Friday Blast From the Past: Press Secretary Edition

How to confuse and stymie the press

After recently referencing this piece in conversation, it seemed to me that it’s an oldie but goodie. This is the first in an occasional series of articles worth revisiting.  I never had Mr. Fleisher on the phone, but when I first read this piece, I thought Chait did an excellent job capturing Fleisher’s style as the president’s press secretary.

The Peculiar Duplicity of Ari Fleisher

Jonathan Chait, Senior Editor, The New Republic, JUNE 1, 2002.

Ari Fleischer, the White House press secretary, is famous. But I knew him back when he was merely infamous, as chief Republican spokesman on the House Ways and Means Committee. He spoke with a cool, quick certainty, unhindered by any sense of conscience. A profile in GQ–not many Hill staffers receive such attention–dubbed him the “flack out of hell.”
 
The typical press secretary shovels out fairly blunt propaganda, the kind reporters can spot a mile away and sidestep easily. But Fleischer has a way of blindsiding you, leaving you disoriented and awestruck. Once, about six years ago, I called to ask him something about tax reform. Knowing Fleischer, I tried to anticipate his possible replies and map out countermeasures to cut off his escape routes. I began the conversation by bringing up what seemed a simple premise: His boss, Bill Archer, favored replacing the income tax with a national sales tax. Fleischer immediately interrupted to insist that Archer did not support any such thing. I was dumbfounded. Forgetting my line of questioning, I frantically tried to recall how it was I knew that Archer had advocated a sales tax. But in the face of this confident assertion, my mind went blank. “Wha … uh, really?” I stammered. He assured me it was true. Completely flustered, I thanked him and hung up. I rummaged through my files, trying to piece together my reality. Didn’t everybody who followed these things know that Archer favored a sales tax? Yes–here was one newspaper story, and another, and finally a crinkled position paper, authored by Bill Archer, explaining why we needed a national sales tax. Of course he favored it. Fleischer had made the whole thing up.
 
Most press secretaries “spin.” Spin is a clever, lawyerly art, often performed with a knowing wink, which involves casting your boss’s actions in the most favorable light. Practitioners of spin don’t deny generally accepted facts or contest a reporter’s right to ask questions. Rather, they emphasize alternative facts as a way of establishing the difference between what their boss is perceived to have done and what he or she actually did. During the Clinton administration, spin came to symbolize everything reporters loathed about what they saw as a too-clever-by-half presidency. The Washington Post’s Howard Kurtz, in his book Spin Cycle, describes Bill Clinton’s spinsters as trying “to defend the indefensible,” by, for instance, insisting that White House coffees with donors were not “fund-raisers” because the money was raised beforehand.
 
But what Fleischer does, for the most part, is not really spin. It’s a system of disinformation–blunter, more aggressive, and, in its own way, more impressive than spin. Much of the time Fleischer does not engage with the logic of a question at all. He simply denies its premises–or refuses to answer it on the grounds that it conflicts with a Byzantine set of rules governing what questions he deems appropriate. Fleischer has broken new ground in the dark art of flackdom: Rather than respond tendentiously to questions, he negates them altogether.
 
I. The Audacious Fib
 
Like any skilled craftsman, Fleischer has a variety of techniques at his disposal. The first is the one he used to such great effect at Ways and Means: He cuts off the question with a blunt, factual assertion. Sometimes the assertion is an outright lie; sometimes it’s on the edge. But in either case the intent is to deceive–to define a legitimate question as based on false premises and, therefore, illegitimate. Fleischer does this so well, in part because of his breathtaking audacity: Rather than tell a little fib–i.e., attacking the facts most open to interpretation in a reporter’s query–he often tells a big one, challenging the question in a way the reporter could not possibly anticipate. Then there’s his delivery: Fleischer radiates boundless certainty, recounting even his wildest fibs in the matter-of-fact, slightly patronizing tone you would use to explain, say, the changing of the seasons to a child. He neither under-emotes (which would appear robotic) nor overemotes (which would appear defensive) but seems at all times so natural that one wonders if somehow he has convinced himself of his own untruths.
 
One month ago, for example, a reporter cited the administration’s recent plan to build an education, health, and welfare infrastructure in Afghanistan and asked Fleischer when George W. Bush–who during the campaign repeatedly bad-mouthed nation-building–had come around to the idea. A lesser flack would have given the obvious, spun response: The Bush administration’s policies in Afghanistan don’t constitute nation-building for reasons X, Y, and Z. The reporter might have expected that reply and prepared a follow-up accordingly. But Fleischer went the other way, bluntly asserting that Bush had never derided nation-building to begin with. “The president has always been for those,” Fleischer said. The questioner, likely caught off guard, repeated, “He’s always been for…” when Fleischer interjected, “Do you have any evidence to the contrary?” In fact, Bush had denounced nation-building just as unambiguously as Archer had endorsed the national sales tax. “I don’t think our troops ought to be used for what’s called nation-building,” said candidate Bush in the second presidential debate, to take one of many examples. The offending reporter, of course, didn’t have any of these quotes handy at the press conference, and so Fleischer managed to extinguish the nation-building queries.
 
To take another example, after the coup in Venezuela last month, Fleischer announced that “it happened in a very quick fashion as a result of the message of the Venezuelan people.” But once the coup was reversed, the administration’s seeming support proved embarrassing. So at the next press conference, a reporter asked Fleischer, “Last Friday, you said that it–the seizure of power illegitimately in Venezuela–`happened in a very quick fashion as a result of the message of the Venezuelan people’; that the seizure of power, extraconstitutionally, that is, dissolution of the congress and the supreme court happened as a result of the message of the Venezuelan people.”
 
Fleischer could have acknowledged the underlying fact–that the Bush administration initially endorsed the coup–but then expressed regret at its anti-democratic turn, a turn that the United States presumably opposed and perhaps even tried to prevent. Instead, he replied, “No, that’s not what I said.” And indeed, it wasn’t exactly what he said–after quoting Fleischer verbatim reacting to the coup, the reporter went on to describe some of the things that happened after the coup. And that gave Fleischer his opening: “The dissolution that you just referred to did not take place until later Friday afternoon,” he noted. “It could not possibly be addressed in my briefing because it hadn’t taken place yet.” By focusing on the latter, subordinate part of the reporter’s question, Fleischer negated the verbatim quote of his earlier remarks–and thus neatly cut off discussion of the administration’s early reaction to news of the coup.
 
The problem with this tactic is that it’s always possible to get caught in an outright lie. Speaking to reporters on the morning of February 28, for instance, Fleischer said of Middle East peace negotiations under Clinton: “As a result of an attempt to push the parties beyond where they were willing to go, that led to expectations that were raised to such a high level that it turned to violence.” The story went out that the administration blamed Middle East violence on its predecessor’s peacemaking. That afternoon, Fleischer insisted he had said no such thing. “That’s a mischaracterization of what I said,” he protested. But Fleischer’s earlier statement was too fresh in the press corps’s mind to simply deny, and the press continued to hound him. Later in the day he was for
ced to issue a statement of regret.
 
What this episode illustrates is that stating unambiguous falsehoods carries certain risks–and no press secretary can afford to have his factual accuracy repeatedly challenged by the press. So while Fleischer may employ this tactic more frequently than most press secretaries, it is still relatively rare–the p.r. equivalent of a trick play in football: While spectacular to behold and often successful, more frequent usage would dilute its effectiveness and risk disaster.
 
The greater feat is to put yourself in a position where you don’t have to lie. This can be accomplished in lots of ways–spinning is the preferred approach for most flacks, but that isn’t Fleischer’s style; candor, obviously, is out of the question. Fleischer’s method of choice is question-avoidance. After all, you can’t be accused of answering a question untruthfully if you haven’t answered it at all.
 
II. The Process Non Sequitur
 
Fleischer has two ways of not answering a question. The first is the non sequitur, a banal statement that, though related to the general topic, sheds no light upon the question at hand. Here, again, Fleischer is an innovator: Whereas most spinners abhor questions about legislative process and try to turn them into questions about their boss’s beliefs, Fleischer excels at turning specific questions about Bush’s beliefs and intentions into remedial-level civics-class descriptions of process. For example, asked last month if Bush would sign an energy bill that didn’t include new drilling in Alaska, here was Fleischer’s response in full: “Again, the process, as you know, is the House passes a bill, the Senate passes a bill. And we’ll go to conference and try to improve the bill from what the Senate passed. The purpose of energy legislation is to make America more energy-independent. And that’s the goal of the conference, in the president’s opinion.” Will Bush sign a campaign finance bill that doesn’t restrict union dues? Fleischer’s reply in full: “The president is looking forward to working together to bring people together so he can sign a bill.”
 
At his best, Fleischer can fasten together clumps of non sequiturs into an elaborate web of obfuscation. Last year Bush persuaded GOP Representative Charlie Norwood to back off his own patients’ bill of rights just before the other co-sponsors held a press conference, effectively splitting up a bipartisan coalition. Yet patients’ rights was popular, and Bush wanted to present himself as supporting the bill he had just scuttled. The task of disseminating this message fell to Fleischer, and the result was inspired. The transcript of that afternoon’s press conference reads like dialogue from a David Mamet film:
 
Fleischer: [W]e’re going to be prepared to work with a number of people to get it done. Q: You would work with the people, including the ones who put the bill forward today? Why won’t you work with them? Fleischer: Absolutely. Absolutely we will. Q: So why are you asking lawmakers not to go with them, to stay with us? Fleischer: Again, I think the president is just in a position now where we want to begin the process, begin this year working directly with some of the more influential people who have been part of the patients’ bill of rights in the past, and we’ll continue to do that.
 
A few minutes later Fleischer stated, “We view what’s happening today on the Hill”– that is, the press conference Bush had pressured Norwood to abandon–“as very helpful to the process.” But, a reporter asked, “If it’s helpful … why was Norwood asked not to attend today’s event?” Fleischer explained, “I think congressmen decide every day whether they want to co-sponsor bills or not co-sponsor bills.” His purpose in this exercise was not to make the press corps see Bush’s side of the argument, or even to make any argument at all, but simply to befuddle them with non sequitur nonsense until they ran out of questions.
 
III. The Rules
 
After the non sequitur, the other kind of non-answer is more straightforward: the open refusal to reply. This is tricky business. A press secretary, after all, is supposed to provide information to the press, not deny it. The straight rebuff, then, must be couched in terms of some broader principle. And it is here that Fleischer’s particular genius is on clearest display. As press secretary, Fleischer has developed a complex, arbitrary, and constantly shifting set of rules governing what questions he can answer. If a reporter’s question can be answered simply by reciting talking points about process, Fleischer will comply. If he can’t, he will find a way to rule it out of order.
 
Fleischer declines to answer any question he deems “hypothetical.” This, too, is a common press-secretary tactic, but Fleischer has a talent for finding hypotheticals buried in what would seem to be extremely concrete questions. Earlier this year, for example, the administration praised an Arab League resolution supporting the Saudi peace plan, but dismissed as irrelevant a resolution condemning a possible U.S. attack on Iraq. A reporter asked why one Arab League resolution mattered but the other didn’t. “I’m not going to speculate about plans that the president has said that he has made no decisions on and have not crossed his desk,” Fleischer replied. “That wasn’t my question,” the reporter retorted. Fleischer insisted: “You’re asking about an attack on Iraq, and the president has said repeatedly that he has no plans and nothing has crossed his desk. So that enters into the area of hypothetical.” Fleischer redefined a question about something that had happened–the Arab League resolution–into a question about something that hadn’t–a U.S. attack on Iraq–and then dismissed the latter as hypothetical.
 
Perhaps the easiest way for Fleischer to dismiss questions is to suggest that he is not the appropriate person to answer them–something he does with remarkable promiscuity. Do the administration and Pakistan agree on extraditing the killers of Daniel Pearl? “You’d have to ask Pakistan,” Fleischer replied on February 25. Did Israel’s offensive in the West Bank enhance its security? “That’s a judgment for Israel to make,” he said on April 16. In short, if a question can be said to pertain to another country, that discharges the White House from having to state an opinion.
 
Fleischer uses the same technique for discussions of domestic policy. Does the administration want Congress to move ahead with campaign finance reform? “The president does not determine the Senate schedule,” Fleischer explained on March 19. “The Senate leadership determines the Senate schedule.” (That hasn’t stopped the White House from demanding the Senate take up other legislation on numerous occasions.) Does an anti-administration court ruling strengthen the U.S. General Accounting Office’s case for demanding energy documents? “That’s for the courts to judge, not for me,” Fleischer demurred on February 28. What about the recent decision by Stanley Works to relocate to Bermuda, which several members of Congress condemned? “I can’t comment on any one individual corporate action.” Indeed, Fleischer will even pawn off questions involving other branches of the Bush administration. Asked this spring whether Army Secretary Thomas White has lived up to the standards Bush set out after Enron, Fleischer answered, “Anything particular to Enron, I would refer you to the Department of Justice.” What sort of access did GOP donors get to White House officials at a recent fund-raiser? Ask the Republican National Committee, replied Fleischer. Has Colin Powell met with Ariel Sharon? Ask the State Department. Did the administration intervene to allow more pollutants in Alabama? Ask the Environmental Protection Agency. And so on.
 
When questions cannot be fobbed off on other departments, Fleischer often rephrases them to make them seem so
complex and esoteric that he couldn’t possibly be expected to answer them. Asked two weeks ago to comment on a blockbuster quote by Bush counterterrorism official Richard Clarke prominently featured in a front-page Washington Post story, he replied, “I do not receive a daily briefing on his verbatim quotes.” One year ago Fleischer listed six members of Congress who would appear at an event with Bush. Asked how many were Democrats–this was two months into Bush’s tenure, when he was making a big deal of meeting with members of the other party–Fleischer said, “I don’t have any breakdown here.” (The breakdown was six Republicans, no Democrats.) Last year Fleischer ticked off for the press Bush’s legislative priorities. “Where does campaign finance rank in those priorities?” asked one. “I don’t do linear rankings,” Fleischer replied, as if to suggest that answering the question would require a sophisticated mathematical analysis.
 
To emphasize his inability to answer these complicated questions, Fleischer occasionally pleads lack of expertise. Last year he touted a drop in oil prices since Bush took office and plugged the president’s energy plan. Would the energy plan, which would take effect over the long run, impact short-term prices? “I’m not an economist,” he demurred. What does the administration think about an unfavorable court ruling? “I’m not a lawyer.” Has Yasir Arafat been elected democratically? “I personally am just not expert enough to be able to answer that question…. That was before I came to this White House.”
 
For any administration, the most damaging information often comes in the form of anonymous quotes from White House staffers. Leaks rarely happen in this administration; but when they do, they are often more damaging for their infrequency. So in order to avoid answering questions arising from such leaks, Fleischer simply denies their veracity. Asked, in the wake of the Venezuelan coup, about a quote in The New York Times attributed to a “Defense Department official,” Fleischer went on the attack:
 
Fleischer: And what’s the name of the official?
 
Q: The official is unnamed. But it is–
 
Fleischer: Then how do you know he’s “top”?
 
Q: It says, according to The New York Times. So is this official mistaken?
 
Fleischer: You don’t know the person’s name?
 
Q: No, I don’t know the–
 
Fleischer: The person obviously doesn’t have enough confidence in what he said to say it on the record…. So I think if you can establish the name of this person who now without a name you’re calling “top,” we can further that. But I think you’re–you need to dig into that.
 
(Fleischer himself, of course, makes a regular practice of speaking to reporters off the record.)
 
In the even rarer case that an administration official cuts against the party line on the record, Fleischer still manages to come up with a set of rules that enables him not to acknowledge it. A few weeks ago a reporter asked him if Bush agreed with Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill, who had said he “can’t find too many Americans who believe that they are overtaxed.” Fleischer enthusiastically replied in the affirmative. The reporter, realizing Fleischer must have misunderstood the quote, helpfully repeated it. “Oh, I’m sorry. I thought your question was–I hadn’t heard that Secretary O’Neill said that,” Fleischer backtracked, proceeding to declare, “I have a long-standing habit in this briefing room, when a reporter describes to me the statements that are made by government officials, I always like to see those statements myself with my own eyes before I comment.” Needless to say, that “long-standing habit” had not prevented Fleischer from commenting when he thought the statement concurred with Bush’s own view.
 
Fleischer likewise reserves the right to close off topics because of timing. This applies first to events that have already taken place. Upon taking office, Fleischer wouldn’t comment on allegations (fed by White House leaks) of massive vandalism by departing Clintonites because “the president is looking forward and not backwards.” He wouldn’t discuss the firing of Army Corps of Engineers head Mike Parker because it was “over and dealt with.”
 
But Fleischer also refuses to address events that have yet to take place. When campaign finance reform moved through the Senate last year, he declined to explain Bush’s position: “It’s too early, yet, to say.” After it passed, and went to the House, Fleischer continued to demur because “[i]t hasn’t even made its way through the House yet.” After it passed the House, he still wouldn’t express a view, because “you just don’t know what the Senate is going to do…. There’s a lot of talk about will the Senate try to amend it, will they be unsuccessful in amending it? Will the Senate basically take the House bill and put it in a photocopier, and, therefore, send it directly to the president?” Well, a reporter asked, what if they do photocopy it? Fleischer retorted–you guessed it–“I don’t answer hypotheticals.”
 
The reporter tried, valiantly, to get an answer one more time, with a query that was clear, nonhypothetical, White House-related, and present tense: “Of the two bills that have been passed, is there any reason to veto either one?” Fleischer’s answer? “We’re going to go around in circles on this.” You can’t argue with that.
 
Jonathan Chait is a senior editor at TNR.
 
http://www.thenewrepublic.com/doc.mhtml?i=20020610&s=chait061002

 

 

Amy Fried

About Amy Fried

Amy Fried loves Maine's sense of community and the wonderful mix of culture and outdoor recreation. She loves politics in three ways: as an analytical political scientist, a devoted political junkie and a citizen who believes politics matters for people's lives. Fried is Professor of Political Science at the University of Maine. Her views do not reflect those of her employer or any group to which she belongs.