The Press Wakes Up, Is It Too Late?
(Washington Post Photo)
Dana Milbank has a great article in today's Washington Post about how the mainstream media reporters came out of their stupor today to grill Barack Obama -- on NAFTA, on Rezko, on whether he will lose the Jewish vote and on his record. (Transcript is here.)
It took many months and the mockery of "Saturday Night Live" to make it happen, but the lumbering beast that is the press corps finally roused itself from its slumber Monday and greeted Barack Obama with a menacing growl.
The day before primaries in Ohio and Texas that could effectively seal the Democratic presidential nomination for him, a smiling Obama strode out to a news conference at a veterans facility here. But the grin was quickly replaced by the surprised look of a man bitten by his own dog.
Obama was clearly flustered. [More...]
Obama responded with the classic phrases of a politician in trouble. "That was the information that I had at the time. . . . Those charges are completely unrelated to me. . . . I have said that that was a mistake. . . . The fact pattern remains unchanged."
When those failed, Obama tried another approach. "We're running late," the candidate said, and then he disappeared behind a curtain.
And how classic is this: he tried to blame the tough questions on the Clintons:
Before he beat his hasty retreat, however, Obama found time to assign blame for the tough questions suddenly coming his way. "The Clinton campaign has been true to its word in employing a 'kitchen sink' strategy," he protested. "There are, what, three or four things a day?"
Spoken like a man who had just been hit on the head with a heavy piece of porcelain.
And when have you read an account about Obama like this?
For 40 slow minutes, Obama delivered his policy prescriptions and answered questions from the veterans.... And the great orator found himself proclaiming that "it makes sense to have transferability."
Whatever. Reporters, at tables in the back of the room, answered e-mails and read newspapers. Obama, by making no news in his speech, had left them plenty of time to plot their ambush -- executed minutes later to the obvious surprise of the candidate.
After a particularly rough batch of questions from Chicago reporters that sounded much like those Hillary has been asking, Obama had had enough.
An aide called out "last question," and Obama made his move for the exit -- only for reporters to shout after him in protest. "C'mon, guys," he pleaded. "I just answered, like, eight questions."
The questioning, however, has only just begun.
What a disgrace that it took the media so long. If Hillary should end up out of the race by next week, which I doubt, they'll be jumping on Obama and propping up McCain. I'll be having none of it.
More video here.
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