By: Jessica Nam
Thursday, January 31, 2008

Ari Fleischer, former White House Press Secretary for the Bush Administration, was the guest speaker for a videoconference hosted Steve Scully, political editor, and C-SPAN.

Students at University of Colorado and Pace University joined George Mason University’s online journalism class with Steve Klein. Fleischer commented on several of George W. Bush clips that were shown. Throughout these video clips and in between conversations with Scully and Fleischer, students were able to listen, comment and ask questions.

Fleischer, who had been working for Elizabeth Dole, was given a chance to work with Bush due to Dole’s dropping. Bush invited Fleischer to leave his home in New York to move to Texas to work on the presidential campaign.

“I got lucky, sort of. I had worked on capital hill as an aid to three U.S. congressmen and one U.S. senator for almost 20 years. I love the hills but I was starting to get bored,” said Fleischer.

He discussed his experience in working with the president of the United States. Especially through the time when our nation seemed to have suffered the most, September 11th attack. Fleischer speaks about the President and his side of the story when the World Trade Center was hit.

He continued to talk about how they never thought America would be under attack and experience terrorism. Fleischer also explained how he guided Bush through the press during this chaotic time.

“It forever changed America; it forever changed George Bush’s presidency, and me personally,” said Fleischer.

This compelling story told by Fleischer wasn’t the only thing that kept students listening.

One of the most unforgettable incidents that happened during the videoconferencing was when a student at Pace University, by the name of Frank Clifford, blatantly accused Fleischer of lying. The student questioned Fleischer’s decision to lie about the issue of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

“Something did go wrong. But does that make you and all of the above liars, which was your word, or were we all wrong? And there’s a vital distinction between those two. We were all wrong,” said Fleischer. “I think you’re wrong to make the case that we’re liars.”

Fleischer didn’t cringe when the accusation of being a liar was made. Instead, Fleischer came back with a strong explanation of how Saddam Hussein had lied about the weapons.

The rest of the videoconferencing didn’t stir any other heat. It concluded with his personal story as an immigrant and what he would like to see from the republicans. He talks about his love for America and how he envisions the next leader to be one to get citizens out of poverty so that they are able to live a better life. 

“I’m a first generation immigrant; my mother was an immigrant so I’m a first generation. And I know what it means that America to lift you up,” said Ari Fleischer. “That’s got to be the dream for one and all in this country.”

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