Obama's Press Treatment Just Like Bush's: WaPo's Milbank

The Washington Post's Dana Milbank is apparently unhappy about the way President-elect Barack Obama blew off the Chicago Tribune's John McCormick yesterday when the reporter attempted to dig into the Blagojevich story at the presser for Education Secretary Arne Duncan. To an extent, I understand: when you play it like Obama did, interrupting McCormick with, "John, John, let me just cut you off, because I don't want you to waste your question," you only invite an escalation of aggression from the press. And, yeah: woe betide you if it turns out it was deserved.

Unfortunately, you also risk an outpouring of overheated slop from process puppies like Milbank, who's decided that this single -- and not entirely unjustified -- instance of Obama responding tartly to a reporter warrants a broad comparison with President George W. Bush, whose own appearances before the press corps were rare, and whose factotums were experts at glib dodges themselves. Milbank, nevertheless, is insistent:

But Obama's response to Blagojevich questions has been decidedly junior varsity. Begging off because of an ongoing investigation? Hiding behind Patrick Fitzgerald's skirt? Warning a reporter not to "waste" a question and asking for an alternative question? All four techniques were popularized by Bush.

Notwithstanding the fact that Milbank only enumerates three techniques (Arne Duncan might be able to help with that!), I find this to be a bit melodramatic. Also, a bit unfair. As Jason Zengerle correctly observes:

Obama didn't hide behind Fitzgerald's skirt to dodge McCormick's question, and Obama didn't time the release of his campaign's report so that he'd be in Hawaii when it came out. Unless, that is, Dana has evidence that Obama planned all this with Fitzgerald, since it was Fitzgerald who requested that Obama hold off releasing the report until next week. Now, is it convenient for Obama that Fitzgerald did this? Sure. But it's not like he's just inventing excuses to not answer Blago questions.

That's the rock in the road that reporters like Milbank have yet to surmount. Sure, the fact that the Obama team has been instructed to withhold the release of the report until December 22nd appears convenient from a press-process standpoint -- something self-obsessed reporters rarely tire of pointing out. But the order either came from Fitzgerald or it didn't. Obama is either complying with Fitzgerald's office or he isn't. If there's any question regarding what Fitzgerald has requested or instructed, then surely those questions should be directed at Fitzgerald, instead of simply being deployed as a suggestive pollutant at every Obama press conference between now and the report release.

Besides, if Obama were to provide reporters with the details of a report that Fitzgerald has specifically asked not be released until December 22nd, the headlines would become "Obama Defies Order, Impedes Blagojevich Investigation." Doesn't sound like a smart call!

Zengerle is also left wondering why it's such a burden for reporters, called to an event announcing the Secretary of Education pick, to ask questions that are appropriate to the occasion. "I concede that the Blago scandal is certainly more entertaining; but, in the annals of what's important, I'd say that the country's education policy tops the legal travails of a midwestern governor," he writes. "Is it really too much to expect the press to ask Obama some questions about education during a press conference held to unveil his Secretary of Education?"

I sympathize, but it's probably due to the fact that most reporters aren't well versed in education policy or the major players involved. Milbank works very hard to project his own ignorance upon the readers of his report: the unveiling of Duncan is termed "insomnia treatment," and Milbank insists that the "whole thing might have ended in snores if McCormick hadn't piped up about Blagojevich." What's snoozy to Milbank, however, isn't boring to the rest of the world. And Milbank's insistence that Duncan was a "previously unknown nominee" is a fatuous dodge. Duncan's name was floated as a potential nominee as early as November 12th. He had a meeting with current Education Secretary Margaret Spellings on December 4. That's a lot of time and a lot of chances to get to know Duncan! I guess whoever was supposed to bring this matter to Milbank's attention was asleep at the switch.

Comments

[EthylRosenberg]

Poor Dana blew his shiny rising career when he chose to "resign" as COUNTDOWN contributor because he wouldn't retract a crap piece he wrote taking Obama out of context. Sad to see he's clinging to his guns & religion..­.

[Sparty1]

Screw Dana Milbanks' dumb@ss.

[HmblDog]

Give the talking heads a break here.
It's their devotion and talent that make a tough job look easy.
1. They are told what the narative will be for the week.
2. They head on out to try to invent some scenarios that fulfill the narative.
3. They all chirp up with the same song all at once reinforcing the narative thus drowning out actual reporting of news/events.

In this instance the narative is that Obama isn't and never intended to implement the "change" he promised us.

If we trust Obama we shouldn't need to rant and rave or throw tantrums in an attempt to have him do our bidding. Let him build the coalitions that will allow the country to begin to get out of this crater that the GOP (and the Milbank cocktail crowd) have bulldozed us into.

[Maezeppa]

Dana Milbank is a smug, fatuous, cynic. He has no stake in any position he espouses. He is often wrong on the facts and when confronted with his mistakes, he is dismissive. He is no watchdog, no guardian, not even a good writer.

[kidflash]

The MSM's commentaries on this event has been self-serving as well. Tamron Hall, a light-weight newsreader at MSNBC, commented that Obama snapped at the reporter. I didn't hear a snap or see any attitude. In fact, I think Obama's response was very measured considering the circumstances. The reporter was asking him to answer a question that spoke to the substance of the report that is to be released in less than a week. This would of course have been violating the spirit of Mr. Fitzgerald's request. The press has not been criticized harping on this issue - not from any of it's members. That would be too introspective.

[Clavis]

Press: PE Obama, what about Blago?

Obama: I'd rather not talk about it. Now, here's my nominee for EdSec...

Press: But Blago!

Obama: Yes, but our economy is collapsing, and --

Press: BLAGO!

Obama: I'm not actually involved in the Blago thing, you know.

Press: But can you comment on these things you weren't involved in?

Unfuckingb­elievable. Meanwhile, the Bush Administration has committed acts 100x worse than Watergate.­..

[lpeggy]

Milbank makes things up about Obama. Which is why Keith O gave him the boot. I would say Ms. Bull/Bias should give him the boot, but she and her Lou Dobbs panel left-over guests are just as bad. Jeff Toobin is the lone voice of reason.

[cindyfromfalls]

hey media...th­e vp just admitted to allowing, ney encouraging, our government to use torture and this is what you are using your media tools to pursue. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!!!!

[wagthedog1001]

Do you navel-picking members of the press always analyze every freaking question so bloody thoroughly? Do you all pick nits off each other at the end of the day too?

Why not learn about education and report on it rather than this. Good Grief!

[Helzapoppin]

Ironically, if we paid more attention to education issues and had a better educational system in this country, we would have better journalists than that pedantic boob Milbank.

[momof3inGA]

So true. Milbank lost all credibility with me a long time ago.

[greginwva]

Thats why Keith Olberman hunf a foot in his booty and sent over to Wolfy and whats her name the all bull all bias woman.

[bill3801]

Who in the world is Dana Milbank?

[ahande]

He is a tool who did not do his job in the lead up to the Iraq war. If he and other pathetic excuses for journalists had asked probing questions then, maybe the country wouldn't be in the mess it is in now!

[Girl28]

Well, I think it was characteristic of Obama's polite nature to interrupt the guy so that he could stop him from wasting his question. It was much better than my response of choice, "Look, dude is something wrong with you? Did you take your medication this morning? Were you not here yesterday when I said that I can't talk about this bull until after next week? Just, sit down. Next!"

[rosal]

Milbank is just another right wing tool. He thinks the world revolves around him, just another "journalist" among the hundreds. I hope he stops thinking he is special.

[momof3inGA]

I don't think he's right wing -- but he's definitely a TOOL.

[lafrance]

these idiot journalist and pundits cannot fathom why Obama would dare to comply with Fitzgerald over them. Afterall, they think everything is about them.
They don't understand that as an attorney and constitutional law professor, Obama is following a president who scorned the rule of law and who's administration outted a CIA agent for revenge and fun.
Maybe Obama has alot more respect for the law then the press.
But, then, the press has it out for the democrat. Now that we have a democratic president the press has declared open season on him. We, in the blogworld, will be at constant war with the media.
be ready for it. 4 years of the press trying to destroy a president after giving Shrub a free pass.

[Jazzcomedian]

There has long been a disconnect between what the mainstream political media finds important, and what the public finds important. Once it was made clear by Fitzgerald, a Republican prosecutor that PE Obama and his emissaries had done nothing inappropriate or criminal, the case was closed and became an issue for the Illinois legislature and attorney general as to the disposition of this matter. But the media are beating this horse and PE Obama, merely to keep it going. To what end? That is what I don't get.

The salient point of possible wrongdoing by the Obama camp has been dealt with, and I don't blame PE Obama for getting impatient with these redundant questions, as he wants to focus on more important matters. I'll bet you dollars to donuts that when PE Obama releases the details of the contacts between his camp and Blagojevich it'll be comprehensive and clear, because that's the way he does things. It's time for journalists to lift their games and stop creating faux controversies just to fill time in the 24/7 news cycle. They're on the verge alienating the public with this shallow style of reporting, just like the GOP has with it's superficial politics. They don't get that a majority of the public has turned the page on the old style of politics and gotcha political journalism.