One more comment about [tag]Tony Snow[/tag]’s first press briefing. There was one exchange that helped highlight just how well Snow will fit in at the Bush White House.
A reporter asked about declassifying the [tag]NSA[/tag] phone-records database program, which prompted [tag]Snow[/tag] to point to public opinion as a gauge of the story’s significance.
“Look at the [tag]poll[/tag] that appeared the following day. While there was — part of it said 51 percent of the American people opposed, if you look at when people said, if there is a roster of phone numbers, do you feel comfortable that — I’m paraphrasing and I apologize — but something like 64 percent of the polling was not troubled by it.”
Less than 10 seconds later, a reporter noted that there are other polls that show Americans are “very concerned” about the NSA program, leading Snow to say:
“You cannot base national security on poll numbers.”
In other words, if the polls produce results the White House likes, we should take the numbers seriously. If the poll results are inconvenient for the Bush gang, we should dismiss them out of hand. Got it.
Scott McClellan pulled the same stunt back in January. I’d call it a “rhetorical trick” if it weren’t so transparently silly.