Laura Ingraham has some fine moments in this interview with Chuck Todd today, but to be fair, so does Todd, and neither really at the expense of each other. Todd agrees with Ingraham on the allegations made by Thomas Lauria about the extortive threats against senior creditors at Chrysler, although he wonders whether the White House may not be pleased to be getting this criticism. Todd suggests that it may be exactly what Obama needs to keep “pitchfork America” on his side despite the Left’s complaints about Obama’s coziness to Wall Street:
Give Todd credit for taking some offense at the notion that the White House press corps would act on behalf of the Obama administration, although I tend to agree with his assessment that it benefits the Obama administration in the short run among the populists. In the longer run, though, Obama may wind up alienating enough of the WHPC contingent that they’ll … uh … no longer stand when he enters the room? Todd explains that away as a surprise reaction, at which Ingraham scoffs.
Ingraham’s right about the glowing coverage provided over the first 100 days, and Todd reluctantly agrees, but tries to explain it away as normal honeymoon coverage provided to any new President. Pew’s study rebuts that explanation, but Todd at least sounds as though he’ll keep an open mind. Check with him in three months, he says, and he’ll reassess. He says that a popular president tends to get better press — but one can argue that better press makes a president a lot more popular. I think Todd has it reversed.
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