Dana Perino: WH Press Secretary Is "Wonderful Job"

I've heard one former press secretary at another agency say they'd rather die than have this job," says Dana Perino, the new White House press secretary. "And I know there's not a lot of people lining up to take the position, because they see what it's like on TV every day. But to me, it's a wonderful job."

Plenty of political observers inside and outside the Washington, D.C., Beltway would take this last comment as proof that Perino has a masochistic streak -- but she's nothing if not sincere. A native of Evanston, Wyoming, who was raised in the Denver area from age two on, Perino is an unabashed fan of her boss, President George W. Bush, never missing an opportunity to toss a compliment his way. Although her interview with Westword is scheduled for the afternoon of September 11, a day crowded with ceremonies associated with the attacks that took place six years earlier, she phones precisely at the appointed time. And when she's praised for her promptness, she instinctively declares, "The president is very punctual. Usually, he's not just punctual; he's early." Moments later, as she keeps members of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's staff waiting outside her office, she says, "I really admire this president. I think he's the right leader at the right time."

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