It's the Credibility, Stupid

It seems to me the trick would be for the next news outlet that gets a sit-down with the president to devote an entire interview -- a la Oprah v. Frey -- to the issue of credibility. And to be prepared with quotes and clips -- a la Stewart -- to force Bush to directly address the various inconsistent, misleading, or outright false statements that have peppered his presidency.

Such an interview could still be wide ranging, of course. It could cover the issue of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction; his descriptions of the run-up to war; his views of progress in Iraq; his statements -- and then silence -- about the CIA leak investigation; his concealment of -- and then questionable assertions about -- domestic spying; his promises for New Orleans; his stonewalling on the Abramoff lobbying scandal.

I could go on.

And in fact, with the help of you readers, I'd like to put together a series of sample interview questions for the president on the subject of his credibility. E-mail me at froomkin@washingtonpost.com. (And I apologize in advance for not responding to each e-mail.)

Then again, there's another possibility: A reporter could get up at the next press conference and ask a very simple, very basic question: Why should the American public trust you anymore?

At least 53 percent of Americans would like to know his answer.

Bush and Oprah

It's become a recurring fantasy among Bush critics: What if Bush were somehow publicly subjected to the same righteous wrath Oprah Winfrey inflicted on author James Frey last week.

After Frey's book was exposed as partially fabricated, Winfrey apologized for having endorsed it -- and then lit into the author for his deceptions.

Norman Solomon wrote in Huffingtonpost.com on Sunday: "During the 'Oprah' show, while lecturing a powerful book-publishing executive who had served as an enabler for the author's mendacity, Winfrey declared: 'That needs to change.' But what about the powerful news-media executives who keep enabling the president's mendacity?"

Eugene Robinson wrote in his Washington Post opinion column on Tuesday: "If there were justice in the world, George W. Bush would have to give his State of the Union address from Oprah's couch."

Here's cartoonist Mike Luckovich on Monday, imagining just such a scenario.

Margaret Carlson wrote in her Bloomberg opinion column Thursday: "On 'The Daily Show' on the eve of the State of the Union speech this week, Jon Stewart juxtaposed interviews with President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney conducted by the Washington press corps and clips of Oprah Winfrey bringing author James Frey to heel.