American Morning
President playing favorites?
[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.
South Carolina governor admits extramarital affair
Update, 2:44 p.m.
(CNN) - South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, just back from a secret trip to Argentina unknown to his staff or his wife, admitted Wednesday he has carried on an extramarital affair.
"I've been unfaithful to my wife," Sanford told a news conference in Columbia, the state capital. "I developed a relationship with what started as a dear, dear friend from Argentina." His voice choking at times, Sanford apologized to his wife and four sons, his staff and supporters, and said he would resign immediately as head of the Republican Governors Association.
The affair was discovered five months ago, Sanford said.
Gibbs defends Obama's stance on Iran
The president's response to Iran and his fight for health care reform... Two topics that will be front-and-center today at President Obama's first Rose Garden news conference.
Kiran Chetry got a sneak-preview from White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs on CNN's "American Morning."
More Peace Corps? Obama and the Truth-o-meter
Is President Obama keeping his campaign promise to double the size of the Peace Corps?
That's just one of the statements we ran through the Truth-o-Meter with Bill Adair, founder and editor of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Politifact.com.
President Obama too hands off on Iran?
President Obama is taking a lot of heat from Republicans and conservatives for not being more critical of the Iranian government as protesters face violence from security forces in Tehran.
Citing sources in the administration, the New York Times reports Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would like him to take a stronger stand.
Ron Paul: 'Socialized medicine' will not work
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/06/15/ron.paul.healthcare.cnn.art.jpg caption="Rep. Ron Paul says 'socialized medicine' will not solve the nation's high health care costs."]
President Obama heads to Chicago today, but he will not be greeted by a hometown crowd. Instead, he'll be trying to sell his plan for a public, government-sponsored health insurance plan to the American Medical Association. Skeptical doctors who don't like what they see in his health care reforms are going to be in the audience.
Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) has a unique perspective on the issue. He is a member of the House of Representatives, but also a doctor. He spoke to Kiran Chetry on CNN’s “American Morning” Monday.
Kiran Chetry: The American Medical Association does have some serious concerns about a government-sponsored, public health care program. You share some of those same concerns. In a nutshell, what troubles you the most?
Ron Paul: Well, I don't like socialized medicine. We've had corporate medicine now for about 30 years, which is managed medicine by the government and it's been a total disaster. And it didn't do much more than push the cost up. And it didn't work. So now we only have one other choice, it seems, and that is going towards total government medicine. I would like to see that medicine be delivered in the marketplace like other goods and services. There's no reason we can't do this. Everybody complains about one thing. The cost of medicine is too high. And it is. But they never talk about exactly why.
There's an inflation factor involved too. We create inflation, but it goes into certain areas of the economy more so than others. The more the government is involved in an industry or a service, the higher the prices go. So in education, cost goes up way beyond the cost of living and the cost of medicine goes way up. So you can't solve the problem of medical care by…ignoring this. Now, Obama says, what we're going to do is we're going to tremendously increase the services and we're going to cut all of the payments to the doctors and the hospitals. Where is he coming from? This can't possibly work.
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