Washington Post's Ann Kornblut responds to questions about the role of the Press and Scott McClellan's "surprising" revelations that he was lying to the press every day:
Potomac, MD: McClellan needs to get over himself. The nerve of blaming the media for their failures in the run-up to the War. Elisabeth Bumiller so eloquently explained how things work the night before the Iraq War started, 4,000 dead American soldiers ago: "it's live, it's very intense, it's frightening to stand up there. Think about it, you're standing up on prime-time live TV asking the president of the United States a question when the country's about to go to war. There was a very serious, somber tone that evening, and no one wanted to get into an argument with the president at this very serious time.".
Anne E. Kornblut: That's a good point. (I'm a huge Bumiller fan). To that I would add that most reporters, or at least this reporter, looked continuously for cracks in the facade internally, and the assistance of an aide such as McClellan in helping us understand the flaws is essential. I would urge all future White House aides to remember that sometimes the press can be a friend when things inside start going wrong.
I can't even figure out what she thinks she's saying there--"when things inside start going wrong?" Does she mean that if she and the press stumbled accidentally on the President and the Vice President eating a live baby in the oval office she wants future press secretaries to know they would just cheerfully carol "sorry! don't mind us!" and close the door? When did the press corps start admitting publicly that its an arm of the White House whose principle job is to "help" the White House out of political difficulties?
aimai
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