The Bush White House fairy tale forest.
Harry Hope
It seems that a favorite hobby of this White House is making things
up, and Bush's 150-minute tiptoe through Baghdad International Airport
gave them the opportunity to do just that.
According to the Washington Post, communications director Dan Bartlett
described the intense secrecy surrounding the flight thusly:
"Air Force One had come within sight of a British Airways flight over
water. The British Airways pilot, Bartlett said, radioed to ask, 'Did
I just see Air Force One?,' and, after a pause, the Air Force One
pilot radioed back, 'Gulfstream 5.' After a long silence, Bartlett
said, the British Airways pilot seemed to realize he was in on a
secret and said, 'Oh.'"
Isn't that an exciting story?
Well it would be - if it had actually happened.
The next day British Airways reported to Reuters that none of their
aircraft had contacted Air Force One during its flight.
So the White House had to change its story: apparently the British
Airways aircraft didn't contact Air Force One, it contacted air
traffic control in London.
Case closed.
Except... that didn't actually happen either - British Airways and
Britain's National Air Traffic Services both denied this second
version of events.
So the White House revised its story again, this time claiming that
"the aircraft inquiring about Air Force One was, in fact, 'a non-UK
operator,'" and that "The presidential pilots thought the query 'was
coming from a pilot with a British accent, and so that's why they had
concluded that it was a British Airways plane.'"
Okay.
And why is this such a big deal?
Well, during a recent White House press briefing, Scott McLellan was
quick to explain: "what we always try to do for you all in the press
corps is to provide you a little color of important events, because we
believe that's helpful to you for your stories, and to do your
reporting to the American people."
So there you have it, folks - finally, official proof that they just
make stuff up and try to pass it off as fact.
From The Democratic Underground
http://www.democraticunderground.com/
Harry
Steve Hiner
"Harry Hope" <riv...@ix.netcom.com> wrote in message
news:kk49tv0rd657t4nh0...@4ax.com...
color of important events? How bout' the color yellow, for yellow journalism!