Political Punch
Power, pop, and probings from ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Jake Tapper
Jake Tapper is ABC News' Senior White House Correspondent based in the network's Washington bureau. He writes about politics and popular culture and covers a range of national stories.
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Bartlett Jumping Ship
June 01, 2007 11:40 AM
Dan Bartlett, the counselor to the President, announced this morning (his 36th birthday) that he's leaving the White House. Bartlett has been with George W Bush since his run for governor if Texas in 1993.
I first got to know Bartlett in 1999 when he was director of Rapid Response for the Bush for President campaign -- "rapid response" being the term of art for having responses to any serious questions about the then-governor's draft record, DUI, etc etc. If you had a question about anything uncomfortable or untoward, you were referred to Dan.
White House correspondent Ann Compton rells us that the Bush family prevailed on him to stay, but the father of three decided, "it was high time for the Bartlett family to prevail." One of moments that "crystalized" it for him was the last vacation his family took (to the Outer Banks.) He had to drag along with him a WH Communications Agency unit for secure video-teleconferencing in case he was needed. "You are never able to turn it off," he said of his job. His wife Allyson wakes up to the sound of his tapping on his Blackberry. Bartlett's twins Jake and Sutton are three. When unable to decide what to name four month old Whit before he was born, Allyson suggested "Exit Strategy."
While few would doubt that Bartlett, who has young children, truly wants to spend more time with them, Bartlett's departure comes at an inopportune moment for the White House. The president's approval ratings are at record lows, he's angering conservatives with his rhetoric about immigration reform, Republican presidential candidates are at the beginning stages of implementing a Sarkozy-eaque distancing from their president, the September surge report deadline awaits….
The president once said that he would "not withdraw (from Iraq) even if Laura and Barney (the dog) are the only ones supporting me."
In terms of loyalty, Bartlett is pretty close to Barney status.
What do you think? Loyal aide whose service we should herald? Or yet another lifevest-grabbing Titanic passenger?
-- jpt
June 1, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (6)
Abstract The purpose this research were to compare with achievement students in Thai subject (Thai 43202)...E-mail : rungsun_kk@yahoo.com http://rskk.ourtoolbar.com http://www.geocities.com/rungsun_kk
Posted by: Mr.Rungsun Klinkaeo | Jun 16, 2007 12:36:57 AM
I disagree...
I recently heard from this weird guy that Guliani new about "the collapse" of one of the towers before it happened. This same idiot tried to convince me that Guliani wears womans clothing??? This guy realy pissed me off. I'm voting for Rudy!!! I'll send those abortion-lovers back to skool!
Posted by: Scotty | Jun 15, 2007 2:38:37 AM
So, the rumor I heard that Bartlett was leaving to join the military he took such self-satisfied pleasure in rationalizing sending to Iraq is wrong?
Posted by: A Viet Nam Vet | Jun 3, 2007 3:33:37 PM
Well, now the story's back.
Now on to the question of whether or not it is true.
Is Petraeus's report already written, complete with justifications for staying in Iraq?
Nance
Posted by: Nance Confer | Jun 2, 2007 9:22:28 PM
What happened to the story about troops being withdrawn, or not, from Iraq?
This story -- ‘ABC News Learns of Plans to Keep Troops in Iraq Beyond 2009’ -- that was posted Friday.
What happened? Was the story true? Not?
Posted by: Nance Confer | Jun 2, 2007 4:46:53 PM
Although I'm inclined to place Mr. Bartlett in the latter category, there's also a third category you didn't consider, Jake, which I think he may fall into: loyal aide to the President who is just tired of the everyday pressures he has to face. As most government politicos do, I'm sure he'll land on his feet in a think tank or a position as a consultant and make scads more money without the ulcer-creating job demands.
An intriguing question arises, though: who will help burnish the President's image, in need of lots of help, now that his two main PR agents--Karen Hughes and Dan Bartlett--have departed from the scene? That job will be far too enormous for Tony Snow alone.
Posted by: chuck | Jun 1, 2007 3:05:29 PM
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