red states rule
12-17-2008, 08:53 AM
Looks like the messiah is getting testy with reporters who have the nerve to ask questions about Chicago style politics
Obama Lectures Reporter: 'Don't Waste Your Question' on Blago
By Tim Graham (Bio | Archive)
December 17, 2008 - 08:22 ET
During his press conference announcing new Education Secretary designate Arne Duncan on Tuesday, Barack Obama lectured Chicago Tribune reporter John McCormick "I don’t want you to waste your question" when he tried to press the President-elect on whether Obama told the truth when he said they were taking a "very hands-off approach" to his Senate replacement.
Media liberals noticed how much this sounds like their nominee for Worst President Ever, but they’re already arguing that criticizing Obama for lecturing the press for tough questions is premature. In Wednesday’s Washington Post, reporter/columnist Dana Milbank took issue with Stephen Hayes of the Weekly Standard: "Obama has proved himself to be far more willing to take questions than Bush, and if he makes good on his promise to release the full account of his aides' Blagojevich ties -- even on Christmas Eve -- it will be a major improvement in transparency over the current administration."
But in the Bush years, reporters didn’t give Bush a two-week window to determine whether he was stiff-arming the press. Surprisingly, someone was standing up for the idea of maintaining the press’s role to ask uncomfortable questions. Michael Calderone of Politico quickly noticed NBC Washington bureau chief Mark Whitaker said that reporters have not been aggressive enough during Obama's post-election pressers. "Our job is to hold him to account," Whitaker said, adding that he thinks "we're going to have to get tougher." Newsweek's Jonathan Alter followed up: "We need the Sam Donaldsons of the world."
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tim-graham/2008/12/17/obama-lectures-reporter-dont-waste-your-question-blago
Obama Lectures Reporter: 'Don't Waste Your Question' on Blago
By Tim Graham (Bio | Archive)
December 17, 2008 - 08:22 ET
During his press conference announcing new Education Secretary designate Arne Duncan on Tuesday, Barack Obama lectured Chicago Tribune reporter John McCormick "I don’t want you to waste your question" when he tried to press the President-elect on whether Obama told the truth when he said they were taking a "very hands-off approach" to his Senate replacement.
Media liberals noticed how much this sounds like their nominee for Worst President Ever, but they’re already arguing that criticizing Obama for lecturing the press for tough questions is premature. In Wednesday’s Washington Post, reporter/columnist Dana Milbank took issue with Stephen Hayes of the Weekly Standard: "Obama has proved himself to be far more willing to take questions than Bush, and if he makes good on his promise to release the full account of his aides' Blagojevich ties -- even on Christmas Eve -- it will be a major improvement in transparency over the current administration."
But in the Bush years, reporters didn’t give Bush a two-week window to determine whether he was stiff-arming the press. Surprisingly, someone was standing up for the idea of maintaining the press’s role to ask uncomfortable questions. Michael Calderone of Politico quickly noticed NBC Washington bureau chief Mark Whitaker said that reporters have not been aggressive enough during Obama's post-election pressers. "Our job is to hold him to account," Whitaker said, adding that he thinks "we're going to have to get tougher." Newsweek's Jonathan Alter followed up: "We need the Sam Donaldsons of the world."
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tim-graham/2008/12/17/obama-lectures-reporter-dont-waste-your-question-blago