Enthralled White House Press Corps Pose Sycophantic ‘Questions’ to ‘Comeback Kid’ Obama
“There weren’t a lot of hard questions in this news conference,” FNC’s Bret Baier observed on Special Report in the understatement of the night. Indeed, in the first question posed at the late Wednesday afternoon session, Caren Bohan of Reuters reflected the collective glow of the White House press corp basking in Barack Obama’s glory:
You racked up a lot of wins in the last few weeks that a lot of people thought would be difficult to come by. Are you ready to call yourself the “comeback kid”?
(Katie Couric gushed on the CBS Evening News over how “the President isn’t calling himself the ‘comeback kid,’ but some other folks are.” A pleased George Stephanopoulos teased ABC’s World News by yearning for more Obama success in 2011: “The President takes a victory lap. How the Christmas season became what he called a ‘season of progress.’ Will it continue in the new year?”)
At the 4:15 PM EST press conference carried by the broadcast networks, ABC’s Jake Tapper Tapper offered his “congratulations” on the repeal of Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell as he hit Obama from the left on whether it “is it intellectually consistent to say that gay and lesbians should be able to fight and die for this country, but they should not be able to marry the people they love?” Audio compilation: (MP3 clip)
Mark Knoller of CBS Radio pushed Obama to address liberal thinking on taxes, asking if he could “explain the anger and even outrage many Democrats felt when the tax cut bill extended tax cuts not just for the middle class, but also for the wealthy?”
CNN’s Dan Lothian picked up on an Obama analogy, cuing him up:
Can you give us an update on that car that you talk so much about being in the ditch? Can you give us an update as to where it is today? What kind of highway do you think it will be driving on in 2011? Who will really be behind the wheel given the new makeup in Congress? And what do you think Republicans will be sipping and saying next year?
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Lothian’s colleague at CNN en Espanol, Juan Carlos Lopez, expressed frustration with Obama’s inability to pass the “Dream Act,” fretting:
Mr. President, you've been able to fulfill many of your promises. Immigration reform isn't one of them. Just this last weekend, the Dream Act failed cloture by five votes, and five Democrats didn't support it. Three Republicans did. How are you going to be able to keep your promise when the Republicans control the House when you haven't been able to do so with Democrats controlling both the Senate and the House and when Republicans say they want to focus on border security before they do anything on immigration?
The full text of the December 22 questions from Bohan, Tapper and Knoller, as collected by the MRC’s Brad Wilmouth. NewsBusters Managing Editor Ken Shepherd compiled the video of the leading questions.
Caren Bohan, Reuters:
You racked up a lot of wins in the last few weeks that a lot of people thought would be difficult to come by. Are you ready to call yourself the "comeback kid"? And also, as you look ahead to 2011, are you worried that bipartisan agreement will be a lot harder to reach on issues like deficit reduction and maybe even tax reform?
Jake Tapper, ABC News:
I have a couple questions about Don't Ask, Don't Tell. First of all, congratulations. What was your conversation like with Marine Commandant Amos when he expressed to you his concerns, and yet, he said that he would abide by whatever the ruling was. Can you understand why he had the position he did? And then, on the other hand, is it intellectually consistent to say that gay and lesbians should be able to fight and die for this country, but they should not be able to marry the people they love?
Mark Knoller, CBS News:
Mr. President, can you explain the anger and even outrage many Democrats felt when the tax cut bill extended tax cuts not just for the middle class, but also for the wealthy? And is that a divide that you may be contributing to when you and the Vice President talk about morally inappropriate tax cuts for the wealthy?...Sir, is there a divide between middle class and wealthy Americans?
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Comments
And the WH press corps brieved a collective sigh of relief
Submitted by WarEagle01 on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 9:50pm.
"Finally," they said, "we can get back to rhetorically felating the president." And no one among them was more pleased than Jake Tapper. ("congratulations" indeed! Jake, you are no journalist).
The press taketh, then giveth back
Submitted by StarAZ on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 3:07pm.
First, the punditocracy took away the power of the presidency with the blather over the election, then they showered it back on with the stupid comeback stuff--anything for movement, for churn...What was that word again...oh, yes, change with a side of hope for a slobbery New Year. Has he bared his fabbie shaved chest yet in our 57th state?
These affirmation sessions
Submitted by Chris Norman on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 10:11pm.
These affirmation sessions posing as news conferences probably make Obama feel pretty popular. If the only people that Obama had to answer to was the WH press corp, he'd have no problems. Unfortunately, for him, he has to answer to the rest of the country in two years and as far as I can tell, a lot of us are not in the same worshipful mood - no matter what the MSM tells us.
What a pathetic
Submitted by Martin2717 on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 11:03pm.
What a pathetic, sorry-for-excuse media we have in this country. Down right disgraceful.
I hope these "guys" used condoms
Submitted by SickofLibs on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 10:30pm.
.
White House press corpse
Submitted by Herbster on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 10:39pm.
Play taps for the "Media." They are dead and gone. What we have is a group of butt boys and girls.....and Lindsay Graham is their idol. Obambi is not to worry.....the toughest question he'll get from now on will involve the arugula crop! The Republicans? Fuggetaboutem! They'll continue to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. With their incompetent leadership that couldn't hold two pieces pieces of bread together to make a sandwich, they'll continue to play second fiddle to a democratic minority. 2012? Don't worry. They'll nominate another phoney like Mr. Cross-the-aisle! Maybe Scott (Kennedy) Brown, or one of the two very strange ladies from Maine will get the nomination. Tonight, the democrats are laughing all the way to the next election. The media is 200% on board, the unions are on board, the minority groups will be thrown their usual soup bone and the train is leaving the station. Sadly, the republicans will miss the train. Yes! We need a party to replace the republicans - and the race starts now!
We need tyo replace the party
Submitted by Dan The Man 2 on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 2:20am.
We need tyo replace the party dis-loyalists with TEA part activists. Brown screwed the TEA party backers this time but next time I pray he will account for his actions. Perhaps the South should secede from the Union?
If we don't want to be
Submitted by Van Halen on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 11:10pm.
If we don't want to be hearing crap like this for the next two years, we better start hammering the new Congress starting Jan 5. Because if we don't, in two years the country is going to be completey beyond repair and the media will still be kissing Obama's ass and calling him 'the comeback kid'.
One more thing: It's time to declare total political war on the Senate GOP.
And time to declare war on the MSM.
Submitted by Red Jeep on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 11:20pm.
For starters don't watch any TV news shows. If Chris Matthews head explodes live, on TV, there will be Tons of replays on YouTube.
Somehow our elected representatives need to learn to become Ann Coulter types in responding to these TV boobs, or not go on these partisan shows.
As idiotic and
Submitted by MidAmerica on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 11:11pm.
As idiotic and unprofessional these people seem to us we must keep in mind the target audience for these people is others in the elite media and the Liberal establishment not Joe and Shirely Shmoe living down on Main Street. Their goal is to attend the next 'if your there you're a somebody' party is to walk in and be saluted as performing the best rendition of a butt kissing in front of a live audience.
Excellent comments, people!
Submitted by ant on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 11:28pm.
Excellent comments, people! If only you were there instead of these kneeling, head-bobbing jokers. The media never fails to make me sick. Never. How sad for our country that these sell-out, brainless punks have assumed the role of public watchdogs.
BTW, I think whenever and whereever the issue of "gay rights" comes up, it is just an attempt at distraction for them to get away with all the other crap that they hope we don't see.
As the old joke
Submitted by big.league.slider on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 11:30pm.
As the old joke goes....."Jake Tapper suffered a broken nose when President Obama came to an abrupt stop".
Which reminds me of another piece of wisdom
Submitted by 26CX on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 11:32pm.
Do you know the difference between a brown noser and a $hithead?
Depth perception.
Lot of whining going on here
Submitted by blablablather on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 11:56pm.
Lot of whining going on here tonight...
Are you whining?
Submitted by Boudin on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 12:13am.
Sure sounds like whining
Boudin---
Submitted by matthewdean on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 12:24am.
It's just a guy blathering about whining.
Could be, though, that he was whining about whining.
MD
I don't think that a guy who
Submitted by killa37 on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 12:16am.
I don't think that a guy who views himself with such elevation would resort to calling himself the 'comeback kid'..........but you can be damn sure that he enjoys seeing and hearing all of his little fawning bootlickers doing it!!!
It's going to be a LOOOOOONG 2 years.
Submitted by Phryj1 on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 12:44am.
The MSM wasted no time in starting their campaign to get Obama re-elected. It's painfully and glaringly obvious that their definition of journalistic duty is synonymous with propaganda.
Progressives seem to be completely averse to facts and logic. Apparently, reality has a conservative bias.
The Slime Just Ooozes Out of Them.
Submitted by farstar99 on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 1:32am.
Obsequious little toadies.
They can say it all they want, it's not going to erase his basement polling.
Why
Submitted by bobbys on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 2:12am.
Why dont the press Corspman just bake thier boss a cake and put on party hats and sing, For he is a jolly good fellow?
hahahahahahahahahahahaha
Submitted by donabernathy on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 4:40am.
Oh that's rich....... Obama's continuation of Booooosh's tax cuts is now somehow an Obama victory...hahahahahahahahahthe
Then we get a Treaty with Russia and these guys are acting like it's the old Soviet Union. Hey guys Newsflash: Reagan crushed those commies and now Russia is more capitalistic than the USA.....Today the real nuclear threat comes from Iran, Korea and China...but these pea brains want ya to think Russia is the old USSR and has it in for us. Bwahahahahahahahaha
Jeebus this guy is full on Pee Wee Herman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJXU7EVXs2A
roflmao
What up?
Submitted by rockyracoon on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 5:19am.
No pom-poms, no choruses of "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow"? I'm disappointed.
Facts are like kryptonite to the liberal.
What a circus!
Submitted by DontFeedTheTrolls on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 7:11am.
Wow, I thought there should be some clowns, a juggler, someone riding a unicycle, some guys in those tiny cars riding in circles, the smell of peanuts and cotton candy and sawdust on the floor and some loud music.
MSM
Submitted by Nonanon on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 7:28am.
Perhaps MSM stands for Manhood Servicing Media?
Boy Blunder is too much of a
Submitted by killa37 on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 12:42pm.
Boy Blunder is too much of a fag to be called a 'man'...................
Useless Liberal Media
Submitted by cobokat on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 7:27am.
Once again we have a liberal media fawing over this guy! If Republicans don't stick to what got them the win in November we could be looking at a second term for this administration AND THE MEDIA WILL BE THERE FOR THE RIDE.
Oh, the impressive progress
Submitted by HockeyKid on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 7:33am.
the lemmings make as they rush toward the precipice.
"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me
Helen Thomas
Submitted by Iron Tigers Vet on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 8:18am.
is gone, but her legacy of boot licking still remains with the liberal press corps.
Makes you wonder why they didn't want FNC, World Net Daily and CNSNews to be allowed in the room. The only objectionable questions would come from them and that is if they were allowed to ask a question.
Thirty seconds of this man talking is enough to want to hang yourself from the highest tree.
It's nice to see that BHO and
Submitted by guein on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 9:17am.
It's nice to see that BHO and the MSM have patched up their lovers quarrel.
Love is in the air, exciting and new.....
Memo to Dan Lothian
Submitted by TexasMom0517 on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 9:21am.
WHATEVER kind of car it is doesn't matter. Because of Obama, the price of gasoline has gone up to $3.00 a gallon and is going to get even higher, so we won't even be able to DRIVE the car pretty soon, much less drive it anywhere.
Obama his cohorts are more the Thelma and Louise of American politics. They stomped on the gas and intentionally went flying off the cliff.
Comeback kid
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 10:13am.
Then there was Jake Tapper's followup asking if Larry Sinclair will be at the White House Christmas party.
WHAT!...Nobody asked him what his favorite color was?
Submitted by redright88 on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 10:23am.
America demands answers. C'mon White House Press "Corpse". Do your job!
Selected, elected and protected
Submitted by Tomorama on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 10:33am.
Cool Arrow, wow, great usage of the "Sinclair card"..................
Can NB take a look at how the LSM reported on the head of intel????? not knowing about the UK plot?
I saw two reports and Matthews last night on MessNBC and NONE even mentioned the fact that the WH lied at first and then quietly recanted the LIE.
CNN had it on the ticker, but was quickly buried and postings were stopped real quick.
ANYONE?
It kind of plays into the "lipstick party" meme that went on at the press conference yesterday.....
Quick! More barf bags!
Submitted by Mary Louise Turner on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 11:55am.
Someone please tell the make believe media that this is not journalism at all, but idol worship to the extreme! The MBM toadies claim to be professionals, and do so with supreme arrogance. However, this behavior is childish at best, and it doesn't make our country look good.
While "Ears" may think he's a god, and the MBM believes, we know otherwise...
Krauthammer
Submitted by iveseenitall on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 12:02pm.
And don't forget Charles Krauthammer. He's supposed to be a conservative and he can't stop praising a guy who still has the majority in Congress and could have done all these thing all along but waited 'till after he got trounced in the election. This is not to speak of the fact that the last minute bills had almost no debate and certainly were not read. Our government and our media, all of 'em, have completely lost touch with the American people. Sickening!
NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal"
Krauthammer sees a masterful
Submitted by Dan The Man 2 on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 5:55pm.
Krauthammer sees a masterful stroke, which is what it was, of getting the GOP to compromse and basically give the store away. He is an annalist and an impartial one at that.
So after being called "the
Submitted by billb on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 12:20pm.
So after being called "the party of no!" for 2 years The republicans decide to cooperate and are now berated for saying yes!
Where Are the Republicans??
Submitted by Utherpend on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 1:09pm.
And why are they not standing up and pointing out to their consituants and America how the Pretender in Chief has broken almost all his campaign promises. Not to mentin they need to shut his agenda down and filibuster EVERYTHING the Dems try and put through. ONCE again they are missing multiple oppertunities to turn this into a double Lame Duck Administration.
Getting sickening
Submitted by Rukus on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 1:13pm.
I swear, every time I hear the "press" talking to Barry (sucking up is more like it) all I hear the sound of a bowl of spaghetti being stirred, bunch of suck ups. It's really a shame.
"come back kid"?
Submitted by Patriot II on Fri, 12/24/2010 - 12:49pm.
Bullshyt..........more like the "go away kid" AND SOON!!!
I Guess Forbes Is a Liberal Magazine
Submitted by bwl on Fri, 12/24/2010 - 5:09pm.
They seem to think Obama's making a "victory lap."
http://blogs.forbes.com/brianwingfield/2010/12/22/obamas-victory-lap/