While I'm traipsing about in the Notable Quotables archive, let's bring some context to the media's enjoyment of Mayan priests purging the "bad spirits" of Bush on his Latin America trip. If the president meets with public opposition on his trips, that can be newsworthy. But plucking out colorful anti-Bush anecdotes can demonstrate that the "news" is sometimes what the reporter is eager to find, and not the whole picture. Ten years ago, the networks were not always eager to find anti-Clinton angles on Latin America trips. Instead, in this case they used a Clinton trip to make the case that America was too obsessed with Whitewater:
-- "That answer, which the President has given before, will no doubt be scrutinized back in Washington but it has not ruined this Mexico trip. Mexicans could care less about Whitewater. They are joining the administration in calling this summit a success." -- ABC's John Donvan referring to Bill Clinton's insistence that "I know of no factual discrepancy, period" in Hillary's statements. May 6, 1997 World News Tonight.
-- "When the President fended off a Whitewater question by saying, 'Look, I'm just down here doing my job,' the Caribbean journalists burst into applause, in part because they had heard enough about Whitewater and wanted to talk more about bananas." -- Donvan from Barbados, May 10, 1997 World News Tonight/Saturday.
Months later, when Clinton went to Spain, John Donvan again found the foreign trip an invigorating diversion for the scandal-plagued president, in this case, the funded-by-China scandal:
"Mr. Clinton in Europe is moving like a man on a roll. A summit here where he got almost everything he wanted, an economy back home that is the best in decades. Even the charges being raised about his party's fundraising tactics do not seem to stick...On testimony today that Mr. Clinton personally referred this man, John Huang, the central figure in the Senate investigation, for a fundraising job in the Democratic Party, the President for the first time confirmed the story himself. But his demeanor, and especially his answer, sent a message that it's no big deal to him....The President's aides say that Mr. Clinton is too busy with diplomacy to pay much attention to the Senate investigation." -- ABC's John Donvan from the NATO summit in Madrid, July 9, 1997 World News Tonight.
John Donvan often sounded like a very pliant White House correspondent, unlike Terry Moran's whacking of George W. Bush.
—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center.
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and when President Bush br
March 12, 2007 - 12:29 ET by MidAmericaand when President Bush brushes aside 'allegations' from the press he's arrogant and out of touch.
Tim. Clinton's trips to Latin America weren't..
March 12, 2007 - 13:36 ET by Gary HallTim. Clinton's trips to Latin America weren't always peaches and roses. One would imagine that an impartial media, would touch on comparable instances.
From: Colombia. War Without End - Aug. 20, 2000.
Speaking of Clinton's Plan Colombia (military helicopters, paramilitary bases and all) - if I may offer a quick media analysis. This multi-billion dollar aid program was never a popular item in the MSM. Just the same - as it was being pushed thru congress in late 2000, when Clinton waived, via executive order, the human rights conditions written in the bill as demanded by congress, in order to get the money flowing for the implementation of Plan Colombia - it received rather mild coverage. They reported the progress - it made the news, however, it was never much of an issue to be hotly debated.
That was, until George Bush became president. Then suddenly the media (notably the LA Times) and the activist left - were up in arms. Bush instantly became the fascist perpetrator, by continuing Bill Clinton's Plan Colombia. Even today, we see the occasional story of how Plan Colombia failed - the oppression it caused, etc. Did it? During the late 90's terrorism was on a steep rise in Colombia, and then almost disappeared in the early 2000's. I recently had an exchange with a journalist who was quite agitated over the US Drug war in Colombia - until I mentioned the name Bill Clinton, and suddenly he was telling me how successful that program was. Fishing came to mind.
Even today - Plan Colombia, trade agreements - everything which was supported and pushed by President Clinton in the 90's - is seen by the US MSM only as the usual "strong armed Bush" problem. The LA Times today (quoting somebody): "Plan Colombia is doing nothing but defending the interests of North America while the spraying is killing our environment, nature, water and culture," said one protester, architecture professor Maria Gomez, referring to the campaign's aerial fumigation of coca plants. "We're here to wake people up."
Wag'n the press
March 12, 2007 - 13:37 ET by foolnomoreTruly??? make's one wonder how the "dog's" that are chasing this President ,couldn't stay on a good story back then?? what was in "all" those files that went "missing"?(do know, but can't "tell")
Bless and support ALL the troops-Liberalism is a mental disorder,
Tancredo'08
10 years ago - goog cuts?
March 12, 2007 - 15:39 ET by Gary HallTim referenced 10 years ago, as covered by the MRC, and on that same page, an unrelated piece really caught my attention:
Imagine - the media protraying Clinton's savings - reductions (not Slashing or Cutting, mind you) as a good thing. In fact they noted that he was doing an even better job of budgeting than even Ronald Reagan could do. Of course they hate Reagan for cutting social programs, even though he was not as good at cutting social programs as is Bill Clinton, cause they love Bill Clinton for it.
Yup.