Thursday, December 14, 2006

What got the President upset ?



There was a post yesterday by Toby Harnden in Washington on his Telegraph blog. The title was “Bush slams rude British reporters”. The gist was that the President has finally lost patience with the refusal of some of the British press corps to stand when he enters the room – apparently the only contingent not to do so.

Here’s a link to a YouTube video of his allegedly getting irate with a question from Nick Robinson of the BBC

Video link


Well, watch it for yourself, although it's quite long.

(Click on the green link above , then be patient: it takes a few seconds for the video to get moving)

The pictures above are a couple of freeze-frames that I captured from the site.

Here's the latest of three comments that I've placed on Toby's blog. As you will see, I am profoundly sceptical about Bush's response, long and emotional though it was, being linked to discourtesy on the part of our Washington media scrum, deplorable though it is (in my view) that they remain seated.


Run that past me again

I have just watched a replay of Bush's answer to Nick Robinson of the BBC. Angry response ? That's not how I would have described it. An initially startled, gob-smacked, rabbit-in headlights response, maybe, and then an emotional, back-to-the-wall posture. But there was no obvious personal rancour, and certainly no reference, or even hint, of chagrin against those journalists who failed to stand up.Sorry, can't see what all the fuss is about (unless Toby *Harnden's report is coloured or influenced by what he might subsequently have heard from the White House Press Corps).


Colin Berry at 14 Dec 2006 10:42

* Apologies, by the way, for misspelling as "Tony". There's a lot of distracting (roof repair) activity going on around me as I write !

The two earlier posts in the thread were to point out (casting modesty to the winds) that it had been yours truly who had first raised the matter of our journalists' conduct at White House press briefings. That was back in August, when Alec Russell was the Telegraph's man in Washington.

He had posted on the subject of the 2008 Presidential elections. Feeling that some of the current jockeying and polemics might look somewhat irrelevant in 2 years time, I wrote the following:


Boring and boorish

I can't imagine that a London-based journalist for the Washington Post would be salivating at the prospect of a UK General Election that was two years away. Yet Alec Russell seems here to be in the throes of a bad case of the local Potomac fever. Meanwhile, back here on Planet Earth, attention is fixed on the tragic events in Lebanon. I could forgive Alec and his fellow band of UK journalists in Washington if there were some consistency in their fixation with wannabee US Presidents. The US President is, after all, a Head of State, a position comparable to the Queen, though far more powerful because it's not above politics. So why does the UK press contingent refuse to stand when the President enters the briefing room at the White House ? I know they don't stand for the PM at home, but Tony Blair, despite his posturing on the world stage, is merely the head of a Government, not Head of State, and is not elected directly. I'm sure Alec Russell would stand if the Queen entered the room. But what happened anyway to the old dictum, "When in Rome ....". It seems to me boorish and discourteous in the extreme for a few to remain seated, drawing attention to themselves, when everyone else is standing. Don't misunderstand me - this is not about abject submission to a superpower, it's about elementary courtesy and good manners. If you think I'm someone who kowtows to George W Bush or to the USA, then open a thread, Alec, on the so-called "special relationship", and prepare for a broadside, all guns blazing.


Colin Berry at 08 Aug 2006 08:31


So imagine my (pleasant) surprise when Alec took this subject as the topic for his very next blog. Here's what he wrote:


In answer to the criticism of one Colin Berry who asks why British journalists stay seated when President George W Bush enters a press conference, I have to say I share his irritation.
The White House press corps can be a touch too self-important and grand. But to stand up when the head of state enters a room is not to compromise your objectivity, it is merely good manners.
If Colin had looked carefully at the footage of the last Bush-Blair press coverage or indeed the Bush-al-Maliki press conference a few days earlier he would have seen The Daily Telegraph’s correspondent upstanding.
So is this something to do with working for a newspaper of a traditional hue? I don’t think so. At least it appears that the Number Ten press corps is divided on the issue and not down ideological lines.
The other day when the two amigos strode into the East Room more than half the British press corps stood, the rest shuffled in their seat and stared defiantly ahead.

So when Toby posted yesterday, I reminded him of the provenance of this topic. Here's what I said, and his immediate reply.


Been there, done it ....

This debate induces a strong sense of déjà vu. Remember Alec Russell, erstwhile Washington correspondent for the Telegraph, who used to blog here ? He posted back in August on the subject of that despicable British-bum-on-seat brigade.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/foreign/alecrussell/august06/communistneocon.htm

How do I know ? Because I was the one who was first to give our discourteous fellow countrymen a ticking off: they more than anyone should know that the office of US President is more comparable to that of our monarch, as distinct from prime minister, and thus RISE TO THE OCCASION !

Colin Berry at 13 Dec 2006 17:10

Here's Toby Harnden's immediate reply:

Telegraph solidarity


Thanks for that Colin. It appears that Telegraph correspondents old and new think alike! Alec was my foreign editor for several years so maybe he helped instill the good manners in me (as well as my parents, of course). The new development I find particularly interesting is that Bush is personally annoyed by this. Also, it seems that views within the British press corps have hardened because virtually all the Brits remained seated last week. At the last joint press conference in May, as I recall, it was only a handful. And, according to Alec, in August it was split down the middle. At this rate, maybe the British ambassador will be remaining seated by the end of 2008!


Toby Harnden at 13 Dec 2006 18:02

Considering in retrospect that I came close to accusing Toby of plagiarism (which was certainly not my intention) then that's a very friendly and courteous reply. A worthy successor, wouldn't you say, to the breezy and congenial Alec Russell ?

Re Alec: one hopes fortune will soon smile upon him, if it has not done so already, given the shabby way that he, Colin Randall and others were treated by their bosses at Telegraph Head Office.

This post has to be somewhat "telegraphic" too, for reasons already mentioned.

Postcript added 15th Dec: received a friendly email yesterday from Toby Harnden. He concludes with the following welcome news re Alec Russell: "Alec is going to Johannesburg for the Financial Times so he has very much landed on his feet."








13 comments:

Louise said...

Do you remember at the cinema when everyone used to stand up after the film as the National Anthem was played?

sciencebod said...

I do indeed, Louise, as I also recall the phrase " Let's get out before the Queen", which sometimes meant missing the credits.

Was that why they started putting credits at the start, instead of the end - pressure from Equity, and from the gaffers and clapperboard unions etc ?

In fact, speaking as someone who has both taught and lectured, I consider there's a good case for people to stand at the start of ANY presentation, just to alert folk who are engrossed in conversation that the speaker has arrived. Nothing is worse for a speaker than having to wait dummy-like at a rostrum while the voices gradually tail off.

Louise said...

Well I'm off to see "The Queen" tonight - I have suddenly realised I have no idea what the Swiss National Anthem sounds like! But they don't play it in the local cinema - I'm sure they don't play it anywhere in Europe any more.

My maternal grandmother who was an ardent Royalist, used to make us kids stand up in front of the telly during the Queen's speech on Christmas Day. She never stood up though - I think the port had worked its wonders!

sciencebod said...

"The Queen" is superbly put together. By the end you find yourself thinking that the Queen does a pretty good job impersonating Helen Mirren !

angela said...

Still laughing at your last comment, Colin.

Help needed Colin if you have a minute.
I'd like to make a space between my title box and the text and sidebar because the top's too crowded.
Help tells me it's not possible but if I can use the explanation re. space in your sidebar that might do the trick. The only trouble is I don't quite follow the explanation. How do I do the widget thingy? And will it work for the main body as well as the sidebar?
Etiquette says I shouldn't ask this so I understand if I'm overstepping the mark....
Angela

sciencebod said...

Yes, I've thought it's too cramped up there as well, Angela, and tried to do something, without success as I recall. I'll have another look today, and get back to you if something works. Incidentally, our posts crossed - have just put one on yours re Biot and the pros and cons of Pop Up Comments boxes. Am still looking for a Pro !

sciencebod said...

Don't worry about the etiquette thing where I'm concerned, Angela, if it's techie stuff. I'm quite brazen in picking other people's brains, as Sarah will tell you.

I've just remembered what I had thought of, and quickly discarded. You would start your post with a lot of dummy text, several lines of xxxx, for example. Just before you publish, you would white-out the dummy text with the Colour Tool. That's how I made space in my margin. But there's a possible sting in the tail. That white-out text would presumably be read by any of the outfits that disseminate our blogs, so your entry on Technorati, for example, would also start with a big white gap. That may or may not be a problem: I'll try the system on today's post ( Swiss Re tower aka The Gherkin) and see what happens.

sciencebod said...

I had to abandon the idea of experimenting with my next post, Angela ( photos already uploaded etc).

Instead I've done some experimenting on my Mark 2 blog ( still at an early stage):

Inside Antibes

You can see the result there of inserting dummy text on your blog. It creates a bit more space at the top, but the dummy, whited-out text is unfortunately just visible. Let me know if you need more detailed instructions.

sciencebod said...

I have just receievd the following by email from Jilly, who has a blog called Pension Mileu. I'll put it up now, and then think about providing some answers to those questions:

Hi Colin (copy to Angela)

Angela has told me you've been so helpful to her with Blog technical stuff. As you know, many of us can't comment on Angela's blog at the moment. I've just succeeded but my name comes up as jillybennett and not jilly. Jilly is the one that gives access to my profile.

How did you show your blog, on Angela's comments, as 'Colin's blog' - I don't see how I can hide my URL?? and it's rather blatant otherwise, isn't it?

I'm wondering if the problem is something to do with a Google profile and a Blogger profile. However it is refusing me to sign in with my Blogger profile. I'm on Blogger normal - not beta.

Oh also, when I click on your blog, Colin - it comes up in the size of the pop up window but there isn't a facility to make it bigger. The little icons at the top (normally you'd click on the middle one to enlarge) simply don't work. Does this relate to what you just wrote Angela about pop-ups.

Hope not too many questions.

Love your dinosaur and your politics...

Jilly xxx


--
Jilly Bennett, Pension Milou
http://www.pensionmilou.com/

Read my BLOG! - 'Postcards from Pension Milou'
http://life-with-dogs.blogspot.com/

sciencebod said...

Hi Jilly (and anyone else who wants to know how to insert a link into a Comment).

Here's what Jilly would have to type:

<a href = http://life-with-dogs.blogspot.com >Jilly's blog</a>

It should then appear in the Comment as follows:

Jilly's blog

"Jilly's blog" can be replaced with other text, eg "Life with Dogs" or "Brought to you with no help whatsoever from Blogger"

Re those pop-up boxes: if you open a blog from a pop-up box, then, yes, you need to expand the box. Don't you find that placing the pointer on the border gives you double-headed arrows, that then allow you to stretch the dimensions? It ought to. If not, then that could be another conflict between Beta and pre-Beta.


That's my good deed for the day !

richard of orléans said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
sciencebod said...

As you can see, I have just deleted a comment from Richard of Orléans. It was not offensive - he merely accused me of smugness, which may or may not be true.

But that's not the point. This blog no longer accepts comments from this individual, for reasons previously described.

So he is wasting his time sending them here. But since he now has his own blog, it's not as if he were without a place for posting his views.

www.richarddorleans.blogspot.com

angela said...

Hi Colin,
thanks for the reply.
Angela