Public Eye
August 14, 2007 9:56 AM

Picking Bush's Brain

By
Matthew Felling
Topics
4th Estate Debate
(CBS)
One of the accidental subplots to Karl Rove's departure yesterday was a question directed to President Bush by CBS White House correspondent Bill Plante at Rove's farewell press event. His question was picked up by a DC media blog and generated many responses. So we asked Bill for his side of the story, which follows.

As the President and Karl Rove walked away from the lectern after their emotional announcement of Rove's resignation, I yelled a question.

"If he's so smart, why did you lose Congress?"

The President, as usual, didn't answer.

That's OK – he doesn't have to if he doesn't want to.

But judging by some of the reaction, you'd think I had been shouting obscenities in church!

"Unprofessional;" "Inappropriate;" "Unbecoming;" "Doesn't show much class;" "you are a total idiot;" "Shill for the liberal Democrats."

People who sympathize with the President – no matter who the President happens to be – always seem to think it's impolite to yell questions. Or they argue that the question is inappropriate at the moment. That may sometimes be true, but not [this time].

Rove has been a controversial figure in this administration, the man most often credited or blamed with framing support for the war by politicizing terrorism.

There was no time to frame that question because the event this morning was a statement, not a news conference. So I asked a more direct one. I thought it unlikely that they would answer, but it's always worth a try.

This isn't the first time I've been blasted for yelling. Twenty or so years ago, I yelled a question at President Reagan as he left the Rose Garden after the annual Teacher of the Year ceremony.

One woman wrote to tell me that I was a guest in the President's house and ought to be behave as one.

Ten years ago, I asked President Clinton a question which brought a red-faced angry response.

The point is that reporters are not here as guests. We're here to ask questions.

Why?

Because if we were ever to agree to "behave," we'd be walking away from our First Amendment role – and then we really would be the shills we're so often accused of being.

Add a Comment See all 32 Comments
by letendre3 August 16, 2007 5:57 PM EDT
Way to go, Bill!!! GEAUX, TIGER!!
Reply to this comment
by willclem August 15, 2007 1:47 PM EDT
Bill Plante proves that at least ONE reporter has the right agenda - get the news and stop worrying about protocol. So many reporters report on an issue but do not ask the proper questions consequently the public gets the wrong answer and this happens much too often.

A few months ago an article referred to Security Contractors from North Carolina whose principal is a friend and contributor to Bush. The reporter dropped the real story on this organization which now unfortunately surfaces in the MERCENARY classification in Iraq. Two of the Blackwater contractors have appeared on TV agreeing they were PAID MERCENARIES and their job was whatever they were paid to do. Iraqi stories by the PEOPLE relate to these same MERCENARIES as being part of the INSURGENTS whom the media portrays as the KILLERS of innocent people. The stories also relate to the SOMARA MOSQUE bombing indicating that the bomber was a paid MERCENARY not an insurgent.

The above issues HAVE NEVER BEEN REPORTED IN THE AMERICAN MEDIA.

Is the 2008 candidate standings being MICRO MANAGED BY THE MEDIA. The people do not believe Kucinich is an underdog even though the media has established he is.

William J Clemons
willclem@grics.net
Reply to this comment
by jj_20031 August 15, 2007 1:38 PM EDT
What a joke. The President hosts a nice gathering, with a detailed script for everyone to follow, and Plante barrels in with a question. Not just a question, but one based on FACT. It was indeed "unprofessional" and "inappropriate". Plante needs to head back to journalism school and retake the course on "Principles of Stenography".

Better yet, Plante should go back and take lessons from his peer at the NYT, Elisabeth Bumiller.

Ms. Bumiller was asked about her recordings of the President's statements in response to scripted questions during the press conference prior to the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. She was asked by some unserious person whether the media should have asked original, unscripted, and indeed fact-based questions on the Eve of the invasion. Ms. Bumiller responded thusly,

"I think we were very deferential because in the East Room press conference it's live. It's very intense. It's frightening to stand up there.

I mean think about it, you're standing up on prime time live televsion asking the President of the United States a question and when the country is about to go to war. There was a very serious, somber tone that evening and I think it made, you know, nobody wanted to get into an argument with the president at this serious time."

Mr. Plante, that's real stenography. That's how a journalist behaves.
Reply to this comment
by skeezix06 August 15, 2007 9:05 AM EDT
Thank you for asking the question, Mr. Plante. That's what we really want.

A note to br77rino. There is nothing civil about calling anyone who opposes the Iraq war a traitor. There is nothing civil about cutting off electricity to a room where democrats are trying to hold a meeting in the hope that it will shut off conversation about a topic that you don't like. There is nothing civil about just about anything the republicans did while they held the majority and precious little since they lost it. The republicans became drunk with power and became extremely uncivil.
Reply to this comment
by bitterplane August 14, 2007 11:57 PM EDT
I'm not positive, but it sounds like Bill is bitter that the administration didn't help him out last October when his son John Patrick Plante was arrested for calling in a false bomb threat as well as having a stash of marijuana.

Yes - this comment is just as much inappropriate as Bill's was.
Reply to this comment
by widowlady-2009 August 14, 2007 11:18 PM EDT
They or the pres. got what he dished out...give disrespect & get it back.. great going Bill. You have nohing to be ashamed of.
Reply to this comment
by widowlady-2009 August 14, 2007 11:12 PM EDT

There should be more reporters like Bill...It was bad enough when Rove was "in", but I worry more now, what will he be up to, and not have to answer for it. WOW....
Reply to this comment
by benalbanach August 14, 2007 9:51 PM EDT
Sure you were disrespectful.To respect that pair would call your judgement into question.Next time write the question and attach it to a brick...OK Maybe not.
Reply to this comment
by marie2233 August 14, 2007 9:02 PM EDT
I can think of many questions I would like to blurt out to Hillary. I have not heard one of them asked during the so-called debates. As far as I'm concerned you acted like a jerk, just looking for attention.
Reply to this comment
by mnorling August 14, 2007 8:06 PM EDT
I thought Reagan was a guest in OUR white house.
Reply to this comment
See all 32 Comments
.

Follow Public Eye

Scroll Left
Scroll Right More »
CBS News on Facebook
  • Building You a Better Morning

  • CBS This Morning

    "CBS This Morning," anchored by Charlie Rose, Gayle King and Erica Hill, airs weekdays from 7 to 9 a.m. ET and at the same time in other time zones.
    Learn more...