When Helen Thomas starts calling out the administration on their attempts to control the media, even the most dyed-in-the-wool Obama supporter should at least arch an eyebrow. One of John McCain's better campaign ideas was to open the president (personally) up to weekly grilling sessions before the House, ala Great Britain's parliament. How to disapprove?
The president should be taken to task for his policies, and should not be allowed to hand pick the most sympathetic of questioners, and the easiest of questions. It should be articulate representatives from the Cato institute and Heritage foundation that should be grilling Robert Gibbs at press conferences, not fawning co-conspirators like Michael Goldfarb. Answering the the toughest questions the loyal opposition has to offer-- in a regular public forum--will keep any administration honest.
To anticipate a few objections: It doesn’t matter how biased Fox news is, and whatever ways the Bush White House attempted to manipulate the media is irrelevant to this conversation. Just because the last guy played fast and loose with civil liberties doesn’t mean we give our guy a pass to do the same.
I did feel a little uncomfortable about the reporter from the Huffington Post getting a heads up from the administration,but what made me feel a little more comfortable, was that it was not an easy sofeball question. And I love Helen Thomas.
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