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Game On! Obama's Clash With The White House Press Corps
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Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP Photo
So much for the media honeymoon. Obama's dustup with reporters Thursday night reveals he's got Bush's touch with the White House press corps. Plus, the four reporters who could give him fits.
President Obama may have started to reverse Bush's policies regarding the war on terror, but when it comes to his policy toward the media, the new president isn't just working from the same playbook, he's perfecting the moves.
On Thursday evening, Obama made an unannounced visit to the journalists' White House workspace, shaking hands and joking with the same locker-room bonhomie familiar to observers of George W. Bush. He snarked that the crowding and competition for space was "worse than the Middle East." He let them know he'd already gotten two workouts in. And then Jonathan Martin, a reporter from Politico, asked about the appointment of a former Raytheon lobbyist as deputy defense secretary.
Obama didn't give a substantive response, which is disappointing but hardly unusual or even especially indicative of a Bush-style attitude toward the press. But threatening to cut off access if reporters don't stick to softballs in social settings? That's what Bush wanted from the press—and it's what made bloggers and other media critics go into conniptions over schmoozefests like the Correspondents' Dinner. Obama sounded exactly like Bush, maybe even more forceful, when he made the threat explicit: "I came down here to visit. See this is what happens. I can't end up visiting with you guys and shaking hands if I'm going to get grilled every time I come down here."
My guess is that Obama did not make his appearance in the press area Thursday night to forge stronger, more personal relationships with the members of the White House press corps. He did it so that Jonathan Martin would look like an asshole.
I'm not sure what Obama expected from coming to visit the White House press corps besides getting "grilled," though perhaps the largely adoring coverage he got during the campaign confused him.
There's a place for noncombative small talk between politicians and the people who cover them. It's called "off the record." The practice of trading an on the record quote for a more relaxed interaction can be abused, but its great advantage is that everyone involved understands the ground rules. Some reporters may try to wring a response to a tough question out of it, but most reporters see it as a situation in which they can let their guard down, too, and perhaps make a more personal impression that will lead to more direct answers. Maybe even just returning a phone call.
But my guess is that Obama did not make his appearance in the press area Thursday night to forge stronger, more personal relationships with the members of the White House press corps. He did it so that Jonathan Martin, or whichever reporter dared to ask a question, would look like an asshole.
Right now the slot for this administration's David Gregory is wide open, and who you think might be best for job depends largely on whether you believe Gregory's approach was tough, news-oriented, and no-nonsense or showy, superficial, and self-indulgent. ABC's Jake Tapper—full disclosure, he's an old friend—gained no fans among the Obama staff, and plaudits from McCain aides, for his unrelenting coverage during the election. Chuck Todd, White House correspondent and political director for NBC, is a nontraditional fit for the role of television correspondent: kind of geeky and not overtly confrontational, but he does have a grasp of political minutiae that could prove deadly in a back-and-forth. The Chicago Sun-Times' Lynn Sweet is probably the only reporter in Washington who doesn't see Obama as anything special, having covered him for longer than any of them. But the person with the most potential to shake up Obama's team might be someone—like Martin—they haven't had to deal with before, someone with nothing to lose.
Journalists don't usually need that much help being confrontational, and, to be blunt, being assholes is kind of our job. But no president has started the job as well liked personally by voters as Obama is right now, and he has as much to gain by giving moderates and liberals—traditionally sympathetic to the media—a personal reason to dislike the press.
Ana Marie Cox is a Wonkette emerita, political junkie, self-hating journalist, and author of Dog Days. She has worked for Time, Mother Jones, Suck, and most recently, Radar. Follow her on Twitter.
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Jacob Bernstein is a senior reporter at The Daily Beast. Previously, he was a features writer at WWD and W Magazine. He has also written for New York magazine, Paper, and The Huffington Post.
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Lloyd Grove is editor at large for The Daily Beast. He is also a frequent contributor to New York magazine and was a contributing editor for Condé Nast Portfolio. He wrote a gossip column for the New York Daily News from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, he wrote the Reliable Source column for the Washington Post, where he spent 23 years covering politics, the media, and other subjects.
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Wonkette emerita, political junkie, self-hating journalist, and author of Dog Days. She has worked for Time, Mother Jones, Suck, and most recently, Radar. Follow her on Twitter.
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FACT CHECK: Lynn Sweet is a reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times. That's poor showing for someone who comments with "authority" about all-things DC. Being an asshole is one thing, being a wrong, careless, jabbering asshole a whole other thing.
"But no president has started the job as well liked personally by voters is Obama is right now, and he has as much to gain by giving moderates and liberals-traditionally sympathetic to the media-a personal reason to dislike the press."
Does Daily Beast have a copy editor or what? I'm assuming the "is" before "Obama" is a typo substitution for "as," but even so the whole sentence doesn't seem to make much sense.
For goodness sakes, it's only his 3rd day on the job. Give him a break if he is not familiar with the White House Press Room rules and didn't say "off the record".
But MY guess is that only an asshole would guess that he had a plan to to go there and make 1 or all of you look like assholes. And since you're the one that guessed it, you are the asshole - not Martin, not Obama
Considering the monster splash that Politico put on its front page after Obama rebuked their question, I think you've got it backwards who wanted to make a fool of whom.
Didn't Gibbs say when Politico and Halperin start acting diva-ish, he's doing his job properly? There is a difference between being a muckraker and a troll.
The press totally dropped the ball on the Iraq war (sorry but those who feel Bush was treated with 'liberal media bias' are on crack!!) The press is supposed to report the news and ask the tough questions...I voted for Obama and believe in him but think that ALL elected officials must be accountable and the press is really our first line of defense.
That being said these are serious times and the amount of coverage the press spends on real issues is less than adequate; as such, I no longer watch the news because it is ridiculous. If the press corp acts professionally and asks serious questions (at least 95% of the time) that is one thing but if not then they should be told to hit the road and not waste our time .
Does every interaction HAVE to be an interrogation? I didn't read what Obama said as a threat, I read it as, do we have to get into that now? I don't believe he would nominate someone he can't defend. He's new and naive, and likely thought he could drop by casually and say hello. But he forgot, reporters are assholes. And I agree, take a moment to proofread your work.
Why do you reporters want to be loved? If you all would stand up for your fellow journalists when someone is trying to make them look like an asshole. like when Bush tried to shun Helen Thomas. Where was the outrage? Why didn't the entire press corps stand up for her? Why didn't they jump up and boycot? Why didn't they write scathing pieces about what he did/ What pussies you are? And gutless and stupid and silly and.............
ditto to all the above.... gee.
Agreed with those above. The press should have started asking critical questions 7 years ago. Obama has to tread lightly or this mess we're all in now will be credited to him by the conservatives even though they've been in power for the majority of the last 28 years. Obama and his handlers know he must be careful not to give them ammunition for future power grabs. Go bother Bush at his ranch and Cheney in his cave if you really want to sort out our current problems.
Sorry Miss Cox, Johnathan Martin is a complete idiot. He had already mentioned two or three times he wasn't there to answer questions but to meet everyone and have a look around. Then, Johnathan Martin, trying to get a story and thinking he would try and put Obama on the spot, asked this question.
Second, your entire paragraph here:
"But my guess is that Obama did not make his appearance in the press area last night to forge stronger, more personal relationships with the members of the White House press corps. He did it so that Jonathan Martin, or whatever reporter dared to ask a question, would look like an asshole."
is complete made up garbage. You honestly think Obama was out to make someone look like an asshole?
Really?
Considering how he is a personable person one would be left to believe he was in fact getting to know the reporters personally since he will be working closely with them for the next eight years.
It's a shame children like Johnathan Martin are too stupid to realize it.
Looks like crap, smells like crap...must be Ana Marie Cox making mountains out of mole hills. So you're saying Ana, that Obama's asking not to be grilled for visiting the press room is tantamount to Bush deniying NYT security clearance for 8 years. Is that it? You're rediculous.
Going off the record can cause more problems than it creates solutions. I consider "off the record" to mean whatever I learn after agreeing to go OTR is untouchable. I work for a chain; corporate policy prohibits reporters from agreeing to go off the record. We will reluctantly accept a response "on deep background," but only after pushing the issue -- hard. Someone, and I would give him/her credit if I could remember, once said there are three acceptable answers to a question: "I know and I can tell you"; "I know and I can't tell you," and "I don't know." These are acceptable if A) they are honest responses to a question and B) "I don't know" is followed by "you'll have to ask X."
As for being an asshole as prerequisite for being a reporter: It is possible to be a civil asshole. And it surprises the hell out of them ...
I voted for Obama. This article is very fair. I don't think what the president said was earth shattering at all.
Remember Not Telling and Not Lying are two different things. That said, grill Obama! He can take it, and can't risk kicking anyone out.
Don't be surprised if he ignores everyone from Fox News though. That's just good judgement.
Annoying, nitpicking trash - that's all Washington reporters are writing about now. They just have to carp and bithc, especially when there is nothing to bithc about.
The President stops by for some friendly chit chat and gets ambushed. He should know better because most reporters are anal spots.
Of course, the job of press is to be fierce watchdogs comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable. Except that for eight years the press were apologists during Bush's reign of lawlessness, kowtowing and prostrating themselves. I suppose under these circumstances some discretion is expecting too much.
Today, reporters are partisan puppets spouting the spin of those they fancy; lap dogs who snooze when not lapping.
@mikefromarlington
"Considering how he is a personable person one would be left to believe he was in fact getting to know the reporters personally since he will be working closely with them for the next eight years."
Wow. I guess we shouldn't bother to have an election in 2012 since Obama apparently has it all sewn up according to mikefromarlington.
Off to a great start with the media.
No video allowed for the oath redo.
Is it true ABC paid $2 million for "exclusive" Obama interview?
Is this what they meant by "change" and "transparency?"
Treasury Secretary-designate Timothy Geithner apparently had "difficulty" paying his own taxes, yet he will be the one in charge of making sure everyone else pays theirs?
The appointment of a former lobbyist to Deputy Defense Secretary. Doesn't that decision contradict the new administration's stance on lobbyist conflict of interest?
Looks like the same old predictable Washington "we CAN'T believe in."
i would care more about the rights of the press if you actually tried to report real issues instead of whining about pres. obama not making an off the cuff remark about an important appointment - this doesn''t mean he will lie to you at every opportunity, it just means he is a thinking person who made an off hand remark. why don't you report on the obstructionist attitude of republican congressmen dealing with the economic stimulus package - an example would be boehner - who's reputation for being in lobbyists pockets certainly make his self-righteous protestations about not being in favor of the stimulus package unless it contains tax breaks (for his buddies) much more important to me - TRY DOING SOME REAL REPORTING INSTEAD OF TRYING TO LOOK CLEVER ON RACHEL MADDOW - use your brains for something important to this country - help all of us hungering for change see ways to help make change - like writing our representatives to complain about the republican behavior already becoming obstructionist after only three days of the OBAMA presidency.
i sixty years old and hoping to find some sign of maturity and intelligence in the press corp
hey sophia5, speak for yourself ...
This is the same old predictable Washinton "I CAN believe in." ...
I'd rather know my Treasury Secretary has some Tax Problems so as I can have a valid reason for NOT paying mine ...
Hmmmm, excellent points made above, and I agree with most except for comments from Sophia5 (sorry to pick on you!) My stance on the press is that they have too much leeway, and often abuse the great privilege we have, the right to free speech.
I'm all for transparency and the government being honest with us, but journalists also have the responsibility to not slander, and prey on the peoples' fears, Fox News of course being the number one culprit. I don't think that Jonathan Martin is an idiot, because he asked a really good question and one that needs to be answered. He just shouldn't have asked that particular question at that time, as it was obvious that President Obama was there just being friendly (I know, amazing for a politician huh?!!) Martin will have plenty of other opportunities to grill the President and his Press Secretary, bad form to do it at that social call. Some people just don't know when to switch off "work mode."
Anyway, don't get me wrong, I am terribly concerned about the conflict of interest (and it is) of being a former lobbyist and soon to be a cabinet position. I just don't know how worried we should be when we hear about this kind of situation, since everyone in politics is linked in some way or another to lobbyists and donors, etc. Our political systems is driven by the notion of "I'll scratch our back and you scratch mine." It's not perfect but is necessary, and it's alot better run than a majority of the world's governments where corruption is rampant.
Power can be a dangerous thing, thank the gods that our government has a decent checks and balances system, the way our Founding Fathers intended it. I'm not naively totally happy with our govenment but I definitely have more hope than I have ever had before in my 37 years on this earth :-)
Lets focus on the point of the article please. The question asked by Martin deserves a substantive response considering the PROMISES made to Americans re lobbyists and transparency. Or were Americans lied to for political expediency? The genuine media, those who understand the meaning of "Freedom of the Press", NEED to be grilling this administration to the nth degree considering the amount of money being printed and our new political favoritism based economy. Fear not the loss of a seat on Air Force 1 to an image magazine. Genuine media types will hold this administration accountable for all of its decisions. The honeymoon is finite mr president.
I saw the clip of this encounter and I have to disagree with Ms. Cox's statement:
"But my guess is that Obama did not make his appearance in the press area last night to forge stronger, more personal relationships with the members of the White House press corps. He did it so that Jonathan Martin, or whatever reporter dared to ask a question, would look like an asshole."
It clearly seemed that Obama was making the visit to chat with the reporters and had intended it to be an 'off the record" or informal visit. He seemed disappointed when they didn't recognize that and made a comment. To assert that his visit was premeditated with the intention of making someone look like an "asshole" seems ridiculous.
First, let's leave Bush out of this. This is Obama's White House and his approach to its press corps.
It's encouraging to see the press regain its purpose after its hiatus to work on Obama's campaign.
The media all but anointed Obama president and now they claim they will be tough on him?
They couldn't even be tough on Bush!
I can't wait to see the jilted lovers of the press. It will be like having to come to Thanksgiving dinner at your ex-wife's house every day of the year. This honeymoon is headed for divorce court.
Thank you.
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