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President has no problem granting media access for photo-ops with first responders when he wants to blame Republicans for looming sequestration cuts
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If President Obama up must've gotten bored on Air Force One coming home from his golf that because he did wander back to the press section of the plane but it would only talk to the press -- -- -- Off the record.
We don't know what he was hiding what he did not watch on the record but today he -- more than happy to go on the record the president -- -- carefully staged media event.
With first responders they're all lined up behind a President Obama lashing out at Republicans warning -- -- willingness to raise taxes will put jobs on the line.
The weekly standard's Steve Hayes joins us nice to see -- Stephen even political editorial today says.
President Obama is a master limiting shaping am manipulating the media coverage of himself and as White House where's the media.
Well he sure -- I -- I don't necessarily to blame President Obama he gets away with what the media let him get away with.
And they let him get away with a lot of in the put the problem I think the fundamental problem is.
You don't have the same kind of scrutiny on the president that you've had on past presidents both Republican and democratic so he gets away with.
Not disclosing.
As much as he -- on -- -- for instance he gets away with as you pointed out.
Calling for tax hikes right now wolf there's video of the president back in January of 2011 saying the tax hikes during -- time of slow economic growth.
Would send the country back into recession.
Why isn't he why not on the front page of the New York Times asking why the president was making one argument -- Well we have five point 6% growth and the opposite argument today you could say the same thing with the -- he used to threatened to veto it.
Now he's saying it can't possibly go through I mean there are so many contradictions.
And he's not called on any of this network newscasts on -- -- in New York Times the Washington Post the other major outlets in the mainstream media he's just not.
Called on -- -- here I think is the most pathetic thing about the last couple days in this.
It's that the white house press corps which sort of has an image of itself as sort of being tough and yelling out the tough questions.
Is the fact that after they spent a weekend of moaning about the fact that they didn't have access to the president.
At present it to becomes the back of the plane and they agreed to an off the record discussion now what -- Rosie off the record discussion going to do for anybody give them a look chip -- based -- with the present so they can have a good time on the trip.
You know their their pain by news organizations to get information they should have said no on the record I would want talk to the president woke up one in front of the present that.
It's interesting exact remembered traveling and in a lot of traveling from book that I wrote about Dick Cheney I remember traveling on air force to overseas.
And there were these kinds of disputes all the time and I remember one in particular where the the wire reporter on the trip was from the AP -- brother I think there was a reporter from Reuters.
New York Times some other major outlets and she invited the group including me back to do and off the record session -- -- I was happy with that house magazine reporter I didn't have a deadline.
I thought -- that's what context what we're seeing.
On this trip and there was a full month protest revolt from the daily reported in the wire reporters -- said we don't want to see the vice president.
Off the record that doesn't do us any -- we need to file stories and we didn't travel all the way over here.
Just it just to have off the record conversations with the vice president now they've gone to other stage managed events they had some opportunity to talk to his assistants.
But they didn't have time with the vice president they said basically we're not do it unless there's some on the -- -- -- think that this white house press corps that sat in the back of the plane and agreed to an off the record with the present combat sport I think they justify their minds.
I think what they say is.
It's valuable to spend time with the president no matter when you spent time with the president he might provide some insight into the coming battle over the sequester.
I'm not actually do find that I -- -- that I I find out I credit sessions I think -- -- failure on their part because after complaining about not having access to the president.
It looks like there -- weak and that they were sort of seduced by the president has -- yeah.
Their job is to get us information -- the news organization of the news organizations and the American people information.
And instead they got the pat on the head like the poppy.
In the back of the plane I get that argument I guess for me any time you're spending time with the president.
It's valuable time as a reporter if he's talking about how -- -- is it is with you we.
Make it all all but it can also inform.
They're reporting may say something about a conversation that he had.
Over the weekend with somebody and that will let them make three more phone calls and get additional information that was -- never sell -- for themselves -- -- -- -- -- but it only for their reporting yeah I agree that the little witness this isn't cool yeah this is the pool but -- but as a general I don't have a problem with off the record -- what I have a problem with is not pressing the president.
On the record I mean not pressing him for more on the record.
Conversations or discussions or -- The president says he said -- -- Google hang out this again and politicos on last Thursday said this the most transparent administration in history well that's preposterous nobody takes that seriously now don't anybody does not -- did not -- I don't know anybody who doesn't work for the president who believes that that's actually case and I know there's.
There's a lot of frustration in the white house press corps.
What we haven't seen is this kind of uprising -- this kind of outcry.
About and I hope they keep this up I mean it's one thing to do it because they didn't get a picture on on a golf course.
I would like them to do it on Ben -- -- some of these other.
McCain doesn't have -- -- let me -- thirty -- in the back of Air Force One after complaining at had to finally speaking up the -- thing you know they don't get the picture had tiger was out here live picture of Tiger Woods and I would not imagine what the president looks like played golf with Tiger Woods and on up all the look like.
But even after they got the courage to protest that that they didn't have access.
Didn't get weak and they fall apart on the back.
They say look I mean I think part of the problem is they don't want to.
-- they're so worried about the very limited access that they get that some of them don't want to ask the hard questions when they -- get access because they're worried that they'll be.
Punished and sent to the glue and let it go back that they work for the -- an -- -- jobs debt while I I think they need to ask more.
Questions and demand more time with the president on the record he hasn't done.
There was an article today that -- that he hadn't done an interview on record interview with the Washington Post since 2009 -- times since 2010.
Now I don't think that he's getting very difficult questions that -- from those -- -- there certainly.
It's not reflected in their coverage but they should be demanding that he spend more time with them I think if they were if they were covering him tougher on a daily basis.
He would want to reach out to them to explain himself more often.
Steve is so -- thank you thank script and.
