What do staged questions say about Obama’s health care plan?
With public and congressional support dwindling for the proposed health care plan, President Obama held a town hall forum in Virginia Wednesday to gain support. It might have had the opposite effect.
According to Fox News, there has been criticism that the questions asked at the forum were staged and asked by individuals who were members of groups that supported his health care plan. The article also cited reporters who said that the forum was an attempt to control the media.
“I’m amazed at you people who call for openness and transparency,” said veteran White House reporter Helen Thomas at a White House press conference.
“And you haven’t heard the questions,” White House spokesman Robert Gibbs shot back.
“It doesn’t matter. It’s the process,” CBS’ Chip Reid argued. “Even if there’s a tough question, it’s a question coming from somebody who was invited or who was screened or the question was screened.”
Here’s a video of the White House press conference from YouTube.
Fox News reported that the White House web site solicited Americans to submit questions for the town hall via social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube with hundreds of entries received.
Do you think it is problematic that questions were posed at the forum even if they were tough questions? Does this attempt to control a public forum and/or the media influence your view of Obama’s health care plan? Has Obama broken your trust?
“A CNN poll reported July 1 says 51 percent of people say they favor the president’s health care plan, with 45 percent opposed.
Here’s a link to the article:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/07/01/health.care.poll/index.html?eref=rss_mostpopular
— Liz Stoever ”
How about linking to a poll that releases the internals? Who was asked and what were they asked? Polls taken over the weekend historically favor democrat positions. Constant Barack Station (CBS) recently had a poll that oversampled dems 2-1 and tries to pass it off as credible. Is CNN any better?
In listening to this two things stand out:
First Gibbs is doing what every press secretary has ever done when confronted with a “hostile” crowd — dancing as fast as he can.
Second, the questioners from the press obviously had their toes trod upon and their perogatives slighted.
Of course the discussion was not about Presidential press conferences, but a scheduled town hall meeting.
No President Obama has not broken my trust, but I expected him to be a politician and Chief Executive, not some Republican shill.
PS:
It is nice to see Acentric revert to her true form, she had been so reasonable lately that I feared that she had been replaced by a more civil pod person.
Go get’em you socialist red baiter you!
Why would anyone be surprised? The questions have to match what’s on the teleprompter or the puppet prez will be without a response.
Weekend polls historically favor Democrats? I’m not saying I doubt it, Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum , but where did you get that information? If that’s true, I’d be interested to know why. . .
Remember, planted questions are good for Sarah Palin, but bad for Barack Obama. It’s “gotcha journalism” if you ask Saint Sarah a tough question.
I, for one, am appalled! Appalled, I say! I’m certain this has never happened before.
Change you can believe in? I have read all the previous blogs and see the pointing Bush did it, Palin did it, so why are you complaining that Mr. Change is doing it? I was promised by the CURRENT President that we would be able to read every bill and it would be posted for 5 days. Now, Mr. Transparency is pushing bills through Congress before they can even read the bill. How stupid would I be if I signed a blank check or a contract without reading it yet Congress has been passing bills for this Administration with out reading them. Change I can believe in - About that!
So, let’s see RH…Obama promised no tax increase for those making under $250,000..yet Cap and Trade will do just that. He is willing to keep the VAT on the table in addition to taxing health care benefits…yet you were told over and over and over..that he wouldn’t raise taxes on the “middle class”. He said he would have transparency in government..however his stimulus package was passed in 3 days without anyone reading the bill..including the public…that he promised would have a chance to review it. He has appointed tax cheats, backed down on terrorist detentions and has had hands off any foreign entanglements like Iran and N. Korea (although he is strongly against the Honduran coup)…and he still has your trust???
RH, you typically have fairly reasoned comments and I sure don’t think you’re stupid…but trusting a President who has lied to you (and the American public) seems to be less than intelligent.
I saw that Obama hugged a planted audience member who has cancer..and was a DNC operative…ugh. What a phony.
Wow, was that for real? I haven’t stop chuckling. For the first time in my life, I have to give a “Gold” star to Helen Thomas!