C&L's Book Chat : Craig Crawford Discusses Listen Up, Mr President
By Nicole Belle Wednesday Nov 04, 2009 10:00am
There are, perhaps, only a few jobs for which you truly cannot prepare, but just leap in and do.
One of those jobs has to be President of the United States. No matter how much you think you've learned--be it in the Senate like Barack Obama, or as the governor of a state, like George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, or even as Vice President, like George HW Bush and Lyndon Johnson--the American presidency is a whole other animal. Often insulated and isolated from those who put you in office, the American president must juggle political, economic, foreign, security and partisan interests to lead the Executive Branch--and the free world--to the best of their abilities.
Obviously, some presidencies are more successful than others.
As journalists assigned to cover the White House, Craig Crawford of CQ Politics and Helen Thomas of the Hearst News Syndicate, together share decades of observing from the White House Press Room. They have watched and noted each success and each blunder. Helen Thomas has covered more presidents than any other present journalist, starting with JFK in 1960, but her career really began in 1945 during Roosevelt's administration. Craig Crawford, who actually interned as a college student in Jimmy Carter's press office, began covering presidential campaigns in 1988 with Ronald Reagan. So there's no shortage of presidential triumphs and stumbles between them, and it is that experience they have collated to create Listen Up, Mr. President: Everything You Always Wanted Your President to Know and Do, where they share the attributes of successful presidencies by looking at the choices made by predecessors: from Clinton's prickly and sometimes overly hostile handling of the press to JFK's deft deflectons with humor, from Johnson's brave stance on civil rights, knowing the political costs to him and his party to Reagan's Cold War fight, which alienated him with his conservative base when he began negotiating nuclear disarmament with Gorbachev.
Every presidency is marked with mistakes as the president navigates this unbelievably difficult and occasionally thankless job, but Helen and Craig have listed some basic principles which, if followed, should make any future president successful, such as finding trustworthy advisers, remembering they are not above the law, be honest, have the courage to do the hard thing and keep a clear vision.
I'm happy to have Craig Crawford here with us today to discuss his book, Listen Up, Mr. President: Everything You Always Wanted Your President to Know and Do. Please join us to chat on what makes for a successful American presidency.
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Craig here.
Thank you so much for coming to Crooks and Liars!
While we wait for our readers to catch up on the new post, let me ask you: How did this book come about? Why did you and Helen decide to collaborate on this book right now?
Helen and have been friends for many years. We get together with other friends regularly at her favorite local restaurant. Naturally, we mostly talked about presidential politics. And when I realized that next year she celebrates FIFTY YEARS covering the presidency, it seemed like to time for her to shift from asking questions to giving advice. So we decided to explore the lessons of past presidents in order to develop some guidelines for future presidents.
Thanks for being here, Craig! Blue Gal / Fran Langum of C&L here with a writerly question:
What did you leave OUT of the book that you WISH you had been able to include?
There's always something...
Well, there were a few past presidents I sort of wish we had included, like the corruption of the Grant presidency. But we got a lot in, even Martin Van Buren.
Craig,
Your thoughts about having the Atty Gen investigate the crimes of the Bush administration?
I'm all for it
President Bush’s treatment of Helen Thomas was famously dismissive. I come from the belief that the press should be somewhat antagonistic towards politicians in order to cover them fairly, not necessarily the other way around. How do you feel that relationship transformed during the Bush administration? It seems that Bush turned the tables on the media and that many openly courted access instead of being as aggressive as they should have been. How has it changed with Obama in office?
There's a funny story about those days when Bush WH temporarily shoved Helen off the front row. She was standing in the back with a Russian journalist who told her, "This is like the Soviet Union."
Relations are worsening these days between Obama WH and press corps.
How so?
I'd like to ask what you think of 1.) President Obama's current stand on Fox News and 2.)The other media's support of Fox.
Not worthy of Obama, I think. Better for presidents to "punch up" not down, take on greater foes, not lesser. Obama's real problems are with GOPers and conservative Ds on Cap Hill, not Fox News
I am looking forward to read your book over the Holidays. What I have heard about it is that it is very good read.
THanks much, we're proud of it. Lots of fun history (like Taft getting stuck in the tub), and some great stories from Helen's many years at WH
Speaking of antagonistic relationships, I’ve been very critical of many media outlets for seemingly regurgitating press releases from politicos without fact-checking, context or any semblance of journalistic integrity. Obviously, I don’t mean you and Helen. ;). Judy Miller, Jeff Gannon and Armstrong Williams are really the apex of this incestuous relationship between the previous administration and the press.
With the Obama administration, we hear that the press routinely gives him a pass, but I honestly don’t see it. The media is only too happy to uncritically report on death panels, legitimize lies about health care reform and any other smear (Kenyan birth certificates, Bill Ayers and Rev. Wright on White House visitor logs, et al.,) the GOP throws out.
What do you see as the role of the media vis a vis the White House?
I've always believed that wimping out and getting too cozy with politicians is a much bigger media problem than bias.
Which do you prefer: Is It Progression If A Cannibal Uses A Fork?
Or
"You Can Take My Love and Shove It Up Your Heart."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KI-8hst0bho
Book questions, please
Actually I was deleting it when your response stopped it.
I always prefer Roger Miller
that's good.
Are you worried at all that FPI (formerly PNAC), is trying to light a regional war in the Near East?
Not on my radar, I'm afraid, but sounds scary. As Helen often says, she's heard the word War a lot more than Peace in covering the WH for five decades.
How do we turn back the power of the Corporations to dominate the government?
When last I ask this, Ned Lamont gave me an answer about his support of shareholders rights.
I thought this to be the domain of the worker bees, not shareholders. It seemed like a curious answer from a previous Democratic candidate, I guess he must have thought he was running for the House of Lords.
Back to the original question:
How do we turn back the power of the Corporations to dominate the government?
20008 was encouraging election for getting out anti-establishment voters. But I fear Obama is not encouraging them to stick with him.
Thank you, as I said after his FISA flip flop:
He represented change you could pretend in…
He is a marketers dream come true, from John Pilger before Socialism 2009 here
Pundits and wags are already trying to claim last night's election was a referendum against President Obama and the Democrats.
They claim Virginia was tracking Blue, but they've been Red forever, and only in the election of 2008 did they vote Blue.
And it's almost a given, the controlling party in Congress loses a few seats in mid-term elections (not due until 2010), and other off-season elections as the one last night.
As for the gay marriage in Maine, although I understand New England tracks low as a religious state in terms of practice, non-presidential elections seem to attract the elderly who are more likely to vote against such things.
What would the impact of gay marriage be on taxes if married gays and lesbians could deduct one of them as a dependent, or simply as joint filers?
One of the first pieces of advice you give in your book is for the President to remember that he is not above the law and to read the Constitution. And while I love the sentiment, I know that longtime C&L regulars will immediately harken back to the Bush administration and question that. To us, it appears the lesson learned from Ford’s pardon of Nixon, Reagan and Bush41’s Iran-Contra activities and the numerous Bush43/Cheney crimes that have gone uninvestigated, much less punished, is that Presidents ARE above the law. That is, of course, unless they’re lying about extramarital affairs.
We know that sex sells and the traditional media couldn’t get enough salacious coverage of Clinton’s impeachment trial (and Paula Jones’ civil trial, and Gennifer Flowers), but when it came to really important, Constitutional-crisis stuff, like the reasons for the invasion of Iraq and Valerie Plame’s outing, for the most part it was only a handful of marginalized journalists (like Helen) speaking out. So, Craig, what do you think is the responsibility of the media when they see the President inching away from his/her Constitutional confines?
Yes, you are right, presidents do get away with extra-constitutional behavior. But as we say in the book, their ONLY job is in the words of the oath of office -- to preserve, protect, defend the Constitution. Not to preserve their own power and reelections. And yes, the media, the blogosphere, all of us should remain ever vigilant in monitoring this
Was it the Founding Father's Intent to have the president serve as the judicial reviewer for Congress, and the Supremes to have the same power over the unspecified lower tribunals, and not the Supremes over Congress as per Madison v Marbury (1803)?
Funny thing is the Constitution doesn't actually seem to address judicial review, executive priviledge nor congressional oversight.
President Obama is shoveling as fast as he can to get us out from under the cataclysm that was the presidency of George W. Bush--The Worst President In United States History--and faces the most difficult set of circumstances since Buchanan handed Lincoln the keys. And we have the Republicans united against anything that redounds to the good of the Obama Administration. Especially anything that might be for the good of the country,
Do you think that Obama will finally see enough daylight to right a ship that was sinking and start to pursue his own course before 2010.
Thank you for being with us today.
Yes, everyone needs to remember what Obama inherited. We write a lot in the book about how new presidents should be wary of what they inherit. JFK, for example, was blindsided by Eisenhower's Cuban plans, which turned disastorous at first.
To what extent does the chief of staff, acting as gate keeper to the president, color the the president's view of the issues?
The rise of CoS -- and the vast expansion of presidential staffs in general -- came in part because presidents really do have limited control over the bureaucracy. They only appoint some 3,000 posts, for instance. This has led to a fiefdom mentality in the WH that is not always healthy. But the patronage abuses of presidents throughout history led Congress to this point.
So who is the best reporter at the WH in terms of keeping their objectivity? and who is/was the worst? (Helen doesn't count.)
...to those you cover:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hphLyz4kx_k
Ha, I'm dodging that one. I'm generally not impressed with the current WH press corps. Neither is Helen.
I'll take that as a "David Gregory" and move along. Ha.
Is there any chance Obama will have a cabinet reorganization anytime soon?
bush was unusual in not having at least a couple.
I would particularly like to get rid of Rahm Emmanuel and find some place suitable for Howard Dean.
THe trouble with any reorginzing that is too dramatic is that it creates an image of chaos -- as happened when Jimmy Carter did that.
I remember.
But all it takes is timing, and trotting out the trite, "I'm leaving for my family."
thanks for taking the time to come chat with us. i always enjoy your comments on Countdown w/KO.
I was wondering what you thought about the use of the state secrets privilege, and the adoption of bush arguments for using 'the privilege' by the obama admin? and, in the same vein, your thoughts on the unitary executive theory, and whether or not the party that holds the white house will ever, a la george washington, voluntarily give up some executive powers...
thanks, i am schedule to be on Countdown tonight
we write a lot in the book about the need for Congress to be more assertive about its powers, especially in declaring war.
You mentioned on your blog that yesterdays voting results could jeopardize the public insurance option.Could you elaborate?
My point simply is that politicians look at the results and fear there is some sort of voter backlash against growing government. I do not mean that is a correct interpretation of the election results. But I see them reacting in this way. And think many Dems are now even less likely to back public option. I am sure this is a reason why Reid is dialing back the timetable for health care votes.
are certainly spinning the TWO wins out of TEN to mean that. disgusting.
the Beltway before coming to these conclusions? The polls don't indicate that at all, but that's what the conservative media keeps saying, so that's how they react.
CA 10 (my district) just elected someone who trumpeted his support for the public option and he won handily, in a district that had a Blue Dog (Tauscher) and Republicans before that for 30 years.
One thing that bothers me about the WH press corps is their villager-ness. They went collectively ballistic over Nico Pitney (a blogger! horreurs!) getting a press conference question. But Huffpo is insider corporate (though left wing corporate) media in the minds of most of us here in Left Blogsylvania.
If the WH press corps is a privileged group, why not more collective push back on lapdog treatment by the WH, rather than jealousy between peers? They should be more conscious of that, or is that asking too much of those for whom power and access is the ultimate aphrodesiac?
sorry for the longwinded question...
Very much agree with you. WH press corps is way too clubby and group think. One reason I don't go over there very much. Afraid it might be contagious.
Craig, do you think that presidential attempts to manage the media affects the coverage they receive positively or negatively?
How successful do you think the Obama administration has been in cultivating a good relationship with the media and do you think that is advantageous to his presidency?
All presidents try this, and it seldom works, at least not for long. They can be so thin skinned. Clinton once said he looks at the press corps and feels like a fire hydrant eyeing a pack of dogs.
of calling BS in the press pool. seems like reporters today don't do it unless they are from the opposing political party.
How can we get partisanship out of reporting?
ANd thank you for coming today. I also enjoy your appearances on countdown!!
you answered a similar Q already. how about the partisanship issue. It's sooooooo annoying.
as they say in Parliamentary Question Time, i refer you to the answer above. thanks
Well, nothing wrong with a reporter BEING partisan or bias. I didn't check out of the human race when I became a journalist. THe problem is in letting your bias affect your reporting. I believe in revealing our biases and then being as tough on those we like as we are on those we don't. Of course, those of us in the commentary business have a little more running room.
however, it's all becoming commentary, no offense to you because you are quite clear about that.
I object to being bombarded by "straight" news outlets running headlines completely contrary to what the facts say ie GOP sweeps the nation.
This perspective goes a long way towards explaining the difference between FOX and MSNBC for example.
Did I miss him?
working his way thru the Qs. :]
Cool.
How is the media here in the states compared to Europe, far east, and the third world when addressing the POTUS. Are they as demanding as the US media, more gotcha questions, or are they more about foriegn policy and non domestic issues?
Who is your favorite forigen reporter that doesnt work for a US outlet and what overseas media(paper/site/tv do you turn to first?
PS Smart and funny is a great way to go through life. keep it up.
I generally prefer British media to ours. THey are brutal on their leaders. WHich is word, since they have no First Amendment-type protection.
25 Rules for Survival in a Brutal and Manipulative World?
Or will we be returning to the malls for Happy Shopping sometime soon?
Ha, that's my last book -- and it's still avail on Amazon for holiday shopping
. .
are you not heartened by the news that we lost fewer jobs than last month?
One of my favorite chapters in your book was the one entitled “Have Courage, Even If It Hurts.” That’s really key for whether a presidency will be viewed as a successful one historically, isn’t it?
Do you feel overall, the Obama administration has been successful in making brave, if painful, choices, or do you see room for improvement?
Much room for improvement. Helen and I both feel our Courage chapter is the most important. Obama has nailed hope. It's time for audacity.
of sounding "gushy" please pass along my(no doubt "our") utmost respect to Ms. Thomas.
I like you, Craig, and you've been great to work with, but I idolize Helen. ;)
Hi Craig
I used to visit and chat on your first website, along with Sheila, Renee and others.
Was it Ms Thomas that you spilled wine on her coat one of the first times you met? And are you still avoiding apple martinis so there are no more broken wrists?
Congratulations to you and Ms Thomas on your new book.
Good memory. But her coat dry cleaned without any prob.
Mr. Crawford...when you're on Countdown...how in the heck do you keep from bustin out laughin when KO says something hilarious? For that matter, how do both of yous guys do it? Y'all are both funnier'n hell.
Lookin forward to seein ya on Countdown tonight.
Keep up the good work.
Well, some say I already laugh too much on air. So don't encourage me.
Laughter's good medicine!
And contagious, so chuckle away I say!
I found a perfect quote for Faux "News", Glen Beck and his teabaggers:
"When the prepossession was so general, we thought it our best way to hold our tongues. Had we opposed it, we had not only been accounted ridiculous blockheads, but atheists and infidels. How was it possible to stand against the madness of a whole people? Those that believed we doubted the truth of the fact, came and upbraided us with our incredulity..."
Joseph Pitton de Tournefort, A Voyage to the Levant (1702).
I'll have to come back and study that one. THose boys in 1700 talked kinda funny
Rush Limbaugh, in an interview on.....another network....claimed that Obama was not prepared for the presidency. Is this a fair assessment of the president, given that no president can be completely prepared for the responsibilities of office?
As Helen and I say in the book, there are not instant presidents. NO matter their background, there is always a learning curve. WHich is why we wrote this book, to be helpful. We want any duly elected president to succeed and make the country better.
... that he seemed to do well during the campaign?
Rally anti-establishment voters to pressure for change
but the pick of Rahm seems to fly in the face of welcoming that kind of pressure.
Craig, what are your feelings about the push-pull between traditional journalists such as yourself and the blogosphere? How has that dynamic changed the way you see both the media and the White House responding?
(amended) In my years here, I’ve found that many stories were broken by the blogosphere (i.e., Valerie Plame’s outing, torture, the US Attorneys firing, even Reverend Wright on the right wing side) and then carried over into the mainstream media.
Do you think that successive presidencies need to be responsive to both the blogosphere and the mainstream media?
Because we tend to congregate with our own kind and forget, but the rightwing blogosphere tends to have even more influence than the left.
Maybe because we always caution our readers to be polite when contacting polticians and journalists and they don't. I know I've gotten some extremely hate-filled and violent feedback from conservative readers.
the lines are all blurring, aren't they? i hardly know the difference anymore. basically, anybody with a laptop is a journalist, and anybody with a cell phone is a photographer. it's all cool, more information out there because of it. but BUYER BEWARE
any opinion from you or Helen on which political positions seem to be the best prep for prez? I think governors seem to dictatorial, based on W and even Clinton and Carter. I'll take a congressman because they've had to work more collaboratively. JMHO.
Governors do seem to bring better skills at, well, governing. Legislators, at least these days, not so much.
being the exception that proves the rule?
Craig, is the lack of intellectual integrity in the media a function of deregulation, corporate control or are journalists today simply not curious?
Laziness of mind.
The pressure on any president is tremendous, and I can’t think of a single one who didn’t look like they aged 10 years during their 4 year term. My husband and I were commenting on this the other night, how Obama’s hair is more gray and the lines on his face are more pronounced even after just 10 months on the job. Your very first chapter advising the President is entitled “Brace Yourself: The Worst Is Yet To Come.” Of the many aspects you discuss—finding a management style, surrounding yourself with trustworthy advisers, learning to laugh at yourself, etc.—what would you say is the most critical thing(s) a new president should do in the face of such unbelievable responsibility (and stress)?
So, I guess a President John McCain would have looked like Skeletor by now?
It wouldn't have surprised me.
And you know who would have been a heartbeat away from the presidency. {{{shudder}}}
appeal to SP's vanity as a reason not to run?
All those, and we also write about the need for relieving stress. We look at many examples, from Reagan chopping wood to Bush Sr's fishing trips.
"..from Reagan chopping wood to Bush Sr's fishing trips."
Not to mention the inherent "folksy" bi-product of such endeavors.
used to go out on an expensive cigarette boat, hardly a populist look.
It's very interesting to look at how some presidents played down their wealth to play up populist support and others unapologetically didn't and how the media responded.
Craig and Helen do cover that in their book.
Your final chapter is “Listen Up, Voters: It’s Up To You” and you speak to how Americans can hold presidents to high standards but simultaneously keeping expectations reasonable, something I don’t think we’ve been altogether successful in doing with the Obama administration.
You’re chatting with some very engaged political junkies here and we’ve taken an active role in pushing for progressive policies and representatives. Despite this, I see some unreasonable expectations on this very blog daily. Now I hope you don’t take this personally, but I believe the media bears some of the responsibility for this. After 8 years of Bush neo-con/Chicago School of Economics/trickle down policies (and frankly 25 years of GOP congressional control) and a bailout plan begun by Bush before leaving office, how fair is it to expect Obama to have undone years of damage within months? Yet, that’s what I see in the reporting: acknowledging that the stimulus is starting to work, but jobs are still down (which completely ignores the fact that employment is a lagging indicator and you wouldn’t see immediate results). Or covering tea party protests when anti-war protests were ignored over and over. That’s not to say that there isn’t more that Obama could do, but what do you think the media’s role is in managing Americans’ expectations?
Yes, we write about the danger of unreasonable expectations. We'd have to have a full on dictatorship for presidents to get half the things done that they promise in a campaign. One of my pet peeves about the campaign media is how we yammer for candidates to present detailed plans for their agenda but never really examine their qualifications for actually getting it through Congress. After all, as the saying goes, "the President proposes, and Congress disposes."
Nicole, that was such a good question.
.
good answer too.
You'd think I've done this stuff before. :)
I betcha have, a couple of times anyway. :)
:)
It speaks to that Amato mojo that even after I stepped down as Managing Editor, I'm still here doing book chats and Sunday shows.
to be like disappointing sex...
Hopefully these are more fun.
Thanks for joining us. If you've answered this already, I'm sorry, but:
What is your position on the Fairness Doctrine? Do you think its return is desired by other reporters?
Thank you.
As much as I'd like to see more balance, particularly on talk radio, I greatly fear any government regulation of media. Still, the air waves technically belong to the public, and more diversity would better serve the public.
I too would, ideally, favor more diversity. Shame that our corporate overlords don't see it that way.
You mention upthread that Obama should punch up not down (IE Fox) and I agree it looks that way. But in reality, isn't Fox an extension of this massive corporate domination of our government? How should Obama take this dynamic on in lieu of attacking their messenger?
and although Craig did answer it somewhat above, my thinking falls in line with yours:
Now despite FNC’s whinging and grousing about it, the White House hasn’t revoked any press passes, hasn’t said they will keep White House officials off FNC, hasn’t kicked FNC out of the WH briefing room.
It strikes me as being fundamentally more honest than what GWB did to MSNBC and other outlets he felt weren’t sympathetic to him, which was to shun them and curry favor with those outlets more disposed to be complimentary (such as –surprise!—Fox News) without tacitly admitting to doing it.
Stipulating that there is no question—even Fox News admits as such—that FNC is a conservative news outlet, what are your thoughts on the Obama White House’s actions?
I just think he ought to be as tough on the lawmakers in his way as he is about one cable channel.
I thought his congressional address was pretty good. But more is needed, agreed.
Do you think that Flailin Palin's Carpetbag Express, boogered up the chance for Hoffman to pull off a win after Dede dropped out and endorsed the Democratic candidate? And was this a repudiation of Palin and her far right brand of conservatism?
Ya know, as tempting as it is to draw those type of conclusions, the house race became such a circus that I'm thinking it would take a psychic to sort it out. I do know this, however, the politics of personal destruction took a blow yesterday. Those who tried it, tended to lose (Democrats Deeds and Corzine included).
For now...I will draw that very conclusion, lol!
Though I do agree with your other point though...the cheap shots backfired.
That deserves a few "nyuks".
nyuk nyuk nyuk!
In reality however,I'm still very nervous about the fringers.
Can't have too many I always say!
So what do you think of them releasing a new Three Stooges movie with Benecio Del Toro as Moe, Sean Penn as Larry, and Jim Carrey as Curly?
Or just plain stupid and bad.
Because I agree with you on almost everything else... Go Phillies!
I am not much of a sports follower, as my friends know, but I despise the Yankee money monopoly. On twitter the other day i got carried away and compared it to the Insurance industry stifling health reform
Craig, since you used to speak of them often, how is your mom and dad?
Why thanks for asking. THey are great, were just up here for 10 days to join me and Helen T for our book launch events. We had loads of fun.
That's so good to hear. We all grew fond of them and that picture of them sitting at the picnic table with I believe a little red flower pot in the middle.
Please tell them that one of their fans said hello and sent a hug to each of them.
Craig, thank you so much for being here.
It's been great having you here and I hope we've enticed C&Lers to pick up your book.
Listen Up, Mr. President: Everything You Always Wanted Your President to Know and Do
Any last words of wisdom you'd like to impart to us?
As the line goes in my favorite movie, Jeremiah Johnson: "Watch your top knot!"
Thanks again, Craig.
Thank you so very much for being here! Congratulations to you and Ms. Thomas on your new book. I look forward to reading it.
And thanks to Ms. Thomas as well. Keep up the good work!
see ya on tee vee
I'm gonna buy your book, and may even read it!
Peace!
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