Gibbs compares reporter to his bratty kid
One can only imagine the kind of feigned outrage the left would be expressing had one of President Bush’s press secretaries treated a black, female reporter this way.
While being grilled by April Ryan of American Urban Radio Networks about whether Social Secretary Desiree Rogers had invited herself to President Obama’s first state dinner, Gibbs rudely patronized her, saying:
April, April, calm down. Just take a deep breath for one second. Now see? I do this with my son and that’s what happens.
The press let out a “oooooh” and Ryan said, “I am older than your son,” and later “Don’t play with me.”
Gibbs may have felt the question was out-of-line, but that’s really not for him to decide — especially since this White House has no problem using the pop-culture appeal of the Obama’s and some of their staff to its advantage.
It’s one thing to treat a question as ridiculous (how some of long for the days of the Donald Rumsfeld pressers), but it’s quite another to treat the questioner as ridiculous. It’s a not-so-fine line that Gibbs has yet to learn to walk.
Sources:
The White House, Dec. 2, 2009
Briefing by White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, 12/2/09
Mediaite, Dec. 3, 2009
Robert Gibbs To Reporter: “Take A Deep Breath” And “Calm Down”
The Hollywood Gossip, Dec. 4, 2009
