Damage control

The stock markets are roiling, the government is bailing out banks and violence is resurgent in Afghanistan — few could have predicted the twilight months of the Bush administration would be so eventful.

But for White House press secretary Dana Perino, crisis management has become the routine. A constant drumbeat of world events, combined with the demands of the 24-hour news cycle, have robbed Perino and her communications team of the nice, easy fade-out that they expected.