Fuck the PRESS POOL!!! Maybe Obama needs to change the rules!

[KansasVoter]

Until this week I didn't even know the press pool had to go everywhere the president went and needed notice before he did stuff.

What a stupid tradition.

If Obama is meeting with the head of other countries or doing official business then notify the press pool and let them come along.

But if Obama is doing personal stuff that does not impact this country then the press pool has no business needing notice that obama is doing anything. If they show up then great, if not then tough luck.

Just because it has always worked that way does not mean it is correct or needs to stay that way!

We wanted change, telling the press pool that things are changing sounds great to me!

[GarbagemanLB]

1. The problem is there would be an all-too-powerful impulse to call political meetings 'personal'

to keep things secret.

Obama knew what he was signing up for when he decided to run. It sucks, but that's his life now and will be for the next 8 (hopefully) years.

[KansasVoter]

2. I disagree!!! If he is taking the kids somewhere then the press does not need notification!!!

[GarbagemanLB]

4. It is a job he volunteered for. That job requires sacrifices. Privacy is one.

I agree that the press should keep its distance when he is with the children, but they should be notified of where he is going.

[KansasVoter]

6. Why? Because it has always been that way?? Makes no sense to me!

[Ikonoklast]

9. No. He did not 'volunteer' to have his children under a media microscope.

He still has a personal, private life to live outside the scrutiny of the media, and the media has no claim on that privacy. Let them bitch and moan all they want.

This is a recent creation justified by the vultures to feed the TV monster. I want news what Barack Obama the President does, not Barack Obama the father and husband. Not any of my business, nor should it be yours.

I felt the same way about the Bush daughters. No one ever voted for them to be anything, but they were pilloried here and elsewhere for doing things that many here did at that age, or worse.

[GarbagemanLB]

13. What the kids do is none of the media's business. What the President does is.

[Ikonoklast]

16. What the President does with his family is none of my concern.

The press is just trying to feed the monster, at the expense of the Obama family. They will try to bully him until he lets them have their way.

The snide remarks printed about it by the press are warning shots of things to come if they can't get their way.


I say that he can set the limits for the press any way he chooses, as far as his personal family life is concerned.

Period.

[elleng]

5. No need to lie;

call 'Time Off' day, or 1/2 day, and let everyone go on with their business/non-business.

[DevonRex]

3. I agree. If he's taking his daughters out for a fun day, the press

doesn't always have to be there. Those girls deserve some normal time with their dad. And Barack deserves some normal time with his girls.

I was a daddy's girl and I know there is nothing more special than that relationship. The press needs to back off and stop whining.

[elleng]

7. AND the press shoudn't mischaracterize what they perceive as

his reactions as 'whining,' or other pejoratives.

[DevonRex]

14. Yep. They do that a lot. But they're the ones who are whining and bristling.

Luckily everyone knows that they're being petty. What father wouldn't want some time with his kids without the media always in the way? They seriously need to back off every now and then, especially during this time before he takes office.

[dkf]

8. Did Jimmy Carter have to put up with this?

I can't imagine JFK did.

How far back did this 24/7 Press thing go?

[azmouse]

10. I think this all started when the press missed filming JFK's assassination.

They don't want to miss any potential 'big' news now. Sad, isn't it?

[peaches2003]

11. Pure B.S. What about Bush?

Bush was allowed all the private activities he wanted. Crawford- Bush hid behind acres and acres of trash land where he couldn't be seen and only released photo ops he wanted released. Biking- he went almost everyday to the Maryland mountains where he rode his bicycle for hours. Ever seen any pictures or criticism of why he took ao much time out of his day? Of course not.

For God's sake- Obama isn't even President yet and he is on a private vacation. Leave him alone when he is with his family, esp as the girls are so young.

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. He's the president elect

Of course the press is going to follow him everywhere. We just spent 8 years watching the press protect the moron in the WH. And you want LESS press coverage?? No way.

[fed_up_mother]

15. I think the Obamas are going to discover that they love Camp David

Lots of gorgeous outdoor space for the kids to play and be with their parents.

[KansasVoter]

17. I agree!

[Clio the Leo]

18. I think he's well aware they can be used for evil AND good...

.... it does us all good to see an attractive, healthy, young President and his equally attractive family doing normal family things. He knew full well the press would follow him on that shopping excursion and I think he took advantage of it. Maybe to throw them a bone so they'd give the family some space, who knows.

It's obviously a think tight rope you have to walk, but the man isn't stupid. We've seen him shew the press away before. This time we have LOTS of pics of he Malia Sasha and their friends eating shaved ice. When it comes to the press, Barack does NOTHING that's not deliberate.

[Clio the Leo]

19. And on a lighter note....

.... the President of the United States of America (yeah, I know, I know, one guy at a time, whatever B) wears his cap flipped back .... friends, I think we have finally reached the Promised Land. :)





If he ventures out tomorrow wearing a Kango I will KNOW this is all a dream.

[baldguy]

20. Everything the President does is political.

[ruggerson]

21. strongly disagree

We shouldn't "change the rules" because a Democrat has been elected. Let the fourth estate do their job, as inefficiently as they sometimes do. Obama knew full well what he was getting into (as do all who run for President) and this is something he chose to do.

[Beacool]

22. Well, cry me a river!!!!!!!!!!

Obama wanted to be president? Well, that's what you get. Every president in modern history has had to live with the press corp nipping at his heels, Obama is no exception.

:shrug: