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CBS' Plante: "Dick Cheney Wouldn't Tell Us if Our Shirts were on Fire"
The Early Show/NewsBusters ^ | Mark Finkelstein

Posted on 02/14/2006 4:39:05 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest

by Mark Finkelstein

February 14, 2006 - 07:33

Imagine you're a member of the media, and in your heart you believe that a major official wouldn't mind seeing you burn to death. Think that might affect the way you cover him?

A comment this morning by veteran CBS reporter Bill Plante, while perhaps intended to be light-hearted, pulled back the curtain on just how antagonistic the White House press corps believes VP Cheney to be toward them. But more importantly, it suggests how antagonistic they likely feel in return.

The topic was the Veep's accidental shooting of hunting partner Harry Whittington, and more particularly the very contentious press conference yesterday between the White House press corps and presidential spokesman Scott McClellan.

Plante claimed that:

"It's not about us, it's not about the reporters. It's about the fact that the White House is expected to disclose any information about what happens to the President and the Vice-President as soon as they can. In any other White House that I've covered, and that's several as you know, the Vice-President would never have this kind of power [to control the flow of information."

Plante then added his zinger:

"But if it were up to Dick Cheney, he wouldn't tell us if our shirts were on fire, for heaven's sake."

Back in New York, Harry Smith broke into nervous laughter, perhaps aware that Plante had let the cat out of the bag on just how much the White House press corps disdains the Vice-President of the United States.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: cbs; cbsnews; cheney; earlyshow; harrysmith; harrywhittington; mediabias; plante; shooting; whittington
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1 posted on 02/14/2006 4:39:09 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest
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To: Behind Liberal Lines; Miss Marple; an amused spectator; netmilsmom; Diogenesis; YaYa123; MEG33; ...

Early Show/NewsBusters yer-shirt's-on-fire ping to the Today Show list.


2 posted on 02/14/2006 4:40:46 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest (Watching the Today Show Since 2002 So You Don't Have To.)
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To: governsleastgovernsbest
In any other White House that I've covered, and that's several as you know, the Vice-President would never have this kind of power [to control the flow of information."

There was no controlling legal authority requiring VP Cheney to inform the press.

3 posted on 02/14/2006 4:42:14 AM PST by airborne
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To: governsleastgovernsbest

Why should he?


4 posted on 02/14/2006 4:43:04 AM PST by Semper Paratus
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To: governsleastgovernsbest

I say we toruch one hundred reporters, bring the VP into the area, and count the number of reports he actually tells that they are on fire -- then divide by 100 to get the percentage. Repeat about fifty times to make sure the percentages are stable.


5 posted on 02/14/2006 4:43:26 AM PST by pikachu (I must be be built upside down -- my nose runs and my feet smell!)
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To: governsleastgovernsbest

It's their pants that are on fire.


6 posted on 02/14/2006 4:43:39 AM PST by Michael Goldsberry (Lt. Bruce C. Fryar USN 01-02-70 Laos)
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To: governsleastgovernsbest

With as much crap as the MSM shovels at Cheney, I wouldn't blame him a bit for feeling that way. I wouldn't cooperate with them any more than I had to, either.


7 posted on 02/14/2006 4:44:21 AM PST by Riley ("What color is the boathouse at Hereford?")
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To: governsleastgovernsbest
What I think is so pathetic is that all these guys think they are entitled to know everything. There is Freedom of the Press, Freedom to find out, NOT requirement to be told.
8 posted on 02/14/2006 4:44:33 AM PST by HHKrepublican_2 (OP Spread the Truth....http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1535158/posts)
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To: governsleastgovernsbest
"But if it were up to Dick Cheney, he wouldn't tell us if our shirts were on fire, for heaven's sake."

Do they need someone to tell them their shirts are on fire?

9 posted on 02/14/2006 4:44:50 AM PST by Overtaxed (One of them deals....)
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To: governsleastgovernsbest

Has anyone determined how much time elapsed between the Toon injuring himself at some late night party and its revelation to the all important press corps?


10 posted on 02/14/2006 4:45:18 AM PST by Bahbah (An admitted Snow Flake and a member of Sam's Club)
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To: Overtaxed
Do they need someone to tell them their shirts are on fire?

LOL. Says alot about the reportorial skills of the WH press corps, doesn't it?

11 posted on 02/14/2006 4:46:19 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest (Watching the Today Show Since 2002 So You Don't Have To.)
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To: governsleastgovernsbest

As someone earlier wrote in their tagline....Hunting with Cheney is safer than driving with Kennedy.


12 posted on 02/14/2006 4:46:24 AM PST by xp38
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To: governsleastgovernsbest
"It's not about us, it's not about the reporters"

uh-huh...

BTW, what about the "public's right to know" re those pesky cartoons?

Hack. Shill. Coward.


13 posted on 02/14/2006 4:46:46 AM PST by Fenris6 (3 Purple Hearts in 4 months w/o missing a day of work? He's either John Rambo or a Fraud)
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To: governsleastgovernsbest

Got a match?


14 posted on 02/14/2006 4:46:46 AM PST by pookie18 ([Hillary Rotten] Clinton Happens...as does Dr. Demento Dean, Bela Pelosi & Benedick Durbin!!)
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To: governsleastgovernsbest

The White House press corps thinks it doesn't stink after they use the toilet, too.


15 posted on 02/14/2006 4:46:55 AM PST by Nextrush (The Chris Matthews Band: "I get high..I get high...I get high..McCain.")
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To: governsleastgovernsbest

Good. I wouldn't either.


16 posted on 02/14/2006 4:46:55 AM PST by Perdogg (I'd rather go hunting with Cheney, than riding in Ted Kennedy's car)
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To: governsleastgovernsbest

Hey Bill, not only would Dick Cheney not tell you that your shirts were on fire, he wouldn't walk across the street to piss on you if you were on fire. Nor would I.


17 posted on 02/14/2006 4:47:07 AM PST by hflynn ( Soros wouldn't make any sense even if he spelled his name backwards)
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To: governsleastgovernsbest
"But if it were up to Dick Cheney, he wouldn't tell us if our shirts were on fire, for heaven's sake."

A good analogy. If a reporter is too stupid to see his own shirt on fire, why tell him?

18 posted on 02/14/2006 4:47:10 AM PST by Always Right
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To: governsleastgovernsbest

Bill Plante can now be referred to as either Skeet or Clay.


19 posted on 02/14/2006 4:47:27 AM PST by N. Theknow (Kennedys - Can't drive, can't fly, can't ski, can't skipper a boat - But they know what's best.)
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To: governsleastgovernsbest
But if it were up to Dick Cheney, he wouldn't tell us if our shirts were on fire, for heaven's sake."

Right, and I doubt he's waste precious bodily fluids extinguishing it either.

20 posted on 02/14/2006 4:48:17 AM PST by Kay Syrah
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