[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/06/25/obama.press.conference.getty.art.jpg caption="President Barack Obama speaks during a news conference in the James S. Brady Briefing Room at the White House June 23, 2009 in Washington, DC."]
It is unusual for a town hall meeting to be held in the White House, but President Obama knows how to use the media. But that doesn’t mean the media is allowing itself to be used, although as Republican Congressman Lamar Smith puts it, “Right now I think they (voters) are not getting the facts and therefore it’s hard to make good decisions, and therefore our democracy is threatened.”
But in the world of broadcast journalism, last night ABC New’s “Questions for the President: Prescription for America” was a “coup” and a political football. The Republican National Committee went on the offense and ran an ad saying, "Today a national network turns its airwaves over to President pitch for government run healthcare.
A not-so-veiled attempt, some say, to paint not only President Obama's healthcare plan as "socialist" but make the media a willing partner. Independent analyst and Daily Beast columnist, John Avlon says, “I think what you have is the newest incarnation of the oldest story that so many of us are sick of, which is partisan talking points clouding all common sense.”
Fair criticism or not, some say the President is fueling the fire by playing favorites. Before holding a press conference Tuesday, the White House gave Nico Pitney from The Huffington Post a heads-up the President was going to "call on him."
President Obama: “Nico, I know that you, and all across the Internet, we've been seeing a lot of reports coming directly out of Iran. Do you have a question?"
In short – that's unusual. And it didn't sit well with some journalists.
Dana Milbank, who writes the sketch column for the Washington Post says, “Either a news conference with the President is an unscripted event or it isn’t. The question is when people tune into see the President in a news conference do they have any confidence that they’re in fact watching a news conference or is this some sort of a pre-produced television program?”
Nico Pitney, the national editor for the Huffington Post claims the question wasn’t scripted. Pitney IS well known for blogging tirelessly with protestors inside Iran. He says the White House knows that and called to inform him the President would call on him. Critics, he adds, are just miffed because the scripting of the press conference didn’t go according to tradition.
“President Obama, for whatever reason chose to do a different order, but everyone recognizes that the White House gets to decide how these press conferences go,” Pitney says.
Maybe. But, conservatives are already citing "the Pitney thing" as another example of the "Obama-controlled media." Although critics say it's important to remember this: Every president has favorites. President Bush certainly did. In 2008, Bret Baier the former chief White House correspondent for FOX News Channel hosted a one hour special on President Bush including exclusive behind the scenes interviews with the president aboard Air Force One, inside the Oval Office and at the Bush residence in Crawford, Texas.
One additional note: Robert Gibbs , the White House press secretary, told us the White House did not tell Nico Pitney what question to ask he came up with it on his own.
And ABC? Well, if you watched the Town Hall meeting last night we'll let you draw your own conclusions.