On Thursday's "special edition" of "Media Mash" on Fox News, Sean Hannity talked to Juan Williams about a meeting of journalists and cable-news hosts he was invited to by the Obama White House. Williams said attendees included MSNBC's Ed Schultz and Lawrence O'Donnell, David Corn of Mother Jones, Howard Fineman of the Huffington Post, and Washington Post bloggers Ezra Klein and Greg Sargent.
MRC president Brent Bozell guessed one idea that wasn't expressed at the meeting was when the president would consent to an interview with tough questions. This came before news of another syrupy sitdown with ABC's Barbara Walters. Has Obama sat down with Fox News since Bill O'Reilly's Super Bowl interview in February of 2011? (Update: Yes, with Chris Wallace in September, all about Syria.)
BOZELL: I don't have any problems with a meeting like this taking place. As a matter of fact, I'll go a step further than you, Sean, and suggest that sometimes it's a good thing to have an off-the-record meeting with journalists because more can be discussed.
However, that said, I bet you there is one question that wasn't asked of the president today which is, “Mr. President, When will you ever give an interview to a non-sycophantic reporter? Somebody who is going to ask you a tough question?” He just won't do that.
The wheels have come off this administration. They're bringing in the shock troops. These are the shock troops that are going to do the outrageous for him. These are people who are used to making vile statements, character assassination statements. He is not bringing them in spite of those actions. He is bringing them in because of those actions.
