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
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".
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.
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.