Video: Obama Team Smacked Down For Controlling the Press
Posted on July 1, 2009
Bravo to Helen Thomas and Chip Reid! Wow, I never thought I’d ever say that! Chip really takes them to task on how the pre-screened questions and plants make for a controlled press. Helen has his back. If she had any credibility this would be even better. Helen went into more details later with CNS News:
“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.”
Although both objected to the process, neither remembered to ask about the fact that Obama would know the questions ahead of time. Thus giving a false appearance that he was prepared to answer any question put to him, when in fact he’d already worked out the answers for the questions he chose to ask himself.
Frankly, with ABC holding infomercials for Obama in prime time, it seems almost petty to get exercised about a phony town hall. Exit question: How seriously should we take concerns that Obama’s not facing enough tough questions when voiced by a woman known to wonder why the White House considers Iran a threat?
It is fun to watch Gibbs completely fail at his job. But it is surreal watching Helen Thomas and Chip going after Obama when they realize they are nothing but puppets. These two must have missed their dose of Kool-aid today!
» Filed Under 1st Amendment, Debate, Journalistic Malpractice, Journalistic Prostitution, Journalistic incompetence, Liberal Media/Bias, News, Propaganda, Video
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13 Responses to “Video: Obama Team Smacked Down For Controlling the Press”
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FINALY !!!!!!! IS THE PRESS GOING TO START TO DO THEIR JOB????????
I doubt it. Probably just a fluke.
Bravo my ass. Those journalists don’t really care about whether Obama pre-screened his questions. They only care that a HuffPo lackey got special treatment and they didn’t.
Journalists are worthless.
Although the networks corespondents and talking heads covered up the fact during their coverage of the town hall that the questioners and questions were all prescreened, don’t want to loose access to Obama you know. The WH press corp is less influenced by that fact due to their proxemity to Obama. Obama overreached with that fake huffpo question and now WHPC will hit back hard for a time. I’ll enjoy the show while it lasts.
I saw part of the Town Hall meeting but turned it off during the second question. I couldn’t believe how contrived and staged it was. These scum bags are sure putting on a good show in order to take over our country. It’s shocking how many people bought into this “holy-rolling” snake oil salesman – hook, line and sinker, and voted for the jerk. But the public is finally getting wise. You know it’s bad when Helen Thomas calls the them on it!
It’s likely that they’ll adjust their act and put on a more convincing show the next time. After all, every stage production has its “off” nights, and this was an “off” night for the obama machine.
You know things are bad when Helen Thomas says the White House is so far from open and transparent that it is SHOCKING – that it is the PATTERN of staging the events with preselected people and questions that is the problem. Maybe Journalism is not dead after all – questions are starting to be asked, and truths are starting to be told.
The koolaid is wearing off – look at the faces of the OTHER reporters in that room, no one there is happy with what is going on.
Gibbs tries to wiggle out of it – saying how would we do that? and Thomas lays it out there for the world to see “By calling reporters the night before” like you do essentially.
Busted, baby.
I honestly think that the press corps is really getting sick of Obama’s arrogance, big time. And it’s about time.
They should have done this during the run for office, when they could have made a difference.
He’s starting to tank, but Soros will have to miss a couple of payments before they flat out turn on O.
Wow, Gibbs is a lousy press secretary.
I cant believe people dont see through this govt power grab. Never in American history has the executive branch reached out for so much power!! I thought there were 3 branches of govt. Congress should just go home and wait for next years election so that we can throw them all out!! Anyone thinking that this health care plan can work is a fool. Where is the money coming from? CBO numbers don’t lie.
A little more time and OFRAUD will be fully exposed,,, anybody believe he is not a closet Muslim,,, what honest American would NOT produce their ORIGINAL birth certificate.
Would end all of the current lawsuits,,, what are you hiding OBAMA?
They were trying to make a point to Obama, which they did, and now after this little spat, they will go back to kissing his ring. Or maybe they are finally figuring out that to sell papers, get ratings and have credibility, they need to go back to real journalism. What a concept!
Try to find this on any “news” site other than Fox. They have all buried it. Chip and Helen better enjoy partying together cause they are radioactive now.
Totally agree, Sandi. Journalists know to sell papers they need to tell a story with conflict, but what they didn’t realize is that conflict isn’t about what celebrity got busted with a DUI, but about the press keeping politicians in check. That’s what the press should always have been about.
And Carol, you can also find this report at http://www.newsy.com/videos/watchdogs_to_lapdogs. They also show some of the CNN coverage of the “Town Hall.”