Ari Fleischer Joins Criticism Of Cheney's Response to Shooting

E&P ^ | Febuary 14 2006 | Joe Strupp

[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.

[A Citizen Reporter]

Fine, you want Cheney to come out and beg forgiveness. Point taken.

I will note that this is ALWAYS your's Modus Op. You always criticize the WH response. That is a pattern I'm familiar with. And it generally doesn't come from the side I'm rooting for. LOL!

[Chena]

THEY DID! "Because of the Armstrong family's long-standing professional relationship with reporter Jaime Powell, Katharine Armstrong called Powell around 8 a.m. Sunday and left voice mail messages to return the call. Powell, who was in Austin, did not immediately receive the messages." I suppose it the VP's fault that the media doesn't returned messages also huh???

Your post needs to be spread around, Mo1! bttt!

[Mo1]

Absolutely disgraceful. Former WH press secs acting like democrats

The way the media is handling this .. it wouldn't surprise me if Ari is being taken out of context

I'd have to hear him before I can believe anything the media/press says any more

[OldFriend]

Lanny Davis theory is to get out there and lie thru your teeth and keep repeating the lie every hour on the hour.

[A Citizen Reporter]

Yes, indeed, but get out AHEAD OF THE STORY!

[Shortstop7]

If these people think the American people actually care about this, they are SO out of touch with reality!

I agree......the American people don't care.....just want the guy to recover....... The MSM....particularly David "crybaby" Gregory makes me sick. Time to fire off an email!

[Chena]

The ones ON the scene will be the ultimate voice of truth. Mr. Whittington is a very close friend of Cheney and will, IMO, tell the world exactly what happened. I think that Dick is not going to make matters harder on Mr. Whittington or his family by any statements during this stressful time of recovery. He is wise to not make any statements because of legal circumstances too. I expect Mr. Cheney to be totally exonerated from the incident when Mr. Whittington gives his precise recollection of the event. The media will be eating crow for many months or even years after they are exposed for trying to make the VP look like a incompetent scumbag. I salute Dick for his silence and his compassion toward his friend and his family during his recovery. I know Dick and he is hurting for what happened. I pray it doesn't get to him so bad that it effects HIS heart as well. The truth will win out and the Hate crowd will do down on this one.

Well said! bttt!

[TruthSetsUFree]

Don't kid yourself. The press always wants to make us believe that if the administration had just done this or that differently, all would be ok, but it wouldn't. They'll find *something* to harp about no matter how things are handled.

[OldFriend]

Did it ever occur to you that Cheney is absolutely devestated by this accident.

Did you ever even hit an animal with your car? Do you know that feeling?

Can you imagine the horror and trauma of actually shooting a friend?

The last thing on Cheney's mind was the media.

He's too decent a human being to give a damn about the media.

[oceanview]

we don't have to lie. we can be on offense and tell the truth.

[onyx]

O'Reilly Poll




Which story is more important: Al Gore accusing the USA of mistreating Arabs on US soil, or Dick Cheney delaying the accident announcement?
Gore
Cheney


http://www.billoreilly.com/


I have voted GORE.

[Chena]

the truth can win out right now, but we need a messenger. and McClellan can't be that messenger. and when Whittington does gets out of the hospital and recovers, 2-3 weeks from now, any press statement he makes will be on page 32.

The truth about this terrible accident is already known. All the messengers in the world won't change the fact that the liberal press will just jump on and twist any statement made by anyone from the current Administration, and that includes Vice President Dick Cheney.

[OldFriend]

The truth has been told. Sorry if you have a problem with that.

Neither the President nor Mr. Cheney owes anyone a further comment on this tragedy.

[onyx]

ACR suggested the same thing... Ari's comments might have been "edited" to better fit MSM agenda.

[cwb]

Republicans can be their worst enemy. Unlike Democrats who circle the wagon and routinely defend the indefensible, Republicans can't even stay on a simple message. While I can appreciate the higher standards that Republicans try and live up to, some times they go overboard in these attempts.

Besides undermining each other, they often set themselves up for failure as the media can't wait to jump on any mistake they make. The media and libs obviously apply double-standards; sadly, Republicans often help contribute to this by their own actions that put themselves above others...even within their own party.

While I can appreciate the honesty and integrity some show, many times I can't help but think that it is more self-serving than anything else. Ari should've just shut-up or attacked the media for going overboard; instead, he put himself above McClellan and Cheney, feeding right into their hands. This may not have been handled well; but why give the mediacrats the satisfaction of any vindication over something so insignificant.

[paul51]

The press was notified at 8am the next morning

Not by the WH or DC. They could have handled this better and preempted the circus going on now. If they had done that mcclellan could have said the statement has been issued and there will be no further comment until some latter date. That would have worked out better.

[A Citizen Reporter]

You are right. And the only thing the press can do is make the story about themselves.

So that is what they will do. Even if takes wearing silly costumes to do it.

[gathersnomoss]

It's all politics. Relax. Cheney's a good man..and not such a bad shot.

[Chena]

First of all, if each and every reporter had been personally contacted by Cheney himself, it would not have reduced their rabid dog frenzy about this story one iota, if anything, catering to the massive egos like little Davy Gregory and his pals would (in their minds) suggest that the Vice President was in a position of weakness and as "friendly" as they have been to this Administration, that would only encourage them to attack with even greater ferocity. Second, no matter what the Vice President and/or his staff did or said, the White House Press Corpse would still have been hammering McClellan on this story, because there are ripe possibilities for a rewarding game of "gotcha" and "Prez said/Vice-Prez said", and they would like nothing better than to instigate even minor disagreements between the President and his VP, either personally, or at the staff level. Don't we know by now that the press views this Administration as their own personal enemy? They do! Ari, Marlin and past press secretaries (oh my, did I forget David Gergen?!? *gasp*) need to STFU because they are not privy to what is or is not going on behind the scenes, McClellan is making the best of a bad situation, and while he isn't my idea of a great press secretary, he's got the job, and he's doing the best he can. The only thing Vice President Cheney needs to do, is to send the same message to these howling hounds of media-hell as he sent to Senator Leaky Leahy back in 2003(?), which was "Go F--K Yourselves". Third and finally, the most important issue here is the recovery of Harry Whittington, this was a terrible accident, and fortunately nobody was killed. Unlike in July 1969.

Exactly!

[Mo1]

Not by the WH or DC.

Let's see .. who should the press talk to

A spokes person back in DC that doesn't have full knowledge of the events ....

or a WITNESS that was there at the time and could accurately tell the media/press what happen

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm