Bush Talks About the Bubble

Williams: "I understand that."

Bush: "Look, I, I, uh, I feel like I'm getting really good advice from very capable people, and that people from all walks of life inform me and inform those who advise me. And I feel very comfortable that, that I'm very aware of what's going on.

"I just talked to the president-elect of Honduras. A lot of my job is foreign policy. And I spend an enormous amount of time with leaders from other countries, and they come right here in the Oval Office and tell me what's on their mind. And I tell them what's on my mind.

"And so -- you know, it's the first time I've seen those magazines, by the way."

Williams: "Do you read this kind of stuff?"

Bush: "No."

Williams: "You don't read the newsweeklies at all?"

Bush: "I really don't. I mean, I'm interested in the news, I'm not all that interested in the opinions."

In an earlier post on his blog, Williams described today's schedule. First comes a quick initial chat in the Oval Office. "From the White House we'll drive out to Andrews Air Force Base, where we will pre-position for the President's arrival and conduct an interview while en route to Philadelphia for his speech to the World Affairs Council on the topic of Iraq. Yet another interview will follow, then back on the plane for the flight home. We'll detail it all and air the President's comments on a broadcast that it's safe to promise will be far from an average Monday."

Those Magazine Stories

Evan Thomas and Richard Wolffe write in their 'Bubble' cover story that recent events at the White House suggest "a level of indifference, if not denial, that is dangerous for a president who seeks to transform the world. . . .

"Occasional outsiders brought into the Bush Bubble have observed that faith, not evidence, is the basis for decision making. Psychobabblers have long had a field day with the fact that Bush quit drinking cold turkey and turned around his life by accepting God. His close friends agree that Bush likes comfort and serenity; he does not like dissonance. He has long been mothered by strong women, including his mother and wife. A foreign diplomat who declined to be identified was startled when Secretary of State Rice warned him not to lay bad news on the president. 'Don't upset him,' she said."

Thomas and Wolfe question how much Bush "actually hears and takes in" when briefed by aides. "And whether his advisers are quite as frank as they claim to be with the president is also questionable."