Today’s Qs for O’s WH – 4/20/2009

Why didn’t you guys ever go after any of the Bush press secretaries with such aggression? I don’t remember any terrier like action from 2001 through 2009 re Prez Bush, and now you guys are jumping into each other’s questions and engaging in chest thumping.
Question: why the sudden chest hair growth and war paint?
If only you had been so assertive in the preceeding nine years as you feel obligated to be in the first ninety days of Obama’s presidency.
Incredible.

Unlike other days, you can’t blame Gibbs today. You can’t make chicken salad out of chicken “waste.” Even a seasoned PR pro has trouble trying to put a happy face on this one. Trying to brag about cutting 100 million in this budget is like Donald Trump bragging that he cut back his personal budget by buying a bottle of Poland Spring water one time instead of Fiji water. Hey, he saved – what – three bucks!!! WOOOO – let’s tell the world!!

Question: why the sudden chest hair growth and war paint?
If only you had been so assertive in the preceeding nine years as you feel obligated to be in the first ninety days of Obama’s presidency.
Incredible.
Posted by: Kira | Apr 20, 2009 3:15:48 PM
____________________________________
Bush was right up there w/ Nixon as far as being ridiculed and questioned harshly by the media. Don’t blame Jake just because you – somehow – didn’t notice! What Obama is getting is a picnic compared to what Bush endured! Who are you kidding?

“$100Million is about 1/8 of what Obama raised for himself in campaign contributions, and $50Million less than he raised in Sept of last year.”
Hmmm the RNC has raised about $25M the 1st Q with Cantor himself raising about a million.
I guess they didn’t know that they were not supposed to fundraise during times of economic crisis.
Better run off and let them know maybee.

Let’s see-
1)Clinton is compromised by Israel when they find out about his affair with Monica Lewinsky through a covert telephone tap in the oval office. Try to have Jonothan Pollard sprung, but Drudge ‘outs’ Clinton-Lewinsky before they can.
2) Bush is compromised by Israel by his own beliefs and the neocon cabal in DOD and the WH, as well as the cover-up of the Harman affair’ in order to get the wiretap law approved.Takes Saddam down at their pleasure.
3)Obama continues cover-up of ‘Harman affair’, installs committed Zionists like Biden and Rahm in his cabinet.
I’d say Israel is consistently effective in its efforts to influence the highest office in the U.S.

Jake:
here’s a few ideas I would like to see you and ABC pursue.
- What does it say about America over the last 8 years, that after Sept 11 and the destruction of the symbolic ‘Twin Towers’, that they have yet to rebuilt and most likely not be rebuilt for some time to come…
- Why are comments by people like Michelle Bachman, about ‘armed insurrection’ against the federal government just laughed off, in light of the rising paranoia and frantic gun buying..
maybe many have forgotten about T. McVeigh,
Terry Lynn Nichols, Eric Robert Rudolph, Bobby Frank Cherry and those that murdered doctors for running abortion clinics.
- How about a comparison of what was accomplished in the first three months of Reagan’s 2 terms, Bush 1, Clinton’s 2 terms, Bush’s (2) 2 terms, and Obama’s first 3 months with a little background on what was happening at the time.

Please, Jake, get the story…
Is the White House, in concert with the former Bush admin and AG Gonzalez, covering up a Justice Dept investigation into whether a US Congresswoman and Intel committee ranking member, Jane Harman, committed a crime, in order to enlist her help in getting the NSA wiretap law passed?

If Obama committed to withdrawing from Iraq at the same pace he’s committed to cutting the federal budget, he’d be able to announce two soldiers and a Marine would be home by Christmas.

The president has proposed ending the bank middle man for college loans, saving $94 billion over a ten-year period of time. The president has attacked, in his budget, the subsidies that we provide insurance companies
That’s the problem, all the middle men between the government and us. Rather than this wasteful mix of public and private efforts, we should have the government provide all services. Imagine the efficiencies if the brightest minds and best ideas in all industries were consolidated into the government.

The federal government spends almost $1 billion per year funding a woman’s “right” to choose to kill her unborn child. Eliminate federal spending on abortion would save 10 times the amount discussed in this video. Protect innocent life = $1 billion in savings per year.

I’m grateful to ABC and Mr. Tapper for asking some tough questions of the Obama administration. As a conservative, I’m used to seeing the MSM run cover for Mr. Obama instead of asking tough questions. I commend ABC for their objectivity. There is certainly none left at CNN or NBC.

the 100 million is a pittance. Obama has been promising foreign dictators a billion here and a billion there, starting with Pakistan.
He does not include these pledges in his budget and they are not counted in the current debt and deficit numbers.
This is another dog and pony show to give the media a sound bite that counters the tea parties.
I am also sick and tired of hearing the Obama admin, including Gibbs claim they want to cut the deficit in half by some date.. when the first thing Obama did when taking office was to multiply the deficit over and over again, and then he wants credit for cutting half of that. Likely he will not cut that in half by reducing spending. They will raise taxes, and have already started doing so. They will cite this pitiful example of attempted reduction as an “we tried harder than anyone has ever tried before”.
Hang on to your wallets. He will use them to reduce the Obama deficit. He firmly believes he owns us now. What we thought was ours is now for him to confiscate.

Folks,
WE FINALLY have real reporters asking real ,important questions. Tapper and J. Loven thanks for asking the tough questions.

Mr. Tapper, Thank you for pursuing your question in a determined, but fair manner.

Jake Tapper is the remaining reason to tune in ABC.

We know Jakes gets a little fiesty at times but the AP too? Way to go, both of you!

Gee Kira, you must’ve never’ve watched a Bush press interview. Hell they even made up fake stuff about him!
And Teri B., inform yourself a bit. You have no idea what Abu Ghraib was about. Were ‘terrorists’ being tortured? Who did what and why? You suffer from a paucity of information and an abundance of bile.

This is the third or fourth instance that I have noticed where Jake pursues an adult response. Since this is a rarity in the media, I congratulate him, I will bookmark this site and take ABC off of my blacklist.

Wow, aren’t you afraid you’ll be beat down by the left for asking a valid question? Oh, $100M is a lot to me too, but $8B is a much bigger number. If Gibbs is not embarrassed having the call the American public stupid every day, then he really is just plain old anti-American. The joking around has to stop. It really isn’t funny, and it never has been. With a few more good reporters you never know what could happen. It would be shocking if the sheepies had to face the real facts.

Thanks for asking real questions. I hope a little bit of your intelligence wears off on the other reporters in the room, and maybe they will also start asking decent questions. I am tired of the puffball questions, (and puffball answers). You have consistently asked good questions.

Who would have thought that ABC could still have a real reporter if they keep it up they might still be around for the conservitive come back

It’s the new math, Jake. Whatever piddly amount Obama “cuts” from spending will be heralded as monstrous and easily overcoming the $1.85 trillion dollar deficit.
The willing useful idiots will buy it and think Obama is doing a great job.

This cost cutting announcement is the equivalent of a company holding a company meeting to announce they have cut their annual overhead expenses by a whole $10 by eliminating coffee stir sticks from the cafeteria. This administration is such a joke. It makes me wonder whether they are doing things like this just for kicks.
Keep up the good work, Tapper.

Obama Administration = Penny Wise, Pound Foolish

Those two deserve to sit in the front row…. great job. PLEASE, keep up that kind of work.

Barack Obama…”fractions of a penny” wise, trillions foolish?

Tag-team work from Tapper and Loven. Way to go, gang! And congrats to all the posters who quickly reminded Kira that there is no truth to the canard that BUsh’s press secretaries never faced tough questioning– an idea way beyond ridiculous. And perhaps we should remind Kira in addition that Tapper was not on the WH beat during the Bush administration.
Gibbs is a joke, but as another poster said, today must have been extraordinarily difficult for him because he was being forced to defend the indefensible. It would be amusing if it weren’t so sad that the president actually thought that asking his cabinet for budget cuts totally 100 million would impress the public who are being asked to swallow budgets and deficits in the trillions. Trust me, mr. president, we understand about the zeros involved and know full well that these budget cuts are minuscule, not even significant enough to be symbolically useful.
Maybe Gibbs has problems with the whole zeros thing, since as Tapper nailed him to the wall by pointing out, today we are talking about 100 million, which he wants to spin as substantive, but when we were talking about spending/wasting 8 billion (another set of zeros, Mr. Gibbs), that was, according to Gibby, too small an amount to be a deal-breaker or for people to be worked up about.

OH, and Ryan_C, your attempt to smackdown MayBee was misguided. She never suggested that fundraising was wrong– she simply was presenting figures for comparison’s sake to put the budget cuts in perspective. I liked Lou Dobb’s perspective (Okay, he’s a crazy loon, but sometimes on economic issues he gets it where the WH doesn’t)– the percentage of the budget represented by this cut is so small that you can’t even round it up to 1%, so if you are rounding, it’s 0% of the budget.

Excellent job as always Jake!!! This administration is filled with creeps, liars and frauds… I applaud you for continuing to demand accountability from them at the daily pressers… Gibbs is an idiot and although I didn’t think it was possible, you make him look even more stupid, over-matched and over-his-head every day… Thanks again for some real journalism!!!

So when Gibbs brought up the OLC Memo’s just released. Why no follow-up about the memos Cheney has asked to be released. They purportedly discuss the results of the so-called “torture”. So much for “transparency”. I suppose as long as the current administration continues to tell us how honest and transparent they are, we’ll believe them. Hmmmm, although, a long time ago I learned that honest people don’t go around telling others how honest they are. They may be sellin’, I’m not buying!

Tapper, you don’t disappoint. We need another Woodward and Bernstein. Maybe you and Ms. Loven will fill the bill. Keep hitting them with what I see to be very reasonable, non-sycophantic questions. You can teach Chuck Todd a thing or two.

Thank you for being a standard, Mr. Tapper. You seem to be the only one in the MSM who is fighting for the truth to prevail. God bless you!
Great job as well to Ms. Loven!

Well, the recent buzz word “disingenuous” fits perfectly here. With a straight face Obama is trying to sell us on his fiscal responsibility. Jake and Miss Loven, great job for calling him on it. Other media figures who we all know really love Obama, do your boy a favor and stop him. Your adulation is causing him to make serious mistakes with these unconscionable deficits. Please wake up and smell the red ink, before it’s too late.

It’s a sad state of affairs in the media, that such a simple and logical question is so rare and deserving of praise. But I DO THANK YOU for questioning bad policies and political-spin when you see it. Keep up the good work. Maybe this will spark other reporters to be more fair, inquisitive, and rational.

Sean – right on! I’ve been thinking the exact same the last few weeks…you can see it in their eyes and voices, but they haven’t been able to take it out of the press conferences and start writing about it!

Good to see the tide start to turn and the smoke and mirrors being exposed. Actually, this was real unbiased journalism. Now if they would expose that the “tax cut” for 95% of Americans is merely a decrease in the withholding rate. They still owe the same taxes as tax rates have not changed. This will come to light next tax season when people don’t get their refund and actually owe more.

Jake very good, MS Loven also. I primarily watch fox news, but Jake I am rapidly becoming a fan of yours. 8 Billon is small, and 100 Million is large, I love that analogy Jake. Keep at em, we need more like you

Mr. Tapper,
Keep up the good work. Be as tough on the Obama Administration as everyone was on the Bush Administration. We need some honesty in journalism.
I think people are getting tired of the blatant media partisanship on BOTH sides.
JB

I apologize in advance to not knowing much about you. I have pretty much given up and stopping watching/reading any mainstream media. I was thrilled to see you & Jennifer Loven put Gibbs feet to the fire comparing the $100 mil budget cuts to the $8 bil in earmarks.
You are true journalists. Continue to watch out for Americans!

Finally a reporter who knows how to keep a spin jockey on point. You deserve the anchor.

I’ll add to the thanks to you Jake & Ms. Loven! How about asking Mr. Gibbs about the AP chart or the $6 a year for a family making $60,000? I’d love to hear the President’s response to that as well.
Keep up the hard hitting!

Kira
How does one get a 38% approval rating unless someone in the media “goes after them”. You appear to have slept thorugh the Bush years. The dems won the WH, Senate, and Congress. Not sure what else you want.

So…
America, next time someone asks you what difference does it make that a candidate has never RUN anything, what will your answer be?
People who opposed Obama weren’t just being pissy. There are real consequences to experience, associations, and past actions.

Jake Tapper
…will soon have his own wildly successful talk show on Fox, yet another host to beat Maddow and Olbermann by 600% in the ratings…

Way to go Jake and Jennifer.
Thanks for simply doing your job. You’re part of a decreasing number who actually challenge the administration and ask tough questions.
On a side note, Gibbs, the Prez, and the administration make a joke out of everything that is serious.
Quite inappropriately of them.

Go ghet ‘em! FINALLY, some intelligent and substantive questions from a couple of representatives of the Fourth Estate. ’bout time!

@Kira – are you serious? They were ALL over W. Bush for the most part (except for Fox News)…the thing is W. and his guys didn’t care what the media or public asked. They did what they were going to do anyway.
And you don’t think that this Administration is doing exactly what they want to? Most of these questions should have been asked prior to nov, 2008 but never were, CHANGE YOU CAN BELIEVE IN. Well we got it. The only hope for this country is in the next 2 elections, is to vote out the incumbent, no mater what party they are, get new blood as the founding fathers intended this was never set up to be a profession.

The Obama Doctrine (continued)
Foreign Policy and National Security
1. If I can get elected when one of my main influences was a US terrorist, Bill Ayers, stupid America voters wont bat an eye when my Presidential foreign policy will be modeled after the likes of Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, Achmed Achmedinejad (sp)and Daniel Ortega.
2. Intellegence gather is a pain, especially when I realize it is problematic at best. Lets out all the memos. That’ll put a stop to intellegence alltogether. No intellegence, nothing to take resposibility for. Stupid American voters – they’ll buy it, especially if I keep talking about all the stuff that some other president had to make a judgement about.

Obama Doctrine (continued)
Taxes
1. Stupid American voters dont know the difference between withholding and tax due. If I lower withholding, I can claim a tax decrease for everybody.
2. To make up the diffence, I can raise the tax on rich. They in turn, will raise the prices of the goods they sell. The stupid American voter will pay it, and blame Wall Street for inflation. Quick, pass confiscatory taxes on executive salaries before stupid American voters figure out that inflation is a goverment-created direct tax on the poor. They can take public transportation to the Acorn rallys.

What Mr Gibbs failed to understand is that the questions that Jake and other journalists asked him, are many of the issues the american people have in mind.But is up to him to mimic and compete with the talents of the great Red Skelton.

Thank you Jake and Loven for asking these questions. I’ve watched many of Gibbs news conferences and Gibbs is a smart a*s. He thinks he’s cute with his answers but he’s only showing his arrogance towards anyone who ‘dares’ ask a decent question! He thinks we are all stupid and don’t realize what a tiny, tiny, TINY, percentage of the deficit $100 million is. Then, he goes on to describe the types of ‘cuts’ that these agencies are making and the cuts themselves are a joke. These ‘cuts’ are things that should be looked at constantly during their budget review process. Instead, they simply increase their budgets (9% this year) and move on. Thanks again for asking the questions that the average American would like to ask if they could be in the room.

Kira says: “Why didn’t you guys ever go after any of the Bush press secretaries with such aggression?”
You are joking, right? Where were you the last 8 years? Liberals have very selective memories

Jake and Jennifer are paying the price today for their excellent questions yesterday.
At his presser, the president just unformed them both they won’t be getting questions today.

Thanks for asking (and persisting) with a question many of us have been scratching our heads about.
It is so rare anymore to see anyone asking any real questions and persisting when Gibbs tries to blow them off.
We would use more of this kind of examination of policy.

Thank you for your great work, Mr. Tapper.
Why do “savings” always get placed in 10 or 15 year chunks, and deficit, in one?
“Student Loan middle men…$94 Billion over 10 years”. Let’s discuss budget debt addition over 10 years too! Oh, that’s right, President’s budget only shown for 5. (10 years is TOO scary)
Does student loan amount figure in “Life of Loan servicing”? Gibbs will “get back to us” on that.

Jake,
All we ask out of our journalists is to be the watchful eye of the public. Be aggressive and a truth seeker but still respectful. You have done both so many times and it looks like it comes naturally to you. I wish others would emulate you. Please don’t change whether you are facing a repub or a dem.

Wow Jake,
You better be careful. You’re acting like a real reporter in a free press America. The administration may not like you asking questions that actually speak to the concerns of thinking Americans. But still, putting my cynicism aside for the moment, it’s was encouraging hearing you and Jennifer today.
GB

I saw the fraud who know occupies the White House coming from a 100 miles away during the campaign. Why didn’t the rest of America?????? The fact that Barry is now in the White House is a prime reason why uniformed 18-24 year olds should NOT be permitted to vote. Look at the disaster they have inflicted on our country!!!!

Jake, did you burn your PRAVDA membership card? Congrats, you are the only real journalist in a room full of Maobama apparatchiks.

Jake, Thank you for asking the probbing questions that you do. You are one of the few that ask real questions, ones the people want answered, not the easy fluff pieces. Keep up the good work. And thank you for posting this so we how were not privy to the conversation to read and know how it went.

Bravo Zulu!

Jake:
Great Job! I loved the fact that you held his feet to the fire. If ABC ever muzzles you, I’ll look for you on Fox News.
Keep up the good work.

Great work jake; keep pressing these guys, we are not going to accept their spin……..

Impressive reporting – Concise, on point, non-agenda driven and from an informed viewpoint.
You sure you work for ABC?
Well done Jake (ouch, it hurt a little to say that).

Where were you guys during the 8 yrs of the Bush administration when questions were neither asked, nor answered?
I’m glad you guys are pressing Obama on this now, as the press should, but where were you guys when all this crap happened during the last 8 years? Did you just happen to realize things now? What took you so long?

Not exactly Tony Snow is he?
Well done, Mr. Tapper!!

Newbie…..jeez, obama has only been in our sights for 3 months and you are so touchy….wait for the heat after a year of this moron!

Keep up the AWESOME work Jake!

…I was kind of forgetting what real journalism sounded like. I actually had to smile. 8 billion was tiny, but 100 million is huge. Some of that Bush Logic might be creeping in.
Okay. That’s enough.
PS. But, thanks for showing us what real journalism looks like again. We needed more of you guys on Bush’s watch. But, its better late than never, I guess.

I actually bookmarked Mr. Tapper because lately, he is the only journalist with enough balls and common sense to ask legitimate questions and seek an actual answer…that is until he gets the boot from the Obey Fan Club.
Keep it up Tapper!!! You’re really on a roll.