Attack of the killer potatoes? What a strange week it’s been for President George Bush’s spokesman, capped by his sputtering over spuds.
Ari Fleischer, the cautious and calibrated press secretary, has had a run of fumbles and dodges in the hothouse atmosphere of a city readying for war, soaked in election-season politics and edgy over domestic security.
For starters, he acknowledged shooting himself in the foot when he snapped that ”one bullet” in Saddam Hussein’s head would be cheaper than a war.
He backtracked while his White House colleagues recoiled. Involvement in the assassination of foreign leaders is forbidden under US policy, however relieved American officials would be if Iraqis shot their president.
Fleischer tripped over other issues as well in recent days. He contended the US House and Senate had agreed to an Iraqi war resolution when only the House leaders had done so.
He steadfastly, although uncomfortably, refused to acknowledge what White House officials admitted privately — that his boss misspoke when he asserted that the Senate did not care about national security.
Bush’s intended message in response to balking lawmakers was that Senate Democrats care more about special interests than national security.
He did not mean to say the Democrats care nothing for national security — a distinction that, in Washington
eyes, is a big difference.
Goofs gave way to goofy Thursday. Fleischer defended Bush’s plan to deny normal collective bargaining and other employee rights to workers at the proposed Homeland Security Department by noting that presidents have long had the authority to suspend such rights in a national emergency.
Senate opponents would stop Bush from using powers he already has in other departments, he contended.
”If he declared that there was an emergency, he could stop collective bargaining at the Department of Agriculture,” Fleischer said.
”So under what the Senate is proposing, the president will have more authority to help protect the homeland if potatoes attacked America in the Department of Agriculture than he would if terrorists did.” Long week.
Last month, Fleischer fumbled on the whereabouts of the vice president. Asked why Dick Cheney did not attend a September 11 anniversary event, Fleischer said the vice president was at a meeting of Bush’s top aides.
When it was pointed out to him that Bush’s top aides were at the anniversary event, Fleischer stammered.
It turned out Cheney had been spirited away to a secret location because of the same potential threats to the country that prompted the government to heighten the public terrorist alert soon after.
Fleischer’s meatless pronouncements on Bush policy are generally in keeping with a White House that keeps a tight lid on information. He often professes ignorance about details.
When he was challenged on the administration’s claim that al-Qaida terrorists had taken refuge in Iraq, he refused to acknowledge the distinction between parts of the country controlled by Saddam and Kurdish-controlled territory outside his reach.
”Iraq is Iraq,” Fleischer insisted.
To say any more than that, he went on, he’d have to look at a map and get briefed on coordinates. US intelligence sources say al-Qaida operatives appear to be limited mainly to Kurdish lands.
Fleischer caused a flap in March when he appeared to blame former President Clinton for stirring more bloodshed in the Middle East.
”In an attempt to shoot the moon and get nothing, more violence resulted,” he said in looking back at the Clinton years.
He issued a retraction later in the day, after what several White House advisers said was a mild admonishment by Bush and other superiors, and their firm insistence that he take it back. – Sapa-AP