Helen Thomas Challenge Gibbs On "Controlled" Town Hall

burniegoeasily · 07-06-2009, 08:30 AM

http://www.boom2bust.com/2009/07/03/...trol-of-press/

Helen Thomas Blasts White House Control Of Press
Posted In: 2008 Election, Anti-Americanism, Media, Obama Administration, Politicians, U.S. Government
"œTransparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this
presidency."

-U.S. President Barack Obama, January 21, 2009, upon signing executive orders relating to ethics guidelines for staff members of his administration

It appears the Obama administration is having a hard time convincing legendary journalist and prominent symbol of the liberal media Helen Thomas, who has been a correspondent for 57 years and has covered every president since JFK, that this is indeed the case these days.

From MyFOX Dallas/Fort Worth yesterday:

During the daily press briefing on Wednesday, some reporters asked whether the White House staged questions at President Obama"™s Wednesday Town Hall meeting on health care.

On its Web site, the White House had asked Americans to submit questions to the president via social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The White House says hundreds of entries were received.

Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said the White House would "œscreen" submissions "” and pick some for the president to answer at his town hall in Virginia. But at least two reporters told Gibbs this amounted to choosing questions, which would just make Obama look good.

"œThis is an open forum for the public to ask question," said Chip Reid of CBS News. "œBut it"™s not really open?"

"œBased on what?" responded Gibbs.

"œBased on the information "¦ on how the audience and the questions are being selected," said Reid.

"œHow about this: I promise we will interrupt the AP"™s tradition of asking the first question. I"™ll let you ask me a question tomorrow on whether you thought the questions at the town hall meeting that the President conducted at Annandale"¦."

"œThat"™s not his point," interrupted Helen Thomas, correspondent for Hearst Newspapers. "œThat"™s, that"™s not his point. His point is the control from here. We have never had that in the White House. I"™m amazed at you people who call for openness and transparency and control.

"œYou have left open the suggestion that you are pumping the answers," Thomas continued. "œIt"™s shocking. It"™s really shocking."

"œLet"™s have this discussion at the conclusion of the town hall meeting," Gibbs said.

"œNo, no, no. We are having it now." claimed Thomas. "œIt"™s a pattern. It"™s a pattern. It isn"™t the question. It"™s a pattern of controlling the press."

CNS News"™ Fred Lucas and Penny Starr added the following:

Following a testy exchange during Wednesday"™s briefing with White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, veteran White House correspondent Helen Thomas told CNSNews.com that not even Richard Nixon tried to control the press the way President Obama is trying to control the press.

"œNixon didn"™t try to do that," Thomas said. "œThey couldn"™t control (the media). They didn"™t try."

"œWhat the hell do they think we are, puppets?" Thomas said. "œThey"™re supposed to stay out of our business. They are our public servants. We pay them."

hillbillyhunter1 · 07-06-2009, 09:26 AM

kudos to her....perhaps a few are awakening.

Griswold · 07-06-2009, 09:59 AM

It's hilarious to watch the righteous indignation being expressed by reporters like Mrs. Thomas. They were happy to be Obama's lap dogs during the campaign and send him to the White House without being vetted, and now they object to being used as puppets?

FlDeerman · 07-06-2009, 12:44 PM

The press realizes how stupid they look.Duhhhhhh!!!!

bugsNbows · 07-06-2009, 01:05 PM

That old left wing biddy finally got one right. Go figure.

hillbillyhunter1 · 07-07-2009, 06:16 AM

Now what happens though??? Was that just a one time belch for the press corp??? or will some of them really try to press hard with both feet in order to remove their heads for their _________??

bergall · 07-07-2009, 07:27 AM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: hillbillyhunter1

Now what happens though???Â*Â* Was that just a one time belch for the press corp???Â* or will some of them really try to press hard with both feet in order to remove their heads for their _________??

It was a 1-fart wonder and will not repeat. I remember mainstream media's coverage of the incident as something some were
surprised at (and rolled their eyes in an effort to minimize and negate Ms.Thomas' efforts at genuine journalism) and others were
critical of the exchange as something provocative and unnecessary. Let's see what happens to that 'Veteran" reporter of
57 years...I wonder if she'll be found too old for the job. if Obammy can throw his own granny in front of the bus, this typical old white woman will be chewin' exhaust manifold in seconds flat....

Alsatian · 07-07-2009, 07:28 AM

Tomorrow Helen Thomas and I will likely be in disagreement, and then I'll happily drub her. Today, however, I'm cheering her and wishing that her voice gets heard. Hear! Hear! It was time someone stood up and explicitly and forcefully made this point. Sure, the media has been complicit, but it sounds to me like the Obama administration has been playing them all along. Maybe the media -- to whit, Helen Thomas -- are finding that the bloom is off the fruit, so to speak, and they no longer believe Obama walks on water, maybe they are starting to question (1) his lack of bipartisanship, (2) his lack of transparency, (3) his moderation, (4) his "I'm not a socialist," (5) his handling of the economic crisis, etc. Again, I say bravo! to Helen Thomas.