President Obama And The Press
[guest post by Dana]
It’s always been a bit reminiscent of high school, this tumultuous relationship the president has with the press. Mad crushes, intense bonding, the on-again-off-again upheavals. They don’t ever really break up because everyone knows they really can’t quit each other. From day one, journalists and reporters have adored him, worshiped at his podium, covered for him, and even deified him. For his part, the president kept them in his circle with flattery, made a select few feel big and important, depended upon their loyalty, kept them close, pushed them away. With that, it’s interesting to read former ABC News White House correspondent Ann Compton’s inside look at the president and his relationship with the press. It’s especially interesting to see his response when the press steps over the line and functions independently, perhaps with an eye to do their jobs with an objective non-biased professionalism:
Compton explained that the president went on a “profanity-laced tirade, where he thought the press was making too much of scandals that he didn’t think were scandals.” And there was another time, she recalls, when he scolded the media “for not understanding the limits he has with foreign policy.”
Further:
“I don’t find him apologetic,” she continued. “But I find him willing to stand up to the press and look them in the eye — even though it was off-the-record — and just give us hell.”
Compton had little sympathy for the president’s concerns. “We cover what we are allowed to cover,” she said. “And when policy decisions and presidents are inaccessible, and don’t take questions from the press on a regular basis, I think they reap what they sow.”
Former CBS reporter Sharyl Attkisson responded to Ann Compton, and her experience sounded familiar:
Maybe this is just me or a personal opinion that a profanity-laced conversation with professionals in the press by the president of the U.S. is probably inappropriate,” said Attkisson.
“That’s not surprising to me,” the former CBS investigative reporter told Malzberg. “There have been profanity-laced discussions on their part with members of the Obama administration that they’ve talked to me about similar things, thinking that a cover story…was not warranted or fair.”
“They haven’t just done this with me, but with reporters at The Associated Press and other colleagues,” said Attkisson. “This is a tactic and a strategy.”
“I don’t know if it’s heartfelt or sometimes it’s just to create the kind of pushback that leads to a self-censorship, because you’re so beaten down…by what they say, by the social media campaigns and the blog campaigns that they launch,” Attkisson added.
–Dana
Hello.
Dana (8e74ce) — 12/9/2014 @ 6:09 am“former ABC News reporter Ann Compton” isn’t to be taken seriously I don’t think
she’s as wanton a propaganda slut as you’ll ever hope to find
happyfeet (a037ad) — 12/9/2014 @ 6:24 amSaw this yesterday. Thanks for posting, Dana.
Cry me a river, Ms. Compton. It is people exactly like you [“journalists”…..HAHAHAHAHA] who abdicated their professional responsibility by licking this president’s boots (and other body parts) that allowed him to become POTUS in the first place. The fact that he curses you actually makes me laugh. (Like all the rest of us don’t?)
OF COURSE he does…since not one of you do anything other than worship him. You are what are called…say it with me now…USEFUL IDIOTS. (and I’m not sure if I may be insulting the word idiot by calling you that)
The hatred regular people have in this country for what passes as journalism should be obvious since most of you are just another arm of the progressivist party. The only good thing about that is that when the commies come, YOU will probably be the first to go. Talk about stupids.
Charlotte (fc15f6) — 12/9/2014 @ 6:29 am“So it was &@#%!!! said and so let it &#%€¥!! be done. You should be #%*#!!!’thanking me.”
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 12/9/2014 @ 6:30 am– Barack Milhous Obama
The old ewe and the rest of the slobbering, obsequious media get the respect they so richly deserve
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 12/9/2014 @ 6:34 amBut, but, but, if this was true, why that’d be bullying, and we all know that Democrats just don’t do such horrible, horrible things.
The oh-so-very-liberal Dana (f6a568) — 12/9/2014 @ 6:38 amObviously, the only thing to do is bring back Helen Thomas. Yes, I know, she supposedly died already, but if she can still vote for Democrats, she ought to be able to cover the White House.
The Dana with the solution (f6a568) — 12/9/2014 @ 6:41 amPrediction: at some point in 2015 from the media we will begin to see their Obama-Separation-Anxiety-Disorder. And it will be expressed in how wonderful it was to elect a black person like Obama and his beautiful wife, the glories of his successes like Obamacare, endless re-runs of his triumphant speech in Grant Park (Chicago), His first this and first that, ad nauseum. The unspoken aspect of this re-run will be to help whomever the D’s having running to take his place.
Ipso Fatso (10964d) — 12/9/2014 @ 6:43 amSo Compton’s upset by the fuss
The Limerick Avenger (f6a568) — 12/9/2014 @ 6:46 amThe Prez, he actually cussed!
“Oh, woe is me!”
PTSD
It’s too bad she’s such a wuss!
Ann can’t handle it
The Haiku Avenger (f6a568) — 12/9/2014 @ 6:48 amThe poor dear has been cuss’d out
Pull up big girl pants
#BanBully
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 12/9/2014 @ 7:12 amUno, dos, one, two, tres, quatro
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 12/9/2014 @ 7:28 amAnnie told Dana about a thing she saw
Had two jug ears and a filthy maw
Bammy bully, Bammy bully.
Bammy bully, Bammy bully, Bammy bully.
Chrissie told Rachel, “We gots no tingle now.
Let’s not be*L-seven*… do dat dance, MadCow”
Bammy bully, Bammy bully
Bammy bully, Bammy bully, Bammy bully.
Tavis told Eugene, “Things be really bad
Don’t you got a feelin’… all of us been had?”
Bammy bully, Bammy bully.
Bammy bully, Bammy bully, Bammy bully.
Good one, Colonel!
Now do Chubby checkers “Twist”. I’ll start you off…
C’mon baby,
felipe (b5e0f4) — 12/9/2014 @ 8:26 amAs far as Helen goes:
There’s a lady who’s sure all that glitters is gold
felipe (b5e0f4) — 12/9/2014 @ 8:31 amAnd she’s buying a stairwell to hell.
Workin’ the Ref 101
daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 12/9/2014 @ 9:14 amI’m just guessing, but the language was probably worse than that of Harry S Truman, and applied to political issues.
Nixon did it only in private, on tape. And it also wasn’t so bad.
LBJ is said to have cussed. Reagan broke out sometimes, but not the worst words.
W actually used very bad language on occasion, before he was president.
Sammy Finkelman (7e7e58) — 12/9/2014 @ 9:24 amIf it was “off the record,” then why is Compton reporting it, albeit without specific quotations?
Maybe I don’t understand what “off the record” means? I thought it meant the reporter couldn’t say what happened — and was only being told to assist the reporter indirectly (e.g., knowing what leads to follow and not to follow).
Mitch (341ca0) — 12/9/2014 @ 9:25 amoff the record conversations can be reported when repeated elsewhere, and she’s reporting that Obama used foul language, which has been repeated elsewhere.
Sammy Finkelman (7e7e58) — 12/9/2014 @ 9:28 amGreat, now we’re impugning profanity because Crack Whore does it?
Limp dicks to the right, eunuchs to the left, what is a poor polemicist to do?
DNF (7b206c) — 12/9/2014 @ 9:41 amWait til Hillary gets elected. They’ll be learning lots of new words.
Gazzer (cb9ee2) — 12/9/2014 @ 10:07 am