Obama has not taken a question from the press in more than two months
posted at 1:52 pm on August 6, 2012 by Howard Portnoy
Despite his pledge to preside over the most open and transparent administration in history, Barack Obama has been insulating himself from the press of late, according to Keith Koffler at White House Dossier. Writes Koffler:
The last substantive question Obama took from a White House reporter was during a June 20 press conference following the G20 Summit in Los Cabos, Mexico. Obama allowed only six questions during the event, which was nearly guaranteed to keep him out of political hot water as the focus was on foreign policy.
Since then, Obama has held no press conferences, given no interviews to White House reporters, and taken no questions at the White House events he has held where reporters have been present.
At least the president has maintained his cheery disposition. Koffler notes that Obama laughed off a question posed by a member of the press following a July 26 Cabinet meeting. Here is the official transcript:
Q: Mr. President, can you tell us, if what the Colorado shooter did was entirely legal, how do you do more on this subject without any new laws?
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. I’m sure we’ll have more opportunity to talk about this.
Q: This afternoon is fine. I’m available.
THE PRESIDENT: Thanks. I’ll ask Jay for your number. (Laughter.)
Koffler observes the flak that Mitt Romney took during his recent trip abroad for ducking questions from reporters, which suggests a double standard, but clearly Koffler lacks a sense of humor. As the president might say, summoning up his best Mexican bandito impersonation, “Press conferences? I don’t need to hold any stinkin’ press conferences.”
For what it’s worth, seven weeks—or to be exact 44 days—is nothing when it comes to presidents avoiding the fourth estate. The current record for failing to conduct prime-time, nationally televised press conferences is 215 days, more than half a year. That record was set by President Barack Obama in 2010.
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infuriating what the lsm does not do…
cmsinaz on August 6, 2012 at 2:03 PM
*I Obamacles I henceforth known as er uh Choom King* will deign to explain to you that as the uh ah Sun King *I* determine the er uh present perception of the past where I uh ah uh *never said anything* about ah uh uh communicating with the er slightest ah uh adversity…..
furthermore uh ah uh it is not as ah uh those biased partisan warriors in the ah uh media have the intellectual honesty or critical self-analysis to index Romney’s actions against my ah uh own and be consistent in their ire at uh a candidates silence…..
so let it be tamped so let it be token…..
//Obamacles I the Choom King
harlekwin15 on August 6, 2012 at 2:10 PM
bho knows if he takes a question from someone other than those he has in his pocket, he might say something that could be the truth as to how he feels? We can’t have that, now can we?
L
letget on August 6, 2012 at 2:11 PM
Who cares. If I were president I wouldn’t take a single question from the press during my tenure.
Dante on August 6, 2012 at 2:34 PM
Dante darling you and the media care endlessly if Romney or Bush doesn’t tug the forelock come on now let’s not kid…..
“Hypocrisy-never pondered it”
//Charles Gibson et al
harlekwin15 on August 6, 2012 at 2:37 PM
While it may be legal for a person to be armed like the Colorado shooter was, it is NOT legal in ANY state to shoot 71 people in a movie theater!!!
With even such a softball question, Obama couldn’t even be bothered to answer?
Steve Z on August 6, 2012 at 2:56 PM
Nice fantasy life you lead. What else would you like to make up out of thin air?
Dante on August 6, 2012 at 3:28 PM
Well, it is easier to “tell a story” if you stick to a scripted narrative, and don’t answer any stupid pesky questions.
Marcola on August 6, 2012 at 3:33 PM
In essence, since actions speak louder than words, is this not equivalent to Romney’s aide Gorka telling the media KMA?
waterytart on August 6, 2012 at 3:38 PM
Dante you are a lib….Bush not “answering fair media questions” was a big deal to you leftoids like all things are when a “r” is after the name…..
was a big deal when reagan feigned deafness on the way to marine 1 too….
lay down your burden sport and indulge in luxuriating in the interlocking and mutual tugjob generator the media and the Obama admin are…..
it is about exactly like Chairman Soetoro’s latest royal pronouncement that “Superpacs for me but none for theee”…..
you guys were all against Superpacs right up until the Clown Prince of Chi town changed his mind….now pointing out Bambi is a demonstrable liar on the issue and a hypocrit will be rated as two pinnochois despite it being true…..
game on tiger see you at the polls
harlekwin15 on August 6, 2012 at 3:47 PM
You poor thing. Constructing all of those straw men must be hard work. A rich fantasy life, indeed.
A bit of advice: stop making assumptions. You haven’t got a single one right.
Dante on August 6, 2012 at 3:56 PM
right-o Dante I can see you arguing in your underwater basket weaving gender arts studies class against the moron donks you run alongside…..
“I wouldn’t answer either”……
how galling is it to you that your Chi Town Avenger is so reliant on other people’s words to hide his true feelings he cannot answer a simple question for fear of letting his mask slip?
You wish he was a glib brilliant orator who could defend his genuine beliefs but instead settle for Val J’s meat puppet…..
like I said I’ll crawl through hell in a gasoline suit to do my part in ohio….
see you in November.
harlekwin15 on August 6, 2012 at 4:25 PM
I was going to ask if 15 is a reference to your age, but obviously it refers to something else.
Dante on August 6, 2012 at 4:38 PM
Dante….
quite….
like i said it must burn you up that the US is so turned off by Chicago Messiah’s true views he had to resume his prompter addiction….
November is coming.
harlekwin15 on August 6, 2012 at 4:41 PM
This is too funny. Please, keep insisting I’m an Obama supporter or even a liberal.
Dante on August 6, 2012 at 5:02 PM
Pretty odd that the President doesn’t give the time of day to one of his biggest fan clubs.
Left Coast Right Mind on August 6, 2012 at 7:17 PM
Most transparent… most invisible.
logis on August 6, 2012 at 9:03 PM
And the Senate has not submitted a budget in . . .
BigAlSouth on August 7, 2012 at 9:37 AM
Sighed The One about the MSM:
“They used to kiss and exclaim ‘Roses!’
But now some sniff and wrinkle their noses.”
Marcola on August 7, 2012 at 3:12 PM
Sounds like his first presidential campaign. If you remember, he had no press conferences only sound bites. Ah you say, “He had multiple debates and interviews.” My response,… He never answered any question asked. He was never interviewed by anyone who didn’t kiss his a– er boots first.
No president in history has answered fewer pressing questions from the press or been vetted less by the press. I’m thinking the 4ht estate is becoming an adversary to this country.
WestTexasBirdDog on August 7, 2012 at 5:22 PM