Ari Fleischer admits Bush called from a prepared list reporters

Transfered from old site

Ari Fleischer admits Bush called from a prepared list of reporters (Media)
 

 
http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2003/3/8/12559/73819
 

 
By maynard
 
Mon Mar 10th, 2003 at 05:28:45 AM EST
 

 
March 7th, 2003, at an official press briefing, White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer twice admitted under questioning that the President's staff preselected which reporters to call, and the order, for the East Room Press Conference on the evening of March 6th, 2003. This Press Conference was President Bush's eighth solo news conference since inauguration, and the second formally presented in the East Room during prime time.
 

 
Mr. Fleischer responded to a reporter's query over a short gaffe in which the President was heard to say to a reporter, "You'll be there in a moment," upon which he then called CNN correspondent John King and remarked "...this is a scripted...[pause]", after which an outburst of laughter from the press pool could be heard. The president then moved directly onto the next question. An audio excerpt of this gaff is available from this Buzzflash commentary. [*]