Magox Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Remember all this transparency talk on the campaign trail? http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/200...ll_meeting.html Helen Thomas slams Robert Gibbs At the White House presser on Wednesday, several correspondents questioned the way the Oval Office selected questions from the public for today’s virtual town hall. President Barack Obama answered pre-selected questions Wednesday afternoon about health care sent in from emails, Facebook and Twitter. CBS’ Chip Reid and columnist Helen Thomas thought this reflected a lack of transparency at the White House. “It feels like the concept of a town hall, I think, is to have an open public forum. And this sounds like a very tightly controlled audience and list of questions. Why do it that way?” asked Reid. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs deflected the question, but that only raised the ire of Helen Thomas, UPI’s veteran correspondent who has long been at the top of the White House press corps totem pole. “We have never had that in the White House,” Thomas said, referring to the degree that press events are pre-scripted in the Obama administration. “I’m amazed, I’m amazed at you people who called for openness and transparency…” That’s when things got testy, and Gibbs looked very uncomfortable as Reid and Thomas took turns attacking his evasive answers. “Calling reporters the night before, telling them they’re going to be called on — that’s shocking,” Thomas said, referring to an incident last week when Huffington Post blogger Nico Pitney was given advance warning that he would be called on to ask a question on behalf of the Iranian public. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Remember all this transparency talk on the campaign trail? http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/200...ll_meeting.html Helen Thomas slams Robert Gibbs At the White House presser on Wednesday, several correspondents questioned the way the Oval Office selected questions from the public for today's virtual town hall. President Barack Obama answered pre-selected questions Wednesday afternoon about health care sent in from emails, Facebook and Twitter. CBS' Chip Reid and columnist Helen Thomas thought this reflected a lack of transparency at the White House. That just sounds like something the administration shouldn't do. If you're going to do a Town Hall, do a Town Hall and answer whatever questions the people have for you. You can always get out what you want to make sure is out in the introduction. I just don't know why they agree to stuff like this, knowing they will get called out on it. It's dumb, and a mistake. The criticism for the Huffington Post question at the last press conference was unfounded, IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IDBillzFan Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 That just sounds like something the administration shouldn't do. If you're going to do a Town Hall, do a Town Hall and answer whatever questions the people have for you. You can always get out what you want to make sure is out in the introduction. I just don't know why they agree to stuff like this, knowing they will get called out on it. It's dumb, and a mistake. The criticism for the Huffington Post question at the last press conference was unfounded, IMO. I think the Huffington Post criticism was more press corps jealousy than anything else. The Thomas stuff was awesome, and she completely showed Gibbs to be the condescending snotnose idiot that he is. "Did you send an email, Helen?" Ridiculous. But entertaining, in a Joe Biden kind of way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pBills Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Remember all this transparency talk on the campaign trail? http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/200...ll_meeting.html Helen Thomas slams Robert Gibbs At the White House presser on Wednesday, several correspondents questioned the way the Oval Office selected questions from the public for today’s virtual town hall. President Barack Obama answered pre-selected questions Wednesday afternoon about health care sent in from emails, Facebook and Twitter. CBS’ Chip Reid and columnist Helen Thomas thought this reflected a lack of transparency at the White House. “It feels like the concept of a town hall, I think, is to have an open public forum. And this sounds like a very tightly controlled audience and list of questions. Why do it that way?” asked Reid. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs deflected the question, but that only raised the ire of Helen Thomas, UPI’s veteran correspondent who has long been at the top of the White House press corps totem pole. “We have never had that in the White House,” Thomas said, referring to the degree that press events are pre-scripted in the Obama administration. “I’m amazed, I’m amazed at you people who called for openness and transparency…” That’s when things got testy, and Gibbs looked very uncomfortable as Reid and Thomas took turns attacking his evasive answers. “Calling reporters the night before, telling them they’re going to be called on — that’s shocking,” Thomas said, referring to an incident last week when Huffington Post blogger Nico Pitney was given advance warning that he would be called on to ask a question on behalf of the Iranian public. Shocking that FOX news, etc. are the ones crying foul about media access at the White House and Republicans are crying foul about questions being asked at Town Halls. Did Bush hold any Town Halls outside of gearing up for an election? Just asking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanker Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Frankly, I think Obama and his administration are incredibly transparent. It's easy to see right through them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pBills Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Frankly, I think Obama and his administration are incredibly transparent.It's easy to see right through them. BA-DUM-BUM!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 I think the Huffington Post criticism was more press corps jealousy than anything else. The Thomas stuff was awesome, and she completely showed Gibbs to be the condescending snotnose idiot that he is. "Did you send an email, Helen?" Ridiculous. But entertaining, in a Joe Biden kind of way. Helen shouldn't be there anymore. She was worthless three Presidents ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GG Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Helen shouldn't be there anymore. She was worthless three Presidents ago. I don't recall you saying this 4 years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magox Posted July 2, 2009 Author Share Posted July 2, 2009 Shocking that FOX news, etc. are the ones crying foul about media access at the White House and Republicans are crying foul about questions being asked at Town Halls. Did Bush hold any Town Halls outside of gearing up for an election? Just asking. You virtually have no value. You are like a parrot, the only thing you have to offer is "bla bla bla Fox news" , "bla bla bla Rush Limbaugh" , "bla bla bla Glenn Beck", "bla bla bla George Bush"... Grow a brain, so maybe one day you can produce a real argument. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 I don't recall you saying this 4 years ago. If I mentioned her at all four years ago I don't recall it. I never actually had any respect for her that I can remember, since she really doesn't ever seem to ask a good question but a long time ago maybe she did. And her seat was symbolic as long as I can recall. I doubt I have ever even read an article by her, and if I did I wouldn't have known it or recognized it. To be honest, i don't know a thing about Helen Thomas except that she works for the AP, is probably a liberal and she has never moved from that seat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pBills Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 You virtually have no value. You are like a parrot, the only thing you have to offer is "bla bla bla Fox news" , "bla bla bla Rush Limbaugh" , "bla bla bla Glenn Beck", "bla bla bla George Bush"... Grow a brain, so maybe one day you can produce a real argument. Dear god almost everything you rant about is a pull quote or GOP talking point. Pot calling kettle huh? And really, the media group that is complaining the most or skewing the most is FOX. If Comedy Central can pick up on that so can you. Grow a brain? Wow my six year old has better come backs. Just sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pBills Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 And I forgot how Magox blames everything on Obama. But noooo, he thinks on his own... never follows the leader. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magox Posted July 2, 2009 Author Share Posted July 2, 2009 Dear god almost everything you rant about is a pull quote or GOP talking point. Pot calling kettle huh? And really, the media group that is complaining the most or skewing the most is FOX. If Comedy Central can pick up on that so can you. Grow a brain? Wow my six year old has better come backs. Just sad. considering I don't watch FOX, Glenn Beck or listen to Rush and don't subscribe to any GOP literature, how is it that I pull quote's from GOP talking points? Which quote's is it that I have pulled exactly? I keep up with business news more than anything, and the majority of the issues that I post have to do with the economy, and I am a fiscal conservative, always have been, and it isn't really all that difficult to criticize this administration when they are spending more money in the first 6 months of their administration than in the entire history of the U.S Think about that for a second, we have earmarked more money to be spent in the first 6 months, than in the entire history of the U.S. If you don't see anything alarming about that, than you are more hopeless than I thought you were. Actually, I take that back.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pBills Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 considering I don't watch FOX, Glenn Beck or listen to Rush and don't subscribe to any GOP literature, how is it that I pull quote's from GOP talking points? Which quote's is it that I have pulled exactly? I keep up with business news more than anything, and the majority of the issues that I post have to do with the economy, and I am a fiscal conservative, always have been, and it isn't really all that difficult to criticize this administration when they are spending more money in the first 6 months of their administration than in the entire history of the U.S Think about that for a second, we have earmarked more money to be spent in the first 6 months, than in the entire history of the U.S. If you don't see anything alarming about that, than you are more hopeless than I thought you were. Actually, I take that back.... And where I have ever said that I was not alarmed by the deficit? You call me a parrot because I state what should be the obvious. A LOT of republicans still pissed off about losing the election, that do not like Obama or the anything he does and none of them have ANYTHING to say that would help. Just ummmm we do not like that idea. Point of this is simple you assume that I am some sort of parrot when in turn you sound the same damn way on the other side of the aisle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IDBillzFan Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 Shocking that FOX news, etc. are the ones crying foul about media access at the White House and Republicans are crying foul about questions being asked at Town Halls. Did Bush hold any Town Halls outside of gearing up for an election? Just asking. Actually the questions crying foul about media access at the White House was not Fox News, in particular this episode about the Town Hall meetings; it was ABC and AP. If you're going to pull another liberal talking point out of your ass to stand in judgement of conservatives and their talking points, at least verify accuracy. Helen shouldn't be there anymore. She was worthless three Presidents ago. I still chuckle out loud when I think of Dennis Miller suggesting that Janet Napolitano looks like Helen Thomas after you add water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
/dev/null Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 considering I don't watch FOX, Glenn Beck or listen to Rush and don't subscribe to any GOP literature, how is it that I pull quote's from GOP talking points? Consider the source If pbills doesn't hear it first from the official Obama Kool-Aid® punch bowl, it has to be a GOP talking point Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 Shocking that FOX news, etc. are the ones crying foul about media access at the White House and Republicans are crying foul about questions being asked at Town Halls. Did Bush hold any Town Halls outside of gearing up for an election? Just asking. Fox News? Actually it was Helen Thomas crying foul you nitwit. RTFM. There's just no end to your mindless blather, is there? Anyhoo...I did see some of the video with Thomas and Gibbs. Gibbs was pathetic, attempting to repeatedly laugh it off while the reporters were obviously pissed and asking pointed questions. It was amateur hour at the podium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IDBillzFan Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 Fox News? Actually it was Helen Thomas crying foul you nitwit. RTFM. There's just no end to your mindless blather, is there? Anyhoo...I did see some of the video with Thomas and Gibbs. Gibbs was pathetic, attempting to repeatedly laugh it off while the reporters were obviously pissed and asking pointed questions. It was amateur hour at the podium. Gibbs thinks he can laugh and guffaw his way through his incompetency. I've been trying to figure out what it is that makes him such a buffoon. I mean, beyond the fact that he's in way over his head. And I think it comes down to the fact that he has this sense of entitlement. He's the president's press secretary, so despite the fact that he's the ignorant nerd with an inability to complete full sentences in a coherent manner, he thinks that because he gets to talk to the jocks every day, that he's somehow big man on campus. Frankly, I love the guy and try to watch his press conferences every chance I get. He's a walking buffoon. (No disrespect to Joe Biden, of course.) He's a bizarre hybrid of Flounder from "Animal House" and Stanley Ipkiss before he finds "the mask." And Helen Thomas dressed him down in front of everyone. God, I hope Obama doesn't can him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 Shocking that FOX news, etc. are the ones crying foul about media access at the White House and Republicans are crying foul about questions being asked at Town Halls. Did Bush hold any Town Halls outside of gearing up for an election? Just asking. Holy bankrupt arguments, Batman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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