Protecting the Brand Name

A prominent public servant accuses Bob Woodward of having made up damaging quotes. What to do? Ignore it, and write a story about another public figure confirming a different damaging quote.

Today's story, U.S. European Commander Confirms Quotes in Book by Thomas Ricks:

One of the highest-ranking generals in the U.S. military yesterday stood by views attributed to him in a controversial new book about the Bush administration's handling of the war in Iraq but said it was important to understand the context in which those views were expressed.

Marine Gen. James L. Jones, the U.S. commander for Europe, is quoted in "State of Denial," by The Washington Post's Bob Woodward, as believing that the war in Iraq is a "debacle" and that "The Joint Chiefs have been systematically emasculated by Rumsfeld." As Marine commandant, the post he held before moving to Europe, Jones was a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Meanwhile Brent Scowcroft, national security advisor for the first President Bush, issued the following statement:

I have spoken to Bob Woodward a number of times about a variety of subjects over the years, but I did not agree to be interviewed for his latest book. Further, there are statements in the book, directly or implicitly attributed to me, that did not and never could have come from me. I never discuss any personal conversations that I may have with President George H.W. Bush, and he never discusses with me any conversations that he has with President George W. Bush."

He's referring to this citation, noted credulously by Op-Ed writer Richard Cohen on Tuesday:

If I say that George W. Bush was out to both vanquish and redeem his father, many a man will know what I mean.

But I don't have to say it. Brent Scowcroft, the elder Bush's close friend and his former national security adviser, says it for me. This is what Woodward writes about Scowcroft: "In his younger years, Scowcroft thought, George W. couldn't decide whether he was going to rebel against his father or try to beat him at his own game. Now, he had tried at the game, and it was a disaster."

So the only time Scowcroft has appeared in the Post on this latest Woodward saga is in a quotation he explicitly denies having said. Not that you're supposed to know that.

Update: But wait, there's more. As one of the Red State bloggers said (sincere apologies, lost the exact link), Scowcroft's office confirmed making the statement and submitting it to AP, but it can't be found on AP feeds. That certainly applies to the one supplied to washingtonpost.com. In recent entries, Scowcroft turns up only in the Cohen piece and a brief society item.