Speaking of Colin Powell on Meet the Press (see below), if you missed it, you missed an incredibly odd exchange.
Russert was being Russert, asking tough questions about Iraq for which there really are no good answers. He was wrapping up the interview and said, “Finally, Mr. Secretary…” when the camera panned away. At first, it seemed like a technical glitch. It wasn’t.
Powell, who was appearing via satellite from Jordan, could be heard along with Emily Miller, a deputy press aide, arguing after Miller intervened to cut off the interview.
“You’re off,” State Department press aide Emily Miller was heard saying.
“I am not off,” Powell insisted.
“No, they can’t use it, they’re editing it,” Miller said.
“He’s still asking the questions,” Powell said.
Miller, a onetime NBC staffer who recently worked for House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, also told Powell: “He was going to go for another five minutes.”
Undeterred, Russert complained from Washington: “I would hope they would put you back on camera. I don’t know who did that.” He later said, “I think that was one of your staff Mr. Secretary. I don’t think that’s appropriate.”
As the delay dragged on, Powell ordered: “Emily, get out of the way. Bring the camera back please.” Powell’s image returned to the screen, and Russert asked his last question.
Even for an administration known for bizarre media manipulation, this was incredible to watch.
The explanation the State Department offered didn’t make a lot of sense.
State Department spokeswoman Julie Reside said Powell had scheduled five interviews, one after another, and that NBC went over the agreed upon time limit. She said every effort was made to get NBC to finish up, but that other networks had booked satellite time for interviews with Powell.
The executive producer of Meet the Press, Betsy Fischer, said Powell was 45 minutes late for the interview and that “everyone’s satellite schedules already had to be rescheduled” anyway.
I have to give Powell credit here. He not only finished the interview, but he called Russert later to apologize. Good for him.
But it also leads me to wonder if Miller still has a job this morning, and if so, why. Even if stunts like these are common in DeLay’s office when Miller worked for him, the State Department shouldn’t have someone like this on staff. Even Russert seemed to be amazed.
Russert was still puzzled afterward. “A taxpayer-paid employee interrupted an interview,” he said. “Not in the United States of America, that’s not supposed to go on. This is attempted news management gone berserk.”