Obama's full plate:
Could the axiom "all politics is local" derail the president's green jobs agenda?
Obama skips the Gridiron dinner but appears on 60 Minutes...is he risking offending the Beltway elite?
The recession ripples outward:
Will Congressional micromanaging of financial change the American professional sports stage?
Some local officials worry the foreclosure crisis could result in severe undercounting in next year's census. California could actually lose a seat for the first time since it entered the Union.
Fundraising totals are plummeting for all the campaign committees; will the recession mean more self-financed Congressional candidates in 2010?
Is anyone paying attention?
It looks like all those fears about Diebold being able to highjack our democracy weren't misplaced.
An Amnesty International report describes America's immigration system a virtual black hole of human rights abuse.
Our military men and women are paying a high price for the Bush/Cheney wars.
Showing posts with label President Obama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label President Obama. Show all posts
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Is That the Best the Press Can Do?
I tuned in to watch President Obama's second prime time press conference curious to see how he plans to push his budget proposal through a reluctant Congress, respond to the ongoing AIG bonus scandal and the upcoming G20 Summit. Instead, I was numbed by the performance of the representatives of the Fourth Estate. Honestly, the man gets better questions at town hall meetings populated by average Americans.
If this is the best group of reporters we can assemble for a White House press conference, it's obvious why Americans are as ill-informed as we are. How do I get my press pass? I'm confident I can ask a more productive question than the one Anne Compton asked.
Did anyone else get the feeling the President was getting a little annoyed with the inane questions? Shouldn't he expect college-level inquiries? Instead, he's got junior high heathers pushing GOP talking points about embryonic stem cells and charitable tax deductions for the wealthy.
I admit putting the press in their place - "I like to know what I'm talking about before I speak" -makes me feel good, but wow, he bruised some fragile egos in the room. Public smack downs of people who have cameras, mics and twenty four hours of television airtime to fill may not be a smart strategy.
One thing I wish the President would say is, "Yeah, the Republicans seem to have a short term memory problem. But, you know what? So does the press." I understand why he can't, but just wish he could. Their role in helping Republicans push the Bush presidency into our collective memory hole is yet another example of journalistic malpractice right up there with their cheerleading our way into the invasion of Iraq.
If this is the best group of reporters we can assemble for a White House press conference, it's obvious why Americans are as ill-informed as we are. How do I get my press pass? I'm confident I can ask a more productive question than the one Anne Compton asked.
Did anyone else get the feeling the President was getting a little annoyed with the inane questions? Shouldn't he expect college-level inquiries? Instead, he's got junior high heathers pushing GOP talking points about embryonic stem cells and charitable tax deductions for the wealthy.
I admit putting the press in their place - "I like to know what I'm talking about before I speak" -makes me feel good, but wow, he bruised some fragile egos in the room. Public smack downs of people who have cameras, mics and twenty four hours of television airtime to fill may not be a smart strategy.
One thing I wish the President would say is, "Yeah, the Republicans seem to have a short term memory problem. But, you know what? So does the press." I understand why he can't, but just wish he could. Their role in helping Republicans push the Bush presidency into our collective memory hole is yet another example of journalistic malpractice right up there with their cheerleading our way into the invasion of Iraq.
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