Tuesday, April 13, 2004

The Power of the Press Conference

President Bush has called a Press Conference tonight, the third of his term. I would gather that the big three networks as well as the news networks will give him the time. The question is, however, why a prime time Press Conference? If it simply to answer questions raised by Richard Clarke and the September 11th hearings, or to encourage us to stay the course in Iraq, well, I'm not sure what I think about that. It seems like a political use of his office.

On the other hand, perhaps he has a change in our policies in Iraq, in response to what is happening there; if that's the case, than we'll have to see what happens.

The New York Times presents the press conference in strictly political terms, talking about the concern the White House must feel about the upcoming election. " . . . other Republicans close to the White House expressed concern, noting polls that revealed growing questions among Americans about where the nation is heading, a measure that pollsters historically regard as a barometer of trouble for an incumbent. Of particular note, one Republican close to the White House said, were indications that a spate of Bush television advertisements intended to undercut Mr. Kerry had been partly blunted by the distractions of Iraq and the hearings by the independent commission on Sept. 11."

Anyway, I'll be busy watching 24, but I'll catch it on C-SPAN.com or Whitehouse.gov and comment on it. Unless I forget or get bored.

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