A long-running tiff between the White House press corps and the West Wing over presidential access flared anew today when press secretary Jay Carney faced off with reporters over the right to shout questions at the president during debt talks.
Obama chafes at the time-honored practice of answering questions shouted at him during pooled, non-press conference events — and his staff has often opted for “stills sprays,” excluding print reporters or TV cameras who might capture Obama in the less than flattering non-act of snubbing a query.
When asked today why TV crews and print reporters were barred from the pool covering the White House meeting with congressional leaders on the deficit, Carney responded by pointing out that the administration has held two press conferences in the past two weeks and allowed TV cameras into the spray earlier this week.
“People shouted questions at him,” Carney added.
The White House Correspondents’ Association has protested exclusion of print and TV from pools — and several reporters in the briefing room took Carney’s comment as an annoyed expression of presidential displeasure with shouted questions.
“It’s an absurd reason to say that because we asked questions you’re not going to allow cameras in there. He’s capable of ignoring our questions. He does it all the time,” said Chip Reid of CBS.
Carney, a former Time magazine White House reporter, shot back with, “I appreciate your opinion.”
It didn’t end there. “Can I ask you to clarify — there’s no reporters allowed in today’s meeting because reporters misbehaved?” asked another scribe. “Earlier it sounded like you were punishing us.”
Obama needs to be shouted at!
Obama is authorizing putting cash in the mail!
Two dollars per letter to anyone they send an invitation to take an HIV vaccine quiz online!
Most of these $2 will be thrown into the trash as these letters look like junk mail.
Sebelius (whose dept sent the letters) claims she didn’t authorize cash but that the White House did.
Taxpayer cash sent through the mail looking like a piece of junk mail!
And where do we learn to never send cash in the mail?
From the US government!
Oy!
Whoa, Nan G…I’d shout too, and join you…you gotta link on that story? where can I find out what that’s about?
@kalashnikat:
http://dailycaller.com/2011/07/12/why-is-the-government-mailing-you-2/
Quote from the link:
If the total cost given is for the money, that would mean it was sent to 168,333 people each year for a total of 504999 people, costing $1,009,998.
This is one example of ridiculous fraud waste and abuse that they can cut.
“No yell at Obama. Obama not like yelling”
I’d like to hear what some of those questions were, and see his dismissive attitude towards them. Then again, maybe that’s why the ban on cameras.
Hmmmm, does anybody see any similarities to communist Russia and Nazi Germany? Will the MSM ever start acting like a free press again or will they continue to act like the propaganda arm of the administration. I wish they would just not show up at one of the Presidents briefings.
If these reporters were smart they would all agree to not show up for the next presidential speech and let him try and get his message out without any coverage. Basically they need to do something about it or shut up and quit whining like 2 year olds.