Obama Snubs New York Times, Breaks Pre-Inauguration Tradition

Although New York Times columnists David Brooks and Bill Kristol sat down with Barack Obama last night, the paper's White House team still hasn't had the opportunity to do so since Election Day.

Unlike recent White House occupants--such as George W. Bush and Bill Clinton--Obama has yet to provide The Times with the sort of free-wheeling, pre-Inauguration interview the paper's come to expect. And there's little expectation it will happen before Tuesday.

"We would certainly like it to happen," said Times political editor Dick Stevenson, "but the days are running short at this point."

Stevenson said that although The Times has put in multiple requests to the Obama team, and "pointed out the historical precedent for this," they've had no luck securing a sit-down.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[Tulka2]

Everybody wants a piece of Obama. He could sell his fingernail clippings. Leave him alone for half a minute. I want him thinking about America and her problems.

Btw....? and this is a wild segue, but could we please bury, "Homeland". Let's say "America" like every generation before us. Homeland is just way too much like "Fatherland" and that Nazi gibberish. America is a "her" btw. (Sing "God bless America").

[pashn8npa]

I agree on a name change, never did like "Homeland" creepy if you ask me nazi like

[aweissnet]

Absolutely. That regime really modeled itself after the Nazis, in so many ways.

And while we're at it, I've got a laundry list of stuff I'd like them to stop saying, for the same reason. Gives me shivers.

Of course, we may know why our soon-to-be-ex-prez modeled himself after that group. His grandpappy might have instilled some favorable bias there ...

[AngieMom57]

"It’s true that Obama’s held more transition period press conferences—as many as five in one week—than his predecessors. But that’s little consolation for the bruised egos of those atop the political reporting food chain."

[dagnome27]

Change comes to a LOT of different things, including the NY Times.

[AddyGmom]

O and Joe and numnuts Graham are on TV. Nice to hear intelligent discourse.

[unite4change]

I think Obama should continue to take his message directly to the American people. America doesn't need our corporate tabloid media to create a story out of anything Obama may or may not say. We're sick of it. Countless news story are going untold because our media is about heresay and pontification by pundits reading from a script.

[huffposeur]

what's 'heresay?' is that what you say here?

[Tulka2]

Amen. But they have all these guys on contract, doncha know?

[Anastasia]

Since every President in living memory has sat down with the Times for an interview, this is mystifying. He has nothing to gain and a lot to lose.

[trinidadgirl]

Depends on if you think the NY Times is it! A lot to lose? The irrelevant Bill Kristol st al?
I think not!

[odan]

So punish the press because they were not as favorable to him as he would have liked? How very chavez of him.

[VPN]

I don't blame him one bit for snubbing Kristol and his ilk.

[Knowitall]

I take it you're 18 years old?? The article clearly states that the "tradition" started with William Clinton. If that's the case, your "living memory" dates back to 1992. Not much of a tradition. And, what does the NYT have to ask Obama that hasn't already been covered. Maybe it's because I'm in the Washington area, but Obama's picture is on nearly every publication on the stand. I can't imagine what else we need to know about this man, before he's even inaugurated.

[Jacqueline3]

I'd snub them too!

[Freenation]

All USA mass media should be given a pass...Oba­ma should give interview to media which actually reports 'truth'

[odan]

you mean THE TRUTH or your THRUTH?

[Freenation]

I mean "Real News' and not 'Tabloid' news...Doe­s this drive the point to you...

[pfrogger]

I agree 100%
but then he would not be giving interviews to anyone because all the "news" is this opinion-based drivel and fact-lite
and the Times has bought into this news model (ex. Kristol)

[hollybork]

He is giving weekly press conferences. Isn't that enough? The guy is a little busy.

[TheGuide]

Thank you.

[tbone99]

Maybe they can get Judith Miller or her facsimile to concoct some quotes out of thin air.

[Americanium]

lol..Damn.­.I love it. The NYT that tried its best to derail Obama's election with neatly planted misinformation is seeking special status.

Hell no..Pay is a .....

[nikky]

HE DIDN'T NEED AN EXCUSE THEY HAE NOT REALLY BEEN KIND TO HIM

[K-Dog76]

nikky,

goes to show how little you read the NYT:
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE49N0FP20081024

[odan]

yes, and he's the Pres. because they have not been as favorable to him as he likes does not give him the right to shut out the media. I thought he was a new kind of politician.

[trinidadgirl]

Try watching his addresses. Live and direct...n­o one person's perceptions, inuendo or spin.

[buckbuck11]

The Times is very snubworthy, as is Fox News. Critical reporting can still be fair. The NYT has abandoned its principles of fairness *cough Judith Miller cough* long ago. Fox News,of course, never HAD any principles of fairness. I say, good for PE Obama.

[Telemachus]

They haven't been this offended since 1912, when the captain of the Titanic refused to chat with them by telegraph while the ship was going down ... apparently he made some lame excuse about being "too busy" loading lifeboats.

[DavidRives]

If anybody read any of Jodi Kantor's pieces on Obama, pre-election, whence she cut him a new a**hole with every word she wrote, they'd know EXACTLY why Obama is snubbing the Times (and I'm sure you can google those articles, to see exactly what I'm talking about!)

[huffposeur]

'whence' means 'from where.' it is not a fancy way of saying 'when.' sometimes people use words to make them sound smart and it does just the opposite