As if the guy doesn't have enough problems...
Drudge, and Kevin Drum are reporting this, and I watched it this morning, so I'm reporting it to. Am I adding anything to the discussion? No.
Tim Russert is interviewing Colin Powell via a satellite feed from Jordan. Apparently the interview was scheduled for 10 minutes, but went a little long. As Russert is asking his final question -- a semi-tough one about Powell's famous speech at the U.N. -- the camera on Powell swings to the right to a nice peaceful shot of palm trees while the following exchange happens over this shot.
(Camera moved off of interview subject)
EMILY MILLER, STATE DEPARTMENT PRESS AIDE: You're off.
SECRETARY POWELL: I am not off.
EMILY MILLER, PRESS AIDE: No. They can't use it, they're editing it.
SECRETARY POWELL: He's still asking the questions.
EMILY MILLER, PRESS AIDE: He was not ...
SECRETARY POWELL: Tim, I am sorry I lost you.
MR. RUSSERT: I am right here Mr. Secretary. I would hope they would put you back on camera. I don't know who did that.
EMILY MILLER, PRESS AIDE: He was going to go for another five minutes.
SECRETARY POWELL: We've really scre...
MR. RUSSERT: I think that was one of your staff Mr. Secretary. I don't think that's appropriate.
SECRETARY POWELL: Emily, get out of the way. Bring the camera back please. (Camera returns to the interview subject) I think we're back on Tim, go ahead with your last question.
MR. RUSSERT: Thank you very much, sir.
In February of 2003, you put your enormous personal reputation on the line before the United Nations and said that you had solid sources for the case against Saddam Hussein. It now appears that an agent called "Curve Ball" had misled the CIA by suggesting that Saddam had trucks and trains that were delivering biological chemical weapons.
How concerned are you that some of the information you shared with the world is now inaccurate and discredited?
SECRETARY POWELL: I'm very concerned. When I made that presentation in February 2003, it was based on the best information that the Central Intelligence Agency made available to me. We studied it carefully. We looked at the sourcing and the case of the mobile trucks and trains. There was multiple sourcing for that. Unfortunately, that multiple sourcing over time has turned out to be not accurate, and so I'm deeply disappointed.
But I'm also comfortable that at the time that I made the presentation it reflected the collective judgment, the sound judgment, of the intelligence community, but it turned out that the sourcing was inaccurate and wrong and, in some cases, deliberately misleading. And for that I'm disappointed, and I regret it.
MR. RUSSERT: Mr. Secretary, we thank you very much for joining us again and sharing your views with us today. SECRETARY POWELL: Thanks, Tim.
(END OF PRE-TAPE INTERVIEW)
MR. RUSSERT: AND THAT WAS AN UNEDITED INTERVIEW WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE, TAPED EARLIER THIS MORNING FROM JORDAN.
WE APPRECIATE SECRETARY POWELL'S WILLINGNESS TO OVERRULE HIS PRESS AIDES' ATTEMPT TO ABRUPTLY CUT OFF OUR DISCUSSION AS I BEGAN TO ASK MY FINAL QUESTION.
Apparently this Emily Miller, Powell's press aide, used to be an aide to Tom DeLay, so I'm sure she's a bit sensitive.
There was a significant audio delay, so I imagine they hadn't heard Russert begin his last question when the camera swung off of Powell, but still, what kind of a media aide ever moves the camera off of her boss while he's on national television? An ex-media aide, that's what kind.
p.s. -- I don't really feel sorry for Powell that he'll now have to apologize for this, he made this bed a long time ago by continuing to go along with his boss. In fact, I find him more responsible in a way because while Bush, Cheney, Rummy and the gang are nuts, I at least get the feeling that they actually believe in the crap they're saying. Powell, on the other hand, comes off as just pathetically following along with an ideology he doesn't share.
UPDATE :: You can watch the video here.
