Published May 26, 2010 | FOXNews.com
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs has been keeping pesky reporters at bay as the Obama administration faces mounting pressure over controversies ranging from the BP oil spill to the allegation that the White House offered a congressman a job to drop out of a race against a key ally.
As some media outlets and pundits typically allied with the Obama administration seem to take a tougher tone toward the White House, Gibbs is telegraphing the message that on certain issues, they shouldn't ask and on others, he won't tell.
The tension may be reaching new heights. CBS correspondent Chip Reid revealed on air Friday that White House officials called reporters into the West Wing on Friday to scold them for asking too many questions about the Gulf of Mexico spill. One report identified Gibbs as the one doing the scolding.
The dressing-down came after the press secretary faced a barrage of questions about why the administration wasn't doing more to ensure the leak is plugged and mitigate the environmental damage to the coastline. The White House for weeks has battled the narrative that it has not responded forcefully enough to the spill, entrusting too much to the expertise of BP, and at Friday's briefing Gibbs repeatedly swiped at reporters who pressed that button.
The press secretary also shut down questions a day earlier about Rep. Joe Sestak's claim that the Obama administration offered him a job in exchange for dropping out of the Senate Democratic primary race against Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter. Sestak, who did not take the alleged offer, won that race last week but has not been willing to elaborate on his allegation in media interviews.
Gibbs and other officials haven't shed any light on the subject either.
"I don't have anything to add to what I said in March," Gibbs said Thursday when the topic was broached.
When it was pointed out that Gibbs did not provide any substantive information in March - other than to say the issue was "not problematic" - Gibbs again said he didn't "have anything to add."
The press secretary repeated that line five more times before cutting off reporters.
Of course its never his fault.
ReplyDeleteDo as I say, not as I do!