<a href="http://uggabugga.blogspot.com/2006/05/its-been-how-longdan-froomkin-writesis.html" source="Uggabugga">It's been <i>how long?</i></a> reports on a recent column, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2006/05/08/BL2006050800788.html" source="Washington Post" author="Daniel Froomkin">Would Bush Rather Be Fishing?</a> that covered a recent, short question and answer session with George Bush. Right near the beginning, he writes: <bq>Remember when he was asked to name his biggest mistake and what he'd learned from it---and he couldn't name any? (He hasn't held a prime-time press conference since.)</bq> <img attachment="story.bush.rosegarden.jpg" align="right" class="frame" caption="The Decider">That president Bush falls somewhat shy of the average number of press conferences for sitting presidents is pretty well-known<fn>. He's not so quick on his mental feet and often flubs a quickly scrolling teleprompter. The stunned deer-in-headlights impression he often does as the wheels try to grind out an answer doesn't help him either. That the <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/04/20040413-20.html" source="White House">last prime-time conference</a> was <i>over two years ago</i> is a whole other level of avoiding accountability. The fact that this isn't news means he's elevated it to an art form. Sure, he does the occasional "town hall" in which he addresses his hand-picked crowds on hand-picked issues<fn>. Those are marketing campaigns, not press conferences. The fact that we haven't risen up and demanded accountability or at least grovelling public apologies and explanations from Bush and his fleet of idiots only shows that America in no longer the country of the strong-willed independent-thinking, if simple, working man<fn>. Osama's still out there, Iraq's sucking away everything we've got, the oil barons are building mansions on the ruins of our pensions and the government is listening to everything we say. And we're content to roll up and down the aisles of the local Wal-Mart in our rascals because we get an asthma attack walking all the way to the back to pick up milk. And all the while, Bush scuttles around inside his bubble<fn>, insulated from our wrath, worrying about dropping poll numbers instead of his own skin. He should see torches and pitchforks each time he pushes the curtains to the side and looks out at the country he's working so hard to ruin. <hr> <ft>This <a href="http://www.c-span.org/classroom/govt/pressconferences.asp#bv" source="C-Span">classroom exercise</a> writes that <iq>On April 13, 2004 George W. Bush held the 12th press conference of his presidency.</iq> This <a href="http://www.theconnection.org/shows/2003/08/20030801_a_main.asp" source="The Connection">radio segment</a> says that by the time in his presidency that Bush had held <iq>nine solo performances ... his father had held 61 and President Clinton had held 33.</iq> Almost 3 years later and Bush has felt the need to personally inform America just what the hell he thinks he's doing an even dozen times and <i>not once</i> in the last <i>two years</i>.</ft> <ft>The only reason he got a few curve ball questions recently is because his approval rating is so damned low that they would have to hold the town hall half-empty if they kept out everyone who disagreed with him.</ft> <ft>I know, I know, <i>if it even ever was</i>. Shut up. I'm on a roll.</ft> <ft>His equivalent of der Fuhrer's underground bunker or Saddam's spider hole.</ft>