In his daily press briefing earlier today, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs scoffed at a question by conservative-leaning WCBM Radio host Les Kinsolving as "far afield" from a question posed just a moment earlier on the February 17 nationwide conversion to digital television (DTV).
Other reporters could be heard scoffing Kinsolving as well as the embedded video shows. Relevant transcript below (emphasis mine):
LES KINSOLVING, WCBM Radio: Can I follow that up?
ROBERT GIBBS, White House Press Secretary: Yes sir.
KINSOLVING: Thank you, so much. A number of Democrats in Congress want to restore the so-called Fairness Doctrine, which, before it was repealed applied only to electronic media and not to any print media-
GIBBS: Lester, I thought we were talking about DTV.
KINSOLVING: Does the president believe that-
(LAUGHTER)
MALE REPORTER: This is on the same planet, I believe.
GIBBS: I'm pretty sure I did not, I don't think I got an answer to my question. I think we were talking about DTV and now we seem to be, somewhat, I'm going to go back to baseball [analogies], far afield on the Fairness Doctrine.
KINSOLVING: Since you mentioned it, from the field, does the president believe-
(LAUGHTER)
MALE REPORTER mockingly: Lester, far afield?
KINSOLVING: Does the president believe that this selectivity of some media and not others is fair? And if so, why?
GIBBS: I have no information on the Fairness Doctrine and I will endeavor to get some clarity on DTV.
