Colin Powell appeared on Meet the Press this weekend, and his appearance was marred by his press secretary moving the camera and attempting to end the interview early when Russert, the interviewer, started to ask a hardball question about the fictional Nigerien yellow-cake uranium that Powell used as an excuse to go to war in Iraq.
Most noteworthy about this event was that Powell, rebuked the press-secretary on air, demanded that the camera be trained on him again, and then answered the question, describing the intelligence he’d received as “deliberately misleading.”
Lisa Rein’s got the video up — highly recommended.
EMILY MILLER, STATE DEPARTMENT PRESS AIDE: You’re off.
SECRETARY POWELL: I am not off.
EMILY MILLER, PRESS AIDE: No. They can’t use it, they’re editing it.
SECRETARY POWELL: He’s still asking the questions.
EMILY MILLER, PRESS AIDE: He was not …
SECRETARY POWELL: Tim, I am sorry I lost you.
MR. RUSSERT: I am right here Mr. Secretary. I would hope they would put you back on camera. I don’t know who did that.
EMILY MILLER, PRESS AIDE: He was going to go for another five minutes.
SECRETARY POWELL: We’ve really scre…
MR. RUSSERT: I think that was one of your staff Mr. Secretary. I don’t think that’s appropriate.
SECRETARY POWELL: Emily, get out of the way. Bring the camera back please. (Camera returns to the interview subject) I think we’re back on Tim, go ahead with your last question.