Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Byron York: The Press and Obama's Cold Shoulder

by the Left Coast Rebel

Byron York today in the Washington Examiner pointing to Obama's disdain for the press. Essentially Obama's attitude toward the press exemplifies the disdain he has for Americans as well - they are just pawns for the so-called greater good.

The big question is, will the press ever revolt (or even in the least question) their Dear Leader? Via Memeorandum:

Will Barack Obama go an entire year without holding a formal news conference? He's getting close: The president's last full-scale session with the press was on July 22, 2009, which was 307 days ago.

When Obama last held a big news conference, there had not yet been terrorist attacks at Fort Hood, Detroit, and Times Square. Scott Brown was an unknown Massachusetts state senator. There was no national health care bill, much less national health care law. Tiger Woods appeared to be a model family man.

A lot can happen in 307 days, which is far longer than George W. Bush or Bill Clinton ever went between news conferences.

In its defense, the White House says Obama answers a lot of questions from reporters, just not in the traditional news-conference setting. In fact, the president does a lot of one-on-one interviews, frequently with sympathetic reporters. But even in terms of brief question-and-answer sessions with the White House press corps, he has still done fewer than Bush or Clinton.

More troubling is that Obama makes no secret of his disdain for the press. Just look at the scene in the Oval Office May 18, when Obama invited a few journalists to watch him sign a new bill -- it just happened to be the Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act.

"Speaking of press freedom, could you answer a couple of questions on BP?" CBS's Chip Reid asked Obama after the signing.

"You're certainly free to ask them, Chip," Obama said.

"Will you answer them?" Reid continued. "How about a question on Iran?"

"We won't be answering -- I'm not doing a press conference today," Obama said. "But we'll be seeing you guys during the course of this week. OK?"

In one sense, the press, or at least some members of the press, have only themselves to blame. Obama treats them with contempt because he knows that when big tests come, they've always been on his side. There's no reason for him to think they won't be there in the future. "Most of you covered me," he told the media elite at the 2009 White House Correspondents' Association dinner. "All of you voted for me."

That's the attitude coming out of the Oval Office every day. Why does Obama do it? Because he can.

The press is just getting the treatment that the useful idiots deserve. Hope and change:

obama_teleprompter

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