Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Robert Gibbs Asked Poignant Question by Jake Tapper about FOX News (will update as more video becomes available)



(NRO) Tapper Grills Gibbs on Fox News [Guy Benson]

Cheers to ABC's Jake Tapper for making White House spokesman Robert Gibbs squirm over the administration's pathetic decision to treat Fox as if it's not a "real" news organization. Here's the transcript from today's press briefing:

Tapper: It’s escaped none of our notice that the White House has decided in the last few weeks to declare one of our sister organizations “not a news organization” and to tell the rest of us not to treat them like a news organization. Can you explain why it’s appropriate for the White House to decide that a news organization is not one –

(Crosstalk)

Gibbs: Jake, we render, we render an opinion based on some of their coverage and the fairness that, the fairness of that coverage.

Tapper: But that’s a pretty sweeping declaration that they are “not a news organization.” How are they any different from, say –

Gibbs: ABC -

Tapper: ABC. MSNBC. Univision. I mean how are they any different?

Gibbs: You and I should watch sometime around 9 o’clock tonight. Or 5 o’clock this afternoon.

Tapper: I’m not talking about their opinion programming or issues you have with certain reports. I’m talking about saying thousands of individuals who work for a media organization, do not work for a “news organization” — why is that appropriate for the White House to say?

Gibbs: That’s our opinion.

How very persuasive, Mr. Gibbs.