Obama flashes irritation in press room

[headhuntersix]

President Obama made a surprise visit to the White House press corps Thursday night, but got agitated when he was faced with a substantive question.

Asked how he could reconcile a strict ban on lobbyists in his administration with a Deputy Defense Secretary nominee who lobbied for Raytheon, Obama interrupted with a knowing smile on his face.

"Ahh, see," he said, "I came down here to visit. See this is what happens. I can't end up visiting with you guys and shaking hands if I'm going to get grilled every time I come down here."

Pressed further by the Politico reporter about his Pentagon nominee, William J. Lynn III, Obama turned more serious, putting his hand on the reporter's shoulder and staring him in the eye.

"Alright, come on" he said, with obvious irritation in his voice. "We will be having a press conference at which time you can feel free to [ask] questions. Right now, I just wanted to say hello and introduce myself to you guys - that's all I was trying to do."

The president was quickly saved by a cameraman in the room who called out: “I’d like to say it one more time: ‘Mr. President.’ ”

Obama spent about 10 minutes total, winding his way through a crush of reporters and photographers between the upper and lower floors of the journalists' workspace and asking questions about who worked where and how the booths and desks were assigned.

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Reporters had little warning about the impromptu visit by the new president, and those who were in the downstairs portion of the press quarters only came to the briefing room after an unexpected and cryptic announcement on the internal intercom that they do so.

"This is worse than the Middle East," he joked, alluding to the territorial claims staked on the cramped corridor. "Who's sitting where and all that stuff."

He revealed that he had already gotten in two work outs since being sworn in Tuesday.

"Turns out I have a little gym up there," he said with a smile.

Obama said he had watched press secretary Robert Gibbs debut briefing "in anticipation of some flop sweat. ... I just want to thank you for not completely ripping up Gibbs," Obama said.

"I am very proud of him today. He got a fist bump from me."

[headhuntersix]

Sorry Barry its game on everyday...24hrs a day..no more fist pumping, no more BS speeches...ur the boss. His people failed him on this one. I would not have advised him to do what he did, but even so I would have made damm sure he understood that regardless of the media fawning during the campaign, the media is not ur friend. This is more their failure then his.

[shootfighter1]

I'm fine with him checking the media like that...but thats the media, he's not going to get the same easy treatment he did throughout the election cycle.  Wake up call.

[LurkerNoMore]

Obama put the media in it's place and let them know he wasn't going to tolerate impatient bullshit like that. 

[headhuntersix]

Um, thats their fucking job. The Honeymoon is over...its big boy rules now. I guess u had no problem when they did it to Bush huh?

[LurkerNoMore]

No, their job is to ask questions when they are allotted the opportunity. 

Trying to get an early jump start on a sound bite prior to that when the man came down just to say hello out of politeness was just impatience on their part.

Obama let them know what their boundaries were.

You are so lucky to have such a firm no nonsense leader like Obama for a boss.  Big boy rules.... yes indeed.  Obama is the big boy.  He makes the rules.  Just as he did when he set them straight.

[shootfighter1]

I agree, its their job, but the press can be so annoying.  There's a time and place for hard questions.

[Bindare_Dundat]

No, their job is to ask questions when they are allotted the opportunity. 

Trying to get an early jump start on a sound bite prior to that when the man came down just to say hello out of politeness was just impatience on their part.

Obama let them know what their boundaries were.

You are so lucky to have such a firm no nonsense leader like Obama for a boss.  Big boy rules.... yes indeed.  Obama is the big boy.  He makes the rules.  Just as he did when he set them straight.

 

[headhuntersix]

No, their job is to ask questions when they are allotted the opportunity. 

Trying to get an early jump start on a sound bite prior to that when the man came down just to say hello out of politeness was just impatience on their part.

Obama let them know what their boundaries were.

You are so lucky to have such a firm no nonsense leader like Obama for a boss.  Big boy rules.... yes indeed.  Obama is the big boy.  He makes the rules.  Just as he did when he set them straight.

Um..NOOOO...again ur wrong. He had to know that he could be asked questions at anytime. I don't imagine u've ever sat down and done an interview with a reporter. They were doing their job....and Obama was not prepared, no telepromter no shiny happy speech. They did their job and he got pissy.

[LurkerNoMore]

No one said they were not doing their jobs.  They were doing their jobs at the wrong time when he was attempting to have a casual moment with them.

He didn't need to be prepared.  He was firm and to the point that they were going to wait.  End of story. 

[headhuntersix]

He always has to be prepared. He 's always on....there are no more casual moments.

[240 is Back]

crappy job vetting the dude.  i haven't seen vetting done this poorly since a backwoods governor named...

[Dos Equis]

Uh oh.  Bad sign.  Second day on the job and he's irritated by a question?  What's he going to do when the media infatuation wears thin?  Pretty poor temperament. 

[240 is Back]

Uh oh.  Bad sign.  Second day on the job and he's irritated by a question?  What's he going to do when the media infatuation wears thin?  Pretty poor temperament. 

that other guy mccain seemed to calm and composed.  We should have elected him.

[LurkerNoMore]

that other guy mccain seemed to calm and composed.  We should have elected him.

You mean we didn't?  How could McCain have possibly lost to a skinny black muslim, with no natural citizenship and with terrorist ties and no experience?

[240 is Back]

You mean we didn't?  How could McCain have possibly lost to a skinny black muslim, with no natural citizenship and with terrorist ties and no experience?

if palin had lost her voice after doing her RNC speech, Mccain would have won

[Grape Ape]

You mean we didn't?  How could McCain have possibly lost to a skinny black muslim, with no natural citizenship and with terrorist ties and no experience?

You're skirting the issue.  He has to on 24-7 from this point forward.  If Bush did this, you wouldn't be able to avoid the video.

He'll need the media more than they'll need him.

[LurkerNoMore]

No, Bush would have bumblefucked up, made up 5 new non English words to explain something but lost his train of thought in mid-sentence.

Obama simply let them know there was a time and place for their questions and right then, it was neither.

[240 is Back]

obama says 'uhh' a lot as he composes sentences which look good in print.

Bush tended to speak quickly and say nonsensical things.

[Option D]

[Mark Kerr]

No, their job is to ask questions when they are allotted the opportunity. 

Trying to get an early jump start on a sound bite prior to that when the man came down just to say hello out of politeness was just impatience on their part.

Obama let them know what their boundaries were.

You are so lucky to have such a firm no nonsense leader like Obama for a boss.  Big boy rules.... yes indeed.  Obama is the big boy.  He makes the rules.  Just as he did when he set them straight.

No.

We the people put him office and we the people would like to know why he endorses lobbyist.

This government is corrupt at its core.

[Bindare_Dundat]

   

[Option D]

 

[headhuntersix]

No, Bush would have bumblefucked up, made up 5 new non English words to explain something but lost his train of thought in mid-sentence.

Obama simply let them know there was a time and place for their questions and right then, it was neither.

Bush is in Texas...Obama is in the White House not answering simple questions based on campaign promises he's not living up to.

[24KT]

No.

We the people put him office and we the people would like to know why he endorses lobbyist.

This government is corrupt at its core.

The government is barely 48 hrs old and you claim it to be "corrupt at it's core"

I think you're over reaching just a wee little bit don't you?