Thursday, April 30, 2009

Jeff Zeleny Is Not a Serious Reporter,
He's a Silly Goose

With emphasis on the word silly. I'm catching up on Obama's presser last night and, like a lot of people, was dumbstruck by the words that came out of the mouth of New York Times reporter Jeff Zeleny.
During these first 100 days, what has surprised you the most about this office? Enchanted you the most from serving in this office? Humbled you the most? And troubled you the most?
Say, What!? I like Barack Obama more than most people do but I still expect White House reporters to ask tough, probing questions. That wasn't a softball question; that was a fracking cottonball, lightly scented, sent the President's way with a soft puff.

I like that Obama punished Zeleny by mockingly making him repeat his question piece by airy piece. It showed me that Obama expects more from the reporters covering him, too. That bit was better than the actual answer, which was standard pablum, the stuff any competent politician can recite in his sleep.

I kinda wish Obama had answered Zeleny the way Tommy Christopher suggests:
Enchanted? Um, I guess I’d have to say it’s the glass slippers the Secret Service puts on me every morning. Of course, they’re bulletproof glass, so that’s the troubling part.

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