White House press corps meets with Bush secretly.

[deminks]

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Bush_meeting_with_reporters_strictly_offtherecord_1102.html

Bush session with reporters was strictly off-the-record

Fourteen White House reporters were given a rare hour of access to President Bush on Monday, but the issues they discussed won't be making any headlines -- the session was all off-the-record.

The informal meeting, as reported by the Los Angeles Times, took place as part of a new White House plan to reach out to the press without having to rely on "full-blown news conferences."

"He did the same in September, speaking aboard Air Force One with reporters while traveling to Sydney, Australia, from Iraq's Anbar Province," wrote the paper's James Gerstenzang.

An additional nine reporters were invited to the Oval Office on Thursday to "preview" President Bush's speech to the Heritage Foundation, in which he defended attorney general pick, Michael Mukasey, and characterized "some in Washington" as listening more to MoveOn.org and the anti-war group Code Pink than to "warnings of terrorists like Osama Bin Laden."

Although that particular session was on-the-record, it was "off-camera."

(end snip)

Here we go - moving right along to control the press. What step is this in the fascist evolution?

[spanone]

1. so he meets with the press to discuss WHAT? US? ME & YOU? AND THE PRESS COMPLIED???

[elehhhhna]

8. probably reminding them of that open Anthrax investigation...

after all, the perp is still out there.

[book_worm]

2. This isn't really new for any president to do. They used to call it "background" where

you either didn't quote the person conducting it or if you could you said, "A high WH official..."

[deminks]

4. This is not background. This is a new plan to stop doing pressers.

[gratuitous]

3. I don't mind "off the record" sessions per se

But this administration has been so corrupt, so secretive, and so blatantly anti-American, that I don't suppose I'd be invited to such a session. What I'd be interested in is just who was invited? I'm guessing Seymour Hersh didn't make the do.

The other wrinkle is that this is being touted as providing "access." But access from whom to whom? Considering "journalist" Tim Russert's default setting is off the record, by his own admission, this administration seems to have had extraordinarily little to fear from the Fourth Estate. So is this really a way for the White House to gain access to the nation's newsrooms, since the reporters are forbidden to report on what was discussed in their secret session?

[CoffeeCat]

5. Find out which reporters...

...were invited in. Chances are, these are the lemmings that
he trusts to do the catapulting.

Then listen to their repeated memes. We'll know what was said
and what "soundbytes" and propaganda Junior asked them to disseminate.

I think people should pay attention to this. We need to know who
the media bots are--and exactly what messages Bush wants out there.

Suzanne Malveaux (CNN) was one of them

[Supersedeas]

6. stenographers will invitations to the cocktail circuit

[CGowen]

7. No "full blown news confernece" just a bunch of reporters in the "Oval" office.

Maybe Bush is throwing just a party with Jeff Gannon.

Cheney seems to like him.




http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2146517

[leftofthedial]

9. The cabal only needs to SHOW the "press" the anthrax envelopes now

they don't even have to "mail" them anymore

[DemGa]

12. I think that has been the dominant factor in shutting up the press

and the Congress.

[NightWatcher]

10. 4th Estate my ass. Are they now under the Unitary Executive

[Blackhatjack]

11. Isn't this Special? And it affects how the WH Press Covers Him...

It is kind of like Bush taking them behind the barn and saying you need to lay off and put a positive spin on what I am about to say for the good of the country, but don't report any of what I just said. Then Bush makes public comments and the WH Press fall in line praising Bush.

The Public has a right to know how the covered person has influenced the reporting with off the record statements in secrecy.

[Bitwit1234]

13. Who cares....they are going to print what he wants anyway

THE ONLY WAY TO GET THEM OFF THEIR ASS AND INTO TELLING THE TRUTH is the Fairness Doctrine............and that's the real truth.