Shame on Oprah and NBC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) March 29, 2011 -- As the American people struggle to survive the devastation George Bush left behind, Jay Leno, and Matt Lauer (both on NBC), and Oprah have interviewed him, helping him promote his book. However, none of them conducted legitimate interviews, asking the hard questions.

Matt Lauer’s recent so-called interview was more like an infomercial, with Lauer repeatedly flattering Bush. Lauer’s coaching reminded us that, while other ex-presidents frequently give very intelligent live interviews, Bush needed a great deal of help telling his story. The interview had to be stopped and repeated many times, as evidenced by the wildly fluctuating water level in their glasses from one second to the next. During a question the water level was low, then high for the next, etc. The questions were cut and pasted together to appear as though Lauer was conducting a smooth interview with no problems, but clearly it took a lot of editing and repeating. Someone who’s telling the truth usually doesn’t have that much trouble answering easy, flattering questions.

Earlier this month, Oprah interviewed Bush again. Her questions were also easy, and he clearly knew the questions in advance. It’s hard to believe that someone with her reputation for integrity would try to sell America so many lies. After Oprah interviewed Bush last year she had been criticized for not asking tough questions. For example, a Newsweek article points out that she didn’t ask him about tax cuts, etc.

Jay Leno has had George, Laura, and their daughter Jenna on his show multiple times, but does America want to see a family that has enjoyed outrageous profits from their misery? His interviews are also merely for entertainment purposes, but are designed to promote the family and sell books.

Jason Easley wrote in PoliticusUSA (March 25, 2011), “Respondents in 100 countries were surveying and the United States was the most popular world power at 47%. This is a roughly 14% increase in America’s global standing since the Bush administration.” “Gallup found that Obama has managed to turn the US from the power that trailed Japan, Germany, France, Russia, and even China from 2007-2008 into the most popular of the world’s global powers. US leadership is now approved of by 47% of the world and only 25% disapprove.”

Alex Pareene, Salon, offers a list of reasons to explain why Bush’s book would allegedly be selling so many copies, in Why are Bush's book sales so great? “According to Crown Publishing Group, George W. Bush's lightly plagiarized memoir "Decision Points" has already sold more than 2 million copies -- counting e-books -- since it went on sale in November. That's a lot! As Glynnis MacNicol points out, that's almost as much as Bill Clinton's book has sold since it was released six years ago.”
“But ... why? In addition to being an awful communicator, Bush is famously reticent to reflect on his decisions, and in his book he's obviously relying on other people's written accounts of his presidency, which is ... a bit odd, to say the least.”
One of his theories is, “His publisher is lying. I mean, it's not super-likely, but these numbers are from a press release, not BookScan. Though the book has been on top of the Times Best Sellers list for six weeks, so it is outselling everything not involving Swedish investigative journalists, or vampires.”

Another is, “People really just want that guy to finally explain himself Americans were not particularly fond of President Bush once his administration finally ended, and maybe some of the millions of people who hated the man are just looking for an answer to the question of why, exactly, he did such awful things. Why approve torture? Why invent intelligence to justify the invasion of Iraq? Why not have plans in place to stabilize and secure either of the countries we invaded until years after we toppled their governments? Why use your congressional majorities to slash taxes on millionaires while working people's wages stagnated and the income disparity grew larger? Why keep Rumsfeld around for so damn long? Why Scott McClellan?”

There’s no shortage of critics who say that Bush didn’t write the book. Ryan Grim wrote in Huffpost Politics, “George Bush Book 'Decision Points' Lifted From Advisers' Books, “Bush lifts quotes word for word, passing them off as his own recollections.” “He took equal license in lifting from nonfiction books about his presidency or newspaper or magazine articles.”

“Many of Bush's literary misdemeanors exemplify pedestrian sloth, but others are higher crimes against the craft of memoir. In one prime instance, Bush relates a poignant meeting between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and a Tajik warlord on Karzai's Inauguration Day…Except Bush didn't

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