The Most Disappointing President

"Rather than balancing the president's interest with the public's, Tatel said, the government was simply disregarding the Freedom of Information Act. He said the policy would allow the president to 'draw a curtain around the White House.'...

"The judges seemed equally dissatisfied with the argument of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, the group seeking the documents. Sentelle and Tatel said the group was using the Secret Service as an end-run, a way to get documents that normally would not be public."

The Three Amigos and NAFTA

James Gerstenzang writes in the Los Angeles Times: "For a summit of three countries doing nearly $1 trillion worth of business with each other every year, President Bush's two-day meeting with his Mexican and Canadian counterparts began Monday as a decidedly low-voltage affair."

Michael Abramowitz write in The Washington Post: "With the North American Free Trade Agreement taking a pounding on the campaign trail, President Bush gathered here Monday with the leaders of Mexico and Canada to defend the pact and to seek new ways to cooperate on border, economic and regulatory issues. . . .

"White House aides have also defended the trade pact in recent days. 'We want to find ways to, frankly, convince the American people . . . that this is an arrangement that's worked for us, and it's also worked for our neighbors,' said Dan Fisk, the top White House staffer on Latin America, before the summit. 'There's nothing broken. Why fix a success?'"

John D. McKinnon writes in the Wall Street Journal: "President Bush and his counterparts from Mexico and Canada used an annual summit to promote the benefits of the North American Free Trade Agreement amid warnings from business leaders that public perceptions and isolationist rhetoric threaten the pact's long-term health.

"'I'm a strong advocate for free trade,' Mr. Bush said to reporters after a Monday meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. 'And this summit comes at an opportune time to reaffirm the benefits of the trading arrangements between our three nations.' U.S. business leaders distributed statistics showing that trade between the U.S., Canada and Mexico has more than tripled since Nafta went into effect. . . .

"But in a draft of a report to the summit, business leaders from the three countries urged the public and private sectors to do a better job of explaining those benefits for North America."

And here's the obligatory video, from CNN, of Bush dancing to New Orleans jazz yesterday.

Global Warming Opinion Watch

The New York Times editorial board writes: "White House aides had billed President Bush's Rose Garden speech last week as a major turning point at which the president would unveil an ambitious set of proposals to address the problem of global warming -- a late-breaking act of atonement, as it were, for seven years of doing nothing.

"Sadly, Mr. Bush's ideas amounted to the same old stuff, gussied up to look new. Instead of trying to make up for years of denial and neglect, his speech seemed cynically designed to prevent others from showing the leadership he refuses to provide -- to derail Congress from imposing a price on emissions of carbon dioxide and the states from regulating emissions on their own."

Rove v. Abrams

MSBNC's Dan Abrams is the only network anchor who's devoted substantial time to the case of Don Siegelman, the former Alabama governor who is appealing a corruption conviction with intense political overtones. A key aspect Abrams keeps mentioning: Karl Rove's possible involvement.

Last week, Rove wrote Abrams a letter complaining about his coverage.

It was classic Rove, raising lots of questions (59 by my count) intended to muddy the debate, while making nary a definitive declaration about his own conduct.

For instance, Rove asked Abrams: "Does it bother you that your coverage asserts, as Governor Siegelman summarized it in his April 7th appearance on your program, that he is the victim of a vast conspiracy involving two U.S. Attorneys, the Alabama Attorney General, unnamed career officials in the Public Integrity Unit at the U.S. Justice Department, unnamed higher-ups in the Justice Department and, oh yes, Karl Rove and that there is not a single piece of paper, not a single email, not a single conversation, not a single disgruntled career employee who's came forward, not one credible witness to the workings of the conspiracy?"

The closest Rove came to an actual denial, however, was this carefully phrased declaration: "I certainly didn't meet with anyone at the Justice Department or either of the two U.S. Attorneys in Alabama about investigating or indicting Siegelman."

Now, Abrams has written back: "Your letter poses questions that you believe I should have asked as part of our coverage, but many of the most significant ones only you can answer. . . .

"You accuse me of 'diminishing the search for facts and evidence,' yet thus far you have refused to answer any questions under oath or even from me that would aid in that very search. . . .

"This is a prosecution . . . that led over 50 former Attorneys General from around the nation -- Democrats and Republicans -- to express their concern to Congress about the basic fairness of the case. I share many of those concerns. I too have serious questions about the way the case was handled. Given that, is it your contention that it's journalistically unsound to allow the former Governor of the state of Alabama to even state his position on the air? . . .

"You seem particularly incensed that I interviewed Dana Jill Simpson, a Republican who had volunteered for the campaign of Siegelman's opponent and claimed, in sworn testimony, that she heard conversations about you and your involvement. . . .

"Dana Jill Simpson testified under oath about this case while thus far you have refused to do so. If she is lying, she should be prosecuted. But as a journalist isn't it fair to ask why you don't welcome the opportunity to testify as well? With sworn false testimony, there are repercussions. Without it, there is no accountability."

Abrams lists some specific questions he's like Rove to answer. Among them:

"You say you 'certainly didn't meet with anyone at the Justice Department or either of the two US attorneys in Alabama about investigating or indicting Siegelman.' Did you talk to, or otherwise communicate with, any of them about it even if you did not meet? Did you have any discussions with any of them about this topic? . . .

"Did you ever ask anyone else to communicate with any official in the Justice Department about the Siegelman investigation or case?

"Do you know why your lawyer told us that you would testify about this case if you were subpoenaed but now, after you have been invited to do so, he states that there are issues of executive privilege . . . ?"

"You have said you never spoke with the White House about the case. If true, what is the possible 'executive privilege?'"

Tony Snow to CNN

CNN announces: "Former White House press secretary Tony Snow will join CNN as a conservative commentator beginning today. . . .

"'I'm delighted to be able to join CNN during the most exciting and unpredictable political year in memory,' Snow said. 'The big challenge in 2008 is to develop deep, creative and aggressive analysis of both political parties, their candidates and campaigns. I'm eager to get started, since this race is sure to shape American politics for years to come.'"

Here's a sampling of his creative and aggressive analysis from Snow's inaugural appearance on CNN last night with Larry King. Snow: "Look, I think McCain's going to win, actually, because I think security and the economy both break his way."

Snow had a mixed reputation as press secretary. On the one hand, he was seen as generally affable and quick-witted -- a welcome relief from the robotic Scott McClellan. But on the other hand, he generated a lot more heat than light from behind the podium. As I wrote in my Mar. 2, 2007, column, The Spokesman Made for Cable: "Snow seems to treat his encounters with the press more like a cable show than as an opportunity to provide the public with a fuller picture of what's going on inside the White House. His prime goal seems to be to 'win the half hour' -- which generally entails out-talking and mocking your opponent, rather than mustering facts and actually staking out a persuasive position."

Blogger Steve Benen writes: "Snow's on-the-job performance was comparable to Baghdad Bob's, to the point that Snow simply wasn't credible speaking on any subject. Why reward that with a spot on the 'best political team on television'?"

Benen notes "the strange phenomenon of rewarding the Bush gang in general with high-profile opportunities at major media outlets. The Bush White House has been, for lack of a better word, a disaster for the country. From a journalistic perspective, these guys have been a nightmare -- embracing almost comical levels of secrecy, propaganda, and media manipulation.

"And yet, the moment presidential aides leave the West Wing, media outlets jump at the chance to put them on the payroll."

No Deal

Reuters reports: "President George W. Bush, making a highly unusual appearance on U.S. television game show 'Deal or No Deal,' sought show host Howie Mandel's help to deal with the federal budget in upcoming talks with Congress.

"'Howie, I don't know if you're free to come to Washington anytime soon but I have to reach an agreement with Congress on the federal budget. How'd you like to host a $3 trillion dollar 'Deal or No Deal,'' Bush joked.

"In the program, contestants compete to win a $1 million prize and can triple that amount in a bonus round.

"Bush made the appearance via videotape to wish good luck to one contestant, Army Captain Joseph Kobes who is an Iraq war veteran. The president also noted the show's wide popularity saying he was 'thrilled' to be appearing on it.

"'Come to think of it, I'm thrilled to be anywhere with high ratings these days,' he quipped.

"He then thanked Kobes for 'courageous service in Iraq.' . . .

"Kobes did not have $1 million in his case, but he did eventually win $26,000."

Here's the video.

Alessandra Stanley writes in the New York Times on the spectacle of Bush making an appearance "in between the parade of busty women in low-cut gold lamé minidresses and contestants spinning the wheel."

Daphne Retter writes for the New York Post: "Media watchers couldn't immediately recall another sitting president's appearing on a game show, though Richard Nixon was on the 'Laugh-In' variety show."

Live Online

I'll be Live Online tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET. Come join the conversation.

Late Night Humor

David Letterman via U.S. News: "Bush was on 'Deal or No Deal.' Apparently, he didn't feel he was ready for 'Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?'"

Cartoon Humor

Mark Fiore on why Bush is so relaxed; Daniel Wasserman on Bush and global warming; Bruce Beattie on Bush's exit strategy; Lee Judge on Bush's plan to eliminate al Qaeda; Mike Luckovich on which candidate is really channeling Bush.