EDITORIAL – Bush book a weapon of mass distraction

Apparently, President George W. Bush’s preemptive war doctrine applies to books, too…. Apparently, President George W. Bush’s preemptive war doctrine applies to books, too.

Celebrity journalist Kitty Kelley’s newest book, “The Family: The Real Story of the Bush Dynasty,” a catty, critical biography of President George W. Bush will be published next week, and the Bush administration is already trying to tamp down bad press.

In a rather hasty move, Bush campaign representatives called NBC to dissuade the network from interviewing Kelley on its “Today” show and “Hardball with Chris Matthews” on MSNBC, NBC’s cable news network.

First Amendment issues regarding the government trying to step on the media’s neck aside, what a public relations gaff this is. Rather than simply condemning the book as trash repeatedly — which the administration has already done — the Bush administration gave Kelley notoriety.

The No. 1 PR rule is that there is no such thing as bad press, and the Bush campaign has given Kelley more press than she deserves. By calling NBC, they have managed to do the impossible; they’ve made a book that covers drugs and politics even sexier because it’s now the book about drugs and politics that the president doesn’t want you to read.

And now everyone’s going to want to read it, consider it and realize that maybe Kelley has some things right. Doubleday, a division of Random House Publishers, a legit publishing house, is printing “The Family.” And Kelley’s book has been scrutinized by editors and lawyers, and some of her interviews — including one with Bush’s former sister-in-law, Sharon Bush — had third-party observers to ensure that she recorded the truth.

Speaking of Sharon, she’s issued a non-denial denial against Kelley’s accusations that she said that Bush used cocaine at Camp David during his father’s presidency, saying that she never told Kelley that and that she never saw Bush do cocaine — notably, she did not say that Bush didn’t do cocaine then. The plot, as they say, has thickened.

Kelley’s also tentatively scheduled to appear on several other networks, including Fox News, according to The Washington Post. Let’s see if they get calls too.

No one’s claiming that Kelley is the next Bob Woodward, or giving her gold stars for journalistic integrity. But giving her name recognition isn’t the way to discredit her. Instead of going the way of “Primary Colors” and “Fortunate Son,” Kelley’s book is going to be on voters’ minds. At least until they change the channel.