It wasn’t that long ago that Arthur Sylvester, one of President John F. Kennedy’s top defense officials, defended the administration’s Bay of Pigs incompetence by asserting that the federal government has “an inherent right to lie.”
We were reminded of that infamous statement last week when the White House press room was closed for an anticipated months-long overhaul, even as President Bush engaged members of the media in some good-natured repartee, which was a refreshing change from the usual fare of ideological grand-standing, remonstrative pathos and studied disdain normally displayed from the combatants in this scene. But Sylvester’s assertion ought never be far from the minds of those listening to government officials in the White House press room or any other room for that matter.
Reports say the gutting aims to modernize the room. Adding high speed Internet access, a video wall to support live feeds from government officials and revamping wiring are on the list of proposed improvements. On the surface, the mainly taxpayer-funded changes sound legitimate. Certainly, technology has zoomed ahead since President Richard Nixon ordered the room, which opened in 1970.
But these improvements to the White House press facilities don’t strike us as of the sort Publius had in mind when noting in Federalist Paper No. 64 that “perfect SECRECY and immediate DESPATCH are sometimes requisite.” (The odd spelling and capitalization are from Mr. Hamilton, not The Examiner.)
The changes seem more geared to making it easier for the government to project its message than to promoting the smooth flow of information or assuring effective treaty negotiations (the topic Hamilton was concerned about in the quote above).
For example, the video capability would allow the government to interrupt reporters’ questions to fill viewers’ television screens with the its scripted messages. And when not feeding the public live PR pablum from military officials or others, the screens could show flags waving, government charts or graphics, or inspirational messages, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.
Stephen Colbert employs the same techniques on his fake news show, “The Colbert Report,” on Comedy Central where he plays a conservative talk-show host and mouthpiece for the administration. Flags wave on video screens, bald eagles swoop and inspirational messages abound, all geared toward “Steering the great ship of news through the channels of truth.” If all it meant was that C-SPAN viewers would be treated to former Attorney General John Ashcroft belting his song, “Let the Eagle Soar,” in press room down-time, it would not be (that) troubling.
But the problem is Colbert as his TV persona cares nothing for truth. He promotes truthiness, a world view that relies on perception and gut feeling rather than facts.
We the people do not elect our leaders to feed us truthiness.
And we the people must not pay for renovations that make it easier for the government to evade questions and obscure the news of the day. Once this precedent is set, who knows to what deceptive ends future administrations might put it.
Here’s an improvement we would like to see added to those being made: More and longer news conferences with the Chief Executive and more of his top aides, preferably on the record and televised live online and elsewhere, regardless of the instant ratings. Get’em on the record often and make it easy for people to refresh their memories. Ultimately, truth must trump truthiness or the nation won’t survive.
