Comments on: Presidential Press Conferences, RIP?

By: Helen Thomas Shows It’s Official: Barack Obama, Fascist « Start Thinking Right

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:14:50 +0000

[...] event follows a situation in which Barack Obama called upon a Huffington Post “reporter” to ask an obviously pre-screened q... about Iran that generated a lot of media controversy. Reporters were legitimately outraged over [...]

By: An Interested Party

An Interested Party — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:35:41 +0000

Maybe Rupert Murdoch should buy another network...that should make you happy...

By: whoaskedmike.com

whoaskedmike.com — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:30:58 +0000

Yeah, or every other network pimping for democrats since the late eighties?

By: An Interested Party

An Interested Party — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:04:56 +0000

remember Wolfe's Obamaworship book? ABC Obamamercial on healthcare reform?

Or Fox News's whoring for the GOP ever since Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes created it...

By: Mike Ryan

Mike Ryan — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:30:13 +0000

Is anybody surprised by collusion between the WH and a member of the press? remember Wolfe's Obamaworship book? ABC Obamamercial on healthcare reform? Face it, journalism is dead.

By: Matt

Matt — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 20:00:12 +0000

You know I have a hard time believing this was a pre-screened question. I have no doubt Obama knew that he would get an Iran related question when he called upon Pitney. The thing is if Obama had pre-screened the question his answer wouldn't of been nearly as sad as the one he gave..

By: An Interested Party

An Interested Party — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:33:36 +0000

Obviously sarcasm is lost on you...

Ye who correlate: disingenuous...

By: Drew

Drew — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:09:52 +0000

I was trying to remember the name. That's right, Jeff Gannon. Pilloried by the MSM for being a "plant."

My how things have changed. You see, its "different" now, this is Obama.

Yee who defend: slimy.

By: An Interested Party

An Interested Party — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:50:38 +0000

Really! Who does Nico Pitney think he is!? Jeff Gannon...

By: Crust

Crust — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:44:04 +0000

James, you seem to twice insist that the White House "pre-select[ed]" or "pre-screened" this question. But that's just false. Yes, the questioner was pre-selected, but that's very different from the question being pre-selected (as multiple comments already point out). This was not a planted question or even a softball. Obama very clearly did not know what the question was going to be otherwise he would have done a better job of answering it. Please correct the post.

By: Steve Hynd

Steve Hynd — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:39:24 +0000

James, Nico has said the WH didn't know what the question would be. I've known Nico since his years with Raw Story - he's as honest as yesterday (summer solstice) was long. That's good enough for me.

Regards, Steve

By: LaurenceB

LaurenceB — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:24:00 +0000

I don't get what all the fuss is about either.

The President decided beforehand to call on some people, he made sure they were present, and he had a pretty good expectation of what their questions would be, though not the precise questions.

OK. How's that different from every other White House press conference?

By: Mike P

Mike P — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:35:24 +0000

Obama asked a question of one of the foreign correspondants who was there yesterday ahead of his meetings with the dignitary from that country. Now I doubt Obama knew the question that would be asked, but I would guess his press office knew what KIND of questions could be asked so he prepped for it.

That situation and the one w/Pitney really aren't that far off but people are pissed about the later and not so much about the former. Why? Is it because it's HuffPo?

James, I think your point is stronger if you would be able to factually state that the W.H. knew exactly what question might be asked. Besides, the question that was asked, in many ways, was similar to the one that Chuck Todd was pushing about "what's next" if things continue to escalate, etc.

By: Mr. Grouchypants

Mr. Grouchypants — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:31:47 +0000

According to Milbank, Pitney said that the White House didn't know how the question would be worded. Maybe I'm overparsing it, but that doesn't mean that the White House didn't know what the question would be. It could just mean that they didn't know exactly how the question would be worded. And is it really reasonable to assume that the White House would pre-screen a questioner if they had no idea what he or she would ask?

By: just me

just me — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:26:10 +0000

Well he knew the topic, and where it was coming from, and if the reporter being chosen is told to choose one from an Iranian and there are sample questions already on the website, i think the president and his advisors have a pretty good chance of doing some preparation compared to just calling on Joe Blow reporter.

And this goes back to the idea that it smells. And the media already smells enough when it comes to Obama.