Ex-Bush spokesman Fleischer describes life at White House

Eric Leake

Thursday, Jan. 27, 2005 | 8:34 a.m.

Ari Fleischer was asked only one question Wednesday night that much resembled those of his days as White House press secretary.

A woman asked him how he thought Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., would perform in his new role.

"I think it's unknown. I think he's going to have a really tough job," Fleischer said. He said Reid is caught between the demands of his party and those of working with President Bush.

"My suspicion is he's going to lean more on the side of fighting President Bush more than the American people want him to," Fleischer said.

The majority of remaining questions were softballs and fan mail for the former White House staffer who found himself again behind a podium as the inaugural speaker in the Silverton Speaker Series.

Fleischer served as press secretary and spokesman for President Bush since the campaign of 2000 until he resigned in July 2003. His daily televised press briefings garnered him a fan following few if any press secretaries have had.

Al Banducci is one of those fans who enjoyed Fleischer's briefings and wanted to see him behind a podium in person.

"He was able to answer the questions of the news media and he didn't let them play games with him," Banducci said. "He would avert them calmly and politely, a lot nicer than I would have."

Jordan Goodman discussed Fleischer's speech with friends after the performance. He said he came hoping to see some of the daily breifing flair.

"Over the years we've watched him on TV and developed a great respect for the way he answers questions," Goodman said. "We hoped he'd get some tough questions tonight and we'd see him do it again."

Silverton Director of Marketing David Krause said 268 people attended the speech with tickets selling for $30.

Part of Fleischer's two-hour talk was an inside look at work in the White House and his fondness for it. He told a story of playing catch with the president, adding for the local audience that he was sorry Las Vegas does not yet have a baseball team.

Fleischer also spoke of his love-hate relationship with the White House press corps, saying, "I viewed what I did as engaging in intellectual chess."

To the approval and occasional applause of the audience, Fleischer said the country's free media is among its great assets but one that suffers from subtle bias and a focus on conflict over substance. He said the demands of 24-hour televised news has altered White House press briefings.

"It's too often changed reporters into performers, turned me into a performer," Fleischer said.

The Las Vegas Business Press and KXNT 840-AM cosponsored the talk. Next month's speaker is scheduled to be Scott O'Grady, the Air Force pilot who was shot down and escaped capture during the Balkan wars.