I suspect that the 'no newspaper reading' comment was made for the medias benefit and they have ran with it. He doesn't want to give any of them any satisfaction whatsoever.

Remember during the campaign season of 1999, where Bush points out Adam Clymer, a NYT journalist in the crowd and says "There's Adam Clymer, major league ----ole from the New York Times." And Cheney responds "Oh yeah...big time."

How could Bush have known that he was an -------, and been so biased unless he had been reading his column?

I think the media has taken his "no newspaper reading" statement which was meant to hurt the NYT and others, and effectively stabbed him in the back with it.

;-)