Obama Avoids Press Questions

http://www.futureofcapitalism.com/2012/08/obama-avoids-press-questions

Keith Koffler of the White House Dossier has an article reporting that "President Obama has not taken a serious question from the White House press corps in nearly seven weeks." When you get into it it turns out that the president did do an interview with Charlie Rose on July 12, for which CBS's White House producers probably helped craft some questions, and the president also did some local television interviews. What made me chuckle was a question that Mr. Koffler's article gives as an example of those that the president is not answering:

Q. Mr. President, can you tell us, if what the Colorado shooter did was entirely legal, how do you do more on this subject without any new laws?

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. I'm sure we'll have more opportunity to talk about this.

Q. This afternoon is fine. I'm available.

THE PRESIDENT: Thanks. I'll ask Jay for your number. (Laughter.)

Obviously, what the Colorado shooter reportedly did was not "entirely legal." He's been charged with 24 counts of first-degree murder and 116 counts of attempted murder, and he faces the death penalty. If that's the level of questioning Mr. Obama can expect, one can almost understand him ducking. A better president might be able to answer that with a light touch of humor without sounding callous, but that's not easy (I'm not sure I even managed it just now here, alas.) But the idea that Mr. Obama is depriving everyone of important information by declining to answer these sorts of questions is an idea probably more common among the White House press corps than among the public in general.

by Editor  |  Aug 6, 2012 at 11:08 am Related Topics:  President Obama, Press receive the latest by email: subscribe to the free futureofcapitalism.com mailing list