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 ...
Nope
And if you are watching Brit Humes' interview with the VP .. you will see why
She's not just some little old lady. There's nothing but the Hollywood Press Corps expectations that says they should have gotten it first.
I figure by the time everyone turned in it was late, get some sleep and we'll deal with it in the morning.
Putting HPC in their place, PRICELESS.
That, and Scott McClellan and Ari Fleisher who also think it should have been broken first thing Sunday morning.
So if Scott, Ari and the HPC jumped off a bridge...
PS: Don't forget Melvin.
Why, why did Cheney have to jump through his butt to spoon feed reporters who don't report?
Let the press act like the jackels that they are! This is another ACME Bomb!
Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters
Scott and Ari were right, Doc.
Love that tagline!
OK, you've made that assertion more than once. Why? Not why more than once, why were they right?
Because having the Vice President involved in a shooting accident is significant news, and waiting to get the story out only creates an impression that something is being hidden, whether or not it is.
It's only a "delay" because the media is pissed at being scooped. Cheney pricked their egos.
Sorry, Doc, but McClellan and Ari are professionals and they think it took way too long.
Oh man, I LOVE this one Phil!! I also agree with your "more aggressive public relations stance".
My husband is Republican but not overly political. He is always saying how smart the dems are at taking advantage of every opportunity and speaking out while the Republicans mostly remain silent!
Cheney's in that business and I think he knows what the hell he's doing.
Anyone who saw the interview with Brit Hume will understand the reasons why Cheney held off of telling anyone in the media.
The WH press corps is just ticked off they played second fiddle to a small town newspaper.
Besides... The media and some people here are focused on the wrong issue of this story.
no, it's stupid to hush it up when, in principle, it could land the veep in hot water.
Nobody watches David Gregory, that's why. Cheney realized you go with the one with the biggest audience, and that's FOX News.
He did take full responsibility for his actions out in that field. I guess that's not enough for some around here.
And I take firearms safety serious enough to not just rationalize that away.
Accidents are still going to happen, whether you follow the rules or not.
In case you didn't notice the time stamp of the post you responded to, that was before Cheney took responsibility (which was good on his part).
Instead, some FReepers were completely mutating gun safety concepts to make it seem that Cheney was not at primary fault here.
Accidents are still going to happen,
See other posts from gunners. Following proper hunting technique prevents accidents from happening. There were only, I believe, 14 hunting accidents in all of Texas last year. So they are not all that common given the number of hours spent hunting. And I'm glad Cheney took responsibility as to put to a end the promulgation of faulty hunting safety concepts being put forth.
Totally agree with you....Ari should have just kept quiet...I'll say one thing about the dems....they always have their people in lock step mode when it comes to having the spotlight on their scandals...
Have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe, that is a reason why the Dems keep losing ground electorally and the GOP keeps advancing? Honest criticism is a good thing - it ensures you learn from your mistakes instead of repeating them.
OK, so you are defering to someone else's opinion.
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