Let a million (big) lies bloom!

Loved your show with Cher
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Dan Froomkin is asking readers for some help.

What about one-on-one interviews? Even for network anchors and the like, the opportunity to quiz the president comes so infrequently that it's hard to resist the temptation to try to cover a lot of ground. The result is then very much the same as in a press conference. Each question results in a mini-filibuster, and rather than have him repeat it, you move on to the next topic.

Consider, for instance, Bush's long interview last week with CBS News's Bob Schieffer. It covered a lot of ground -- but didn't make a lot of news. And with a few exceptions, it didn't get past the talking points.

So what's the solution?

It seems to me the trick would be for the next news outlet that gets a sit-down with the president to devote an entire interview -- a la Oprah v. Frey -- to the issue of credibility. And to be prepared with quotes and clips -- a la Stewart -- to force Bush to directly address the various inconsistent, misleading, or outright false statements that have peppered his presidency.

Such an interview could still be wide ranging, of course. It could cover the issue of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction; his descriptions of the run-up to war; his views of progress in Iraq; his statements -- and then silence -- about the CIA leak investigation; his concealment of -- and then questionable assertions about -- domestic spying; his promises for New Orleans; his stonewalling on the Abramoff lobbying scandal.

I could go on.

And in fact, with the help of you readers, I'd like to put together a series of sample interview questions for the president on the subject of his credibility. E-mail me at froomkin@washingtonpost.com. (And I apologize in advance for not responding to each e-mail.)

Then again, there's another possibility: A reporter could get up at the next press conference and ask a very simple, very basic question: Why should the American public trust you anymore?

At least 53 percent of Americans would like to know his answer.

That's certainly true, but I wonder, who are the nearly 50 percent of Americans who do still trust preznit? That's beginning to keep me awake at night.

Good thing for bourbon.

Speaking of bourbon, also in Froomkin's post today, presidential humor!

Julie Mason writes in the Houston Chronicle about how Bush shared a podium at the National Prayer Breakfast yesterday with Rock star Bono, who "challenged the president to tithe an additional 1 percent of the federal budget to the poor."

Bush responded with a joke.

Here's the transcript.

"I was trying to figure out what to say about Bono," Bush said. "And a story jumped to mind about these really good Texas preachers. And he got going in a sermon and a fellow jumped up in the back and said, 'Use me, Lord, use me.' And the preacher ignored him, and finished his sermon. Next Sunday he gets up, and cranking on another sermon. And the guy jumps up and says, 'Use me, Lord, use me.' And after the service, he walked up to him and said, 'If you're serious, I'd like for you to paint the pews.' Next Sunday, he's preaching, the guy stands up and says, 'Use me, Lord, use me, but only in an advisory capacity.'"

Jenna had better start marking the levels in her bottles when she leaves in the morning.