"Various television personalities -- from Anderson Cooper to Campbell Brown -- expressed dismay or outright shock at President George W. Bush's final press conference, particularly his responses regarding Hurricane Katrina. Bush took umbrage with a reporter's question: Why did the government take so long to respond?
But perhaps the most significant measure of Bush's diminished media earning power was the lack of reporters who actually showed up for the event.
According to a story by former Washington Post White House correspondent Dana Milbank, who now writes a snarky tongue-in-cheek column, the White House ordered interns to fill two rows of empty seats in the press briefing room.
"With seven days left until he surrenders power, Bush will have to do a heck of a sales job to convince the nation of this," Milbank wrote. "Further complicating his last-minute legacy rehabilitation: Nobody seems to be paying attention. The White House had high expectations for yesterday's final, historic news conference. 'ONE CORRESPONDENT PER ORGANIZATION,' proclaimed the bulletin sent to reporters. 'STANDING ROOM ONLY FOR NON-SEAT HOLDERS.' But when the appointed hour of 9:15 a.m. arrived, the last two rows in the seven-row briefing room were empty, and a press aide told White House interns to fill those seats.""
From raw story: Click title for more
Thursday, January 15, 2009
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