Russert ignored, Blitzer downplayed Bush Iraq policy speech delay

NBC News Washington bureau chief Tim Russert ignored and CNN host Wolf Blitzer downplayed the Bush administration's decision to delay the release of a revised strategy for Iraq from before Christmas until the new year. Blitzer uncritically reported Bush's explanation for the delay as fact: that Bush "will not be rushed" into making a decision. Neither considered the possibility, articulated by National Review White House correspondent Byron York and others, that Bush put off announcing a plan in part for political advantage.

As the Associated Press noted, the war in Iraq has lasted longer than U.S. involvement in World War II.

On the December 17 edition of CNN's Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer, Blitzer said that Bush "is examining his policy choices on Iraq." After playing a video clip of Bush stating, "I'm not going to be rushed into making a difficult decision," Blitzer uncritically repeated: "President Bush, speaking on Wednesday. It's already clear he's not going to be rushed into a decision, as he just said." Blitzer further downplayed the fact that Bush was delaying his speech by asserting that the speech was only "rumored to be coming this coming week." As the AP noted on December 12, it was "White House officials" and not unknown rumormongers who "expect[ed] Bush will announce [policy changes] in a speech before Christmas."

While Blitzer uncritically reported Bush's position that changing Iraq policy before 2007 would be "rush[ing]," Media Matters for America documented CNN's sharply contrasting coverage, as demonstrated by contrasting captions, of a press conference by incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). In that press conference, Pelosi announced Democrats' initial legislative plans when they assume control of the House in January. In graphics, CNN repeatedly questioned Pelosi's omission of any reference to Iraq: "Where's Iraq?" and "Pelosi Did Not Discuss Iraq in Outlining Agenda."

Opening the December 17 edition of NBC's Meet the Press, Russert noted that "[t]he president [is] explor[ing] new options for Iraq" without noting that Bush delayed his speech.

Nor did Russert or Blitzer mention suggestions that Bush's delay might be in part politically driven. As Media Matters noted, during a report on the December 13 broadcast of NBC's Today, York suggested that Bush delayed his announcement of changes to the administration's Iraq war policy -- initially planned to be delivered before Christmas -- until January in part because of "public relations," adding: "[T]he president wants to come out with something new, something fresh, and something that will help change the debate at the same time that the Democratic Congress is taking office and getting a lot of attention in Washington."

By contrast, on the December 13 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews, Roger Simon, chief political columnist for The Politico, a political news website scheduled to launch in January 2007, commented on the possible political considerations behind the delayed announcement, saying: "The trouble is, people are dying and maybe that would be a reason to speed things up a little."

From the December 17 edition of NBC's Meet the Press:

RUSSERT: Our issues this Sunday: The president explores new options for Iraq.

BUSH [video clip]: I'm not going to be rushed into making a difficult decision.

RUSSERT: The tensions between the First Amendment and the war on terror. And will this man, the former speaker of the House of Representatives, run for president of the United States? With us: our guest, Newt Gingrich.

From the December 17 edition of CNN's Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer:

BLITZER: And just ahead, President Bush is examining his policy choices on Iraq. But how will any of them play politically? We'll ask the former White House chief of staff John Podesta and former policy analyst Danielle Pletka.

[...]

BUSH [video clip]: I will be delivering my -- my plans, after a long deliberation, after steady deliberation. I'm not going to be rushed into making a difficult decision.

BLITZER: President Bush, speaking on Wednesday. It's already clear he's not going to be rushed into a decision, as he just said. A policy speech rumored to be coming this coming week has been pushed back until early into the new year.

—B.J.L.