Can You Marginalize a Majority?

"Mr. Bush, who was photographed strumming a guitar in San Diego on the morning that New Orleans was being flooded 23 days ago, appeared intent on ensuring there would be no off-message pictures this time and no question of where his attention was focused. . . .

"Asked whether Mr. Bush's pre-hurricane advance work in Texas was anything more than a photo-op, the White House press secretary, Scott McClellan, said the president 'wants to go and be able to see some of the preparations that are under way' and thank police, fire, medical and other emergency personnel who are assembling to work on the storm."

Here's the transcript of yesterday's briefing, easily worth reading just for ABC News correspondent Terry Moran's withering scorn and McClellan's protestations that Bush was just holding the guitar backstage, not actually giving a concert.

Abramoff Watch

R. Jeffrey Smith writes in The Washington Post: "Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff bragged two years ago that he was in contact with White House political aide Karl Rove on behalf of a large, Bermuda-based corporation that wanted to avoid incurring some taxes and continue receiving federal contracts, according to a written statement by President Bush's nominee to be deputy attorney general."

CBS Defends Itself

Vaughn Ververs writes in CBS News's new transparency blog about a complaint registered by the conservative Media Research Center over a report by Sharyn Alfonsi on Tuesday night.

The center complained: "After reciting a list of problems people are having in New Orleans, reporter Sharyn Alfonsi jumped to a soundbite of Bush in Mississippi, declaring: 'Every time I come back here, I see progress.' Alfonsi gratuitously pointed out that Bush was 'speaking inside an air-conditioned tent' and noted how 'he toured a Folgers plant in Louisiana' but, she stressed, 'small business owners say this kind of progress is the exception.' Then, over video of a row of damaged and abandoned store fronts in New Orleans, she countered: 'This is the reality.' Alfonsi made it personal, holding Bush responsible for the frustrations of a French Quarter restaurant owner: 'After five visits in three weeks, they want the President to wake up and smell the coffee.'"

And here's the response from "Evening News" Executive Producer Jim Murphy:

"Please explain to me what's WRONG with pointing out the President spoke from an air-conditioned tent, which to most people on the gulf would be a more than welcome relief from their existence. It was not gratuitous, it was an interesting note.

"And Sharyn's use of the well-known phrase, 'wake up and smell the coffee,' was attributed to the restaurant owners as THEIR feeling, NOT hers. It's just good, colorful, pointed writing."

Request to a King

Nedra Pickler writes for the Associated Press: "President Bush on Thursday asked Jordan's King Abdullah II to bring his 'voice of reason' to the Middle East peace process by paying visits to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

"After meeting with Abdullah in the Oval Office, Bush said the king 'graciously agreed' to his request."

Here is the text of their remarks.