Progressive journos meet privately with Obama. Anything wrong with that?
The enforced silence about what went down in the session only invites speculation, an invitation that this blog is happy to accept. Perhaps MSNBC’s Schultz proclaimed to the president, “We at this table have your back, Mr. President.” Perhaps the president expressed disappointment that these left-leaners aren’t hitting the opposition squarely enough. Perhaps someone mentioned Fox News, and everyone else just sat there shaking their heads. Perhaps the president solicited advice from the group, though a journalist who has attended off-the-record White House sessions in the past says that’s unlikely. “It’s my hunch based on my limited experience that presidents are more interested in explaining themselves rather than seeking advice,” says the journalist. For all we know, the attendees pressed the president to place things on the record, yet they somehow feel bound not to talk about such efforts.
Enough hammering on the journalists in attendance. The real problem here is a president who fears the record, or at least groups of reporters hungry for answers. The oft-cited Towson University Professor Martha Joynt Kumar has compiled numbers documenting the president’s lack of availability when it comes to news conferences and Q&A sessions with reporters. Yet, in fairness, Obama outpaces others in terms of interviews granted. (568, compared to 190 for George W. Bush, 187 for Bill Clinton, 294 for George H.W. Bush and 224 for Reagan over a comparable period).
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With whom?
CW on December 9, 2012 at 10:33 AM
Nothing is wrong with it since many conservative journos were close to the Bush WH. Tony Snow even even became WH Press Secretary.
What is wrong, however, is how we’re vastly outnumbered by the left when it comes to mass media. That’s what has to change.
Punchenko on December 9, 2012 at 10:34 AM
It is a bit scary when the President of the United States seeks advice from people like Ed Shultz.
SoulGlo on December 9, 2012 at 10:41 AM
Progressive: http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-TV/2012/12/09/SNLs-Foxx-Cheered-For-Killing-All-White-People-In-Movie
davidk on December 9, 2012 at 10:42 AM
Exactly.
A statistic with no relevance.
Mimzey on December 9, 2012 at 10:45 AM
I am sure they were there to ask him tough questions about Benghazi.
It was followed up by his hawkish plan to keep Syria from going on chemical on its own people and making sure Israel knows we are with her come hell or high water…
Wait that water was suppose to recede wasn’t it?
Tilly on December 9, 2012 at 10:47 AM
The View.
kh6zv9 on December 9, 2012 at 10:51 AM
WTF, the conductor meeting with the orchestra counts?
hillsoftx on December 9, 2012 at 10:52 AM
There’s a long history of presidents calling up journalists and talking to them. Complaining, explaining et cetera. JFK did it a lot. Most of that was with columnists but they did call publishers and editors tc complain about stories. So, it’s been done.
But having an entire group is a little bit, well, different. It’s almost like an attempt to orchestrate coverage and not inform.
I wonder if these folks were told that the meeting was off the record? Probably so.
SteveMG on December 9, 2012 at 10:56 AM
I think the title should have read: Foxx-Cheered-For-Killing-All-White-People-In-Fictitious-Slavery-Movie-Set-In-Time-When-None-Of-White-SNL-Audience-Was-Yet-Born.
That is all.
Ladysmith CulchaVulcha on December 9, 2012 at 11:00 AM
Progressive journosCommunist propagandists meet privately with Obama. Anything wrong with that?darwin on December 9, 2012 at 11:01 AM
He needs to do this since the media is controlled by the right.
Rio Linda Refugee on December 9, 2012 at 11:01 AM
They probably count Ben Arselick and Matt Damon for all we know.
Heh.
CW on December 9, 2012 at 11:05 AM
It’s pretty clear that the cult’s propaganda corps (corpse?) went there to get their marching orders from their masters.
single stack on December 9, 2012 at 11:07 AM
BigGator5 on December 9, 2012 at 11:08 AM
This.
jawkneemusic on December 9, 2012 at 11:09 AM
More on this please.
joekenha on December 9, 2012 at 11:25 AM
W met with a bunch of talk radio folks. At least these folks are honest about how they are. The scary ones are the ones like Brian Williams, bowing to the president literally and figuratively at every opportunity and then look down their noses at Fox.
Cindy Munford on December 9, 2012 at 11:35 AM
Meh. They’re not journalists. And conservatives do it too. So what?
Hypocrisy has been the most damning element of expanding the GOP. Laura Ingraham actually criticized the lib-talkers without mentioning that she had the same type of meeting with GWB.
(She’s still one of the smartest voices out there. I personally appreciate her educational-pedigree. She negates the idea of staunch conservatives being dimwitted-extremists.
FD: I have received more than one gift from LI.)
Capitalist Hog on December 9, 2012 at 11:51 AM
The Prog media is America’s enemy…Dear Leader is rewarding his Ministry of Propaganda with private audiences.
d1carter on December 9, 2012 at 12:10 PM
I don’t think they are giving Mao advice, more likely they are getting tips and talking points on how to disarm republican attempts to focus on issues like the actual fiscal problems we have, or Benghazi, or giving them ways to bolster what he hasn’t said yet publicly etc.
Mimzey on December 9, 2012 at 12:19 PM
Bullshet. For your comparison to be even vaguely accurate, there would have to be an equal number of media networks pushing the conservative world view as there are liberal/left.
Can you name some of these networks?
Mimzey on December 9, 2012 at 12:22 PM
But calling people the n-word is OK? That was you, right?
Leave it to the resident-racial-slur-dropper to be offended racially by the idea of a slave’s vengeance.
Capitalist Hog on December 9, 2012 at 12:26 PM
The complaint was not about networks. It was about personal appearances. But nice to see that my direct reference is not “vaguely accurate” while your obtuse and reaching comparison is keen.
OK Johnny.
Capitalist Hog on December 9, 2012 at 12:29 PM
What level of education did you attain?
I wonder if that is what rubbed you wrong. It happens sometimes. People who are bitter about not having a degree or profession sometimes get offended by elitist back-scratching and butt-sniffing. It’s understandable.
Capitalist Hog on December 9, 2012 at 12:34 PM
Lame.
I’m intelligent enough to recognize a silly fool dodging a question when I encounter one.
They have one consistent characteristic. When unable to answer they resort to ad hominens. Not unlike a angry teenager.
Get over yourself. It shouldn’t be that much to get over.
Grow up.
Mimzey on December 9, 2012 at 12:57 PM
That makes it easier.
Now you seem to be claiming that GWB not only had meeting on multiple times with right leaning journalists and pundits, but the most far right pundits that would equal the verbal stylings of an Ed Schultz, Cris M. Larry McDonald etc.
You claim this, but what is your evidence to prove it? When did Bush call together a meeting with these people and who are these people you claim knowledge of meeting with Bush?
Mimzey on December 9, 2012 at 1:02 PM
What a silly thing to say imo.
A slaves vengeance?? Lets play “Name That Slave”.
Name them.
Mimzey on December 9, 2012 at 1:04 PM
The problem is that we don’t have any activist journalists. We don’t have any activist Republicans in Congress. We don’t have anyone with a platform willing to push conservative ideas.
(Leaving out talk show hosts.)
Too bad for us.
We still need you, Andrew Breitbart.
vityas on December 9, 2012 at 1:18 PM
How soon we forget…
Del Dolemonte on December 9, 2012 at 1:56 PM
Hard telling.
What was the context of the meeting?..A pat on the back type showing appreciation..or a strategy meeting to help con the public?
When did this meeting take place?
Mimzey on December 9, 2012 at 1:59 PM
So you condone calling blacks the n-word here on Hot Air? Because that’s what I am talking about. And Slave’s vengeance refers to the movie Django Unchained. That’s what it is about.
Askend and answered.
Photos coming soon.
Capitalist Hog on December 9, 2012 at 3:54 PM
photo found
Capitalist Hog on December 9, 2012 at 4:01 PM