PR equals action?

Media Guy Simon Dumenco at Adage.com shares some comments on how in Bush's world, PR equals action.

PR only goes so far. Not only have we been parsing anew the limits of public relations, but the limits of people who have become perilously, mindlessly dependent on PR in place of action. Their leadership limits, their moral limits.

[...snip...]

PR is considered action, while actual action is an afterthought. Which is why Bush was able to publicly say to FEMA Director Michael Brown, with a straight face, "Brownie, you’re doing a heck of a job." Whereas Bush & Co. have mostly been able to explain away troop shortages and strategic errors in Iraq (by simply denying shortages and errors), the troop shortages in New Orleans -- and the calamitous lack of federal strategy and response -- could not be dismissed by the president's cheerful quips.

Still, all he knew to do was keep up the PR talk, as if leadership were made up solely of spin as opposed to, say, actually leading. And so he continued with the PR-ification of life post-Katrina, uttering this gem from Mobile, Ala.: "Out of the rubbles (sic) of Trent Lott’s house -- he's lost his entire house -- there's going to be a fantastic house. And I'm looking forward to sitting on the porch."

It will be interesting to see if Al Ries comes back with a counter arguement on this.