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6/18/02
Dear Michael Getler [WaPo Ombudsman]:
Dana Milbank's article on George Bush's Ohio State commencent address really crosses the line between objective reporting and administration propaganda. The long list of Bush's "intellectual influences" is obvious p.r. flack puffery: it should have been pared down (or--is this too much to ask?--supported with some examples of where those thinkers' ideas appear in the former C-student's speech). More disturbing is the omission of the school's threats to arrest students for protesting, and the actual arrest of a "silent protestor," which have been documented elsewhere. Milbank creates the impression that Bush has broad popular support, but that means nothing if it's coerced. In terms of sheer newsworthiness, the "turn your back on Bush" campaign organized by the students --an unpaid, grassroots effort--is a far more compelling "story hook" than Bush's so-called journey to popularity. The former took guts and belief; the latter was conferred on Bush by tragic circumstances (which, it's looking more and more like, he actively or negligently brought into being).
Sincerely, Tom Moody