Press Corps Demands To Know If Obama's Still Smoking

There was no shortage of news on Sunday, with an uprising in Iran approaching new levels of violence, nuclear brinkmanship in North Korea, and crisis in health care reform.

One of the most frequent questions asked at the daily press briefing at the White House, however, was a bit more personal: Was President Obama still smoking cigarettes?

Earlier in the day, the president had signed an anti-smoking bill that gave the Food and Drug Administration more authority to regulate cigarette sales and advertising. And in the process, the president referenced his own struggles as a smoker -- which he said he gave up during the presidential campaign.

"Each day, 1,000 young people under the age of 18 become new, regular, daily smokers, and almost 90 percent of all smokers began at or before their 18th birthday," said the president. "I know. I was one of these teenagers. And so I know how difficult it can be to break this habit when it's been with you for a long time."

Hours later, in between a host of questions on weighty international and domestic topics, the press flexed its curiosity. Four separate times, Press Secretary Robert Gibs was asked whether Obama was still smoking or, by extension, why he wasn't more autobiographical in his remarks.

From the White House transcript come the following exchanges:

Q: And just quickly, could you be more clear than you have been about whether the President does still occasionally continue smoking?

MR. GIBBS: I haven't probed any deeper than the statements that I've given you all in the past several days, that, as he has told me, it's something that he continues to struggle with as somebody -- like millions of Americans have.

Q : Robert, just to follow up on Jennifer's question on smoking, why haven't you probed the President on his smoking habits?

MR. GIBBS: Just hasn't crossed my mind.

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Q: I mean, it just seems to me like today it would have been a good explanation point at the end to say, you know, I had this habit and I kicked the habit --

MR. GIBBS: Well, Dan --

Q: -- if in fact that's what he's done.

MR. GIBBS: I think that anybody that -- I'm not a smoker, I don't -- it's probably just one vice I don't have. I think the President has on any number of occasions discussed the struggle that -- the vice of smoking, what's that done to him and that he struggles with it every day. I don't honestly see the need to get a whole lot more specific than the fact that it's a continuing struggle.

Q: If I could ask one more thing on smoking. During the campaign, the President -- then-senator at the time -- and Mrs. Obama went on "60 Minutes" and used his smoking as part of his biography, as part of his sort of campaign narrative, if you will. He has used his biography in many ways. Why not use this as an opportunity, if he has or if he hasn't quit smoking, to discuss this with the American people or even offer a warning to young children about smoking?

MR. GIBBS: Well, again, I think he was fairly forward today in discussing the fact that this is, as I've said throughout the last couple of weeks, something that he continues to struggle with.

Q: No, he used about eight words in his speech, though, as opposed to saying something that --

MR. GIBBS: I don't know what the appropriate word count would have been in order to check the box. And, again, I think the President spoke about this in personal terms, regardless of the word count.

Q: Is it something that still aggravates him, when he's asked about this?

MR. GIBBS: Maybe I should give you that opportunity to ask tomorrow. (Laughter.)

Q: I did ask him, and he turned away -- walked away.

MR. GIBBS: Well, go figure.

Q: I'd just like to follow up on cigarettes. When you say he still struggles, does that mean he still smokes sometimes? Is that what that means?

MR. GIBBS: I'm not going to parse the President's words on this today.

Q: So those were not how he describes it?

MR. GIBBS: How did he say it today?

Q: He said, in the past, he had been one of the teenagers who had been -- or the current -- I just wanted to understand the --

MR. GIBBS: Again, I think I said last week -- I'd have to go back and look at my exact statement -- but I got from him that obviously this is a struggle that he continues to have.

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Comments

[Shedhair]

Some advice for my smoking friends. You have to understand that the people who are so obsessed with your smoking really are operating from a place of mental illness. One sure sign is that they are in complete denial about the cause of their disdain and contempt for your smoking. They usually present themselves in a sneering sort of anger or disgust with your smoking. Some seem to take a sadistic sort of glee that you are paying huge taxes for your smokes. Some will seem to take some form of sick consolation that you will die, someday, thinking you saved them some money. Once you understand that they are mentally ill, you can move on to responding to them in a healthy way as opposed to just giving the finger.

You can be sure that this is the way that they operate in the world generally. Some wind up spending their whole lives doing useless studies, or becoming " health" addicts. Can you imagine the " second hand" effect this type of obsessive mentality has on their coworkers, family and friends? Surely this type of sickness of grandiosity has long term social and health effects on the people around them.
We need studies to see what the long term effects on our economic system this disease has.
So if you meet some on the street, offer to get them some help. It's the humane thing to do.

[wsblake]

"....but it still doesn't expplain why the press obsseses with Obama's smoking..."

Why does the press obsess about all the non-issues that they harp on? Because 80 percent of the press is controlled by five giant corporations that have their own selfish ,greedy agendas- none of which contain the welfare of the average American citizen in mind. If the press was so worried about respiratory illnesses why don't they dwell on air quality? Jogging in downtown LA is equivalent to smoking a pack of cigarettes a day but do they ever mention that? I don't think the guy down the street smoking a cigar is giving me lung problems but our deplorably neglected air and water quality caused by car fumes and industrial pollution certainly may be.

[funandgames]

Funny. The US is really short on real journalists that's for sure.

BTW, why weren't they concerned about the last president's drinking and drugging problems? No questions were asked of him, ever. I would think smoking cigs is not as important. Smoking doesn't alter your behavior or thinking process -booze and pills and drugs do.

[azcamp]

Are we to believe that the press corps is made up of competent journalists?

[NODRAMAME]

I have to say I think Mr. Gibbs handled it very well where as I would have become very agitated and down right rude by the 3rd time.
It all seems assinine to me this insessant probing about the President's cigarette smoking. I suppose they wanted him to be more forceful and less timid in his statements and denounce the tobacco company and let the world know that America stands with those who are trying to quit !

[Zoe1]

I don't think it is anyone's business whether or not Obama smokes cigs. I'm more concerned about how well he's running the country. I do agree that it's a struggle to quit smoking. I did it 3 years ago and it was a struggle, but I made did it. Obama will quit when he's ready to quit. We don't need to nag him about it.

[raketaka]

Well said!!!!

[pissedmichael]

I agree. The so called 'press corp' needs to get back to reporting real news. They're acting like this is a real story. Look around! For crying out loud! Can't you people see this is a non-story? Especially in light of everything else going on around the world and right here. You should be ashamed of yourselves. It appears you lack the imagination and initiative to pursue real news, preferring instead to let the news come to you, whether really worthy of our attention or not. Get off your butts and do your job.

[itsjustanillusion]

The President and his representatives need to tell the press to mind their G@d Damn business!!!

[kricka]

Who the eff cares?!! Geez. After watching CNN fail at covering Iran with any historical perspective or depth, and reading the ridiculous, inane battering about Obama's smoking, I am just fed up with the MSM nonsense!!! What was one of the lead stories on the Today show this morning? Yup, Jon & freakin'Kate... Blerg.

[MzTexas]

Who cares? Did these folks go after Bush's drinking? GWB ADMITTED to drinking "non-alcoholic" beer and was photographed drinking it in Germany. There is no such thing as "non-alcoholic" beer. All beer has a small percentage of alcohol in it, what Bush was drinking was "low alcohol" beer . . . his drink of choice was Texas Select malt beverage. Anyone who knows anything about alcoholics will tell you that an alcoholic can't drink these "non-alcoholic" beverages. Many non-treated alcoholics will drink them and tell you they're drinking them because they "like the taste." That's bull . . . they are getting their alcohol fix.

Anybody concerned with Obama's smoking should have been much more concerned about Mr. Bush's drinking.

[jayburd]

How come the press never needled Bush about drinking or drug use? How come they never asked Ari Fleischer, “when was the last time you saw the president hose a rail? Does he ever talk about it? Does he ever get a jones for an 8-ball?”

[graceland9]

"Mr. President, do you still smoke?"

"What brand of mustard do you use?"

"What is Bo doing today?"

(See, I can be a reporter too.)

[graceland9]

Oh, I can answer that one. Yes he's still smoking - still smoking HOT that is!!!!!!

[WBBeachBum]

Smoke cigars, man. Or get one of those cool cig holders like FDR. It's all about style. Cigs are no longer fashionable.

[M4dwoman]

"Just hasn't crossed my mind". and "Well, go figure"
Pretty much sums up the importance of this line of inane questioning.
How much do these people get paid? These people are acting like middle schoolers who want to delay a test.

[HarkaDahl]

I love tobacco. The aroma, the relaxation, the lovely feeling after a big meal, the look of a pool table with a smokey mist under the lights, the utter deliciousness of mixing it with an evenings partying and drinking. Best of all mixing tobacco with pot. MMMMMM.