: Writing the plot…Ari calls it quits…
Howard Kurtz has a round-up of commentary about Ari Fleischer’s decision to quit his job as President Bush’s press secretary.
Fleischer did exactly as he was instructed to do, exactly what he was hired to do. He obfuscated, equivocated, dodged, omitted, and lied–whatever the situation called for. The connotations of these verbs are not pleasant, but they accurately describe the job description. It takes a special person with special talents to handle it.
The press secretary’s job is not to give the press information. When done correctly, when done well, no news happens during a PC’s press conferences (unless the converse is desired). That’s exactly as it should be. If reporters want news, they have to look in places other than the White House briefing room and talk to people other than the press secretary.
Obviously, not all administrations handle the flow of information alike. The Bush administration decided that it was in its best interests to restrict the flow. So be it. Fleischer served that purpose well.
