Announcing a new feature at Lullaby Pit: The Daily Brushback
A lot of photons here and elsewhere have been devoted to how journalists are or are not doing their jobs these days. In particular, there’s been a sense in some quarters (here, for instance) that reporters simply aren’t pounding our government and business miscreants hard enough and that the line between journalism and PR is in danger of disappearing altogether. When some in the press do get a chance to ask an important person an important question, they often lob up a softball – or in Roland Hedley’s case, a “change-up” – instead of reaching back and bringing the high hard one.
So, starting today, Lullaby Pit is going to start asking some tough questions. Not that we expect any answers, of course. But each day the Pit will be offering up another question that we wish a reporter somewhere would ask somebody. Politicians, biz leaders, media figures, celebrities, sports personalities, whoever – the whole world is fair game for a little chin music. A knockdown. A message pitch.
The Daily Brushback.
So here comes the first one, a 98 mph running heater up and in on President Bush (hey, you’re gonna knock people off the plate, might as well start with the clean-up hitter, right?)
LP: Mr. President? According to the AP, your administration is now in negotiations with Iraqi officials on drafting an amnesty policy “that would reach out to Iraqi militants fighting U.S. forces.” Over the course of your presidency, you’ve earned a reputation as a man who never admits mistakes under any circumstances. In light of this, do you believe the fact that we’re now having to comtemplate amnesty for Iraqi insurgents is an indication that your administration has erred in Iraq, or was pardoning terrorists who murder innocent civilians and American soldiers part of your plan all along?
lullaby pit 
You sound just like Helen Thomas.
Aloha,
Jeff
While I doubt you meant that as a compliment, I do wish we had a few more reporters like her in the WH these days. Anytime I see somebody who looks to avoid tough questions, I immediately get suspicious, regardless of who they are. And these days, insulating themselves from questions is how way too many pols spend their time.
As I said, nobody is safe here…..
I love tough questions, I just don’t like editorializing while asking the question. Helen Thomas nnormally asks tough questions, she editorializes much more with Republican Presidents, she gave LBJ and Carter a free pass. She went pretty easy on Clinton. She savaged Nixon with her editorial, so much that she was known for making questions last 3 minutes, 90% editorial. She has always used her “Senior” status to throw in her opinion when her actual job is to ask the question and get the answer. In all fairness, I will admit that reporters on the right that do the same thing.
Aloha,
Jeff
I agree with Jeff. A real heater has to be more factually pointed and less overtly antagonistic. I’d rephrase the heater thusly:
According to the AP, your administration is now in negotiations with Iraqi officials on drafting an amnesty policy that would reach out to Iraqi militants fighting U.S. forces. Does comtemplating amnesty for Iraqi insurgents indicate that your administration has erred in Iraq or was pardoning terrorists part of your plan all along, you warthog-faced buffoon?
Yes, I see now how your version is better.
I don’t really mind some attitude in questioning. I wish we had a lot more, in fact. I want my reporters to understand that they’re in an adversarial position with The Man. Now, no, I don’t want each question prefaced by five minutes of opinioneering, but a question infused with a clear, fact-based slant is fine by me. And I want it aimed at ALL presidents. I’d loved to have heard a little editorial smack behind a question to Clinton, for instance, questioning Gore’s ties to AT&T and the FCC’s remarkably pro-AT&T interpretation of the Telecom Act, for instance.
LBJ, though, I couldn’t have been rational about. I might have asked him things like “have you stopped sodomizing barnyard animals yet?”
In any case, I just checked the mailbox, and my White House press pass still hasn’t arrived, so we’re all safe for at least another day…. 🙂
i like the ann coulter story better. 😉
my question to the president: “if the gubment was able to strike down the 22nd amendment — as a recently introduced bill proposes — would you run for a third term?”
yeah, i know. there’s no way in hell that bill will survive, but then the Nazis weren’t supposed to be able to gain control of the German Army either. it’s better to push the roach out into the light now, before he has time to build a tunnel.