Thursday, February 01, 2007

For those nostalgic for "the Media and Politics angle":

"Does President Bush have it in for the press corps? Touring a Caterpillar factory in Peoria, Ill., the Commander in Chief got behind the wheel of a giant tractor and played chicken with a few wayward reporters. . . .
"I would suggest moving back," Bush said as he climbed into the cab of a massive D-10 tractor. "I'm about to crank this sucker up." As the engine roared to life, White House staffers tried to steer the press corps to safety, but when the tractor lurched forward, they too were forced to scramble for safety.
"Get out of the way!" a news photographer yelled. "I think he might run us over!" said another. White House aides tried to herd the reporters the right way without getting run over themselves. Even the Secret Service got involved, as one agent began yelling at reporters to get clear of the tractor. Watching the chaos below, Bush looked out the tractor's window and laughed, steering the massive machine into the spot where most of the press corps had been positioned.
The episode lasted about a minute, and Bush was still laughing when he pulled to a stop. He gave reporters a thumbs-up. "If you've never driven a D-10, it's the coolest experience," Bush said afterward. Yeah, almost as much fun as seeing your life flash before your eyes."

(Since we occasionally have had readers who have had difficulty discerning the "media and politics" angle even in the most obvious instances, we will explain: this is an article from a mainstream media organization (the comments in the original post are also illuminating) about a political figure trying to kill many members of the mainstream media.)
This may be the most direct assault by this administration on media freedom since the time Bush tried to appoint a Republican to the Public Broadcasting Board!

No comments: