After months of stiffing White House press corps for the more comfortable climes of local reporters, sports broadcasters and entertainment outlets, President Obama this afternoon materialized in the White House briefing room to take questions from reporters.
Obama called off names from a prepared list a journalists that included most of the top news networks and wire services – although not Fox News – spending about a half an hour holding forth.
The president’s appearance was sudden – he interrupted White House Press Secretary Jay Carney’s regular briefing – but not wholly unexpected, as rumors had been circulating in the press room that he would appear and photographers were standing at the ready.
Obama joked that “Carney told me that you had been missing me” as he abruptly entered the room.
Pressure has been building for Obama to begin taking interacting with White House reporters since an August 6 White House Dossier article noting that Obama had gone seven weeks without so much as a single substantive question from those who regularly cover him.
The last substantive question Obama had taken from a White House reporter had been during a June 20 press conference following the G20 Summit in Los Cabos, Mexico. He took one other on August 6, soon after the White House Dossier piece appeared.
Obama has held only one formal White House press conference this year, an appearance last March.
White House reporters were already chortling today that the relatively limited session he staged today, in which he called on no more than half a dozen reporters, will probably have to suffice for months.
37 thoughts on “Obama Takes Questions from His Own Press Corps”
It seems he disgustingly took advantage of the Todd Akin gaffe to inject himself into another issue he can demogogue.
Keith, great job helping to make this unmasking happen. The past few weeks have seen the costume come off Obama and his actions and tone of arrogance today will only help independents make an intelligent choice come November.
Ditto. It only takes one loud and courageous voice to make a difference.
Bravo, MrK
It was awful….I, Me, My…not mean…how many Americans have Swiss Bank Acounts?…..this jerk is so low.
After seeing Romney and Ryan in NH today I am praying and hoping for a landslide in Novemberl!
Since FDIC insures $100K, don’t these richie riches have to have many many accounts?
Yes, and they’re going to put their money into places where they may actually get interest. It sure isn’t US banks.
He can’t take the chance he may become a victim of a random act of journalism.
That’s realy funny.
The conniver for a “president” tried to catch the press off balance–dodging and weaving, shucking and jiving–then he proceded to lie about Stephanie Cutter not calling Romney a felon as well as misstating that previous candidates, including John McCain, presented more than two years of tax returns.
It must pretty embarrassing to have to blatantly lie to millions of viewers. Is it any mystery why he avoids the WH Press Corps? Pfffff.
He may be mixing up McCain’s medical records with his tax returns. When asked for his medical records, McCain presented them to the press, stacks and stacks of them. Obama came up with a one page letter from his doctor stating he was in good health.
I guess we may never know where those weird scars on his head came from.
An implant of some kind? An accident? Perhaps a partial lobotomy? Or maybe just the simple celebration of the muslim ritual of ashura, where devout muslim parents slice their son’s heads with a knife or razor (link to image follows):
http://elbauldejosete.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/349734.jpg
Perhaps the WH press corpse should go on strike anytime he doesn’t show up. Then he would be muted. And we all know how he can’t stand to be outside the center of attention.
Taken from joe biden’s playbook: “got three letters for you obumbo, LIES, LIES, LIES “
Keith, I worry about an IRS audit in your future. Obummer does not like being pushed and your reporting has surely forced him into finally speaking to the WH press “corpse”.
I didn’t see the briefing, but I heard about it on the radio (Doug Urbanski has been terrific filling in for Rush today). It seems like Obummer did this not just to ease the heat for hiding from the WH press, but also to get comments out there on the Akin mess. I also think Obummer wanted to make the evening news and take some time away from coverage of the wonderful Romney/Ryan town hall in NH earlier today.
Since it took him over two months to speak to the WH press, I would not be surprised if Obummer doesn’t face them for questions at all between now and the election. That’s okay, I don’t even want to see him again until his concession speech the evening of November 6th. I simply cannot wait for that moment….followed by the day in December when the O’s have to welcome President-elect and Mrs. Romney to the WH….followed by Inauguration Day in January 2013. Hmm, Chris Matthews’ tingles must be contagious because I’m just getting giddy here. Ha, I think can even see old Chrissy’s tears from my backyard.
Obama goes to church. Obama takes 6 questions from pre-selected White House reporters. Did anyone ask about the progress into the national security leaks? Seriously, check Obama’s schedule. Even in the WH he is campaigning, meeting with local TV anchors. No wonder Obama holds on to Biden. If he thinks we are this stupid, then Biden must look like an oracle to him.
” If he thinks we are this stupid, then Biden must look like an oracle to him.”…..Grace…..STOP! Now you are REALLY scaring me!!! LOL
I “liked” the part when he said, ““The American people assume that if you want to be president of the United States, that your life’s an open book,” and then -oops, don’t open that book TOO much: “… when it comes to things like your finances.”
Plus, I was amazed to hear that he’s giving $3,000 to everyone who wants to refinance their mortgage, so they can buy their kids clothes and computers. What’s the name of that program again?
The program name is OBAMA2012, Anne….. :>)
Love it, rawheadrex! I think he was wearing a kevlar vest!
Don’t know about the vest but his panties were sure knotted up!
Oh, he is diabolical. When he said ‘Your life should be an open book”
(re taxes), there was an ever so slight pause before he added…”when it comes to finances”. He makes my skin crawl.
Girly1, you know what really creeped me out, and I’m drifting away from the topic, is when I saw Obama giving a speech in front of Tinkerbell’s castle at Disney World. All I could think of was Adolph Hitler. Obama had that condescending smile on his face too. My skin is still crawling.
Didn’t see it–but I know that creepy smile…
I watched a show the other day about Hitler. The similarities were creepy. Hitler would give speeches telling how all he did was work day and night for the people, but not begin his work day until 10 or 11 and then quit early. He implied that he was a poor man of the people when in reality he was extremely rich by the late 30’s. some of it money from the likes of Henry Ford. It was very interesting to say the least.
Well, I’m glad other people get that feeling off him. I’ve always been very logical and analytical, yet I have good intuition and get vibes off people; meeting someone and know right away this person is good, this person is friendly, this person I need to keep an eye on and then there are those occasional vibes of just pure evil. Obama always gives off that vibe on my radar; all the way back when I lived in IL and he was first running for the senate. Evil. I usually give wide berths when I get that vibe from people. It scares me to think what he will do if he sees he is losing this fall, it scares me more what he will do if he loses during that lame duck period, and it terrifies me what he will do if reelected.
eerie, even worse than the Progressive Insurance chick.
barkelypontree.blogspot.com
YEP!!!! I got that too. He knows he can say that crap and none of the big media outlets will say boo about it.
That should be RIPE for parody by John Stewert.
Remember early on when they claimed they didn’t lob jokes about Obama because there simply was nothing funny about him?
Too little, too late. Thanks to the movie 2016 I now understand everything Obama is doing.
Keith you called it correctly over the weekend, the President “makes a surprise” visit to the daily press briefing. However, I think it was a pretty lame performance from the White House Press Corpse. AP’s Jeff Kuhnhenn throws a softball about Missouri Senate candidate, Republican Todd Akin. Chuck Todd throws another softball to allow Obama to bring up Romney’s tax returns. How come no one in the WH Press Corps asked President Obama about why he has hidden all the Fast and Furious documents under Executive Privilege and his education records yet Obama demands Romney release his tax records? Isn’t there a bit of hypocrisy in the most open and transparent administration ever? It seems to me only Nancy Cordes and Jake Tapper asked some semi-tough questions. So please explain to me why I should care why the WH Press Corps should survive when they don’t have the guts to fight for their own survival? As Mark Halperin said over the weekend the Media including the WH Press Corps does pretty much what the Obama administration wants. This performance proves Halperin was correct. Keith previously you asked me not to be too hard on the media because they are under economic pressures to make a profit. My question is if the media doesn’t provide a product that’s worth buying (they provide truth and not spin) why should they survive?
I’m on board with Dan. Also if this is the WH Press Corps having “press conference” in the White House then it should be about national issues and not about the campaign. I am hard pressed to support the press corps performance today or Obama on any day. As I have said before if this were any other Administration this WH press corps would be hammering hard about those national security leaks that have been shoved so far under the table not even Bo can find them. Apologies for beating that horse but national security, defense , and foreign policy are high on my list and this Administration is a colossal failure.
Likes Dan’s comment.
Couldn’t find a photo of the ‘creepy smile’, Jeff1000. but here he is with his teleprompters in front of the Castle. It’s so bizarre – he’s all by his lonesome – Obama, The Singular. I’m guessing he threw Tinkerbell, Cinderella, and the rest of the Disney characters into the dungeon.
http://www.csmonitor.com/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/content/2012/0119-obama-disney/11506666-1-eng-US/0119-OBAMA-DISNEY_full_600.jpg
Girly1, I have a hard time putting into words what exactly disturbs me so much seeing the “president” at Disney World. It’s this vague feeling that he’s everywhere, and that no one would be able to escape his iron-fisted tyranny, almost like he’s giving an ominous warning. Afterall, Disney World is like a sanctuary from the real world and to see him there shatters the illusion that there are places of refuge from tyranny. Hard to explain as I mentioned.
Ugh, it was from that podium that Obama declared, “America is open for business.” The Magic Kingdom’s main street was closed to the public for his speech. Just imagine the poor people who had planned this one vacation all year, and then had to get out his way so he could use the Magic Castle -or whatever it is- for his backdrop. Better he should have pulled his styrofoam Greek columns out of mothballs.
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Maybe perhaps, this will be his last.
This is all very simple; Keith and the press corpse put pressure on the WH for the lack of a recent presser. They bring obama in unannounced which prevents the press from preparing some hard questions. There; presser done; no further criticism for another couple of months. Mission accomplished..
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