White House Lies

The spin, swallowed by our kneepad wearing press, that Bush had to fly in a jet because the ship was too far off was bogus. Of course, the greater spin, that flying in a jet to get to the ship, as CNN reporter Kyra Phillips did, was any big deal was also lovingly swallowed.

That liberal media...At least they get it after the fact:

ABOARD THE USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN — President Bush didn't have to make a dramatic tailhook landing on this aircraft carrier. He could have flown here on a helicopter as presidents normally would, the White House said Friday.
Officials also acknowledged positioning the massive ship to provide the best TV angle for Bush's speech, with the vast sea as his background instead of the very visible San Diego coastline. ...

... Fleischer had said last week that Bush would have to fly out to the carrier by plane because the Lincoln would be hundreds of miles offshore, making helicopter travel impractical.

As it turned out, the ship was just 39 miles from the coast ...

... The changes did not keep personnel at sea longer than they otherwise would have been, said John Daniels, a ship spokesman. ...

Will they ever bother to, you know, verify first and report later?