How perfect: Bush WH distorts transcript of final news conference
News blogs, sports blogs, entertainment blogs, and more from Philly.com, The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News.
How perfect: Bush WH distorts transcript of final news conference
This is amazing -- or maybe not so amazing if you've been paying attention for the last eight years. When I watched President Bush's last press conference this morning, he made a casual remark that struck me as the perfect epitaph for his administration, and I made a mental note to go back and write about this when the transcript became available online.
Apparently, I wasn't the only one who saw the devastating irony of Bush's comment -- someone in the White House press office must have, as well. Because even though -- as you can see by watching the video -- the president's wording is unmistakable, the official transcript on Whitehouse.gov has Bush saying something completely different, and it's even more ironic when you see the subject matter.
It was after the first question of the press conference, which had to do with the transition to Barack Obama and the release of $350 billion in federal bailout dollars. The president answered the question, and then continued to address his good rapport with Obama in a follow-up question. This is what I, and millions of viewers, heard Bush say:
He's -- you know, I've had my third conversation with him, and I generally mean what I say. I wish him all the very best. I've found him to be a very smart and engaging person. And that lunch the other day was interesting, to have two guys who are nearly 85, two 62-year-olders, and a 47-year-old -- kind of the classic generational statement.
When I heard that live, I thought: This is the perfect summation of his presidency, that "I generally mean what I say." Sure, generally, which is to say that Bush means what he says maybe, what, 70, 80 percent of the time that he speaks? Less? Certainly not when he told the nation the already-disproved notion that Iraq was buying uranium in Africa, or that there were ties between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda, or that a country with no active weapons program could create "a mushroom cloud," or when he said he would fire anyone who leaked Valerie Plame's identity, or when he said that America doesn't spy without warrants, or....Well, you get the picture.
But..."Generally, I mean what I say."
Well, now the official transcript is out, and how ironic: Bush's words were magically changed. It reads:
He's -- you know, I've had my third conversation with him, and I genuinely mean what I say. I wish him all the very best.
So the word "generally" has been changed to "genuinely." Does that change the meaning a tad? Only by about 180 degrees. Is there any chance that I'm mis-hearing the remark? No. I've posted the video of the press conference from MSNBC at the bottom. The remark in question is 2:45 in.
Listen for yourself.
An administration that struggled with the truth for eight years gets in one last distortion on its way out the door. To use the phrase made famous by the columnist Jimmy Breslin, "beautiful."
But generally, the transcript was correct.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Comment removed.- Comment removed.
Oh, and BTW - just for the record; it sure sounded to me like he said "genuinely" Will. Seriously, aren't there enough important issues to go after Bush on? Even if he said "generally," what difference does it really make?— Talking point sleuth- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- Excuse me, but for the Will detractors amongst the crowd here, the issue isn't just the word he used, but the way in which it was changed; rewriting the utterances of a man who can't handle third-grade English...so that he'd sound nominally intelligent. Likely it was done by some acolyte who figured it would serve them well once the King abdicates; "Hey, Billy boy, I r'member what ch'all did for me at that final little dustup with the Press....." No, it is the perfect button on the end of this long nightmare. The administration spinning, and lying, right up to the very end. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.... If the subtly of the issue escapes you, then you obviously voted for this putz...both times...— piltdownman
- Andrew Sullivan
- Blinq
- Blogorrhea
- Blonde Sagacity
- Free Republic
- Instapundit
- James Taranto
- ScrappleFace
- The Corner
- Buzzmachine
- Eat the Press
- Editor and Publisher
- Media (Huffington Post)
- Media Bloodhound
- Mickey Kaus
- Pressthink
- Romenesko
- The Inksniffer
- A List of Things Thrown Five Minutes Ago
- Above Average Jane
- BlankBaby
- Citizen Mom
- Keystone Blog
- Metroblogging Philadelphia
- Phawker
- Philadelphia - America's Hometown
- Philadelphia Will Do
- Philebrity
- Philly Future
- Phillyblog
- Phillyist
- The Clog
- The Next Mayor
- Welcome to Phillyville
- Young Philly Politics
- Afro-Netizen
- All-Spin Zone
- Atrios
- Bad Attitudes
- Billmon
- Booman Tribune
- CorrenteWire
- Fables of the Reconstruction
- iFlipFlop
- Kiko's House
- MyDD
- Philly (Dragonballyee)
- Rowhouse Logic
- Slacktivist
- Suburban Guerilla
- Tattered Coat
- upyernoz
- AmericaBlog
- Andy Borowitz
- BuzzFlash
- Crooks and Liars
- Cursor
- Daily Kos
- David Sirota
- Drudge Report
- Echidne of the Snakes
- Fire Dog Lake
- Glenn Greenwald
- Hullabaloo
- Jesus' General
- Jon Swift
- Josh Marshall
- Juan Cole
- Kevin Drum
- Mad Kane
- Majikthise
- Matthew Yglesias
- Oliver Willis
- Raw Story
- Swing State Project
- Talk Left
- Taylor Marsh
- TBogg
- The Carpetbagger Report
- Think Progress
- War and Piece
- Wonkette
- A Citizen's Blog
- Balls, Sticks and Stuff
- Beer Leaguer
- Dick Polman
- Phillies Nation
- Philling Station
- Shallow Center
- The 700 Level
- The Good Phight
