White House Press Corps Ask Same Swine Flu Question Seven Times (VIDEO)

A little over a week ago, Air America's Ana Marie Cox presented the Washington Post with a modest proposal: why not get rid of the White House Press Corps? According to Cox, the White House press room was "where news goes to die" and whose denizens break a lot of non-essential stories while waiting to be fed their daily allowance of Robert Gibbs.

But the thing that Cox left out of her account of life inside the press room is that those reporters, when they get the scent of a non-story in their nostrils, they pursue it with a maniacal zeal. And they won't just sit there and take "No" for an answer. In fact, they won't even sit there and take an answer for an answer. They'll just keep asking the same question, over and over again, occasionally changing the words to make it sound like a different inquiry. Because they're geniuses.

Just watch this video of your press corps in action! The backstory: President Barack Obama went to Mexico. He met a guy in Mexico. That guy, sad to say, died. Now Mexico is in the middle of a swine flu outbreak. OMGZ DOES TEH PRESIDENT HAZ PORKULUS INFLUENZA? Ice cold, this logic. That's why they ask Robert Gibbs the same question seven times. Obviously, they should have waterboarded Gibbs.

This is my favorite part:

REPORTER: I mean, it's a serious question! THIS MAN possibly DIED of swine flu!

GIBBS: We don't know that.

REPORTER: We don't know! But we're hearing reports that it's possible. And that he possibly had contact with Obama!

Intrepid!

[WATCH.]

Here are some "facts": "President Obama's health "was never in danger" despite his trip to Mexico on April 16 and 17, when the swine flu outbreak was beginning in that country, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters on Monday.

During the visit, Obama spent time with a national museum director who ended up dying a few days later, reportedly after experiencing some flu-like symptoms. The White House released a statement on Monday afternoon confirming that the man, Felipe Solis Olguin, did not have swine flu. Gibbs also noted that the incubation period for swine flu is one to two days and the President's visit to Mexico happened more than a week ago."

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Comments

[showmestategal]

Thank you Robert Gibbs with your patience with these Press Corps. talking heads!
This is not the days of being able to scoop other news corps--must of the them look like FOOLS!
The Hypothetical Questions are enough to make me want to scream at all of them--DON'T WE HAVE ENOUGH REAL ISSUES & PROBLEMS WITHOUT THIS BS!
It is a Hypocrisy of Real Journalism to even have to listen to them......­.....
Why can't you just ask them to submit their questions & you will get back to them--then with use of a teleprompter give them one answer for each repetitive question--We Listen why can't they!

[johnie2xs]

I was amazed at the self control of Robert Gibbs. I was literally screaming at the TV as I watched this exercise in stupidity. Do these people have no ability to step back and monitor what they sound like?
What little pearl of "Hidden" skulduggery did they hope to unearth? Total disregard for the Presidents health?

This is probably the most protected President in American History. What were they looking for? Is there such a dearth of subject matter, that this line of questioning is even relevant?

To quote Ricky Ricardo; Aye, Yi, Yi, Yi, Yi.

[LiberalBuzz]

I happened to catch that when it was broadcast live and the reporters were total morons. They just wouldn't let go. Talk about the definition of insanity. They kept doing the same thing over and over and proved themselves to be totally insane.

I was embarrassed for the press that wasn't there that was probably putting their hands on their foreheads groaning. WHY do these people make the rest of us look so stupic.

[chibbles]

The White House Press Corps is now practicing tabloid journalism. Sensationalize it and play it over and over again.

[Weirdwriter]

The White House should insist that all credentialed news reporters wishing to participate in the daily news briefing should go through a lottery system. If they get the chance to ask questions at one briefing, they have to sit out the next three.

Maybe they'll then figure out not to waste everyone's time.

[neil1017]

How long before Glen Beck and the others at FOX try to make this a murder conspiracy??

[Unlearn]

Gibbs, "His health was never in danger." This is supposed to be taken as FACT?? Why, because Gibbs said so? A man Obama shook hands with is now dead, possibly of this swine flu (H1N1). But the White House confirmed it was not swine flu. I can tell you one thing, whether or not the results indicated swine flu, the public will NEVER know. There will be no investigation, this matter is done.

[mediamarv]

Teh purpose of teh WH Press corps is to give each reporter a chance to be shown on his/her network newscast later that night. That is the only reason they are there. If they don't get to ask a question or if their question is not answered, no screen time.
This is all about egos. Not journalism or anything remotely like it.
If I were Gibbs I would come in with a digital recorder/player, push the play button which contains the points the administration wants to get out to the Public, and leave. The typists can then get their statement for the day, which is supposedly why they are there, comment among themselves and return to their respective studios to add their voice overs or stand ups to the segment.
No need for Gibbs, no need for foolish questions repeated over and over, and most importantly no face time on the screen for non-stories.

Cox was right. Get rid of them.

[nabrum]

Ana Maria Cox was correct. Dump the WH Press Corps. Let them get real jobs.
What a bunch of dufus's

[gallimaufry03]

The bigger picture, of course, is that this is a great example of just how far "journalism" has sunk in this country after 8 years on a steady diet of pap mixed no information at all.

Does anyone remember good journalism? Can anyone picture Murrow in that room? Or Cronkite? (Am I dating myself?)

[Manx]

They didn't ask Gibbs to clarify Obama's nebulous intentions about prosecuting torture perpetrators.

Where do they get these dunderheads in the press corp? I'm so sick of hearing about swine flu, I think I'm going to be sick.

[cinesimon]

Actually I think most of us are pretty clear now.
We wait and see - there's obviously some investigation going on.
No point in being impatient if it;'s going to be done right, and the Prez seems very aware about how most of us feel.

WH press corps are getting rather ridiculous though.
And Gibbs handled the eighth reply rather well I thought!

[mjtaylor22]

this si what our reporting has fallen too, they want a tabloid answer for their headlines that is all, same question 8 times, what a waste fo their payroll

[MochasMom]

I feel sorry for Robert Gibbs sometimes. But he always handles things well, even when he's frustrated.

[MsMicki]

So, true. I knew he would do well in this role though, based on his position as then Senator Obama's Communication's Director. When he handed Sean Hannity his hat, I knew he was the right one!

[jind]

They need to clear out that room. Let Roberts Gibbs make a statement and rotate in and out 2-3 reporters every few days to ask questions. Otherwise, Mr. Gibbs is wasting valuable time I'm sure he doesn't have.

[BriHolt]

AHHH!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!! SWINE FLU WILL KILL US ALL:

http://newsish.com/v/swineflu

I'm super serial.