Typical Patterns

The whole thing looked pretty idiotic to me. They’re renovating the briefing room so they have to commemorate the old room in a group farewell joined by former GOP press secretaries plus a “surprise” drop in by George and Laura? Anything more important going on in the world?
But I think I figured out the haste. The administration is talking about making it real high tech at the lectern:
“For the remodeled facility, White House officials are weighing the cost of installing a large video wall like the one on CNN’s daily “Situation Room” newscast. It could display video, charts and graphs to help the White House present its case.
“That could transform the daily briefing into more of a made-for-TV presentation that resembles a newscast, but one produced by the White House, not the independent media, said Robert Thompson, a professor of television and popular culture at Syracuse University.
” ‘The equivalent of press releases could go out without interruption or analysis.’ Thompson said. ‘We have evidence that they are thinking along that line – video news releases.’ ”
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/15182876.htm
The “production values” are pretty low in the briefing room, and I figure Tony Snow, formerly of FOX News, realized that immediately. He probably suggested they could get their message out much more efficiently — so to speak — with better production values, and Rove and Bush hopped on it as soon as they could. They move fast to catapult the propaganda but they take their time building hospitals in Iraq and rescuing Americans from Katrina and Beirut. It’s just a matter of priorities.

What will they call this period of time, i wonder?
The Bullshit Era?
America’s Eight Years of Utter Hell?
PR Misinfortopia?
The Complete Catalogue of Human Psychological Disorders as Government?
The First Bad Emperor?
The Anti-Reneissance as Guided by the Power of Television?
The Pre-Apocolypse?
The Apocolypse?
How much Bullshit Van One Possibly Take Before Losing Their Minds?
Have i mentioned the bullshit? The omnipresent, souless bullshit that barages my fragile mind seemingly every day? The neverending torrent of self righteous ignorance that replaces all common sense in matters of running a democracy? Can this frustrating emotion ever be accurately explained?

“Damn. Why didn’t we think of this sooner? Just shut out the inquisitive little bastards. No more annoying questions about accountability, what so-and-so thinks. None of that. Renovations, that’ll do. They’ll buy that.”
Note to the (once) free press: that’s what you get for too many years of easy questions and godawful reporting. I hope the smell in the temporary space activates your gag reflexes. Ours have been activated for years.

So….where are the press conferences going to be held in the interim? Um, during the VERY important period preceeding the Novembre Theft?
PS: Bush was buzzin’ good in this piece. I was burping just watching him! Come on, anytime someone uses the word “beautiful” to describe a crowd of people he normally hates is DRUNK. I mean, unless you are a poet, a woman, or a guy trying to bed a poetic woman, you just don’t throw that word around. I think the rest of the gaggle was instructed to grin and laugh stupidly to cover up the fact that if they didn’t the Miserable Failure would be the only one.
Um….did I mention that Bush is a Miserable Failure ? Just checkin’, thnx.

We might not like the current occupant, but let’s not slam the White House. It’s a monument to American democracy that the guy who runs the place lives above the store, which has less square footage than a lot of WalMarts. No one who works at the White House has a lot of space, and there is probably too much set aside already for the sycophants whose job it is to lob softball questions and then look pretty on TV.

Okay, my bad. I see where the press conf’s will be held. “Across the street, behind the old bodega with the green dumpster.” Got it.

The construction timeline WILL BE TIED to the Internal Republican Polling for the 2008 elections….
Polling Good: Press Room open
Polling Bad: Press room delayed
I am willing to bet that the new $600 million American Embassy in Iraq will be completed in a quicker time than the new Press Room.

lemmeguess: ‘Fancies and Goodnights’&'His Monkey Wife’
John Collier, right?

Does seem fishy, though I’ll add that I toured the press room one time and it was unbelievably ghetto–looks like the inside of a tiny airplane hanger (embarrassing)…

This is the first I’ve even heard of this… looks like they’re all having fun congratulating themselves… I’m not sure for what.
I’m confused, though – is it the briefing room that’s so dumpy or their office(s)? I thought it was the offices that were so cramped.
So they’ll make the briefing room all high-tech and attractive, like that briefing room they set up in Qatar to give the good news about attacking – oh, sorry, “liberating” – Iraq. (How long did that take to set up?)

The images are of people happy to be where they are, in an atmosphere of relaxed comraderie.
In spite of the so-called “adversarial press,” there is still a modicum of politeness in that culture and setting, so the “game” of question and answer which usually occurs in the press room is supended for Bush’s visit.
The press is being “handled” and put out to pasture in another setting, temporarily, but the 9 month delay in getting a new briefing room is an ominous sign, to me.
The images show Bush “reaching out” to members of the press in contrast to what happens in his or Tony Snow’s press conferences and briefings, where the dynamic is “this is what we are telling you, and there will be no further details other than what we tell you in the manner in which we are telling you.” In short, patriarchial: “be quiet and listen, and do not question our judgement about what you should know.”
The press, by their “going along” are afraid of taking heat from the public by criticizing such a “nice” man as Bush. Finally, what would they have done, otherwise, when Bush, standing, bent down to shake their hands? Stand up and huffily leave the room?

We might not like the current occupant, but let’s not slam the White House.
You know what I love about this grand country of America? The freedom to say what is in my heart and mind, as long as I am not advocating harm to someone, or planning it. This very freedom and inalienable right is the specific thing that first made me a “proud American” back in the day (20 years ago or so?). I know what with the New World Order, the USA Enemy Combatant Theory, as well as the “P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act” this “Freedom” may no longer be legally or practically true. But let’s pretend it still applies to you and me, eh?
Just like when I was a child, I respect those who earn it. That which deserves it. Honor is as honor does.

From the Washington Post article:
Marlin Fitzwater, press secretary for former President George Bush, said communications is 90 percent of what the presidency is all about.
Sometimes I am encouraged by imagining that in more highly evolved (though certainly difficult) times to come, our children will look back on gems like this, and sneer.

I’ve never toured this “unbelievable ghetto” re Shaun’s description but I have spent literally years listening to some very “fishy” stories which eventually became Mark Twain like whoopers.
ummabdulla > “So they’ll make the briefing room all high-tech and attractive, like that briefing room they set up in Qatar.” which got me to remembering:
“Live From Doha.. it’s a TV-ready war update spoonfed to hundreds of journalists by the U.S. military! A report from the surreal, over-air-conditioned million-dollar briefing center in the middle of nowhere…” http://foi.missouri.edu/jourwarcoverage/livefromdoha.html
From there came its first big catch the heroic rescue of Private Jessica Lynch.
With over twenty hours of videos a full binder of clippings its the first masterpiece of misinformation about Iraq. Keeping records is tedious but its one way to measure and record fishy stories.
While watched the Snow skit I figured it would do well in Canada as comedy, not even canned laughter, “W” holding hands with an *awe struck* Helen Thomas would be an excellent curtain closer. Pass the popcorn please.

What will they call this period of time?
They’ll call it what it is, the end of democracy in America.

From December 2005: “a href=”http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/26/AR2005122600591.html”>White House Press Room to be Closed for Makeover.
Sounds like the asbestos-filled room is pretty dingy. Gotta love this bit:
“Reporters, who have resisted previous efforts by the White House to kick the media off campus, are not objecting to the changes, though some fear that the White House could make the temporary move permanent. There’s reason for fear. As first lady, Hillary Rodham Clinton proposed ousting the media and opening the swimming pool, according to George Stephanopoulos’s memoir.”
Maybe they should install a hot tub, wet bar, and disco ball to complete the festive mood.

put you head between your knees and kiss your access goodbye.

I suppose this could also relate to employing a more tightly integrated monitoring system . . . of the participants themselves, that is. Whatever they’ve attempted to retrofit into the existing room could now become more intimately bound with seating, audience acoustics, etc.
Knowing BushCo, they’ll be tempted to install Dr. Evil “seat withdrawal” mechanisms, as well.

I thought it had already been shut down, like 5 years ago.