Bush's Media Cherry Picking

"Williams called his bosses, who expressed concern that the only interview Bush has granted NPR during his tenure was also with Williams, in January.

"While it is not unusual for the White House to offer a presidential sitdown to a particular anchor or correspondent, Weiss noted that ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and Fox have all had their anchors interview Bush and that NPR has been requesting such a session for seven years. . . .

"Williams, who is sometimes criticized by liberal groups, dismissed the notion that he was picked as a sympathetic interviewer, saying he often challenges the administration on 'Fox News Sunday.'"

The Interview

So how did it go? Here's the video and transcript of Bush's talk with Williams, taped on Monday. Williams was hardly an aggressive interviewer, asking predictable questions and not once bearing down or following up on Bush's answers -- the great advantage that a sit-down interview offers over a press conference.

Williams: "It's 50 years ago that events at Little Rock Central High School took palace as nine black children tried to enter that high school and federal troops had to be sent to protect them. Where do you think we are today in America in the fight for racial justice for all?"

Bush: "You know, we've obviously progressed, because it is accepted that black children and white children are going to go to school together."

Gee. That's going out on a limb.

Why wasn't Bush going to Little Rock for the anniversary? The president, who was off to the United Nations meeting in New York later that day, said, "I hope people understand that I have competing obligations. Certainly, my heart is in the right place."

And talk about softballs:

Williams: "Clinton used to say -- President Clinton-- that he had a Cabinet that looked like America. But, in fact, you've had a more diverse Cabinet, President Bush -- [Bush laughs] -- Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, Elaine [Chao], Alberto Gonzales, Alphonso Jackson, Mel Martinez, Carlos Gutierrez, Norman Mineta. Were they the best people for the job, or did you select them to send a signal about the necessity of racial diversity?"

Bush: "You know, I've always tried to be an inclusive person without sacrificing excellence. And with these individuals you've named, I've been able to achieve sending a message that we're a diverse nation and that -- and at the same time I found people who can do the job."

Williams had only one question about the disastrously botched relief efforts in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina -- widely seen as a metaphor for the administration's policy toward poor blacks. And Bush easily fended it off with his traditional talking points.