Morning Bell: Obama’s Choreographed Town Hall

Gerrit Lansing / July 02, 2009

Yesterday, President Obama held a town hall event in order to “sell his health care message to the public” during Congress’s July 4th recess. However, worried that the President cannot answer tough questions about his plan for health care reform, White House officials carefully screened each member of the audience in attendance and each question asked.

This time, the mainstream media took note, even grilling White House spokesperson Robert Gibbs on the choreographed spectacle.  In fact, veteran White House correspondent Helen Thomas, not known as a conservative sympathizer, even lamented: “I’m not saying there has never been managed news before, but this is carried to fare-thee-well–for the town halls, for the press conferences. It’s blatant. They don’t give a d–n if you know it or not. They ought to be hanging their heads in shame.” She added: “What the h-ll do they think we are, puppets?” (more…)