Things to come
President Obama made a surprise visit to the White House press corps Thursday night, but got agitated when he was faced with a substantive question.
Asked how he could reconcile a strict ban on lobbyists in his administration with a Deputy Defense Secretary nominee who lobbied for Raytheon, Obama interrupted with a knowing smile on his face.
"Ahh, see," he said, "I came down here to visit. See this is what happens. I can't end up visiting with you guys and shaking hands if I'm going to get grilled every time I come down here."
"Alright, come on" he said, with obvious irritation in his voice. "We will be having a press conference at which time you can feel free to [ask] questions. Right now, I just wanted to say hello and introduce myself to you guys - that's all I was trying to do."
How dare he, asking the leader of the country questions?!?! Never fear, Lackey to the rescue...
The president was quickly saved by a cameraman in the room who called out: “I’d like to say it one more time: ‘Mr. President.’ ”
If he gets irritated by a question shouted out from a crowd of reporters, what is he going to be like when things get really tough and there is no teleprompter to help out?
posted by davis14633 at 06:17
6 Comments:
The president was quickly saved by a cameraman in the room who called out: “I’d like to say it one more time: ‘Mr. President.’ ”
That kind of brain-dead hero worship from what is supposed to be the fourth estate and watchdog of the government scares me badly. It is very, very worrisome.
So, are you saying that now we have to worry about that cameraman photoshopping Obama walking on water? I think that when the president speaks, he makes an effort to be coherent and he tends to be clear in his message. That's going to be a nice change. Do you think he is going to be conned into having an off-the-cuff news conference? Do you think he should be so conned?
No, I believe a Chief Executive should respond to legitimate questions with something other than middle-schooler petulance. But perhaps I am setting too high a standard.
Or perhaps you believe that blatant double standards are a valid form of leadership?
If the President secludes himself from the press (as some have done) and does not hold regular press conferences, then anytime the press can get to him it is open season. On the other hand, their is no reason why the President cannot hold both official press conferences and informal "social" meetings. The President, the press and Americans could benefit from the latter.
The press is supposed to be our watchdog. They are the ones that ask the questions we want answered but do not have the access to do so. They are not supposed to be buddies with the people in power. If he wanted a meet and greet to get to know the WH press corps then it should have been announced as that, but the press were told to be in the press area and were not told why, that makes the appearance of the President an opportunity to ask any questions they want. How many times have previous presidents been doing public relations visits and he is asked about topics completely unrelated? Questions have been asked and shouted at prior Presidents when they have been greeting wounded soldiers, walking from the helicopter, visiting children's schools and hospitals, and even the Presidential turkey pardoning. Every time he appears in public, it is a press conference and news, and I don't think he was ready for that or the scrutiny he will be getting for the next four years. My point to posting this article is like all past Presidents, he is in for a rude awakening if he thinks the press are going to let him do whatever he wants and not ask him questions.
As for being coherent? He did not hold any press conferences and has only made statements from the podium. The only interviews he has given have been to reporters who have been friendly if not down right enamored of him. When he does speak without a written speech, he falls back on to tired liberal talking points and says we have 57 states and need to re-distribute the wealth.
His election is historic in the fact that he is half black (raised by his white grandmother because his black father left them) and is the first one to be elected to President. He is also a borderline Socialist with socialist ideals. Read Marx and you will know it to be true.
I am pretty sure I know what your response to this will be. I am a racist, or I hate him because he is a Democrat. Your thoughts couldn't be farther from the truth. I dislike him and the majority of democrats because he/they speaks like socialists. If he shows himself to be otherwise(I doubt it) then I will change my mind. I have been known to be wrong at least once a decade. I also dislike several of the republicans for the same reason. Our country was founded on limited government and individual freedom, and any politician that calls for more government is not a friend of the people. I think Gerald Ford said it best when he said " A government big enough to give you everything you need, is big enough to take it all away"
"I can't end up visiting with you guys and shaking hands if I'm going to get grilled every time I come down here."
I don't believe it. I think that story was put out so people will say "Aha! See? They're going to be harder on him than they were Bush. You know they're going to grill him about anything...he has the liberal press in his hands, and they're going to handle him with kid gloves the entire time. And if something goes wrong in any decision he makes, the press is going to push it off as a "Bush legacy". What a crock.
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