President Obama must be wearing out his welcome with the media. CBS’s Chip Reid and AP White House correspondent, Helen Thomas (who has been covering Presidents for longer than I have been alive) lowered the boom on Robert Gibbs yesterday regarding how questions are chosen during Obama “townhall” meetings.
HT: Stop the ACLU
CNSNews.com caught up with Thomas after the press conference, and she gave a further smack down (warning, some salty language):
Thomas told CNSNews.com that not even Richard Nixon tried to control the press the way President Obama is trying to control the press.
“Nixon didn’t try to do that,” Thomas said. “They couldn’t control (the media). They didn’t try.
“What the hell do they think we are, puppets?” Thomas said. “They’re supposed to stay out of our business. They are our public servants. We pay them.”
Thomas said she was especially concerned about the arrangement between the Obama Administration and a writer from the liberal Huffington Post Web site. The writer was invited by the White House to President Obama’s press conference last week on the understanding that he would ask Obama a question about Iran from among questions that had been sent to him by people in Iran.
“When you call the reporter the night before you know damn well what they are going to ask to control you,” Thomas said.
“I’m not saying there has never been managed news before, but this is carried to fare-thee-well–for the town halls, for the press conferences,” she said. “It’s blatant. They don’t give a damn if you know it or not. They ought to be hanging their heads in shame.” (link above added by me)
I’m amazed that Reid questioned this, and that Thomas backed him up. It isn’t like she is a friend to conservatives. It’s about time, but really too little, too late.
It seems as though they were mainly concerned about the process, not whether President Obama knows the question before hand or not. Why would it matter? It isn’t as though the Obama Administration is worried about what people think about his healthcare initiative. Right?
Uber HT: Memeorandum
Update: No, likely not since they are pretty much out of touch with reality.
2nd Update (7/3): At the townhall meeting. They only call on supporters. Shocker.