Regrets for Late Briefing on Bush Surgery

WASHINGTON —  White House officials said Tuesday that they should not have let three days and two media briefings go by before notifying the public that President Bush had four benign lesions removed from his face Friday. The officials committed to more rapid disclosure of medical information in the future.

The lesions, two of which could have become cancerous if left untreated, were removed Friday afternoon. The White House announced the procedure in a two-paragraph statement Monday afternoon, shortly after Bush had appeared before cameras and reporters inquired about a pair of dark red marks on his face.

White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said he discussed the issue of disclosure with Bush after reporters questioned the delay during an off-camera briefing Tuesday morning. “The president acknowledged it should have been handled differently and that it’ll be handled better in the future,” Fleischer said.

Fleischer said Bush had “made a snap decision” to have the lesions removed when he had time in his schedule. The lesions--on his cheeks, forehead and temple--were removed with liquid nitrogen, and doctors said no biopsy was necessary. The lesions had been found during a follow-up to an August physical. During that physical, three small, sun-induced lesions were removed with liquid nitrogen.

Announcements about the commander in chief’s health are among the most sensitive issues that face any White House, and at least some Bush officials said the administration had mishandled this announcement by appearing to hide something when there was nothing to hide.

A senior administration official said that by delaying the announcement the White House had unnecessarily raised a broader question about its credibility.