Controlling The Space

The press. Slovenly lot, aren’t they? Luckily for us, the press didn’t elect Obama. Perhaps they need to be reminded that GWB is still more popular than the press.

>>”Slovenly lot, aren’t they?”
Indeed.
I understand that the White House Briefing room may not be the most pleasant working environment, with long hours, overcrowding, and office space actually located within the old swimming pool underneath the Briefing Room floor.
Nonetheless, it’s still the White House. One might think the mere fact of working three rooms down from the Oval Office would prompt one to maintain a greater level of apparent respectfulness in dress, grooming and demeanor. You’re directly engaged with the President of the United States on an international stage–put on a jacket, get a haircut and for God’s sake, throw away the plastic wristwatch.

Hm. Not really seeing it. Hearing it though, in that quick little drumbeat on NPR where the pundits are looking for a theme – and preferably a theme which is not too positive. He could fail, he could fail, he could fail. Ooh, big spender! Ooh, unhappy Republicans! He could fail, he could fail, he could fail…
How long until they catch on to the fact that they’re irrelevant?

What I saw was that the press corps was all white.

Robert Gibbs called on the reporter whose name is April, when the reporters were seated in their room, not in a hallway like the above. April, who is black, recently gave birth and I recall that Bush congratulated her on that.

Here’s April Ryan’s affiliation, AURN, and her photo:

Ugh. I made the mistake of watching Gibbs first press conference. A bunch of ridiculous questions about the oath, and a bitch fit from the press over not being invited to watch the second swearing in.
This picture looks like a bunch of middle schoolers who are upset because the principal found their secret clubhouse.

A fine collection of Troglodytes .
Heres a tip, don’t leave your lunch in the break room refrigerator.

Yes the press is slovenly but what I see is a bunch of viewers at a Madame Tussaud gallery. I look at Obama and I see a hyper-realized shot. He stands in an almost HD quality 3d and everyone else looks flat. Even the guy in front who “should” be hogging the field disappears in that Obamaness. I know press photgaphers are pros but someone knows his camera very well.

no – reporters can dress however they want. Who says POTUS deserves special treatment? Respect is a)earned b)measured by interactions, not shape, size, color or cloth and/or trinkets a person wears.
I don’t see anything other than reporters and the president.

BTW – I guess we can now declare the flag lapel pin is the official presidenting version of having “Vinny” stitched over your shirt pocket.

Hopefully, the Fourth Estate is doing with BHO exactly what they should have been doing with GWB all along: their job. What a nice change that would be.
Forget the suit and tie, cry Havoc!, and let slip the dogs of Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How. Shake off the leash and sic ‘em, boys, all of ‘em, right and left.

“Who says POTUS deserves special treatment? Respect is a)earned b)measured by interactions, not shape, size, color or cloth and/or trinkets a person wears.”
Respect goes to the office. And let’s not pretend these reporters actually need rolled-up sleeves.
Obama may be surrounded, but he is clearly in command. The reporters are keeping their (albeit narrow) distance, and the President is weighing the option being pointed out.

Srsly? They called him the “ex candidate”?
Criminy!

MediaMatters has just written about the “Rip Van Winkle” press waking up for Obama – giving him the same rough treatment as Clinton got for his for his first 100 days – as compared with the soft-puff treatment that W. got through his entire administration.
The story MM describes – by contrast to the news reports of the event — is that Obama went to the White House Press office, chit-chatted, was asked a substantive question, said this was a hello visit and he would respond at a press conference later that day. Big deal!

It was telling that in its piece about Obama’s press woes, Politico noted how the Clinton administration had also run into trouble with the press over issues of access. Noticeably absent from the Politico article was any mention of how the Bush administration dramatically limited media access, regularly cordoned off information from the press, and warned reporters that edgy questions posed at the daily sessions were “noted in the building.” That’s all been tossed down the memory hole. It’s only new Democratic presidents who are asked to play nice with the press and get badgered when they do not

Here’s MediaMatters reporter Eric Boehlert’s alternative description of the White House Press Office encounter:

That double standard explained why there was so much media chatter last week after Obama, while making a good-natured social visit to the White House press workspace, waved off a substantive question about a high-level appointment of his. Pressed again by Politico’s Jonathan Martin, Obama responded good-naturedly, “We will be having a press conference, at which time you can feel free to [ask] questions. Right now, I just wanted to say hello and introduce myself to you guys. That’s all I was trying to do.” (“A testy exchange,” gasped Politico.)
But did the press ever needle Bush with uncomfortable questions when he made social calls? Please note that in August 2006, when Bush made a rare unannounced visit to the White House press room — and this was years after Bush had broadcast his open contempt for the press — there were no tough questions.

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