President and the press corps

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Surprise surprise.

President Obama making a visit to the White House briefing room on Monday.

This after receiving all kinds of criticism from reporters that he was shutting them out in favor of softer interviews with entertainment media.

During his first solo press conference in two months he answered a whopping four questions.

Over 22 minutes and after the session was finished reporters called out.

Don't be a stranger have a fun summer and please come back so Jim I guess it and they are written.

Mr.

Obama had taken exactly one substantive question from reporters since June.

Up until he took these four.

The news cuts.

Right and I think this soup kindness of the press corps was revealed in the fact that to me the biggest story sleeping there is in August 5 report in the Washington Post that -- -- Senior advisor to the president.

200000 dollars from company that does -- and called MT -- which is based in South Africa but -- a fifth of this business in Iran.

And no questions about they have time for Romney's taxes and all the usual stuff.

But no question about why a guy sitting in the White House -- has given a hundred to take what -- -- the 100000 dollars indirectly from Iran.

No question about it imagine what would have happened.

If they White House -- had been accused of taking money -- directly from Hitler is that the thirties or from the Soviets in the forties and directly.

Is that why this conference ended after four questions I had when asked to assume that it was going to be a very limited appearance set on the president's terms without a lot of ability to follow up by the White House media.

That puts -- this I mean if I would like part of that media I would -- three age about the lack of access.

And the effort by the White House to define the terms again and again and again.

About what you can ask and can ask and who gets cold not got that it's a real scandal here which is not getting covered in the fact that that the White House are.

-- the White House folks are basically sitting at ground rules trying to tee up the questions that they want the president to be asked in fact.

Jim -- this weekend a great little -- -- that they have the president at the podium holding up cue cards with the questions that he wanted to it to be I have asked of him.

Look the president has gone to the entertainment media because -- softkey also tends to go to local media.

Because they tend to be less aggressive and more deferential to him this week he gave an interview to a morning zoo crew on some FM station in New Mexico.

But the white house press corps has not really been clamoring for him to come out an answer some tough questions we also heard this week from.

Members of the elite mainstream media like Mark Halperin -- Jake Tapper like -- Todd both essentially said.

Befallen time on the job we haven't -- the tough questions we -- on the great investigative reporting.

Well OK if you're willing to admit that now what are you gonna do about it.

On on Monday just in the same -- he had that impromptu news conference he did manage to working in three other interviews.

But with local.

-- local you know smaller.

News outlets -- on which the White House tends to set the terms.

It will grant you the interview if you agree to talk about this.

I don't think it's that strange you know whenever you -- an interview whenever you send an invitation interview the president or any politician for that matter.

You try to at least have a basic focus I also don't think it's really fair to say that he was trying to do this to manipulated to get softball questions only.

Since this was focused on sequester and if you really wanted to focus on something that would -- in soft balls wouldn't do that issue.

We're not doing what who who says it wouldn't notice the past which is marketers focused on -- who focus -- on sequester it was the White House isn't the only answers about this.

That is known as of cooking the news.

And that should have been the story.

Well and and Mitt Romney took some heat from Denver reporter.

You know about I think he was asked questions about his feelings on gay marriage me.

He battled Iraqis as the let's talk about big things like jobs in the economy.

And I think the Obama campaign released a statement about it you know why why isn't Mitt Romney willing to talk about game there.

Look every candidate does this every president does this.

The issue is are they allowed to get away with it without -- squeak of protest from the press that's exactly right you can imagine if this had been President Bush -- President Nixon -- President Reagan.

Setting ground rules and -- up the questions that they want it and having served appliance parts -- -- Okay overtime with that we have no other -- have a nice summer and don't be afraid you're right.

Thinking of -- press corps you know the mainstream media have always been accused of being in the tank for mr.

Obama and then we get that Newsweek cover.

You know hit the road Barack cat -- -- is the romance gone.

Well yeah look at -- response to the news -- cover I mean fourteen -- on the Arab -- -- had been saying I.

I defend his right to say what he's saying even though I disagree let them.

Thank you madam at a tricks for our standing by your reporter -- This does is -- flailing around they'll do throw I want this to discipline they put you know called Romney a wimp and and they put a bomb with a -- -- on -- -- ten other covers just to get its attention.

A position possible it and it'll work as Tina Brown does not play the press and nothing else.

Exactly let's not forget that.

Magazines are losing relevancy as well as becoming a less you know lucrative enterprise and it's going to be the future of magazines where we're gonna see controversial covers like these.

You know probably for the rest of their probably limited existence.

People called for him to lose his tenure at Harvard university and this is a pretty nasty.

Response in this out there and cyber land.

And I'm excited about round.

Oh yeah she's gonna sell magazines and more power to work when she Newsweek we need all of the magazines we can -- In the meantime Fox News release the poll results of the poll of likely voters on Thursday some interesting numbers there are 45%.

Say they would vote for -- Mitt Romney Paul Ryan ticket.

President Obama and Vice President Biden get 44% of the more interesting -- for purposes of this show.

Is when voters were asked who do members of the media.

Want to win.

61% said Barack Obama.

That these are voters out there in America think 61%.

Of the media want President Obama to win reelection I want to me that 15%.

Her eyes I'm -- -- -- 1% does so well I mean look for decades the press -- and especially the Washington press corps has been polled for who did you vote for president.

And it's always something like nine 93%.

Vote for the Democrat candidate.

I think the American people now are wide awake they know what kind of bias they're getting on any given day from any given outlet.

And of course with the -- of Fox News now there is an alternative and said the bias coming from the other side is -- more now.

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