As a cricketing nation, we Indians are familiar with the term spin. Broadly, it is the rotating motion imparted to the ball in an effort to change its trajectory or alter its length and line, often with an intent to deceive the batsman. As a non-cricketing nation, it should be a relatively alien term for the Americans, though there is some spin involved in tennis. Their national game, baseball, has terms like curve ball, fast ball and slider. But no spin.However, if you were to visit political Washington -- known in these tawdry times as Mudville, USA -- you would think this is also a cricket crazy nation. The term spin is being bandied around so much that it is driving etymologists and philologists into a tizzy. Tossed around mainly in political circles vis-a-vis handling news, the term spin, as the Americans use it, is employed in the same cricketing sense: a slant imparted to information with an intent to beguile, mislead or distract its recipient. Spin is a vital component of the politicians' armour ina political town where information is both currency and weaponry.
As a media reporter for The Washington Post, Howard Kurtz has been in a unique position to chronicle Washington's vicious spin tactics. But even he is now surprised by the immense attention showered on his book Spin Cycle (The Free Press, $25.00). Kurtz has previously written two books on the media, both of which attracted modest attention. Slated for release in May, Spin Cycle too was headed the same way.
Then Monica Lewinsky happened. And in the 12 weeks since the story broke, the Clinton White House, already regarded as the foremost exponents of information management (spin) in the world, surpassed itself. From explaining the contradictions in Clinton's testimony regarding Gennifer Flowers to his relationship with Monica Lewinsky, it's been spin, spin and spin all the way. Last month, Kurtz pulled his book back from the publishers, threw in the latest to-do about the sex scandals, and advanced the book release toMarch. It is now marching up the bestseller list.
The White House is the principle spin machine in Washington: The fount of information about everything -- from domestic stories about budget and education, to foreign newsbreaks about the Gulf crisis and Yeltsin's health. The everyday White House briefing is the journalists' lapping pool. Here, assembled hacks shoot question on every subject under the earth at the master of ceremonies and Washington's premier spinmeister, White House press secretary Mike McCurry. Depending on the subject and how it will reflect on the White House, McCurry provides the spin to what was till the other day, plain old news.
A typical example of White House spin tactics was on show early this week. A day after former White House aide Kathleen Willey went on national television and alleged that Clinton had molested her in the Oval Office, the President's spinmeisters released letters from Willey to Clinton showing how she maintained friendly relations even after the allegedincidents. The spin was carefully calibrated: They released only 15 letters; they did not release any of Clinton's letters; and they implied they had more ammunition. The counterattack immediately controlled the damage.
Spin is also not providing information. While the White House released the Willey correspondence with alacrity, they have not shown the same enthusiasm about Monica Lewinsky. From claiming executive privilege to sub judice, every tactic is used to delay, deny or obfuscate. The ultimate aim: to stop or reduce any embarrassment to the White House and its occupant.
Many White House tactics are well known. For instance, embarrassing news or reports which will find its way into the media are invariably released on a Friday evening, because it is hard to follow up the story over the weekend and the story is dead or weak by Monday. Kurtz reveals that the White House also undercuts reporters it does not like by blowing the whistle on their hard-won scoops to other members of the media. TheClintons also reward the gentler newspapers with personal schmoozefests and tete-a-tetes. And punish the nattering nabobs of negativism. Thus, on Father's Day this year, USA Today, America's McPaper, got an interview with the President on being a father. In contrast, the needling New York Times is shunned. At a recent press conference, Clinton pointedly ignored TV networks, calling on radio reporters and print journalists to ask questions.
Key White House aides like Rahm Emanuel and Joe Kennedy -- also known now as spinmeisters -- distribute the work load, bowling against different subjects. Thus McCurry may handle the political spin while Clinton's lawyer Robert Bennett handles the legal spin. After the Willey story broke, the White House deployed its Communication Director Ann Lewis to go on the networks because they thought as a woman, she would be better able to neutralise the impact of the interview.
Spin has permeated American political life to such an extend that there is even apermanent pollster in the White House to measure what kind of spin is needed to keep people happy. Mark Penn tests and retests every policy and every issue, every speech and every rhetoric emerging from the Clinton White House. The President apparently loves to look at the numbers and do exactly what the American people want. He listens to the people.
The central character, the major figure in Washington's spin drama -- and the anti-hero of Kurtz's book -- is Mike McCurry, President Clinton's principal flack for the last four years. A laconic political appointee with infinite patience and dry wit, McCurry is considered the ultimate spinmeister in modern political history. He fulfils three criteria which every flack aspires to: he is believed by the public; liked by the press, and is considered indispensable by his boss. But poor McCurry.
Last week, an ethically challenged President was putting even his famous sang froid to test. As the sex scandals continued to sandbag the Clinton presidency,McCurry confessed that he had stopped asking the President any questions and stopped making notes to escape being subpoenaed. Spin was finally giving way to silence.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
