Would you just answer the question?

[ylexot]

DES MOINES, Iowa — Today marks the one-month point since Sen. John Kerry last answered questions from reporters traveling with him on the campaign trail.

The last time the Democratic presidential nominee took questions from them was Aug. 9 on the edge of the Grand Canyon, when the small traveling press pool accompanying him was allowed to ask eight questions.

 

[rraley]

This is funny; a Bush supporter criticizing John Kerry for not answering questions from reporters. I guess that you refuse to recall that President Bush has held the least amount of press conferences since the Eisenhower Administration and when he does, only a preselected list of questions may be asked.

 

[ylexot]

I guess you didn't bother reading the article before you responded. Otherwise you would have seen this:

The president also has gone long stretches without a formal press conference. It has been a couple of months since his last one.

But White House officials said Mr. Bush often takes questions after making policy announcements to the press, or at the end of a meeting with a foreign leader.

"He takes questions on a regular basis. He did a number of interviews before the [Republican] convention," White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters who asked about Mr. Bush's availability yesterday.

Mr. Bush took questions from reporters at least four times in August, including Aug. 2, when he announced his plan to revamp U.S. intelligence services; Aug. 9, when he appeared with Poland's prime minister; Aug. 15, when he toured damage from Hurricane Charley in Florida; and Aug. 23, when he answered a series of questions after meeting with his national security team at his ranch in Crawford, Texas.