SPON’s Pitzke Smears Larry King Interview with George and Laura Bush

(By Ray D.)

Larry King is a fraud capable only of “worshipping” his guests while asking them “plushy pseudo-questions” in an attempt to sell whatever it is they are pushing. That, at least, is how SPIEGEL ONLINE’s America correspondent, Marc Pitzke, describes the veteran talk show host in a recent article written on the heels of Mr. King’s interview with President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush. Pitzke also accuses King of having used Bush appearances in the past as a form of “ratings doping” for his program. King, who has likely been in journalism longer than Pitzke has been alive, is depicted as little more than an opportunistic hack to SPON readers.

But the put downs and misrepresentations don’t stop there. The next victim is First Lady Laura Bush. Pitzke characterizes her as stiff and obedient. His article is accompanied by a photo of Mrs. Bush with the caption: “First Lady Laura Bush: Smile and nod, smile and nod.” Pitzke says of the First Lady:

“Her lips are frozen into a slightly crooked smile the entire hour. Nothing can move her, she smiles and nods and smiles and nods as if she was somewhere else entirely in her thoughts, in Disneyland or at the Opera. Only her eyes don’t laugh. They are serious and tired.”

Then (of course) President Bush is ridiculed for smiling too much, a habit Europeans find particularly annoying according to a recent article by Pitzke's trusty sidekick, Gerhard Spoerl. And not only does Bush have the gall to smile too much, but as Pitzke puts it: "He grins foolishly without end like a school boy who has just been caught cheating."

After exhausting an entire page on personal attacks and hackneyed caricaturing, Pitzke finally attempts to discuss the actual substance of the interview...with little success. As always, he only briefly reports the facts that fit into a very one-sided, biased view of Bush and America. Everything is neatly prepackaged for consumption by SPON readers without any annoying references to contradictory facts capable of causing them ideological indigestion.

Pitzke begins with the 9/11 Commission’s report. He writes with sarcasm of the President’s praise for the report, noting in parentheses that:

“It is doubtful (that Bush read the report), Bush recently attempted to hinder the committee, and then laid as many stones in its path as he could.”

But Larry King, who Pitzke assails for only asking “plushy pseudo-questions,” called the President on that very point. Here is the actual exchange from the interview:

KING: You first were opposed to the 9/11 Commission and then changed. Why?

G. BUSH: Not really.

KING: You weren’t opposed?

G. BUSH: Well, I just wanted to make sure that it was done the right way. I felt like that – one of my concerns was that it would usurp the Congress’ need to fully investigate. Then I recognized this was a good avenue – a good venue and a good way to really get out the facts. And they did a really good job.

Pitzke proceeds to quickly gloss over the other points discussed in the interview, summing each up with no more than a few words and further accusing King of letting Bush off easy:

“King gave Bush the opportunity to make all the points in his catalog of election themes. The Iraq war was the “right decision.” The world “is safer” than before. The economy “is improving.” The education system “is improving.” The health care system “has been strengthened.” Taxes “will not be raised.” Faith “is important.” Gay marriage is “unconstitutional.”

Pitzke claims that King’s interview was of little journalistic value, but it is his own reporting that leaves much to be desired on that very point. For example, the President had far more to say on religion than “faith is important.” Click HERE to see what he said in its entirety.

The President also never said that gay marriage is “unconstitutional” as Pitzke claims. Click HERE to read the actual, uncut exchange on gays and marriage.

Pitzke further mocks Bush on the stem cell issue:

“When it comes to the complicated issue of stem cell research for example, he prefers to let Laura talk first, science is just a women’s issue after all, before he then in fact does get involved by reducing everything to one typical sound-bite: “I do think it’s important for us to promote a culture of life in America.”"

In fact, Bush did not “let” Laura Bush speak first because science is a “women’s issue.” Laura Bush spoke first because Larry King interrupted the President, after Mr. Bush had started to answer his entry question, and queried the First Lady: “And you have been speaking out.”

Pitzke’s assertion that the President is too ignorant to deal with a complicated scientific issue with more than sound-bites is also a huge distortion of the interview. In fact, the President went into great detail on the issue in describing his stand on stem cell research. Click HERE to read the entire exchange.

Pitzke concludes by spitefully complaining that Larry King would have nothing against four more years of Bush. But nowhere did the veteran talk show host endorse the President or his opponent Kerry. King, in fact, made a noticeable attempt to remain neutral and objective…something clearly shocking, foreign and outrageous to Pitzke and his fellow propagandists at SPIEGEL ONLINE.

Imagine a media environment in which more Germans simply read what President George W. Bush and others actually have to say on the issues and not accounts of what they have to say selectively filtered through and skewed by a biased German media. Establishing that sort of environment is Medienkritik's goal and would no doubt go a long way toward improving German-American relations and understanding.

We urge our readers to carefully examine the Pitzke article and then compare it to what Bush actually had to say in the interview. A world of difference awaits...

NOTE: The linked sections of the interview highlighted by bolding are sections we suspect Pitzke intentionally ignored and failed to discuss because they do not fit comfortably into SPIEGEL's caricature of Bush as an ignorant, black-and-white thinking, right-wing, fundamentalist-Christian ideologue-cowboy.

Comments

[lost one]

I have been saying for some time now that US troops should leave Germany as quickly as possible, despite the fact that several German mayors went to Washington a while back to beg and plead against this eventuality. We aren't wanted there, we are a blight to the German people (except to those mayors of those towns close to the base that get money from the G.I.s or whose citizens are employed on base) and as has been pointed out elsewhere, we aren't needed anymore. The USSR doesn't exist anymore, l'chaim, all is good.

What do *I* care if a few German towns lose a source of revenue and jobs?

[WhatDoIKnow]

Spiegel had no problems with King's style when he interviewed the Kerrys. That interview went just like the one with Bush: Kerry and Ketchup got to say all they wanted without being confronted in any way. They talked mostly about politics and they had the opportunity to present their views. There was absolutely no arguing with King, no questioninig of positions.

Spiegel, this has ALWAYS been the Larry King style !!

That's how Larry King interviews people. Some say it's lame, but that's his style. He hasn't changed it and mellowed down just for Bush. Only a schizophrenic mind like Pitzke's would believe something like that. But that's how it is now in Germany: normal Germans who read the Spiegel and have little idea about Larry King get their information on Bush and the US from somebody affected by manic depression. (That's all I can say about Pitzke when I read the venom he spits) This is what Spiegel readers get fed. It does wonders for the US-German relationships.

[Doug]

I'll second that - they've got King down to a tee, they're just being selective about when it upsets them. I heard a rumor that King had his spine removed so that he could lay down for interviewees even faster.

Ok, I didn't really hear that rumor. I started it. Sorry.

[Foobarista]

Larry King has been the slow-pitch artist since time immemorium. He
serves up up slow, slower, and slowest. Actually, his "probing" on the
9/11 comission is about as tough as he'll get. Of course, this means
he actually gets to interview the President, and I'm sure Kerry will get
the same softie treatment when he gets interviewed - no annoying questions
about whether he spent Christmas in Cambodia under secret orders from
Nixon in 1968, an experience which was "seared" into his memory. Of
course, Nixon wasn't yet President, and his unit was 50 miles away.
Maybe he was interviewing with Larry in 1968? But I digress...

[Joe]

Larry King does throw a lot of soft pitches - but there is a place for that - he's on right before 'crossfire' if I remember correctly.
This bashing of Laura Bush fits the very same hateful lunacy about her among femenists, and Victor David Hanson had an excellent acessement of it.
What bothers the left is that she is so hard to criticise. He is articulate, positive, a GOOD person - and what bothers them most: she's HAPPPY.

She is a woman at peace with herself, and all thins without the psychobabble and overturning-the-culture rubbish of the left. Even their children seem genuine and 'human', even in their errors in a way that Chelsea Clinton never seems to have been. They have NOT rended their marriage to the breaking point with ambitions.
This KILLS Bush-haters.

The extreme, and factless, rather extreme accusations and personalizing hatred of the President and his wife come from that. They really don't have the kinds of flaws that we've seen with so many politician's families for them to chriticise. That's why they have to make mountains out of mole-hills, and make things up. They need to assasinate his character in order to disagree with him.

Most lefties can't just disagree with someone. They have to disagree with them, hate them to no end, tell people that their actions will lead to the end of the world, and insist that they do indelicate things with sheep. It's all part of the narcissism of thinking that one knows better than the filthy stupid 'masses' that need to be protected from themselves.

[Vic]

Joe - you would be happy too if you could kill your ex-boyfriend in High School and get away with it like Laura did!

[Joe]

Vic

And your point would be what.......?

[Pato]

a little off-topic but relevant-
My morning began with a great level of joy regarding the LONG over due pull-out of US troops from German soil. What a great day it is for the US! Germany has, once again, liberated itself from the safety blanket and milk-laden tit of the US security and economic blanket which it's wrapped itself in for so long. Germany can now show the world the full nature of it's impotence as it works to promote it's internal utopian euro welfare basket while performing a TRULY ZERO amount leadership both at home and abroad. So the US will pull out perhaps 70,000 of her young men and woman from germany, while germany boasts of it's "international leadership" with a force of less than 2,000 abroad.
The "eu" considers the current murdering in Dafur NOT to be that of genocide, even though the dust covered brown bedouin tribesman from arab lands on camels who slit the throats of the black muslims in the drive to create a pan-arab-like territory in the Sudan. The scale of murder is far above that which occurred in kosovo, and the grand display of ignorance and hypocrisy shown by the germany and the "eu" in this current Sudanese crises is so damn pathetic. The entire US Congress labeled the current arab push and murder of the black Sudanese AS GENOCIDE, AND indicated that MORE sanctions than the current US one's in place should be applied. The "un" and the "eu" cow to the arab blackmail by demanding THE US drop the word "sanctions" from it's proposals, while refusing to call this genocide. Now, can someone please tell me what the hell goes on in the thick-skulled and backwards minds of both the german and the "eu" MP's that they can create and convey such illusions, puffery and impotence? Is it because germany DOES NOT have the capability to address the issues that makes it play the "pacifist pussy" role? Where are all the brave greens and other un-shaved kafkha wearing hippies on the streets of germany decrying the slaughter of blacks by the brown tribesman?
The fools within the german govt claimed they had scored a "diplomatic coup" against Iran by using it's "soft power" (translate that to LIMP power)to get Iran to back off the program. Iran is now laughing at these same diplomats as it now continues it's program, while the US begins to choke the living hell out of the iranian backed al sadr in his iranian outpost in Najaf. The US is NOW creating a more effective diplomacy to stop iranian nuke ambitions by knocking the heads off of the iranian Intel and assassin agents iran has put in Najaf and in Iraq in general. The brave mullahs of Iran do not know what to make of the fact that it's proxy assassins are getting blown into dust by the mighty arm of the 18, 19 and 20 year old US Marines. ...Meanwhile in Kosovo, 50 year old FEMALE US military policewoman (in europe to assist the euros, once again, in pacifying the insanity that permeates the continent), are killed by "fellow" UN jordanian officer, weeks later and german soldiers run from rioting Albanians and hide in their barracks as serbs are slaughtered and Christian churches are burnt to the ground.
And the great self-described intellectual comic strip called der speigel claims below that it is Bush's courting of the black vote that promotes the US concern in the Sudan? Are all germans this insane and delusional? It calls the US actions "costly adventures" regarding Afghanistan and Iraq YET forget to mention how damn great it was to see 2 female athletes represent their country at the Olympics, or the fact that Iraqis can compete in the Olympics now that the US knocked the life out of Uday and brother who can no longer put the football players balls in a 6th century torture device if they happen to lose. Wow, and the Iraqis beat the hell out of Portugal in their match as well. Let's NOT forget that the OLD GERMAN coach of the Iraq soccer team ran home in fear months ago after being advised by schroeder and co. that it was "just too dangerous in Iraq". Rumor has it that it has taken weeks and govt welfare monies for him to clear the stains from his lederhosen. Also in the meanwhile- a US contractor brought to Iraq to perform pest control for the barracks ends up volunteering to train the Iraqi boxing team, and within just a few days a gym and training center are put together.
Note the insane, child-like and amateurish attempt by speigel to convince the german citizens that they are indeed an international "player" by noting below that- "The Europeans, on the other hand, are ready to provide eight of the 150 observers who are to supervise the anticipated suspension of hostilities from six locations in Darfur and report any irregularities to the African Union in Addis Ababa."
OK!! 8, YES!!! 8! observers!!!!! Please germany- DO NOT CHOKE ON THAT CONTRIBUTION!! DO NOT BECOME OVERWHELEMD AND DO NOT GIVE THE IMPRESSION OFANY IMPERIAL ADVENTRUES IN SUDAN!!! you fools.
The article makes NO MENTION of the fact that the US is SIMPLY GIVING THE "eu" AND the rest of the loud mouthed, grand standing and prancing idiots of the "eu" and "world community" a chance to show that their deeds and missions can match the fiery rhetoric of the last 3 years which truly was the result of panties being worn to tightly, and minds being the size of snow peas.
Let's all not forget the hot-aired rhetoric spewed by the german govt amd media after an insider wortking with the UN advised a suicide bomber EXACTLY where un-Rep Sergio's office was located so he could blow it to the ground. The immediate reaction from germany, it's govt and it's press was that it was a US FAILURE to provide security to the un that caused the deaths... yet just a few weeks later the un admits it turned down a request from the US to provide it's security. And NOW that the un has voted to return to Iraq NOT ONE GOD DAMN "eu" COUNTRY CAN OFF SECURITY FORCES FOR THE UN building (YES, JUST ONE BUILDING to protect!) and NOW the UN must resort to having it's security provided by the US forces! How hypocrical and insaley fooish a situation you eu-topians have created! But never fear an imbesilic reality will prevail that will blame all on the US and Bsuh.
Now is your chance gemrany to show what your minds are really made of and what it is your brains can accomplish in the real world that you KNOW NOTHING ABOUT as you've laid under your welfare blanket of world fantasy for decades.

http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/english/0,1518,311356,00.html
"George W. Bush, his eye on the U.S. Black vote, cannot afford to tolerate the situation in Darfur without doing something. But since another military intervention is not opportune for Washington after its costly adventures in Afghanistan and Iraq, the U.S. has urged the UN and the European Union to take action."
"The Europeans, on the other hand, are ready to provide eight of the 150 observers who are to supervise the anticipated suspension of hostilities from six locations in Darfur and report any irregularities to the African Union in Addis Ababa. The AU apparently will send 360 soldiers in early August to protect the observers. These soldiers would comprise the first neutral military group in Darfur. The European Union intends to finance them to the tune of twelve million euros."

[Joe]

That's okay Vic, I know how it works.

The only way the left can imagine that there is anything really bad about Osama Bin Laden would be if there was a connection with a conservative in the US. And everything that ever happerned has something to do with a pet peeve....

I'm sure you'll feel right at home just where you are. All issues are nothing more than rhetoric, because the heavy lifting of global affairs, the alleviation of misery is going on somewhere else. There is nothing real to all of this, to many europeans.

[TM Lutas]

This article is a real public service because it highlights in verifiable ways the difference between the facts and the spin put out by Pitzke/SPON. There are several words for those who are ignorant of the true facts of a situation but depend on lies to form their world view. Pseudo-intellectuals and puffed up ignoramuses are the sad produce of fact challenged reporting and they should be called what they are. Europe has a proud intellectual tradition that looks at the world as it is. It is being betrayed by these left-wing spin merchants. Germany (and much of the rest of Europe) needs to clean house before they are universally recognized as the intellectual lightweights they are becoming.

This is not a matter of ideology but culture, education, and civic maturity. Pygmies are living in the houses of giants.

[kid charlemagne]

"...at Disneyland or at the opera" - what a bunch of stupid, infantile crap. I don't imagine Mrs. Bush spends much time at either place, but hey, who cares when you can smear people with stereotypes? Disneyland! (ignorant, vulgar American). Opera! (upper-class American snob).

I don't have the time for this crap. I don't have the heart for it.

I have always been skeptical of Mr. and Mrs. Bush's mental abilities and character, and was therefore pleasantly surprised by the interview, in which both came off as decent, normal and bright. (It should be noted that W. scored well above the average on the SAT, the standardized test for American high school students applying for college.)

[Joe]

kc,

He also had a better GPA than either algore or Kerry in college.......but then that is another topic....

[Mitch]

Larry King is notorious for going easy on his guests. His failure to rip the skin off W is by no means proof that it cannot be done.

Regarding the relative intellectual accomplishments of W and Baby Gore*, let me point out that Gore was tossed out of Harvard law, while W graduated from the Harvard Business School. I've known several HBS people, and while they tend to be arrogant sons of bitches, I've never known a dumb one. The school also has a reputation to uphold, and I doubt there is enough money in the world to induce them to give a social promotion to a well-connected but unimpressive student.

* Albert Gore Jr. -- did you know that his father was a senator, and that little Al rarely saw his alleged home state? Or that he spent his formative years in a first-class Washington hotel? I thought not.

[Nancy Reyes]

"SPIEGEL's caricature of Bush as an ignorant, black-and-white thinking, right-wing, fundamentalist-Christian ideologue-cowboy."
Yup. Sounds right to me. But then I'm an Okie. In Oklahoma, even the Democrats wave flags and serve in the military.
As for Mrs. Bush: How do you translate :Steel Magnolia" into German?

[Nancy Reyes]

"SPIEGEL's caricature of Bush as an ignorant, black-and-white thinking, right-wing, fundamentalist-Christian ideologue-cowboy."
Yup. Sounds right to me. But then I'm an Okie. In Oklahoma, even the Democrats wave flags and serve in the military.
As for Mrs. Bush: How do you translate :Steel Magnolia" into German?

[Joe N.]

"How do you translate :Steel Magnolia" into German?"

Nancy: that's great!