Friday, June 29, 2007

We already know that the Bush White House is the most secretive administration since that of President Nixon. But here's some news for those chatting on talk-radio yesterday about President Bush's sincerity or how he's "keeping us safe" -- a viewpoint at odds with that of our own federal government:

In the run-up to the Fourth of July, you can't ask the leader of the free world even an innocuous question without having your press credential quickly taken away.

As Katie Mulvaney reports in today's ProJo:

WPRI-TV, Channel 12 reporter Jarrod Holbrook had his White House press pass snatched after he shouted “Mr. President!” twice as President Bush greeted Air and Army National Guardsmen gathered on the tarmac at the Air National Guard base in Quonset.

A member of the president’s entourage pointed at Holbrook after he first tried to get Mr. Bush’s attention. The man then ripped the pass from Holbrook’s belt after he shouted again to the president, who was about 10 feet away.

Holbrook said afterward that he just wanted to ask Mr. Bush how he enjoyed his visit to Rhode Island. Members of the media were not told they could not ask the president questions.