night or first thing Sunday morning and announced it," he said during a phone interview Tuesday. "It could have and should have been handled differently."
But Fleischer also took a jab at the reporting frenzy surrounding the story, saying most Americans are not as focused on it as the White House press corps. "The press is largely right on the issue--but it can be right and go too far," he added.
He also said that if he were still in the White House, he would urge the vice president's office to take some of the heat off Bush's staff: "I think you go to the vice president and say, 'you need to be handling this.'"
Fleischer's comments came just hours after Marlin Fitzwater, who served as press secretary to Bush's father and Ronald Reagan, also criticized Cheney, telling E&P he was "appalled" at the response to the incident.
(Excerpt) Read more at editorandpublisher.com ...
According to the local "infobabe" down there in Souf' Texas, it was reported Sunday morning.
VP will speak on his own time schudule. Not yours.
Think for a moment that he is still devastated and likely wishes to see Mr. Whittington out of danger first.
This is just Public Relations 101. Anyone who's ever been in the business can tell you: Get ahead of the story from the beginning and you can control it. Miss the opportunity and you're playing defense
No to all of the above
The press/media is throwing a temper tantrum because they think Cheney should have called them and held a presser ... instead of going to the hospital to be with his friend
This thing happened at 5:30 PM .. he didn't go to the hospital till 6:30 pm
I'm guessing from experience at hospitals ... it takes a couple hours to run tests and for doctors to evaluate the situation
Which now puts the time line after midnight
IS the press now saying that Cheney should have dragged the press/media out of bed to report this???
The press was notified at 8am the next morning
EXACTLY!!!
It's ALL about them
That's all well in good for DC but the result is the Pres is taking more heat for it than he should. Ari right. DC should be dealing with it. It was his screw up.
bttt
If these people think the American people actually care about this, they are SO out of touch with reality! No one cares that it took 24 hours before the White House press corp found out and they think of this as a tragic accident. The Dems and the MSM are, once again, going down a dead end road that makes them look ridiculous!
Oh, come on. Fleischer's right; I don't even know who Cheney's friggin' press secretary is.
McClellan shouldn't have to take the heat for this. It's beginning to look as if Cheney doesn't give a damn about how this is reflecting on Bush.
Not good.
I agree with you on this 100%, but let's wait and see how the victim recovers first.
The MSM is so insanely angry at and obsessed with Bush and the Republicans that they can't view the world through any other prism than that which validates their prejudices.
IIRC, this was not Public Relations 101, this was Lanny Davis media advice 101.
And all of the "concerned posters" about how the media have the advantage in this, are really making me laugh.
They obviously haven't talked to the average voter out here in "flyover country".
Why? I say give the press enough rope to hang themselves. This could not be going any better. The media are looking like fools to the middle undecided type voters and even to the non-moonbat-Democrats. The longer the media drags this out the better for Republicans.
Hey, it's not Cheney's fault that the MSM is incompetent. The art of investigative journalism is dead. Today's press corps is just plain lazy.
Shove it down the liberal media's throats if needed
This is BS and so is the reaction from the press
They are acting like 5 year old spoiled brats throwing a hissy fit because they didn't get what they wanted
Cheney's head on a platter
and we are too often on defense. why? the press is going to run with this story anyway, we've got nothing to hide, what's wrong with sending Cheney out there to take them on?
when we do go on offense, as Bush did personally on the "domestic wiretap" story, what happens? we are doing very well on that story. in politics, either you are on offense, or you are losing.
Cheney can be very effective with this - give some facts, express remorse, and slap the press down regarding their crowding of the victim and his family's space, the assault on the hospital physicians at the presser, etc.
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