Laughing While The Mideast Burns

President Bush and the White House yuck it up on the last day of the current Briefing Room.

Snippets from the gathering (video is available in the multimedia box on the right)-

MR. FITZWATER: Mr. President.

THE PRESIDENT: Marlin, you're looking as pretty as ever.

MR. FITZWATER: Thank you, Mr. President. Really good to see you.

......

THE PRESIDENT: I know you've been complaining about the digs for a while. (Laughter.) So this is like the end of an old era. And let me just say, we felt your pain. And so we decided, you know, to help you renovate and come up with a new Brady center.

And so I want to thank the former spin meisters for joining me up here. Tell my people how to do it, will you? I mean, it's a -- (laughter.)

But, anyway, Laura and I wanted to come by and wish you all the best as you get to new headquarters for a while. I look forward to welcome you back here in, I guess, six or seven months. Is that right?

Q Nine months. We hope.

Q We're setting no timetables, Mr. President. (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: That's what you get when you bring your crackpot up from Texas. (Laughter.)

Q No comment, sir. (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: So, like, suede chairs? (Laughter.) Is that what you're looking -- kind of velvet armchairs? Armchairs. Everybody wants to be able to lean back.

It looks a little crowded in here. And so you want to double the size?

Q Yes.

.......

Q Mr. President, should Mel Gibson be forgiven? (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: Is that you and Gregory standing back there?


Q I was there first. (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: You know --

Q -- complaining of the Jews --

THE PRESIDENT: Is that Sam Donaldson? (Laughter.) Forget it. You're a has-been. We don't have to answer has-been's questions.

Q Ohhhhh!

Q Mr. President, do you want to say a little about the White House press corps, please?

THE PRESIDENT: Say something about the White House press corps?

Q Yes, sir.

THE PRESIDENT: It's a beautiful bunch of people. (Laughter.)

Q How about your best moment in here, sir? Can you remember your --

THE PRESIDENT: My best moment in here is when my press conference ended. (Laughter.)

......

THE PRESIDENT: Well, you're the head of the whole thing. Like, have you got a thing -- a role to play?

Q No, no, no

THE PRESIDENT: Okay, good. But anyway, good luck.

Q What about Crawford?

THE PRESIDENT: For those of you going to Crawford, saddle up. All right, good to see you.

Yee haw!

As a Washington outsider, these masturbatory, backslapping events between politicos and the press make me queezy. With everything going on right now (war expanding all over the Middle East, global warming, genocides, deficits and job loss, New Orleans, etc), the idea of both the President and these top reporters getting together to joke around about Mel Gibson and suede chairs and celebrate their own importance is a bit surreal. Go back to work, people. No one cares that the reporters will be lied to in a different room next year.