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You are here: Home / Politics / Media / Blast from the past

Blast from the past

by DougJ|  February 11, 200912:08 am| 28 Comments

This post is in: Media

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It’s interesting to compare the tough coverage George W. Bush received during his first few weeks in office with the disgusting, pro-Obama bias that we’re now seeing. Here’s Fred Hiatt in January 2001:

In these honeymoon weeks, Mr. Bush’s more open-minded opponents have seemed willing to work with him, and those who have spurned his overtures have been left looking churlish. As time goes on, it may be harder to sustain optimism. Mr. Bush wins points now by declaring that he aims to “rid the system of rancor.” At a certain time, however, his promises will begin to sound hollow unless he has helped foster real change in the political culture.

[….]

Yet precisely because power is separated, the system desperately needs charm to lubricate it. That is why “bipartisan” sometimes seems to be the highest compliment in Washington, and why the tone of President Bush’s first fortnight deserves a warm welcome.

Heh indeedy.

Update: To be fair, Hiatt could have been influenced, I suppose, by the fact that Bush received a resounding mandate in 2000 while Obama squeaked into office with a controversial victory this fall.

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Reader Interactions

28Comments

  1. 1.

    flounder

    February 11, 2009 at 12:14 am

    Sweet mother of god that is disgusting. Could I suggest a continuing series?

  2. 2.

    DougJ

    February 11, 2009 at 12:19 am

    Could I suggest a continuing series?

    I’ll see what I can find in the archives.

  3. 3.

    Zifnab25

    February 11, 2009 at 12:29 am

    Meh. Whatever. Rush and Hannity were giving out the same sort of BJs in 2001. And they’re piling on the same vitrol, baseless allegations, and slander today.

    Hypocrites are hypocritical. In other news, dog bites man.

  4. 4.

    Comrade Jake

    February 11, 2009 at 12:37 am

    Oh the stupid, how it burns.

  5. 5.

    Zam

    February 11, 2009 at 12:39 am

    9/11 changed everything…

  6. 6.

    Stuck

    February 11, 2009 at 12:41 am

    Mr. Bush wins points

    Hiatt Points. Right up there with Friedman Units, and Broderisms. The fourth estate has become a Flophouse on Fantasy Island.

    the system desperately needs charm to lubricate it

    Accomplished by Cheney’s 1 percent solution.

  7. 7.

    Comrade Jake

    February 11, 2009 at 12:46 am

    Speaking of idiots, did anyone catch the stream of nonsense from various sources today claiming that Obama threw Biden under the bus at his presser?

    I mean check out the NoIQ stupid in rare form. I guess the notion is that Obama should now feel pretty silly for picking Biden as his VP over Hill-A-REE. These morons never stop.

  8. 8.

    KG

    February 11, 2009 at 12:48 am

    From the Pundit to English dictionary:

    "Bipartisanship": 1. a system of government wherein the party which wins the presidency gets everything it wants with the agreement of the losing party; 2. a system of government wherein a few members of one party join the vast majority of the other party to pass a piece of legislation; 3. a moment, usually preceding an election, wherein elected officials realize they should stop pissing off voters and actually pass important legislation; 4. complete and total bullshit.

  9. 9.

    KG

    February 11, 2009 at 12:50 am

    @7: yeah, Hewitt was already speculating that Biden will not be on the ticket in 2012. It’s a shame that W didn’t think of that in ’04. But then, again, it probably would have made impeachment easier without a Sith Lord as Veep.

  10. 10.

    handy

    February 11, 2009 at 12:51 am

    @Comrade Jake:

    I’m still waiting for the "Michelle Obama" tape.

  11. 11.

    Fencedude

    February 11, 2009 at 1:19 am

    @Comrade Jake:

    Maybe its just me, but isn’t SecState in actuality a significantly "better" position than Veep?

    I mean, if I was interested in actual (non-extra constitutional) power…I’d rather be SecState…

  12. 12.

    opium4themasses

    February 11, 2009 at 1:21 am

    Just part of the reason Hiatt is a noted liberal.

    edit:
    Also, Joe took Veep so he could keep on being part of the Legislative Branch, right?

  13. 13.

    fordpowers

    February 11, 2009 at 1:25 am

    HA

  14. 14.

    Fern

    February 11, 2009 at 1:34 am

    @Comrade Jake:

    Yeah. Well I see his traffic is still way the hell down.

    http://www.sitemeter.com/?a=stats&s=s17noquarter&r=33

  15. 15.

    Ninerdave

    February 11, 2009 at 1:43 am

    Come on Doug, you’re talking Fred Hiatt. Malkin is more fair than Hiatt.

  16. 16.

    Sleeper

    February 11, 2009 at 4:05 am

    I forgot how weird it was over at No Quarter.

    My friend went to dinner with the Clintons. This is, I swear to God the truth…they said the backroom deal for SOS is this: The Clintons know (as we all do) that Obama is from Kenya and not eligible. At some point in the next four years, he will step down, admit it, and Hillary will be President. I swear I heard this from the real thing. I always knew there was some backroom deal that kept HRC in the wheelhouse of the Fraud. I pray this is true.

    yikes. These PUMA alternate histories put Harry Turtledove to shame.

  17. 17.

    Peter J

    February 11, 2009 at 4:16 am

    My friend went to dinner with the Clintons. This is, I swear to God the truth…they said the backroom deal for SOS is this: The Clintons know (as we all do) that Obama is from Kenya and not eligible. At some point in the next four years, he will step down, admit it, and Hillary will be President. I swear I heard this from the real thing. I always knew there was some backroom deal that kept HRC in the wheelhouse of the Fraud. I pray this is true.

    I shouldn’t complain about the mentally ill. But didn’t he forget about Biden, Pelosi and Byrd? Or are they too born in Kenya?

  18. 18.

    AnneLaurie

    February 11, 2009 at 4:22 am

    My friend went to dinner with the Clintons. This is, I swear to God the truth…

    Anthropological note: It’s not a true Urban Myth until someone invokes the FOAF (Friend-of-A-Friend).

    It’s like Godwin’s Law for the credible and ill-informed.

  19. 19.

    bago

    February 11, 2009 at 6:12 am

    Super Tragic Wingnut Crazy Expi Alidocious!

  20. 20.

    J. Michael Neal

    February 11, 2009 at 6:27 am

    It’s like Godwin’s Law for the credible and ill-informed.

    Credulous. There’s nothing at all credible about these jokers.

  21. 21.

    kommrade reproductive vigor

    February 11, 2009 at 7:14 am

    Yet precisely because power is separated, the system desperately needs charm to lubricate it.

    That way people won’t complain when the GOP embarks on an endless gang-bang of the entire country. Victory!

  22. 22.

    aimai

    February 11, 2009 at 7:54 am

    AnneLaurie, how true. FOAF is good. But I love the "went to dinner with" meme. I’ve got to put that right up with "overheard in a supermarket aisle, right next to the dog food" and also "on the internet."

    aimai

  23. 23.

    Faux News

    February 11, 2009 at 9:21 am

    yikes. These PUMA alternate histories put Harry Turtledove to shame

    Post Of The Day!

  24. 24.

    El Cid

    February 11, 2009 at 9:47 am

    This is totally unfair. Hiatt & all were simply being nice to Bush Jr. because he was our first retarded President (unless you want to count later-term Reagan).

    Obama is a grown man capable of handling tough questions, and not at all likely to choke on pretzels or fall over on bicycles and Segways and not know how to leave press conferences and say "fool me can’t get fooled again" and "food on your family" and what not.

  25. 25.

    JenJen

    February 11, 2009 at 10:05 am

    @Sleeper: Oh Jesus Gawd! For serious? Tell me you made this up, Sleeper. Please?

  26. 26.

    ricky

    February 11, 2009 at 11:58 am

    I shouldn’t complain about the mentally ill. But didn’t he forget about Biden, Pelosi and Byrd? Or are they too born in Kenya?

    Not if the "friend" was Al Haig.

  27. 27.

    ricky

    February 11, 2009 at 12:02 pm

    Anthropological note: It’s not a true Urban Myth until someone invokes the FOAF (Friend-of-A-Friend).

    A friend of a friend had dinner with the Clintons and they are impressed with the intelligence and perception displayed by Fred Hiatt throughout his career and consider him the next David Broder.

  28. 28.

    scarshapedstar

    February 11, 2009 at 12:36 pm

    Yet precisely because power is separated, the system desperately needs charm to lubricate it.

    The cheeks of power are spread wide apart, there’s little lube to go around, and so the only option is to head straight to the center and start pushing. Even if America screams and cries, they’ll probably feel pretty good afterwards.

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