Childish Things

Does the press actually exist for a purpose other than the feeding of your massive egos? We get it already…you’re smart, we’re dumb…you are important, we are peons…you know important people, we know the TV schedule by heart…you get invited to lavish parties attended by the Beltway elite, we shop for off-brand Pop Tarts at WalMart. WE GET IT ALREADY.

The jokes were awkward, too.

So now we are down to the “first hours of the Obama Administration” to carp about what they need to do. If only pundits could run the world.

Too soon, Joe!! 48 hours into the Obama administration I can deal with “We’re studying that…”. Ask me again in a month, and I’ll feel differently.
.
If you’re fond of a president saying, “Here’s what we’re doing…” after a day in office…then get thee a “decider”. I hear there’s one available in Texas! (end snark)

Pretty fair criticism all around.
.
For some reason it befalls the peons (again) to point out that the people who are accusing the press of “being in the tank to Obama” are pretty much the same folks who have been proved to be naked, partisan liars, press manipulators and professional propagandists. They barely deserve to be listened to, no less taken onto account in proving one’s journalistic cred. Quite the reverse.

All this stuff takes a “we’re studying it.” God knows how deep and far-reaching the cancer of the Bushies has spread.

But it would help Gibbs’ life and reputation immensely if the next time he appears before the press he could say, “Here is what we’re doing…” rather than “We’re studying that.”
.
I don’t think I’ve seen a clearer articulation of precisely what’s wrong with our political process. There are no pat easy answers. Your insistence that they be provided anyway just guarantees that bad decisionmaking will be encouraged and that the months that will be required to actually turn things around won’t be granted.
.
There are times when “I don’t know” IS the best available anwser to a question. Failure to realize that is pretty much how we got into the current mess in the first place.

1:50: Jake Tapper returns the briefing to Intel: he asks who Obama talked to who disagrees with him on this? GIBBS: “I can certainly look into something like that.” Tapper notes that current CIA director disagrees. What does Obama know that Mike Hayden doesn’t? GIBBS: people have different opinion.
1:51: Ed Henry asks GIBBS how he could possibly claim that America is safer today when nothing is actually done? GIBBS’s answer is a bit opaque. Tautology: he says that the process is beginning. What assurances can Obama give the American people that the detainees won’t be turned loose on the streets? GIBBS: commission, commission, process, commission.

.
Armbinder live blog.
.
The real problem is that Bush has rendered any of these guys who are acutally guilty unconvictable, but the press has been pushing Bush’s fearmongering narrative for so long, they cannot get off the facts that there is no way to know which of these guys are guilty of what, if anything. To keep saying that people who are either entirely innocent, or have served more than enough time and pain for whatever they did or have been so tortured that they cannot be convicted must nonetheless be kept off American streets is just beyond stupid. To state the need to lock up these people for life as a self-evident proposition is to advance Bush’s authoritarian, unAmerican nonsense.
.
For Arbinder to sneer at “process” and “commissions” is another part of the problem. There are four possible categories of prisoner in Guantanamo: wholly innocent, plausibly guilty of a crime for which imprisonment in Gitmo to date is adequate punishment, plausibly guilty of a crime for which time served is not adequate and convictable, plausibly guilty but not convictable.
.
Only the third category will result in a trial. You can’t assign people to the proper categories without a review process by some group of people. It’s quite likely the third set is null–that there is nobody plausibly guilty who can be convicted. The idea that we therefore should change the rules so that those people are nonetheless jailed for life is completely wrong. Yet that is what these people are saying–that expediency (and some bizarre claim of being able to determine guilt that justifies jail for life) means that the rule don’t apply. And that it would be Obama’s thing to ‘splain if they can’t be tried–even though the reasons they can’t be tried are acts by the US Government’s most senior officials were war crimes.
.
Part of this is that fear-mongering is better teevee than exposing exaggerations and lies for what they are. But part of it now is their complicity in creating a situation where there may be a couple of pretty bad guys who have to walk. But they do have to walk if they cannot be convicted. There is no other resolution.

…….If only pundits could run the world.

McCain would be President since he “won” each debate and Obama was too “cerebral”.

The MSM remains clueless about what the public expects from Obama or the timetable that the public has.

All that being said Joe, honestly, have you known another president to move so decisively on all the items he said he would within the first 48 hours. Come on…typical of the MSM of trying to prove themselves, but the fact of the matter, they can’t, we no longer have faith in you. And the way the press corp behaved considering how much has been done in less than 48 hours, just reminds us why we don’t need them.

At least this President can actually study. (Compared with “Proud-To-Be-A-C-Student” Bush)

Excuse me Joe, but this is garbage. Obama said this today along with signing those executive orders:
.
"We are not — as I said in the inauguration — going to continue with a false choice between our safety and our ideals," the president said this morning. He added, "The message we are sending around the world is that the US intends to prosecute the ongoing struggle against violence and terrorism and we are going to do so vigilantly, we are going to do so effectively, and we are going to do so in a manner that is consistent with our values and our ideals … We intend to win this fight, and we intend to win it on our terms."
.
Even though the beltway crowd doesn’t understand it, he is washing the filth of the Bush administration away with stunning speed, and restoring a sense of national respect almost overnight. . . . we are going to do so in a manner that is consistent with our values and our ideals That brought tears to my eyes.

And to add to what wvng posted President Obama just reiterated that point again in his address to the State Department saying unequivically his administration will not torture under ANY circumstances. Get a grip Klein. I am sure you also wanted him to give a strong speech about not wiretapping journalists too huh?
.
lol

Let’s see … he’s announced new ethics rules, will close the Guantanamo prison (I really dislike the cutesy epithet “gitmo”), will reinstate the army field manual, and has been working with Congress on the stimulus package.
-
Seems to me he’s done more in the last two days than Bush accomplished in the past two months.
-
I know Obama has done much of this over the past few weeks – It’s not really Obama’s fault that Bush checked out early. So that means the honeymoon started back in December?

I should add that he also called Israel out (after the standard we stand with Israel diatribe) over their blockade of the borders with Gaza. Wonder if you will be posting about that.

re wiretapping journalists. If the president orders you to do something, you have to do it. I read that somewhere.

YAWN.

== off topic
Iraq’s government will have dramatically less money to spend this year than expected because of plunging oil prices — a dire economic situation that’s already forced the country to slash rebuilding plans by 40 percent – Associated Press, BAGHDAD, Iraq, Jan 22, 2009

.

The story of Sweet conditioned Recidivism:
We gleefully invade the victims ->
we gratuitously kill the victims ->
we wantonly destroy the victim’s lands and civilizations ->
the victims pay OUR cost for their invasion ->
***we wax richer//the victims get poorer ** ->
the victims (MUST pay us to) rebuild THEIR lands that we destroyed —>
***we wax richer//the victims get poorer **
–> a few days pass —>
====> we invade AGAIN, we kill, we destroy, they rebuild –>
***we wax richer//they get poorer ** –>
=====> we invade AGAIN, ….. .. (and so on)

.
When will they ever learn?

.
The story of Recidivism nipped in the bud:
… they invade ->
invaders kill -> invaders destroy ==>
==> invaders are killed ->
invaders pay dearly to rebuild the lands they destroyed –>
invaders pay to be re-educated —>

**LOSS to the invaders ***

===> invaders never want to invade again. STOP. [ Germany, Saddam, Japan]

[Now if the worthless UN and the world had the b*s to force Israel (and the USA) to rebuild Gaza ...]

The difference between the Obama team and the Bush team is that when Obama’s rep says, “We’re studying that,” I believe him. When Bush’s reps said it I always heard “We’re shredding/ignoring/obfuscating that.”

The press spent 8 years sucking up to a nasty, booze-addled turd. Now they want to posture as tough guys. Very weird.
But amusing as hell.

I thought Gibbs did just fine. Wow, Joe,Obama is moving quickly on all fronts and you want an economic slogan for an extremely complex problem. I’ve admired your wisdom compared to your colleagues but jeez, it’s been 48 fricking hours.

The party has just begun. Of course there will be prancing and posturing around. Show your pretty dresses and pettycoats. Fluff that hair just right for the camera. Nothing new here. The cake and drinks always grow stale. Give it time. I may even tune in for some real news someday. Nahhhh, won’t happen.

” True, a lot of this is packaging.”
.
So conditioned we are to “Clean Air” “Mission Accomplished” and “No Child Left Behind” that you are actually asking for more of it.
.
On day two “We are studying the issue” doesn’t sound so bad to me.
But if you need “A Chicken in every pot” for 2009 I’m sure someone can come up with one for you.

“But it would help Gibbs’ life and reputation immensely if the next time he appears before the press he could say, “Here is what we’re doing…”
.
Reputation with whom Joe? The White House Press in that Briefing Room just had 8 full years of 3 different press secretaries lying right to their faces and all the actors including the ones doing the lying knew it was a bunch of lies. The lying started on day 1 in fact with the Clinton’s trashed the White House stories. So the question is why should Gibbs care about his reputation with a bunch of people who don’t give a crap about theirs?

Joe Klein wants to go back to the Bush way of just “shooting from the gut” and providing bullsh!t slogans instead of real ideas and solutions. You would think he would welcome people in that are willing to think through complex problems instead of just throwing crap against the wall until something sticks. But not Joe Klein. Someone get this man a bumper sticker please!

Joke Line is back. It was nice while it lasted.

What you want is a Mission Accomplished banner. Those people just left, I’m afraid you missed your flight.

I was going to be all, “WTF Joe?” but it looks like everyone beat me to it.

During the babbling that passes for analyst, you will often see anchors and pundits turning their arguments on a dime to argue the other side of an issue.

I think a coin flip happens during breaks to determine who argues a particular point of view.

Much of MSM is in the entertainment business, not the fact providing business.

Cliff
.
Wade right in man, the water’s fine!

Well, judging from all the above, I believe the only thing I can add to all this is “Aw, Shut Up, Joe.” Speaking as a “regular American,” I don’t want a freaking soundbite.

“I don’t have to want them in Kansas. Closing Guantanamo Bay doesn’t mean the prisoners come to the heartland of America.”
-Kathleen Sibelius
http://www.kansas.com/news/state/story/655479.html
.
I don’t know why not, I think most jihadis would have lots in common w/ the good folk of the Heartland. I mean pretty much everything except who the messiah was…they hate all the same things.

cinci, the jihadis do recognize the heartland jesus as a prophet. 2 bit prophet like john the baptist, but stiil they will have a basis for conversation in kansas.

Here is the learned opinion of a former Clinton-Era (that’d be Bill Clinton Era) State Department official and Human Rights Advocate, Charles J. Brown:
http://www.undiplomatic.net/2009/01/22/the-new-executive-orders-guantanamo-torture-detainees/

Don’t be hard on Joe; or the new “aggressive-regressive” press corps led by Jake Tapped Out and Ed Henry VI. The Lord created the world in 6 days and took a rest on the 7th. Our Villagers want Obama do it all in 3 days.

These guys are putting on a “we are tough, we expect answers, we will not go away” to compensate for the excessive bootlicking sounds over the past 8 years.

Gibbs did okay at his first presser. He will get better. Meanwhile I think the President has had a busy and fruitful day. There are some sad faces in the Village. Andrea Mitchell is unhappy that the President and VP actually went to State and backed up Hillary. She was desperately looking for signs that Hillary was “taking charge”. But Hillary made it clear that the President set the agenda and she was going to implement it. That upset our Villagers. Hillary was supposed to run her own show in defiance!! The TV Villagers were miffed that they were not allowed to be present and the second oath taking. We are dealing with spoiled children.

You young bloggers are great! You don’t accept the corporate media lacky arrogance as gospel. Keep it up! As you said, it’s been 49 freakin hours. So far he is doing this just right.

Per comments above. This post is not Joe Klein’s best work, and deeply reminiscent of the erstwhile Joke-line’s half-baked ideas. Think harder, Joe. *Then* write better.

.
The WHPC normally acts more professional than this. A lot of those clowns were just showboating. Chuck Todd was visibly stroking his own …ego, The President of the Jake Tapper Fan Club hadn’t bothered with the White House in some time, All those extra TV people were mugging but they won’t stick around long. Helen Thomas, at long last, had her question answered.
.
Gibbs will be fine once the clowns are gone.
.

Just to futher humiliate Joke Line (great one Friar Tuck) who said
.

The executive order on torture needed to be accompanied by a strong, firm statement on the part of the President, making clear that the Army Field Manual is the operating standard now, and that the deviations from that standard in the last Administration were reprehensible.

.
Money quote at 3:08
.
http://crooksandliars.com/media/play/wmv/7166/25430
.
Any interrogations taking place are going to have to abide by the Army Field Manual. We feel that the Army Field Manual reflects the best judgment of our military — that we can abide by a rule that says we don’t torture. But that we can still effectively obtain the intelligence that we need.
.
This is me following through on not just a commitment I made during the campaign, I think, but an understanding that dates to our founding fathers. That we are willing to observe core standards of conduct, not just when it’s easy but when it’s hard

Gee, why wouldn’t Chuck Todd have a big ego?
.
“So I think if Democrats get control of Congress, President Bush’s approval rating will be over 50 percent by the Fourth of July next year. ”
-Chuck Todd, November 3, 2006

Chris Matthews just called for Bush Co to be investigated. WOW.

Plum job:

Faithful viewers of the 10 p.m. “Countdown” re-run will soon have to invest in a DVR. That’s because MSNBC is developing a new show to air against Greta Van Susteren and Anderson Cooper. [Link]

.
I can NOT understand what all the big hoopla is about Chuck Todd. Although I’m sure he’s a nice enough guy, he’s kind of a dumbass, displaying no evidence of critical thinking skills, no charm, no charisma, nothing whatever to warrant his giddy, heavily advertised promotion at NBC. At least the President of the Jake Tapper Fan Club has kind of a charming sense of humor. There’s no reason for NBC to be hurting for on-air talent like that. I wonder who he slept with to get his job?
.
Then again, they promoted Brian Williams….
.

pourme
.
The scuttlebut is that its likely to be Chris Hayes from the Nation who is a frequent guest on Rachel’s show.

sgw – I could practically feel the spittle on my face as Tweety went on about that.

hickoryduck
.
I would LOVE to see Tweety and Scar on at the same time talking about torture. Spittle would be flying so much that both of them would probably end up looking like this

How come the press went after any petty thing w/ Clinton, sucked up to Bush until Katrina, and then are talking about the failed Obama administration after 48 hours?
.
I expect journalists to be tough. I want them to be tough (but fair and honest) with Obama. The cognitive dissonance gets to me. Any reporter who sat next to Jeff Gannon and said nary a word needs to apologize for their sins first, then they can pretend they have integrity again.

Just to futher humiliate Joke Line (great one Friar Tuck)
.
In the interest of full disclosure, I got “Joke Line” from another Swampcritter so long ago that the High Sheriffs barely existed yet and p_lukasiak was risking his life trying to keep commenters from using chainsaws upon one another.
.
If I knew who came up with that priceless coinage, I would be happier than I am now.

There are times when “I don’t know” IS the best available anwser to a question. Failure to realize that is pretty much how we got into the current mess in the first place.
.
Paul Dirks, well said. Unfounded certainty is the enemy of competence.

“I can NOT understand what all the big hoopla is about Chuck Todd. Although I’m sure he’s a nice enough guy, he’s kind of a dumbass, displaying no evidence of critical thinking skills, no charm, no charisma, nothing whatever to warrant his giddy, heavily advertised promotion at NBC. At least the President of the Jake Tapper Fan Club has kind of a charming sense of humor. There’s no reason for NBC to be hurting for on-air talent like that. I wonder who he slept with to get his job?
.
Then again, they promoted Brian Williams….”
.
When you look up “Peter Principle” in the encyclopedia, it’s just a picture of our media elite. See also: David Gregory, John King, etc. etc.

.
I’m with you there, shepherd.
.

Joe, why in the same breath would you slam “the W.H. press corps perpetual, institutional instinct for the capillaries: a whole bunch of time wasted on Obama’s retaking the oath of office; a whole bunch of questions looking for the bottom line on tangled policy issues that won’t be resolved for months” … and then spend the last half of your post griping that he hasn’t answered your questions to the bottom line on tangled policy issues that won’t be resolved for months?

Give me a break Joe!!! Two days into the new administration and you are criticizing Gibbs’ first press conference when the Perrino was profoundly STUPID and, on a regular basis, SAID REALLY STUPID things!! Talk about a “deer in the headlights!”

I was astounded at the questions those brilliant White House press corps were asking him TWO days into the administration!!

Come on…Chuck Todd asking, since Obama retook the Oath, did he have to resign the Executive Orders he signed before retaking it!!! And continuing to press Gibbs on a question that made me seriously question Todd’s competence to be holding this position for MSNBC (and please note I am an avid MSNBC fan)!!! And the other press corps’ questions weren’t any better…some were attempts at “gotcha” about giving a major network an Inauguration Day interview because they paid $2.0 million to sponsor the Neighborhood Ball…I WAS embarrassed for the press corps…they looked like TOTAL arrogant, elite, out-of-touch with really IDIOTS!!!!!

I applauded Gibbs & Obama’s attempt at providing more open, honest & frequent communication than his predecessor ever did!! Whatever Bush and/or his press secretary shared most often had no resemblance to truth or reality!!!

Trust me when I say if you & your cohorts plan to start off this way with this new administration…you will turn us all off & we will totally TUNE YOU OUT!!!!

My advice to those whining bunch of self-absorbed White House press corps is “blow your nose & put on your big boy pants” and grow up!!!

Lots of quibbling in the post. Sure, the press corps dwelled on insigificant facts. Big surprise. Also, Obama said enough on the torture issue.

Doctor Junius prescribes:

For better press conferences:

Take 1 better Press Corps pill

Ingredients: knowledge of the subject, ego-suppression, rejection of partisan sources, transparency as to sources, awareness that journalists are not the news.

You may experience strange side-effects, including but limited to the following:

Dizziness, chills, improved circulation, more respect from the public. You may find yourself passing some strange substances, so do not be alarmed if you find the following in the toilet after your first dose:

Patrick Buchanan, Joe Scarborough, Jake Tapper, Vandehei and Allen, Jonah Goldberg, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh. Purging of the above will enable you to focus more clearly and will lift your spirits. If the first dose is not wholly effective, you should administer another until satisfactory results are achieved.

I am done with NBC News.

Chuck Todd did a live shot on WNBC New York previewing his performance at the presser. It was intended as a teaser for NBC Nightly News, but it was so awful it convinced me to changed the channel, permanently. I’ve seen his produced pieces – they are mediocre at best. They belong at market 150, not on a network. To think the White House beat was once the pinnacle of a career in journalism.
.
Brian Williams is starting to remind me of Ted Baxter. His diarrhea of the mouth sent me to ABC during the inauguration.