When the going gets tough, the Bush administration launches a public relations campaign.
The latest [CNN, 11/8/05]:
Top White House officials say they’re developing a “campaign-style” strategy in response to increasing Democratic allegations that the Bush administration twisted intelligence to make its case for war. White House aides, who agreed to speak to CNN only on the condition of anonymity, said they hoped to increase what they called their “hit back” in coming days…
Sound familiar? Washington Post, 9/30/04:
The Bush administration, battling negative perceptions of the Iraq war, is sending Iraqi Americans to deliver what the Pentagon calls “good news” about Iraq to U.S. military bases, and has curtailed distribution of reports showing increasing violence in that country. The unusual public-relations effort by the Pentagon and the U.S. Agency for International Development comes as details have emerged showing the U.S. government and a representative of President Bush’s reelection campaign had been heavily involved in drafting the speech given to Congress last week by interim Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi.
Doyle McManus, PBS, 5/21/04:
So the president is going to give six major speeches in six weeks. There are six weeks between now and the turnover of Iraqi sovereignty on June 30th. And he is going to hammer away, try and make the case. And we’re told there is not going to be a major change of course.
CNN, 10/8/03:
The White House effort is meant to beat back its critics by focusing on local media to get out its message. The president, vice president and other senior administration officials will carry out this strategy through a series of speeches, interviews and trips around the country and abroad. “The president appreciates his role not only as commander in chief, but also how important it is to communicate and educate the public about Iraq, the war on terror and provide the context,” White House Communications Director Dan Bartlett said.
And to think that Bill Kristol (11/5/05) tried to claim, “In fact, the administration has done amazingly little to confront, and discredit, attacks” from its critics.