9/14 Press Briefing by Scott McClellan

Actually it is referred to as a "Press Gaggle". I think that is an appropriate term. A gaggle of geese. It took place on Air Force One en route to Indianapolis (that's in Indiana, flyover territory, red state) where the president addressed the Black Corporate Expo.

OK, here are the issues that interest most Americans. I included African Americans because that was the topic of the day, obviously.

Terrorism/GWoT
Our troops in Iraq
Supreme Court justices
G8 / African hunger/debt
HIV/AIDS
Social Security
Oil prices
Nuclear proliferation in Iran and Korea
A bloated, corrupt, inefficient United Nations
Economy
African Americans

Scott McClellan announced that the president would be talking about the promise of America and what his administration has done so that minorities might have that promise fulfilled, gains in education, especially for minorities, ownership society, faith-based initiatives, Social Security and Africa. He also will meet with Secretary Rice when she returns from her overseas trip. And what did our erstwhile gaggle want to talk about and the order in which they asked their questions?

African Americans: 5 questions
Karl Rove: 13 questions
GWoT: 3 questions
Supreme Court: 4 questions
African Americans: 1 question
White House notification procedures: 6 questions
African Americans: 2 questions

That is roughly 34 questions asked. Here is the breakdown:

Karl Rove: 13 questions - 38%
African Americans: 8 questions - 24%
White House notification procedures: 6 questions - 18%
Supreme Court justices: 4 questions - 12%
Terrorism/GWoT: 3 questions - 9%
Our troops in Iraq: 0 questions - 0%
G8 / African hunger/debt: 0 questions - 0%
HIV/AIDS: 0 questions - 0%
Social Security: 0 questions - 0%
Oil prices: 0 questions - 0%
Nuclear proliferation in Iran and Korea: 0 questions - 0%
A bloated, corrupt, inefficient United Nations: 0 questions - 0%
Economy: 0 questions - 0%

Do you suppose they are beginning to realize the whole Karl Rove issue is a loser? If you go to the Press Briefing page, note the tone of the first 8 questions. The press was looking for trouble between the president and the NAACP. And then later, the questions about how the White House was notified about Justice Rehnquist's hospitalization. What was that all about? The tone and tenor of these briefings is icy and antagonistic. The White House needs someone who can give it back just as icily and antagonistically as he gets it.

Tags: Bush politics Rove Plame NAACP African Americans MSM press reporter Press Briefing Scott McClellen