There’s been quite a lot of chatter in the last couple days about an article in the Daily Trojan (no snickers, please), the USC student newspaper, which reports the following about what author Ron Suskind allegedly said at at a public forum on campus …
One of Suskind’s most severe critiques of Bush was not only Bush’s lack of press conferences but also his management of those conferences.
For each press conference, the White House press secretary asks the reporters for their questions, selects six or seven of the questions to answer and those reporters are the only ones called upon to ask their questions during the press conference, Suskind said.
I’d never heard of such a <$Ad$>thing and couldn’t believe it was true. But Suskind’s a serious person and a first-rate journalist. And a bunch of readers asked if I knew anything about it. And, frankly, I’ve gotten burned a few times underestimating the degree of skullduggery this White House is capable of. So, with some trepidation, I emailed two friends from the White House press corps just to make sure.
I know and trust both of them and both assured me, categorically, that this is not what happens.
In the words of one of them: “It’s complete ———. As in ‘I can’t believe that he was quoted accurately’ ———. Occasionally, before background briefings, White House aides will canvass reporters to ask what we’re interested in on that day (but “the Middle East” is plenty answer for them). But I have never, ever heard of submitting questions in writing, orally, by email, or any other way before a presidential press conference. Not under Ari, not under Scott.”
