Russian Press Ask Bush: Who Says We're Not Free?

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After Bush said he had raised concerns about Russia's democracy in talks with the Russian president and felt reassured, he suddenly found himself on the defensive.

"What is that lack of freedom all about?" a reporter from the Russian news agency Interfax asked the U.S. president.

Before Bush could answer, the reporter then turned on Putin and demanded to know why he was not sticking up for Russian reporters by talking about violations of the rights of American journalists.

A startled Bush then replied that Putin had brought up the subject of journalists getting fired recently in the United States.

"People do get fired in the American press. They don't get fired by the government, however, they get fired by their editors," Bush said.

"If you're a member of the press corps and you feel comfortable with the press in Russia, then I think that is a pretty interesting observation for those of us who don't live in Russia to listen to," he said to the Russian questioner.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=7731576&src=rss/ElectionCoverage

"Where is my Jeffy-boy when I need him?"

They don't get fired by the government, however, they get fired by their editors," Bush said.

It's pretty well the same thing in corporate media Bush world. People are beginning to see that.

Its tough going out there in the world where journalists ask tough REALITY questions!!!

and here it is.

I was watching NTV (Russian TV News) on C-Span this evening. The evening newscast was on. The anchors were speaking with a journalist who was in Bratislava. There was a broadcast of the */Putin press conference. I saw this heavy-set, blonde male reporter bring up the topic of democracy in the US and Russia. The reporter stated neither US nor & Russian regimes are very deomocratic and asked them to comment on the press and press freedom.
The Russian journalist said that both were annoyed with the question.

An unsmiling, visibly irritated Mr Putin squirmed as he listened to Mr Bush tell a press conference he had been told that Washington had "concerns about Russia's commitment in fulfilling" the "universal principles" of democracy. "Democracies always reflect a country's customs and culture, and I know that," Mr Bush said. "Yet democracies have certain things in common; they have a rule of law, and protection of minorities, a free press, and a viable political opposition."

For a man who is seldom subjected to such face-to-face criticism and is famously cool under pressure, he looked at times as if he was about to lose his composure. "I respect some of his a lot and take them into account. Others I won't. should not be pushed to the foreground. New problems should not be created that could jeopardise our relationship. We want to develop the relationship."

Russian officials tried to play down the tension by suggesting the two men's relationship had matured to a level where they could now tell each other things they did not want to hear. The two men could not, however, have looked more different.

http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/story.jsp?story=614535