White House Press Briefing Live Blog

[bijou]

By Ken Shepherd (Bio | Archive)
January 23, 2009 - 13:20 ET 

Obama press secretary Robert Gibbs is conducting his second-ever press conference right now. Below you'll find my live-blogging of the questions. I can't promise verbatim rendering of the questions, but should the Obama administration post a full transcript later on, I'll link to that as well. [see related post]

I'm watching the video via MSNBC.

13:20 ET:  Unid'd female reporter: This morning this event with the bipartisan leaders that the president had... but will there come a point when the president, and democratic leaders in the congress decide to have a vote whether Republicans like it or not?

13:21 ET, same reporter asks follow-up question on bipartisan cooperation

13:22 ET, male reporter asks about economic stimulus plans

13:25:  What kind of reassurances can you give on the economic package. And on Pakistan, did the president consult with the Pakistan government on the strike.

Gibbs replies that he won't address the airstrikes or other military operations.

13:25, Major Garrett, Fox News Channel: You will never speak of any military operation taken by the United States?

Gibbs replies he won't discuss those airstrikes at today's briefing

13:27, Chip Reid, NBC News: Does [Obama] need to twist Democratic arms to take bipartisan support for an economic package seriously?

13:28:, Reid: Is he applying pressure on them [Democrats] to get them into the fold?

13:29, Jake Tapper, ABC News:  Not one Republican voted for the stimulus. Many economists say there are many elements that aren't stimulative... Does President Obama think that wehat passed on Wednesday was bipartisan and was stimulative?

13:31, Major Garrett, FNC: Does this administration call the war on terror the war on terror? If not, why? Garrett asks question about stimulus package, and president's appraisal of a CBO analysis of the package.

13:34, Garrett notes economist that says monetary policy, not direct govt. spending, has lifted economy out of recession. Garrett asks what he's found that makes this recession any different, where govt. spending could turn the tide.

13:35, Chuck Todd, NBC News Political director: Do you rule out another stimulus package?

13:36, Todd: What is it about not confirming if the president was consulted about the Pakistan air strikes

Gibbs: I'm not going to get into these matters

Garrett and Todd press Gibbs, Gibbs refuses to answer.
...

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/ken-shepherd/2009/01/23/white-house-press-briefing-live-blog

Looks like Obama's promises were transparent nonsense.