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BigBadBrian
02-22-2010, 08:22 AM
Obama tops Bush at ducking reporters
No formal press conference in 215 days

President Obama, who pledged to establish the most open and transparent administration in history, on Monday surpasses his predecessor's record for avoiding a full-fledged question-and-answer session with White House reporters in a formal press conference.

President George W. Bush's longest stretch between prime-time, nationally televised press conferences was 214 days, from April 4 to Nov. 4, 2004. Mr. Obama tops that record on Monday, going 215 days - stretching back to July 22, according to records kept by CBS Radio's veteran reporter Mark Knoller.

The president has seemingly shunned formal, prime-time sessions since his last disastrous presser, when he said police in Cambridge, Mass., "acted stupidly" by arresting a Harvard professor who broke into a home that turned out to be his own. The off-the-cuff comment took over the news cycle for a week, overshadowing his push for health care reform, and culminated in a White House "Beer Summit," where the president hosted white police officer James Crowley and the black Harvard professor, Henry Louis Gates Jr.

"He does seem a little snakebit on the whole presser thing," said Julie Mason, a longtime White House reporter and board member of the White House Correspondents' Association.

"At his last big press conference in July, he lost control of the message with his response to the Gates question, and then returns six months later with an unannounced, five-question avail in the briefing room - on a snow day. Was it something we said?"

Earlier this month, the president did field a few questions from reporters in a "mini-presser." He dropped by the White House briefing room unannounced at midday just after Washington's second snowstorm, right when the daily briefing by the press secretary was to occur. The "press availability" lasted only 33 minutes and encompassed questions from just five reporters - plus one after Mr. Obama tried to head for the door.

In contrast, a typical White House press conference is usually announced well in advance and takes place in the far more formal White House East Room. The prime-time sessions - carried live by all TV networks - last at least an hour and include questions from 12 to 15 reporters, sometimes more.

"I don't count that five-question, surprise 'avail,' as a presser," Miss Mason said.

Still, Mr. Obama has held plenty of tightly controlled sessions with reporters. He has given 66 interviews since July 22 - including two that day, according to Mr. Knoller's records. But that doesn't satisfy White House veterans.

"The administration will point you to all the interviews he does, but that is all about control. We are naturally at cross-purposes with him, because he wants to come out with his talking points and the press wants to knock him off those talking points - so the result is he just doesn't come around anymore," Miss Mason said.

Nevertheless, Mr. Obama tops his predecessor in total output. He has given 43 press conferences of various degrees, six of which were solo White House sessions, Mr. Knoller said. During the same period, Mr. Bush gave 24 press conferences, of which four were formal, solo White House sessions.

Obama tops Bush at ducking reporters - Washington Times (http://washingtontimes.com/news/2010/feb/22/obama-tops-bushs-record-for-putting-reporters-on-h/?feat=home_headlines)

Nitro Express
02-23-2010, 12:23 AM
He's no longer the demagogue he once was. He's tipped his hand that he will sign anything the benefits big corporations and hurts the average person into law. The love fest is over with this guy.

BigBadBrian
02-23-2010, 06:30 AM
He's no longer the demagogue he once was. He's tipped his hand that he will sign anything the benefits big corporations and hurts the average person into law. The love fest is over with this guy.

This guy Hussein Obama is a pawn of the BCE. :biggrin:

hideyoursheep
02-23-2010, 06:49 AM
NOBODY has had "tighter controlled sessions with reporters" than that last douche-pistol in the White House, so go fuck yourself.

Planting phony repoters in a room full of real journalists....:rolleyes:

The Republican memory. It fades fast.

BigBadBrian
02-23-2010, 06:55 AM
NOBODY has had "tighter controlled sessions with reporters" than that last douche-pistol in the White House, so go fuck yourself.



Not true.

Barry holds the record, especially without a teleprompter. :biggrin:

hideyoursheep
02-23-2010, 06:58 AM
Not true.




IS TRUE. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Gannon)
Deny, forget, repeat..


I don't have the time or patience to lead you by the nose to the truth. Consider this a freebie.

BigBadBrian
02-23-2010, 07:12 AM
[URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Gannon"]..


I don't have the time

Nor the intelligence. :tongue0011:

Sgt Schultz
02-23-2010, 09:42 AM
But Bush...but Bush...but Bush...

chefcraig
02-23-2010, 10:42 AM
To tell ya the truth, the less the President is on tv, the better. The last thing I need right about now is for him to be interrupting one of the three or four good shows on tv nowadays to tell me of the things he's going to do, or to explain why he hasn't followed through on the stuff he said he'd do the last time. Otherwise, send me an email.

Nitro Express
02-23-2010, 01:32 PM
This guy Hussein Obama is a pawn of the BCE. :biggrin:

If he wasn't he's welcome in the club now. He's doing everything possible to make sure big oil and the military industrial complex are not only here to stay, but have expanded opportunities.

PETE'S BROTHER
02-23-2010, 01:37 PM
But Bush...but Bush...but Bush...

gross, you should have her shave or wax

Nitro Express
02-23-2010, 01:38 PM
To tell ya the truth, the less the President is on tv, the better. The last thing I need right about now is for him to be interrupting one of the three or four good shows on tv nowadays to tell me of the things he's going to do, or to explain why he hasn't followed through on the stuff he said he'd do the last time. Otherwise, send me an email.

I hope having Obama in office finally nips all this political correctness in the butt. We don't need a black, hispanic, female president. We need a decent president. The next time I hear it's a white man's world and he's keeping us down I'm going to point to Obama being president and say "Fuck You!" I hope having a black president melts all this whine, cry, and blame bullshit. Once you can get into the president seat, you are equal so shut the fuck up.

PETE'S BROTHER
02-23-2010, 01:38 PM
To tell ya the truth, the less the President is on tv, the better. The last thing I need right about now is for him to be interrupting one of the three or four good shows on tv nowadays to tell me of the things he's going to do, or to explain why he hasn't followed through on the stuff he said he'd do the last time. Otherwise, send me an email.

rarely are there three or four good ones on at a time.;)

PETE'S BROTHER
02-23-2010, 01:39 PM
rarely are there three or four good ones on at a time.;)

doh, read your post wrong:hee:

Nickdfresh
02-23-2010, 02:54 PM
But Bush...but Bush...but Bush...

You need to get laid (I'm assuming you're not gay BTW)...