Wednesday, December 10, 2003

Munford’s complaint about Bush specious

John Munford’s column on the Bush trip to Baghdad was perhaps the most tortuous logic I have ever encountered. On the other hand, perhaps Mr. Munford has the intellectual capacity of a goldfish.

Mr. Munford first asks the question, “Did the White House pick and choose only reporters it trusted to keep the secret?” Then answers it, “Quite likely.” Like a Ronco TV commercial, he provides more! He goes on to admit the reporters asked to go on the trip were in the “pool” and laments that CNN was not one of them.

Mr. Munford, this non-professional is going to explain how the “pool” and the presidential press corps operate to you, a news professional. There is limited seat space on Air Force One. Only pool reporters, one from each media type, are allowed on Air Force One.

Who comprises the pool? It is rotated on a daily basis. Thursday is Fox New Channel’s day to be the pool for TV and the Washington Post’s for newsprint. The pool coverage privilege cannot be used as an advantage to broadcast “exclusives.” Thus the fact that Fox News Channel and not CNN was there is purely luck of the draw.

To cover a presidential trip with all the media that Mr. Munford wants not only requires Air Force One, but a charter aircraft to carry the 150 to 200 other reporters, cameramen and soundmen.

Now, given the nature of the mission, does Mr. Munford really believe that security would have been maintained when a call is placed to ABC Airlines, “This is the White House Travel Office; we need a press charter to Baghdad for Thanksgiving Day”?

On the other hand, maybe Munford can claim it is a White House conspiracy that Thanksgiving falls on a Thursday. Such a claim would be consistent with Mr. Munford’s intellectual capacity.

Gregory B. West

Peachtree City, Ga.