The Washington Post put opinion first in its treatment of President Bush's last press conference. The news story by Michael Abramowitz was at the bottom of page A3. The snarky opinion column by Dana Milbank was at the top of A3, suffused with the sarcastic tone that Bush was, of course, a disaster:
By the time he finished, it was hard to imagine why only 23 percent of Americans are able to see the Bush years for the unqualified success that they are.
In between these articles, the Post placed a page-wide graph that tracked the decline of Bush's approval rating. Among the historical markers of the Bush era, according to the Post: the 1,000th, 2,000th, 3,000th, and 4,000th U.S. casualty in Iraq. Also on their list were the "Mission Accomplished" speech, the CBS report on Abu Ghraib, and Hurricane Katrina.
In addition to obvious dates, like 9/11 and the start of wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the chart marked the dates Saddam Hussein was captured and executed.
Milbank's most obvious misstatement was this: "Further complicating his last-minute legacy rehabilitation: Nobody seems to be paying attention." He noted the last two rows of reporter seats were empty.
But clearly, anyone watching the newscasts or reading the newspapers would know this presser grabbed more attention than usual, largely because it was Bush's last. (CBS gave it heavy play last night.) Even if the Post put it on A3 and let the humorist/columnist take the first whacks at Bush for the reader.
—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center.
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Built in cushion...
January 13, 2009 - 07:07 ET by NavyBuckeyeUnfortunately for the smart people of t his country (and the not smart ones but willing to bust thier butt for living) Barry O has a built in air bag to his Presidency: it was built and manufactured by the media. And the label on the box says "Bush".
No matter how bad Barry O does in office the media will give him the "It was because of Bush" blanket. He will not be able to do any wrongs.
I know I am waiting for the guy to turn water into wine. I mean he has already stated he will turn my money into someone else's tv, car, or drugs.
“Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter” - Thomas Jefferson
NB, nice
January 13, 2009 - 09:20 ET by mom_rox"He noted the last two rows
January 13, 2009 - 07:24 ET by ThisnThat"He noted the last two rows of reporter seats were empty."
Not only that, but apparently the filled seats were also empty of honest reporters.
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If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it is in English, thank a Soldier. - My barber
Dana Milbank snipes that
January 13, 2009 - 07:35 ET by motherbeltDana Milbank snipes that Bush said Hard things don't happen overnight.
Yet they dumbly accept Obama's waffling and scaling back of expectations: for instance, he might not be able to close Gauntanamo right away as he promised because it's harder than a lot of people think. And they will continue to accept his excuses once he's inaugurated, that it's a lot tougher than he thought. (DUH!)
By the time he finished, it was hard to imagine why only 23 percent of
Americans are able to see the Bush years for the unqualified success
that they are. -Milbank
That's right, Dana, get that last swipe in there.
No class, all a$$.
Congress
January 13, 2009 - 07:38 ET by A Typical PatriotIt is never mentioned that the rating of the Congress is half that of Bush. The media have no credibility at all, just one but propaganda machine.
9%
January 13, 2009 - 07:55 ET by Red Jeep9%. President Bush is 3 times more popular than congress.
Or to fix one of Milbank's sentences:
By the time it finished, it was hard to imagine why 9 percent of Americans are able to see the 110th Congress as a success.
And who was a member of
January 13, 2009 - 10:12 ET by ThisnThatAnd who was a member of that Congress? That didn't attend most of the time? That didn't vote? That can't be cited for one single bill, or one single accomplishment?
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If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it is in English, thank a Soldier. - My barber
I think you would get a lot
January 13, 2009 - 14:03 ET by UtherpendI think you would get a lot of blank stares from any liberals you asked the question to. Hell they can't even tell you who their senators are let alone what they do.
"If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquillity of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you."
But we're still told that we should give
January 13, 2009 - 09:11 ET by katiejaneObama a chance?
Sc*w him and his supporters. I figure it is our job to make Obama's Presidency as difficult as the Left made Bush's. I hope the questions about his citizenship status, his anti-American friends, his corrupt ties to the Chicago Machine, etc dog him every day of his term.
It gets worse.
January 13, 2009 - 11:02 ET by Prester JohnGet a load of the Post's "On Faith" column.
Bush's Tortured Morality
It may seem contradictory to many that President Bush thinks America's moral standing in the world has not been harmed during his tenure. He believes this despite a widespread practice of torture and systemic civil rights violations of "enemy combatants" during his administration. But if you adopt the President's definition of morality, the contradiction disappears. President Bush has a very specific notion of what he means by America's moral standing.
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/susan_brooks_thistlethwaite/2009/01/will_americas_real_morals_plea.html
The author, Rev. Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite, is professor of theology at Chicago Theological Seminary and senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.
Go to westsite for Center for American Progress to see exactly what kind of "progress" she is for.
http://www.americanprogress.org/
"By the time we were
January 14, 2009 - 01:45 ET by RR GOP"By the time we were finished with him, it is easy to imagine why only 23 percent of
Americans are able to see the Bush years for the dismal failure
that we say they are."
There...that seems more truthful now.
One of the 24% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 89% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory.