Bush does read newspapers after all

WASHINGTON, Dec. 25 (UPI) -- The New York Times is taking heart in an admission by U.S. President George Bush that he does, indeed, read newspapers -- earlier statements notwithstanding.

The Times noted Monday a comment from the president at last week's news conference that he had read about Vice President Dick Cheney's subpoena to testify in the trial of former aide "Scooter" Libby, indicted in the outing of former CIA agent Valerie Plame.

"Is there hope for newspapers after all?" The Times queried. "Readers may be abandoning the printed versions, but over the last couple of years, at least one person seems to have started reading them, at least sometimes. He lives in the White House."

In 2003, Bush told Fox's Brit Hume in an interview that he glances at headlines but rarely reads stories, preferring to be filled in by aides. Last week, however, in response to a question about whether he would seek to block Cheney's subpoena, Bush replied, "I read it in the newspaper today, and it's an interesting piece of news."