Obama's idea of press freedom

Barack Obama signed the Press Freedom Act and then refused to take questions from the press. The President's actions typify the paradox the nation finds itself in with a leader at the helm in possession of a unique definition of "freedom."

Signing the Press Freedom Act and then denying the press the right to ask questions was Obama's nonverbal proclamation that freedom, though existent, is nonetheless limited. Thus "freedom of press" is trumped by presidential dictates and controls.

The law supposedly expands "the State Department's annual human rights reports to include a description of press freedoms in each country." Those freedoms, of course, do not include clarification of a newly signed bill by an American president who feels justified denying the press rights by refusing to answer impromptu questions.

Apparently Obama gets "angry and frustrated" being pressed for information. Barack prefers to orchestrate the venue with controlled pre-planned responses. A White House press corps asking extemporaneous, unrehearsed questions, even about free press, international human rights or an oil spill may be liberating for media types, but isn't a "freedom of press" ceremony really more about Obama?

As the President's popularity diminishes "prime-time" White House news conferences have all but ceased. Members of the media have been put on an austere diet of sound bites and restricted statements and even Obama's angry diatribes are forced to go unaddressed.

Yet CBS News' chief White House correspondent Chip Reid, after the Press Freedom Act was freshly signed, must have been feeling like an emancipated pressman because Chip boldly asked the President if, "he still has confidence in BP?"

Having a high opinion of the press, Barack Obama "ignored the question."

Undeterred Reid then said, "In the interest of press freedom, would you take a couple of questions on BP?"

Chip Reid was attempting to follow up on Obama's recent Rose Garden tirade where the President angrily reprimanded BP, Transocean and Halliburton, but failed to allot time for the press to ask questions.

According to Reid, the "will you take a couple of questions," question "did elicit a smile" from Obama, which may have actually been a sneer. The President responded by telling the CBS correspondent he, "was free to ask questions." Sort of like a parent telling a child, "Chip my boy, you're free to think anything you want, but bottom line, you'll do what I say."

Another perceptive voice in the crowd yelled out to the President, "Will you answer them?" To which Obama responded that he was "not holding a press conference today."

Summary: Free press doesn't necessarily mean the press has freedom other than that which is granted by Barack Obama.

And so the White House press corps, a few minutes after being defined by the President as "free," were "wrangled" like a herd of buffalo and promptly "escorted out the door."

This is where Obummer gets his crap:

BunkoArtist Obummer is attempting to emulate his home town of Jakarta:

"Indonesian press must expand freedom of expression A | A | A | The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 03/12/2010 5:55 PM | National A | A | A |

Journalists gathered to discuss the book on press freedom by American author Lee Bollinger at Hotel Aryaduta, Central Jakarta, Friday, urged Indonesia’s media people to continue their battle against the ongoing attacks and constraints against freedom of expression in the country.

Endy Bayuni, chief editor of The Jakarta Post, who was speaking at the gathering, cited a reference to the 1948 Universal Declarations of Human Rights, which specifically advocates freedom of expression, in Bollinger’s book titled “Uninhibited, Robust and Wide-Open”.

He urged local journalists to push to expand the freedom of the press despite the ongoing abuses against the media in Indonesia.

“The number of violations against the rights of journalists is increasing every year,” Ezki Suyanto of the Alliance of Independent Journalists, said. She pointed out the February 2009 murder of a journalist from Radar Bali, AA Narendra Prabangsa, who was writing news on corruption involving a government official.

According to Ezki Suyanto current regulations run counter to the country’s constitution that advocates freedom of expression and the right to obtain and distribute information. She cited the Information and Electronic Transaction and Anti-Pornography Law as examples.

“Indonesian journalists are now facing more regulations than even those that existed in the colonial domination era back in 1910-1930,” Andreas Harsono of Pantau Foundation said during the discussion. (not)"

source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/03/12/indonesian-press-must-expand-freedom-expression.html

Real Press Freedom is in the 1st Amendment. But I guess a President who’s a ‘constitutional scholar’ may not have known that.

Yes indeed.

Apparently, the only way the presstitutes can operate is if they get to ask Obama some softball question, record his lies, and then write some flowery "Obama's the greatest" wrap around words, before printing those lies as factual.

These presstitutes are the great "Watergate" investigation wannabees?

Pitiful bunch of leftists, they are.

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