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Ellen Ratner on the media reaction to Obama's decision to keep the press in the dark on golfing trip
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Welcome back to on the Honda -- -- dot com live on Jonathan -- a few of you weighing in on the budget debate we were just having raging Greeks as fully as.
No budget and that's a result in his view.
All but no leadership.
Robert Hawkins says we will -- dollar estimates on the -- All of the sequester does anyone know what the percentage of spending the sequester -- cup.
Somebody here does but it's not me but I'll try to find that -- -- will put it -- live chat Ellen Ratner might know she's really very very small -- of course is.
Bureau chief of talk radio and news service and make Fox News contributor here with a daily by especially from him in the percentage of the top -- What you are very very small so you'll be issued today and the media is being manipulated by the White House well golly gee that.
Now I have to tell you I have been covering the White House since 1993 and yes.
The media has always been manipulating and in fact I remember.
I'm going to the White House my very first time in meeting Helen Thomas and she say when they always trying keep this behind ropes but I have to tell -- I have covered and everybody knows I'm a liberal -- you know -- -- Democrat.
I can't.
I have covered the White House since 93 Clinton bush Obama and I have never seen things such so close to -- so.
Well first of all its access its interviews it's questions.
That people in the back rows of the a White House we have one of the 49 to -- at the White House timely news service.
And they don't call on people in the background.
They used you.
The President Obama and even in the beginning President Bush used to just go randomly.
Through press conferences then number of press conferences my friend.
I'm Martha Kumar.
Martha joint Kumar is the white house press -- stirring not paid by the White House but she's a professor.
She has focused on the number of questions that President Obama has taken when they do pool in other words they have a dignitary in the Oval Office.
Or and they oh or something like that and then the pool is allowed just one or two questions and everybody takes their turn -- -- print.
Radio all right and stuff.
And you know what this president has allowed about a third of the amount of questions.
As President Bush did not listen everybody knows I was not a big bush -- can -- give -- their press office and -- press secretaries.
Any day of the week -- -- why do you think it is happening is it purely a control issue it's it's control on days.
I feel they don't need to look you -- the president White House a course sponsors issues are fox person right.
So they feel at this point with Twitter with social media that they can bypass us they can do their own little TV programs -- already apartments.
And the people who travel with the president or been covering it for 21 plus years -- it's actually warning this summer -- up 21 plus years.
Out of -- -- very tough questions we know when somebody is giving us a line community just begin to hear you -- -- read between the lines.
So if you bypass the media.
Or you -- to only friendly media -- this weekend with a golf and they had a guy from GOLF Magazine he did they have any allow any of -- to ask questions and I wasn't there but I'm talking about the TV radio print pool -- Because we might ask tough questions -- outside her home.
Allowed to have a private -- I think if he wants to.
Absolutely he can have a private golf outing and at this was the only thing that happened no biggie but guess what.
He is on top of cutting off access not allowing as many questions to be taken.
Doing the -- which is called stills only which means still photographs no questions.
So that's what they do and take.
Knowledge is part of this and that as you were saying you allow -- the White House to -- -- the traditional media and go straight to the public exactly.
Using that would using Twitter -- -- Using Twitter.
There's just to change we're gonna have to live with.
Well I'm hoping that the White House correspondents association.
Gives them more -- but you know it's very very difficult to cannot.
You know I remember.
I'm going to did -- -- Press Secretary the first pregnant Press Secretary under President Obama and saying him.
-- you never colonists.
Up well were you -- called on before I said -- Dana -- used to call on us all the time -- for an -- fox and well can we -- -- Dana and ask myself.
Reading my -- stuff I mean that's the kind of response -- -- that we get and I'll tell you sequel you can ask the right people you can ask people in the left.
I am in the -- -- you know few days a week I'm not -- five days because we have other our staff -- there.
But I will tell you can ask anyone of us right -- -- whatever our political views and everybody's gonna say that this White House has really.
Really stop very interesting great to get your views on this -- thank you very different match hello of course is one of those he can see every weekend to 30 and 11:30 eastern.
On Saturdays on FOX News Watch posted by Jon Scott fascinating perspective thank you Tony who has but as you say served in the white has not served in the -- has become of the -- has.
Which when he is very highest -- you thank you so much -- are right.
