Via Atrios, this is not a joke.
Concerned about the appearance of disarray and feuding within his administration as well as growing resistance to his policies in Iraq, President Bush – living up to his recent declaration that he is in charge – told his top officials to “stop the leaks” to the media, or else.
News of Bush’s order leaked almost immediately.
Bush told his senior aides Tuesday that he “didn’t want to see any stories” quoting unnamed administration officials in the media anymore, and that if he did, there would be consequences, said a senior administration official who asked that his name not be used.
UPDATE: This is not a joke, either.
{ 9 comments }
James Joyner 10.16.03 at 5:01 pm
Sounds like a reasonable policy to me?
Jeremy Osner` 10.16.03 at 7:49 pm
Sure, and it has been the Bush administration’s stated policy to date, regardless of the reported restatement. What is funny (if you find such things humorous) is Bush’s complete lack of control over his staff, as evidenced by the immediacy of the leak. — If that needs spelling out…
Sven 10.16.03 at 7:56 pm
It’s most likely a pre-emptive strike against parody.
Patterico 10.17.03 at 12:16 am
If Bush doesn’t read newspapers anyway, how is he going to see such stories?
Matthew 10.17.03 at 11:57 am
Well, hey, seems Irony is de-
*gets busted by cliche police*
Tom T. 10.17.03 at 12:56 pm
But isn’t this the sort of statement that the administration would want to be made public?
Cheryl 10.17.03 at 10:34 pm
UPDATE: This is not a joke, either.
Ha ha ha…still it’s pretty funny.
Gary Farber 10.18.03 at 8:00 pm
Linked to this, with some comments.
Randall Parker 10.18.03 at 11:02 pm
What would be interesting to see from something like a Nexis search is whether the frequency of the use of the term “senior administration official” or similar terms has been trending upward over the course of the Bush Admninistration and whether it is any higher or lower now than in previous administrations.
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