White House Going to Operation Oprah

Wondering how the president plans to spend the $87 billion he asked for to rebuild Iraq? You could have tuned in to David Letterman last week to hear Colin Powell try to ease the country's sticker shock. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice will soon be appearing on Oprah to do a version of the same. The Administration's plan to bypass the traditional media has got so creative that someone in the White House suggested the Secretary of Defense should appear on the Imus in the Morning radio show. Donald Rumsfeld declined.

The White House is presenting a Zen face, but it is also taking action. In addition to putting members of the war cabinet in nontraditional media outlets and increasing the President's exposure, it has started regular twice-weekly conference calls with its allies on the Hill to supply anecdotes about improvements in the lives of Iraqis and successes in the war on terrorism, trusting that they will work their way on to talk radio and cable TV. And in early October the Bush team will launch a blog to chronicle the campaign online.