Where Is The Outrage?

To the Editor,

Members of the US press got a taste of Clinton indifference and disregard Saturday, April 22, 2000, when they were ignored at a “Presidential News Conference.” A battery of photographers and reporters were summoned to the White House lawn to cover a Clinton pronouncement concerning the 5 am Miami raid on the Gonzalez household. Fifteen minutes late, Clinton walked to an outdoor portable rostrum to deliver a short statement of approval for the action taken earlier in the day by his Attorney General.

Following his brief reading of a carefully prepared statement, Clinton entertained one question from lead-off veteran reporter Helen Thomas. His answer to Thomas was of no consequence, but what followed, was. Clinton turned around, showed his backside to the reporters, to their news organizations, to their editors, and to the American readership, and simply walked away. One question… one answer. That was it, folks. Take it and like it.

The current holder of the highest office in our land, indeed in the free world, by turning away from a waiting news conduit, announced for all the world to see, his absolute disregard for an electorate expecting to hear news from the Commander-in-Chief rather than from hired underlings. The attendant news reporters were “stood up.” Will they take that treatment sitting down? Will they display their invited outrage?

Doug Rogers

27 Shepard Hill Road, Newtown                                  April 25, 2000