Obama's iron fisted control of the press

Liberal Washington Post Columnist Dana Milbank says "Obama's disregard for media reaches new heights." Why does the media keep so quite about this? The second story below discusses the claim that the White House tells the White House Correspondents' Association who is allowed to attend the association's annual dinner.

Reporters, even those on the White House beat for two decades, said these were the most restricted such meetings they had ever seen. They complained to both the administration and White House Correspondents' Association, which will discuss the matter Thursday with White House press secretary Robert Gibbs.

The restrictions have become a common practice for the Obama White House. When Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu came to the White House a couple of weeks ago, reporters were kept away. Soon after that, Obama signed an executive order on abortion, again without any coverage.

Over the weekend, Obama broke with years of protocol and slipped off to a soccer game without the "protective" pool that is always in the vicinity of the president in case the unthinkable occurs. Obama joked about it later to Pakistan's prime minister, saying reporters "were very upset."

In "bilateral" meetings with foreign leaders, presidents usually take questions, or at least trade statements. But at most of Obama's, there were only written "readouts." Canada: "The president and the prime minister noted the enduring strength of our bilateral partnership." India: "The two leaders vowed to continue to strengthen the robust relationship between the people of their countries." Pakistan: "President Obama began by noting that he is very fond of Pakistan."

Finally, away from other leaders, Obama took reporters' questions for 20 minutes. They were tough and skeptical questions that punctured the banal readouts: pointing out that the nonproliferation agreements weren't binding, noting China's equivocation on sanctions against Iran, and pressing Obama on the failure to curb North Korea's weapons. . . .

The Obama administration intercedes to prevent the WND from getting a table at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner.

"This year, in anticipation of the event, which will take place on May 1, 2010, WND tendered $6,750 USD for three tables. However, the WHCA cashed only one of the checks, number 13662, for one table. ... The amount of the check is $2,250.00 USD. Accordingly, WHCA accepted WND's offer to buy at least one table for the event."

The complaint explains WND also was "led to believe" it would get the two additional tables for which it submitted payment, and "WND invited guests ... for three tables."

"On information and belief, after the WHCA accepted WND's order for one table for the event, the Obama administration and White House intervened and put pressure on the WHCA to reneg on even this commitment. As a result, and in an insulting manner, WND was then informed that it would only get three seats at the event, and not even its own table," the complaint continues. . . .