Thread: Helen Thomas Chip Reid Challenge Obama 'Controlled Town Hall

Helen Thomas and Chip Reid Challenge Obama Admin. On 'Controlled' Town Hall Meeting

Thursday, July 2, 2009 9:30 AM

By: Kenneth D. Williams

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs and the Obama administration found the press corps slightly less friendly than they are used to yesterday, when CBS's Chip Reid asked why the questions for Wednesday’s town hall on healthcare were being selected beforehand.

Gibbs tried to dodge the issue, and asked for it to be asked after the town hall meeting in question, but then Helen Thomas became involved, saying, “We have never had that in the White House. I’m amazed that you people … call for openness and transparency.â€

This is an instance where Karl Rove is WRONG!

The question and asnwer meetings are not suppose to be run like a Puppet show.
He's NOT suppose to know the questions first.
He's afraid of saying the wrong thing that we know is really the right thing.

He just does it to keep the wool over the eyes of the stupid.
It works too.

Karl Rove opined on Fox News this morning that, to some extent, Gibbs had a point in saying that, since people are free to ask whatever questions they want, the president should be allowed to answer whichever questions he wants.

No Karl, the President is a public servant whether you like it or not. He/She's activities that in any way shape or form that are of any consequence to the US citizens are to be open and not censored. The President does not have the right to keep information from us except during a time when national security is AT RISK only. Otherwise, any questions should be posed to him/her at any time, any place..and it's the President's duty to answer fully and honestly to the best of his/her ability. The people don't answer to the President, the President answers to the people. This censoring of any news conference with the White House has got to stop.