This week I spoke withNew York Timesreporter Elisabeth Bumiller, who is currently traveling with the McCain campaign. In addition to recently completing a biography on Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Bumiller covered the White House for theTimesfor five years, beginning September 10, 2001, just before the planes hit the Twin Towers and changed this country and the Bush presidency forever.
Recently, Bumiller made headlines herself for angering John McCain by asking a question about why he'd denied having a conversation with Democratic nominee John Kerry about being his running mate in 2004. She also came under fire, as did other reporters, for not questioning Bush's decision to go to war with Iraq, and her subsequent response:
"I think we were very deferential because…it’s live, it’s very intense, it’s frightening to stand up there. Think about it, you’re standing up on prime-time live TV asking the president of the United States a question when the country’s about to go to war. There was a very serious, somber tone that evening, and no one wanted to get into an argument with the president at this very serious time."
Complaints of media bias have littered this campaign cycle, and because Bumiller has been the brunt of some of those claims, I asked her what she thought of some recent criticisms of the media. We also spoke about McCain's relationship with reporters on the campaign trail, and his attempt to connect with young voters.
Watch the Video.
-c