In this White House pool report, an anonymous source refuses to go on the record about the President's compassion:

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From: White House Press Releases

Date: July 22, 2005 3:49:20 PM EDT

Subject: POOL REPORT #2, 7/22/05

Atlanta to Andrews

 

   Uneventful motorcade from civic center to Hartsfield-Jackson airport. Ditto flight back to Andrews.

     

   Footnote: after  "conversation," we held in sweltering vans for about a half hour while POTUS reportedly met with families of troops who died in Iraq. A WH source (sorry, best I could do) said potus met with family members of just ONE soldier, who was killed in Iraq.

 

Ed Chen

 Los Angeles Times

We were struck by this source's apparent reluctance to confirm the President's good heart (as he might say). We asked WH hobbyist Fred Becker what he thought:

My Lovely Wonkpants,

Note that Ed is sorry because he can't source the information more accurately (senior official traveling with Bush or somesuch) but I wonder in this age--where the word "conversation" has to be put into quotes-- if he's not just sorry he has to source it to a White House official at all. I mean, judging from Scotty's behavior recently and the administration's relentless stonewalling, it seems like White House officials are the last to know what's going on. However, if you want to know the employment history and/or blood type and food allergies of Bush critics, they can map their DNA for you from memory.

Until my next dispatch, I remain,

Your scurrilous scribbler,

Fred