The Infallible Administration
By Kate Mewhiney
When asked during a press conference in April of 2004 what the biggest mistake of his first term had been, President Bush was unable to think of any, telling the reporter, "I wish you would have given me this written question ahead of time so I could plan for it... you just put me under the spot here..."
This refusal to accept responsibility has been a hallmark of the Bush Administration. The President has denied culpability for wrongdoings and damaging policies domestically and abroad. This Administration has also become expert at turning any criticism around on those who dare to challenge its policies. Now, when faced with allegations that could damage America's image-which was hardly flawless to begin with-the Administration is doing just that.
The backlash against Newsweek has opened the gates for a browbeating of reporters and the media. The use of anonymous sources has come under fire, and pundits on the right have questioned whether the piece referring to prisoner abuse and mistreatment of the Koran at the Guantanamo Bay prison should have been printed in the first place. It is not wrong to have a public discussion about the media. But this discussion is being used as a diversionary tactic to distract from the issues being raised in the content of the Newsweek piece.
Newsweek's allegation that American interrogators flushed a copy of the Koran down a toilet is not the first accusation of this nature to arise. Former prisoners have told of this kind of abuse in recent years, and both The New York Times and the International Red Cross have documented similar stories. It is a legitimate concern and should be discussed. Instead, the Bush administration has shifted the focus away from itself, choosing to make a scapegoat out of Newsweek rather than accept any shred of responsibility.
Michael Isikoff's reliance on one unnamed source has been a primary target, prompting Newsweek Editor-in-Chief Richard Smith to release a letter in which he details new and stricter policies for the use of anonymous sources at the magazine. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said Newsweek "Hid behind anonymous sources, which by their own admission could not withstand scrutiny. Unfortunately, they cannot retract the damage they have done to this nation or those that were viciously attacked by those false allegations." That Rumsfeld, whose case for going to war in Iraq was based on the advice of a now discredited anonymous source known as "Curveball" thinks he can make such an absurdly hypocritical accusation is insulting to the intelligence of the American people.
In focusing the discussion on Newsweek's culpability, the administration has successfully avoided having to deal the real issue, and so avoided taking responsibility for its policies. Is Newsweek entirely innocent here? Probably not. Isikoff should have found another source to substantiate the claims made, if for no other reason than to avoid this very situation. But Press Secretary Scott McClellan has no right to say that it is up to Newsweek to "repair the damage" done to America's image. It is not the job of one magazine to fix the problems created by a president who will not accept responsibility for his mistakes.
When asked during a press conference in April of 2004 what the biggest mistake of his first term had been, President Bush was unable to think of any, telling the reporter, "I wish you would have given me this written question ahead of time so I could plan for it... you just put me under the spot here..."
This refusal to accept responsibility has been a hallmark of the Bush Administration. The President has denied culpability for wrongdoings and damaging policies domestically and abroad. This Administration has also become expert at turning any criticism around on those who dare to challenge its policies. Now, when faced with allegations that could damage America's image-which was hardly flawless to begin with-the Administration is doing just that.
The backlash against Newsweek has opened the gates for a browbeating of reporters and the media. The use of anonymous sources has come under fire, and pundits on the right have questioned whether the piece referring to prisoner abuse and mistreatment of the Koran at the Guantanamo Bay prison should have been printed in the first place. It is not wrong to have a public discussion about the media. But this discussion is being used as a diversionary tactic to distract from the issues being raised in the content of the Newsweek piece.
Newsweek's allegation that American interrogators flushed a copy of the Koran down a toilet is not the first accusation of this nature to arise. Former prisoners have told of this kind of abuse in recent years, and both The New York Times and the International Red Cross have documented similar stories. It is a legitimate concern and should be discussed. Instead, the Bush administration has shifted the focus away from itself, choosing to make a scapegoat out of Newsweek rather than accept any shred of responsibility.
Michael Isikoff's reliance on one unnamed source has been a primary target, prompting Newsweek Editor-in-Chief Richard Smith to release a letter in which he details new and stricter policies for the use of anonymous sources at the magazine. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said Newsweek "Hid behind anonymous sources, which by their own admission could not withstand scrutiny. Unfortunately, they cannot retract the damage they have done to this nation or those that were viciously attacked by those false allegations." That Rumsfeld, whose case for going to war in Iraq was based on the advice of a now discredited anonymous source known as "Curveball" thinks he can make such an absurdly hypocritical accusation is insulting to the intelligence of the American people.
In focusing the discussion on Newsweek's culpability, the administration has successfully avoided having to deal the real issue, and so avoided taking responsibility for its policies. Is Newsweek entirely innocent here? Probably not. Isikoff should have found another source to substantiate the claims made, if for no other reason than to avoid this very situation. But Press Secretary Scott McClellan has no right to say that it is up to Newsweek to "repair the damage" done to America's image. It is not the job of one magazine to fix the problems created by a president who will not accept responsibility for his mistakes.
1 Comments:
All the history of Watergate and Nixon in the news this week remind us how much like Nixon this president is. Bush's "dissaprove strongly" poll numbers are the highest of any president at any time except for Nixon after the revelation of the incriminating tapes.
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