White House Press Briefing Live Blog

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Obama press secretary Robert Gibbs is conducting his second-ever press conference right now. Below you'll find my live-blogging of the questions. I can't promise verbatim rendering of the questions, but should the Obama administration post a full transcript later on, I'll link to that as well. [see related post]

I'm watching the video via MSNBC.

13:20 ET:  Unid'd female reporter: This morning this event with the bipartisan leaders that the president had... but will there come a point when the president, and democratic leaders in the congress decide to have a vote whether Republicans like it or not?

13:21 ET, same reporter asks follow-up question on bipartisan cooperation

13:22 ET, male reporter asks about economic stimulus plans

13:25:  What kind of reassurances can you give on the economic package. And on Pakistan, did the president consult with the Pakistan government on the strike.

Gibbs replies that he won't address the airstrikes or other military operations.

13:25, Major Garrett, Fox News Channel: You will never speak of any military operation taken by the United States?

Gibbs replies he won't discuss those airstrikes at today's briefing

13:27, Chip Reid, NBC News: Does [Obama] need to twist Democratic arms to take bipartisan support for an economic package seriously?

13:28:, Reid: Is he applying pressure on them [Democrats] to get them into the fold?

13:29, Jake Tapper, ABC News:  Not one Republican voted for the stimulus. Many economists say there are many elements that aren't stimulative... Does President Obama think that wehat passed on Wednesday was bipartisan and was stimulative?

13:31, Major Garrett, FNC: Does this administration call the war on terror the war on terror? If not, why? Garrett asks question about stimulus package, and president's appraisal of a CBO analysis of the package.

13:34, Garrett notes economist that says monetary policy, not direct govt. spending, has lifted economy out of recession. Garrett asks what he's found that makes this recession any different, where govt. spending could turn the tide.

13:35, Chuck Todd, NBC News Political director: Do you rule out another stimulus package?

13:36, Todd: What is it about not confirming if the president was consulted about the Pakistan air strikes

Gibbs: I'm not going to get into these matters

Garrett and Todd press Gibbs, Gibbs refuses to answer.

13:37, Male reporter asks Gibbs what he thinks benefits of the stimulus package will be.

13:37, male reporter asks if there will be any turnaround in economic indicators resulting from stimulus

13:38, male reporter asks what Obama plans to do to recover money spent by bailed out banks on frivolous expenditures

13:40 males reporters asks followup

13:40, female reporter asks if the stimulus passes with no Republican support, will the president view that as a failure?

13:41, Chuck Todd, NBC: Would he veto a bill if it didn't have Republican support?

13:43, male reporter: Does the president anticipate traveling, turning up the heat to pass the stimulus plan?

GIBBS: I don't know of any travel plans at this moment

13:43, Ann Compton, ABC News Radio: State of the Union Address, will he deliver one?

13:44, male reporter asks about a report today that president is withdrawing envoys from the Davos Forum. Is there a reason for that?

13:44, male reporter: 75 percent of hte money would be spend the first few months, what about the other 25 percent

13:45, male reporter asks for info from bin Laden question posed yesterday

13:46, male reporter what level of tax cuts is president willing to accept in the stimulus. Some analysis shows tax cuts will not help small business but business at large. Should the tax cuts be targeted to small business?

13:47, female reporter: did the president give his email address to any congressmen in that meeting today? Asks another question regarding personnel in AIDS office.

13:48, Major Garrett asks question Is it up and running yet? [missed what he was referring to]

13:48, Margaret (?) question about gag rule on NGOs getting money from U.S. govt that back abortion, asks if there's anything domestically that Obama plans to do.

GIBBS: Stand by for a statement from the president.

13:49, male reporter asks how many are covered by waivers in the lobbyist policy and where it's approved? Cabinet level? Counsel's office? Chief of staff?

13:50, same male reporter what limited number should we expect?

13:50, male reporter, how does the president plan to engage the muslim world, will he travel to a major Islamic forum in first 100 days?

13:52, male reporter: when does the president expect to appoint an auto czar. Do you anticipate flexibility in the March 30 deadline on auto industry reaching bailout terms?

13:52, male reporter: DoesMarch give you adequate time to judge the viability of those firms?

13:53, male reporter: Can you explain the kinds of information the president will get in his daily economic briefing?

13:55, Lynn Sweet, Chicago Sun-Times: Is there any thought to do ing any energy audit? An experimental energy savings program, to make the White House a model of energy efficiency?

13:55, female reporter: Can you give us an idea of everything to happen next week

13:56, male reporter: A rough sketch of the weekend plans

13:57, male reporter: Is the radio address happening?

13:57, male reporter: Will video of that go on YouTube or the White House site?

GIBBS: YouTube, other sites are good ways to let American people know where President is and what he's thinking.

# # # END conference # # #

—Ken Shepherd is Managing Editor of NewsBusters


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Gibbs..."I'm not going to

Gibbs..."I'm not going to get into these matters"....

Repeatedly now....

This is not going to last long in the future.

Great job by Garrett and Tapper so far from what I've heard.

Get advice from a pro

Maybe they can bring McClellan back. I'm sure he's available.

KC... ROFL! Most likely

KC...

ROFL!

Most likely more than ready....just think, he could write another book in his future to-boot. 

Resume points

I'm glad I don't have on my resume: "Wrote book stabbing boss in the back."

13:41, Chuck Todd, NBC:

13:41, Chuck Todd, NBC: Would he veto a bill if it didn't have Republican support?

That had to be one of the most asinine questions asked....LOL! 

So, what have we learned here?

absolutely nothing since Gibbs is not telling the press anything.  I think Gibbs really doesn't know anything.  Obama is hiding in the Oval Office bathroom having a panic attack because he realized that he will be accountable for his actions.  They're waiting for the WH physician to come with a shot of Valium so Obama can be dragged out to sign a bill or executive order and look relatively lucid while doing so.

Perfect Demotivator for the Obama Administration

http://www.despair.com/government.html

mizflame.... Speaking of

mizflame....

Speaking of hiding out in the bathroom, maybe he is taking the same lessons from Bath-tub Boy (Olbie) when he doesn't want to face the music...or anything else that bugs him...lol!

"....sign a bill or

"....sign a bill or executive order"

Hope someone is out there with Obama to explain what the Executive Order he's signing means. Seems to be a bit of a problem for Obama.

For liberal Democrats and the Old Media, everything is crisis, chaos, calamity and catastrophe. That justifies stealing your property and liberties.

Hey when is poor Helen

Hey when is poor Helen gonna' get her turn?

Btw...I am going to wait to hear a few of the nightly shows I can stand to watch this evening and see just how much of an outrage there is on Gibbs refusing to answer the questions about the air-strikes in Pakistan ect.

I know how it would be if this was done during the Bush administration...front pages and all.

I thought Hellen Thomas retired?

 

Hey, I got the wrong "CHANGE"!

Alan Keyes / Sarah Palin - 2012

Good evening c5

Helen retires every 24 years or every 200 press conferences, whichever comes first.

Jesus Loves You

LOL coco... She was

LOL coco...

She was sitting in the front row...looks like she was retired today though.

 

Gibbs replies that he won't address the airstrikes

or other military operations.

LA LA LA.. 

the OAF forgot to go and party with the Military, opps.

CIC dude.

You are the LEADER...

Things can go bad, in a hurry

 

 

FREEDOM

(D)

 

Is it just me, or is the

Is it just me, or is the idea of striking Pakistan a rediculous idea (like Mccain suggested in the last debate).  Doesn't such action have the potential to start civil war, give control of Pakistan to terrorists, and therefore essentially give terrorists nuclear weapons?

No. It's a continuation of the Bush policy

The Pakistani side of the Afghan border is not controlled by the government of Pakistan. It's controlled by various tribes and warlords sympathetic to, or part of, the Taliban. If the US strikes them and they get progressively weaker and weaker the Pakistani government can yell and scream at the "evil US" all the while secretly helping us and giving us info about where and when to strike. This will eventually allow the Pakistani government to get control of the area.

This is all part of "diplomacy" that seems to be beyond most liberals. Sometimes there has to be a "bad guy" to blame. Just like in the typical "good cop / bad cop" routines.

Hey, I got the wrong "CHANGE"!

Alan Keyes / Sarah Palin - 2012

That makes sense

I hope he doesn't take it any further than that then.

Don't fret Pres Obama is in

Don't fret Pres Obama is in charge and will talk to our enemies and make everything ok...Remember. After he signed the executive order for Gitmo and interrorgations;the terrorists will not bother us anymore, remember...

So much for transparency.

So much for transparency. Can we look forward to "reporters" personally vetted by Obama and sure to ask only friendly questions, then publish the "pool report" to the rest of the press, and no other reporters allowed in the press briefings?  

Lee T. USN(ret)

This too shall pass.

I recognize your right to believe, without ridicule, that there is no God.  I do not recognize any right for you to ridicule my belief in God.

In the Future

all press releases and conferences will be passed out on mimeographed paper (remember those?) to the press pool. There will no longer be a need for a televised conference as all important questions will have already been determined and answered. For any other questions call BR-549.

     Breaking news will

     Breaking news will come in via teletype. 

Perfect Demotivator for the Obama Administration

http://www.despair.com/government.html

Ken S. You should try to find the Fox News tape

of Garrett doing a live feed prior to the briefing. Helen Thomas was alone in the front row sleeping with her arms crossed and head in her lap. It would be a more digestable picture to use  for future Helen stories. Plus it was just darn funny to see.

 

 

"I need more cowbell!" SNL

Give Gibbs a break

The answer to all questions today was "I don't know."  Mr. Gibbs has a mountain of information to sift through.  I bet he asked the new president for "a little help here!"  BHO's answer?

"I don't know."

Speaking of pressers...did

Speaking of pressers...did anyone just catch Blago's?

I was watching on Fox with Shep, last time I do that...I ended up getting angry with Shep's diatribe during Blago's words that I at the last seconds turned it to msnbc.

I despise Smith...I have since Katrina...it was the first time I emailed a station, I was new to the computer, he and Geraldo were doing whatever they could to incite riots, along with his phony tears and whining daily....just who does he really think he is?

As an aside...I also called the station too, just like I had in the past pre-computer days...does no good though....evidently they had received tons of complaints, so they stuck him and Geraldo on shows like BOR and H&C to defend them...it was sickening.

     I actually thought

     I actually thought that Shep was hillarious.  Blago was so full of it and this was such a media circus that Shep's comments were fitting.  I know it wasn't professional, but it was funny.

Perfect Demotivator for the Obama Administration

http://www.despair.com/government.html

I found him really annoying

I found him really annoying , too. He was deep into Olbermann -Matthews territory.

My non-fondest memory of Smith was when he proclaimed on air the Pope had died.

A week early. 

This is amateur hour.........A...

press secretary that cannot disseminate information without looking like a complete fool..........a PreBO (Pres Obama), who doesnt know what is in his own executive order he supposedly drafted, and signed.......GOOD GOD!!! Who is minding the store?????????? Where are the grown ups??????

"If a man does his best, what else is there"?

General George S. Patton Jr.

Gibbs is not doing well, so

Gibbs is not doing well, so far, even taking his initial nervousness into consideration, which I can forgive him for.

When you are the WH spokesperson, there is nowhere to hide, and you can't flim-flam your way through a live Q and A. You have to be quick, articulate, informed and at the top of your game. He's none of these, so far.

For liberal Democrats and the Old Media, everything is crisis, chaos, calamity and catastrophe. That justifies stealing your property and liberties.

BEG, I don't think these people know what they are doing...

...other than taking over the private sector, and I am not sure they even know how to do that.  

-Dave

“Them that’s going get on the wagon. Them that ain’t get out of the way.” -While there is still time.

I agree Dave..........

they are absolutely CLUELESS.  I'm beggining to wonder WHO the REAL power is????  It obviously isnt PreBO, "hey, what's in the order again Craig"?, or "boy wonder" his Press Sec."you'll have to ask Craig about that"......I'm begining to see a pattern...Hmmmm.

"If a man does his best, what else is there"?

General George S. Patton Jr.

The Real Power Is...

Eli Pariser, head of MoveOn’s political action MoveOn.org, said in 2004 of the Democratic Party:

“We bought it, we own it, we’re going to take it back.”

And who owns MoveOn?  George Soros.

 

BEG, PrezBo is clearly somebody's rubber stamp

I am willing to bet that one of the hands on the handle belongs to George Soros, but I doubt his is the only one.

I know we are only three days into this, but it is becoming clearer as each day passes that PrezBo himself is an emptier suit than I had previously thought.

You saw how he refused to answer the question from that guy in the press room. My guess is he didn't have an answer.

His so-called "plan" for the economy is going to do nothing but wreck it further. Given Soros' major involvement in the rise of this nobody, as well as his all-consuming hatred for this country, part of me is beginning to think that will be no accident when it happens.

To put it bluntly, something smells really funky here.

-Dave

“Them that’s going get on the wagon. Them that ain’t get out of the way.” -While there is still time.

bpb, Dave........I think you both have it

NAILED......all roads lead to Soros!!!  He truly is "the man behind the curtain",  God help us!!!

"If a man does his best, what else is there"?

General George S. Patton Jr.

Yeppers

The economic meltdown is the target in the site and Obama's aim must be accurate. When people are on their knees, it's the perfect time to enslave them.

Oh, Gibby Gibby, Gibby

In over thirty minutes, Gibbs spoke six times:

1. Gibbs replies that he won't address the airstrikes or other military operations.
2. Gibbs replies he won't discuss those airstrikes at today's briefing
3. Gibbs: I'm not going to get into these matters (Garrett and Todd press Gibbs, Gibbs refuses to answer.)
4. GIBBS: I don't know of any travel plans at this moment
5. GIBBS: Stand by for a statement from the president.
6. GIBBS: YouTube, other sites are good ways to let American people know where President is and what he's thinking.

Things aren't looking too transparent over at the White House or in the Obama Administration.

Gibbs, who is listed in the 'Executive Office of the President' section of whitehouse.gov, doesn't even have a clickable link to his office - the one that communicates with the American people, via the press, on a daily basis.

Instead, and with such ease,  the President's Press Secretary pointed to YouTube as the fountain of information regarding the President's daily activities and policy information while refusing to answer questions from the press.

Oh Goody!!!!

     We can find our information from the Obama administration on YouTube while we're looking at videos of stupid teen boys sticking bottle rockets in their butts or riding their dirt bikes off of their roofs.  John Stewart would have made a better WH Press Secretary than Gibbs.

Perfect Demotivator for the Obama Administration

http://www.despair.com/government.html

Ahah!

Gibbs: "I don't know - I'm not going to get into that - I'm not going to get into these matters..." 

Now we know where the term gibberish comes from! 

The "Mainstream" Media: By liberals. For liberals.

Gibbs votes present

Gibbs votes present at the White House Press briefing. It looks as if the press is going to get S***  and Nada from this White House. Poor babies thought they had an in.

13:47, female reporter: did

13:47, female reporter: did the president give his email address to any congressmen in that meeting today?

The Presidential BlackBerry is a very, very stupid idea.  All foriegn Heads of State will want access.  Oh, and I give the hackers 3 mths.

I watched the first WH Press conf yesterday and find it very troubling that Obama is allowed to use the word transparency. I give Gibbs 3 mths also! hahaha.

Ah heck T-Mom... I'm

Ah heck T-Mom...

I'm giving Gibbs as long as McClellan lasted.

I missed yesterday's...don't care to catch it either, from the looks of what I saw today...it ought to be a fun show to watch if you're a political junkie...for the time being anyway.

Wonder how long Garrett is going to be allowed questions like he had in the briefing today....this is where I bet it may be far less than 3 months...Tapper may not be far behind.

Now Lynne Sweet...she'll take Helen's place....soon.

bigtimer

obama came to the WH press rooms last night and was praising Gibbs to the reporters.  So much for leadership!

 

On.The.Job.Training.

 

Gotta love

Major, maybe some of the other folks in the press room will learn a little from him about what a jurnalist is. He has nothing to loose anyway, no way Obama or any of his group will ever give him the time of day.

 

"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg