Matt Lauer Marvels At 'Captivating' Photos of Obama

Photo of Geoffrey Dickens.
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Introducing a segment, on Thursday's "Today" show, featuring Time magazine's photos of the President from his first 100 days, NBC's Matt Lauer, over a shot of Obama in Oval Office, marveled that the stills were "captivating." In an ensuing segment Lauer's colleague, Meredith Vieira asked the easily impressed Time photographer Callie Shell how Obama was "handling" the job, to which Shell cooed: "I think he does very well," and "He reads each night, at least 10 letters from 10 different people...and he answers them, usually the next day."

The following is Matt Lauer's tease and then the full segment as it was aired on the April 23, "Today" show:

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MATT LAUER: And when we come back and still to come, candid and captivating images of President Obama as he approaches his first 100 days in office.

...

MEREDITH VIEIRA: Next Wednesday will mark President Obama's First 100 days in office and photographers with Time magazine have been following the President every step of the way. Callie Shell is one of them, and she is here to share one of Time's exclusive photos. Good morning to you, Callie.

CALLIE SHELL, TIME PHOTOGRAPHER: Good morning.

VIEIRA: You, individually, have shot 400,000 pictures of the President campaigning, the presidency and all the events that surround that. What have you learned about the kind of presidency so far he has accomplished, that first 100 days?

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SHELL: Well I think you know everybody puts it in first 100 days. I was just looking at it, at what's it like to go from a junior senator to a campaign to being president.

VIEIRA: And how's he handling it?

SHELL: I think he does really well. I think he maybe switched from worrying about your city, to your state, to realizing everything you do affects the whole country and the world. And he's very good. It comes in play, the reflecting and the photograph...

VIEIRA: I want to take a look at the first photograph. You call it the "Second Oval Office." I actually thought it was the Oval Office. Tell me the significance about that photo. Hopefully we can put that up.

SHELL: It's upstairs in the residence and every evening he's asked his staff to give him 10 letters from people. And this was a night where Sasha and the First Lady were out of town. So he ended the day reading, he reads each night, at least 10 letters from 10 different people.

VIEIRA: And he answers them doesn't he?

SHELL: And he answers them, usually the next day. But I just wanted to get a feel for that is how he usually ends his day, and just to kind of keep yourself grounded. It's hard living in this one house and you don't get out as much.

VIEIRA: Exactly. Another photo that you took is called, "Weight of the World." What are the events surrounding that photo?

SHELL: Well the, this is what prep session, he's doing for the second press conference. But I was really trying to show a photograph about how Barack Obama takes things in. They're all briefing him, they're giving him the updates and numbers on what's going on in the country. And he's very good at just reflecting upon it, before he jumps to decisions. And you know, and I think it's really hard to go from helping one little person to trying to figure out what you're supposed to do and people expect him to fix this in three months. And you can't.

VIEIRA: You also have some great photos, you chose a couple of them of the President and the First Lady and also a few of them of the girls - Sasha and Malia. What do those photos say to you about how the family is handling the White House and his relationship with his family?

SHELL: They're a very close family. I think that for him, Michelle is, is kind of like this best friend, the person who he can chill out with, relax and then she shoves him right back out there, "Okay you're president!" And I think for a life like this it's harder for the girls.

VIEIRA: Yeah.

SHELL: But they're great!

VIEIRA: But they seem to be adjusting.

SHELL: And he sees them more than he ever has.

VIEIRA: Alright thank you so much.

—Geoffrey Dickens is the senior news analyst at the Media Research Center.


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Matt is off to the men's

Matt is off to the men's room for some "quality time" with those captivating photos.

Enjoy! 

"It's hard living in this

"It's hard living in this one house."

The 55,000 square foot one?

Bwaaaa haa haa! 

And he only gets out when

And he only gets out when he wants AF1 to fly him somewhere.  Otherwise, he just invites a few celebs in for the Wednesday-night Whiskey-n-Whiner. 

"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me

No lie. Oh the irony! He

No lie. Oh the irony! He used (at minimum) 9000 gallons of jet fuel to fly to an Earth Day speech. I am no greenie, but the hypocricy of that is stunning. Of course, if I was a greenie, I would never see the hypocricy, would I? The fact that he "legitimized" Earth Day would justify whatever natural resources had to be wasted "for the cause". sheesh.

 

"I would rather be historically accurate than politically correct" ~ My husband's T-Shirt

9,000 is way off

That report was very poorly done. When the President goes somewhere, far more than one 747 is used. There are military transport aircraft used to move his helicopter(s) and at least one and probably more Presidential limousines. The backup AF1 747 might also go on the trip. The Presidential 747 is not an ordinary 747, all the special equipment probably makes it overweight and lowers fuel consumption.

It's not 9,000, it's probably closer to 50,000.

too much material here

"They're all briefing him, they're giving him the updates and numbers on what's going on in the country. And he's very good at just reflecting upon it, before he jumps to decisions." (= glassy eyed, staring at the ceiling)

Stephen Hawkins has that same look, except he's NOT brain dead. 

"They're all briefing him,

"They're all briefing him, they're giving him the updates and numbers on what's going on in the country.  And he just doesn't seem to be able to get a handle on it, often taking on a distant stare for several seconds before being able to even respond."

Oh, wait--that's only how they'd write it if he were a Republican.  My bad. 

"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me

→ Captivating, huh?

We ain't seen"captivating" yet.

We're going to get hit.  We know it's coming.  And the news is busy gazing upon his angelic countenance.

There's a passage in Revelations when a bunch of nations look incredulously upon the sight of the Antichrist arrayed against Israel.  "Are you here to take a spoil?" they say in disbelief.

I can see Obama asking that very question.

Obama - A whole new dementian

→ My mistake

Ezekiel 38:12

Obama - A whole new dementian

Thanks for correcting that

Thanks for correcting that Cool...

The scholarly shithead411 would have called you on it. 

It's hard living in this one house and you don't get out as much

Cue the violin music.  WTF?  Excuse me, but in the past three months, he and the wife flew to Chicago just to eat dinner, went on a "whirlwind tour" of Europe; he just got back from Trinidad & Tobago, and on Earth Day he left a big carbon footprint flying halfway across the country to make a speech somewhere.  Plus he's going to China later this year.   

He goes more places than I do, and I only live in one house, too.    

Refresh my memory--did they slam McCain for owning seven houses, or only because he couldn't remember how many?

 

 

 

Both

Ad he only stopped counting in his head bec he realized his wife owned them and wasn't sure that counted.

 

He probably means that

He probably means that people are hounding him to say something more than present.  He most likely has no time to himself as we would because he is the President.

Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark.

Dear Abby,

...er, I mean Mr. President. What should I do? Life out here is tough. --signed, ThisnThat

Dear ThisnThat;

So glad you asked. Are you a conservative? Then give up your guns, and repent at the alter of Bam. Are you a liberal socialist like I am? Then just hang on. I'll look into the appropriate hand-out gift for you. I'm a little busy right now trying to convict the Enemies of State (you know, CEOs, Veterans, the CIA and the entire Bush administration), but as soon as I free myself, I'll make sure wealth is transferred to you. Thanks oh-so-much for writing. I'm soooo glad your letter was picked entirely at random. Sincerely, THE ONE.

___________________________________ 

The challenge is to follow a consistent plan despite inconsistent prices - Sarah Palin, State of the State of Alaska speech

The Communications Office

The Communications Office selects 10 letters every day, one from each of several designated zip codes from die-hard Dem districts only.  Gotta keep that finger on the pulse, dontcha know? 

"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me

Funny, the impression I got

Funny, the impression I got from most of the photos was a skinny kid trying on his dad's suit and wandering around their big new house. 

"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me

Oh puke, gag me with a

Oh puke, gag me with a spoon.

Enough of this already!

It these leftist twits do not see that people on both sides of the aisle for the most part are sick of this...more power to us in the long run.

Bring on the mid-terms!

Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart

Captivating?

You'd have tyo prop my eyes open with toothpicks (attn--new torture) to make me look at this crap.

 

Only a lilttle over three months

...And things are already a mess. They grow up so fast...

 

Matt baby Obambi is spoken for.

And if Chrissy gets the idea you have a tingle going up your legs there will be hell to pay.

Honey! Did you buy a brown sugarbowl?

Those who believe in nothing will believe anything.

Lauer

.................had better tread lightly, Chris Tingle is a jealous person......................

Nausea Meds

More creepy homoeroticism from the liberal media. For the 100 day Bamster love-fest, I'm thinking of looking into getting some anti-nausea medication. I wonder if Gravol would be strong enough?

I'm a racist....I always

I'm a racist....I always assumed Big Brother would be some old white dude.

I hang my head in shame...

One of the 34% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 61% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory (yep...approval for Congress now at 39%...do you believe that!?).

WTH!! Lib men are pure

WTH!!

Lib men are pure wussies! Lauer and Matthews are living proof of what happens when you have your onions removed.

Hey Matt, why don't you try acting like a man for change!

Absolutely pathetic!

 

Another Chapter

Another chapter of the "Slobbering Love Affair" is written.

Sounds like Matt's got

Sounds like Matt's got "feelings" for the ONE just like Chris Mathews.

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