Power Line and the Pipeline: Bush Confidant Touts Blog’s Ability to “Regurgitate Exactly”

While former Bush advisor Dan Bartlett says he “probably got more complaints” from Fox News staffers about “not getting the type of access they deserved,” Bush’s longest-serving aide and closest confidant tells Texas Monthly who he was perfectly happy to give access to — “the guys at Power Line.”

What’s not so flattering to the Twin Cities-based conservative blog, though, is the “why” of it.Writer Evan Smith presents Bartlett with a choice: If he could only conduct one interview, would he choose to talk to The Fix blogger Chris Cillizza or Dan Balz, a reporter for the Washington Post print edition?

His answer: Balz. But, unprompted, Bartlett mentions a better alternative:

Bartlett: …Now, the question might not be as much Chris versus Dan as maybe, “Is it Dan Balz or one of the guys at [the conservative blog] Power Line?”

Smith: Yeah, or what if [conservative blogger] Hugh Hewitt called?

Bartlett: That’s when you start going, “Hmm . . .” Because they do reach people who are influential.

Smith: Well, they reach the president’s base.

Bartlett: That’s what I mean by influential. I mean, talk about a direct IV into the vein of your support. It’s a very efficient way to communicate. They regurgitate exactly and put up on their blogs what you said to them. It is something that we’ve cultivated and have really tried to put quite a bit of focus on.