President Bush, having a little fun at a Rose Garden press conference, juggled digs and jokes about exclusive interviews.
by Mark Silva
In the Rose Garden, in the East Room and even back at the ranch in Texas, there is a tradition of playful presidential sparring with reporters. But today, the president may have gotten under the skin of the press with some of his humor.
First the setup: Bush gently tried to hush Martha Raddatz, a reporter for ABC News attempting a follow-up to a question from her front-row perch in the Rose Garden this morning. Cut off her mic, the president joked. Off it went, but it came back on.
"The question you asked me,'' Bush insisted, was the same one that he had answered "in the exclusive I gave you at the ranch... What I told you before is that I think we're making progress in Afghanistan, but there is tough fighting.''
When Sheryl Gay Stolberg of The New York Times rose to ask her question, she joked that she still is waiting for her exclusive interview.
Bush, often ready with a retort, appeared truly tongue-tied as he smiled, looked up and admitted: "I'm at a loss for words...
And then he found them: "If only you'd been at the White House correspondents' dinner, I would have invited you,'' he said, calling it "an inside joke.''
The joke is that the Times, citing ethical concerns, has boycotted the annual dinner of the White House Correspondents' Association, which was held Saturday night, a black-tie forum for jokes about the president, by the president and for the president.
• 
• 
• 
• 
Comments
That's right, George. Only 6 months to go and your legacy is toast. You've failed at yet another business venture, so just joke around and avoid answering the real questions of the day.
Posted by: DD | April 29, 2008 12:28 PM
Silva, don't you think this is a little too much inside baseball? Even for the swamp?
Posted by: Jeff | April 29, 2008 1:02 PM
One of the best things about Bush is that more often than not he zings the media. He zings them about their biases, their inability to be fair, and for some in the media, their moronicness. All the while, most of the time, those in the media don't get it!
Posted by: John D | April 29, 2008 1:10 PM
The Decider can't be gone fast enough:
http://www.bushslastday.com/
Posted by: John E | April 29, 2008 1:20 PM
Silva, don't you think this is a little too much inside baseball? Even for the swamp?
Posted by: Jeff | April 29, 2008 1:02 PM
Jeffy, you're a rightwing journalist hack, quit acting like you know how to run this blog, you and Rush don't.
Posted by: John E | April 29, 2008 1:25 PM
"THE DECIDER GUY SPEAKS"
WHO HAS CONTROL OF THE "MIKES" OKAY GO AHEAD!
"I STILL HEAR THE VOICES"
JOHN MCCAIN "HEARS THE VOICES" IT'S CONGRESS' FAULT!
THEY HAVE BEEN IN OFFICE SINCE I GOT HERE AND DIDN'T DO A "DOG GON" THING.
NO "IMMUNITY" PROTECTION LIABILITY FROM THOSE "TRIAL LAWYERS" AND CONGRESS.
MADAME SPEAKER PELO..A.A.A.A. IS CIRCUMVENTING MY "CONSOLIDATION PLAN" OF EVERY AMERICAN BORN CITIZEN.
NO IMMUNITY, NOT PROTECTING THE COMPANIES THAT "PROTECT US" NO PROTECTION OF LIABILITY COULD DO HARM TO MY MULTIBILLIONAIRE TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANY CEO'S EXCEPT "QWEST"
"IT WOULD SHRED THE CREDIBILITY OF THE UNITED STATES"
IF WE DIDN'T!
IRAQ, OH THAT IS A WORK IN PROGRESS AND IF WE FAIL IT IS BECAUSE "IRAN" AND "SYRIA" THE TWO COUNTRIES TO THE NORTH AND SOUTH OF IRAQ THAT ARE LIKE MEXICO AND CANADA IN THE UNITED STATES. IT'S SECULAR
NEXT! OH YOU WANT A SCOOP AT CRAWFORD RANCH! HEE HEE HEE! IS IT 8 AM ON THE WEST COAST YET! NO SIR, NEXT QUESTION PLEASE I GOT "MORE TIME"
Posted by: Roger Morris | April 29, 2008 2:10 PM
Just giving my two cents, John. By the way if you want to co-sign a letter to the swamp about the delay in posting times and how seemingly selective they, I thought I'd let you know I'm writing one. It seemed to bother you as much as it did me yesterday.
Posted by: Jeff | April 29, 2008 4:30 PM
Called George Bush a buffoon gives buffons a bad name.
Posted by: kg123 | April 29, 2008 4:31 PM
Isn't it wonderful for this administration to have the high cost of gas to hold press conferences about, instead of the high cost, in deaths and maimed, of the Iraqi debacle?!!! What a Presidency!!! Thanks, all you Bush voters, you really knew how to stick it to the country!!!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, Chicago | April 29, 2008 6:45 PM