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 A Bill To His Desk As Quickly As Possible - White House Press Briefing by Robert Gibbs 1/6/10 — Wednesday, January 06, 2010 — MR. GIBBS:Chip. Q Following up on Dan's question, during the campaign the President on numerous occasions said words to the effect of -- quoting one -- "all of this will be done on C-SPAN in front of the public." Do you agree that the President is breaking an explicit campaign promise? MR. GIBBS: Chip, we covered this yesterday and I would refer you to yesterday's transcript. Q But today is today and -- MR. GIBBS: And the answer that I would give today is similar to the one -- Q But there was an intervening meeting in which it's been reported that the President pressed the leaders in Congress to take the fast-track approach, to skip the conference committee. Did he do that? MR. GIBBS: The President wants to get a bill to his desk as quickly as possible. Q In spite of the fact that he promised to do this on C-SPAN? MR. GIBBS: I would refer you to what we talked about in this room yesterday. Q But the President in this meeting yesterday -- MR. GIBBS: And I addressed that -- Q -- pressed for something that's in direct violation of a promise he made during the campaign. MR. GIBBS: And I addressed that yesterday. Mike. Q Well, does the President think it would be more helpful if this process were more transparent, that the American people could see -- MR. GIBBS: Mike, how many stories do you think NBC has done on this? Q Speaking for myself -- MR. GIBBS: Just a guess. Q That's not the issue. The issue is whether he broke an explicit campaign promise. MR. GIBBS: So the answer is -- Q I deal with the information that -- MR. GIBBS: So the answer is hundreds, is that correct? Q Right, but that's got nothing to do with it. I deal with the information, however much or little of it, there is. I'm saying would people benefit by having more information? MR. GIBBS: Have you lacked information in those hundred stories? Do you think you've reported stuff that was inaccurate based on the lack of information? Q Democrats ran against the very sort of process that is being employed in this health care -- MR. GIBBS: We had this discussion yesterday. I answered this yesterday. Is there anything -- Q But the President met with members of Congress in the meantime -- MR. GIBBS: And he'll do so today. Q -- and pressed them to -- MR. GIBBS: Do you have another question? Q -- short-circuit the process. C-SPAN | Health Care | Open Government | President Obama | Press Briefing | Robert Gibbs | White House Press Corps Labels: C-SPAN, Health Care, Open Government, President Obama, Press Briefing, Robert Gibbs, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 4:03:00 PM  Why Can't You Answer The C-SPAN Question - White House Press Briefing by Robert Gibbs 1/5/10  Q A question on health care. C-SPAN television is requesting leaders in Congress to open up the debate to their cameras, and I know this is something that the President talked about on the campaign trail. Is this something that he supports, will be pushing for?MR. GIBBS: I have not seen that letter. I know the President is going to begin some discussions later today on health care in order to try to iron out the differences that remain between the House and the Senate bill and try to get something hopefully to his desk quite quickly. [...] Q Okay, just lastly, why can't you answer the C-SPAN question -- MR. GIBBS: I did. Q Well, you didn't, because you said -- MR. GIBBS: I said I hadn't seen the letter, which I haven't -- Q Why do you need to see a letter? I mean, this is something the President said during the campaign and he talked about he wants everything open on C-SPAN -- MR. GIBBS: Dan asked me about the letter and I haven't read the letter. Q Well, I'll just ask you about having it on C-SPAN -- MR. GIBBS: I answered Dan's question and I answered this before we left for the break, Keith. The President's number-one priority is getting the differences worked out, getting a bill to the House and the Senate. We've filled your newspaper and many others with the back-and-forth and the details of what's in these bills. I don't want to keep that from continuing to happen. I don't think there's anybody that would say that we haven't had a thorough, robust, now spanning two calendar years' debate on health care. Q There are a lot of reasons not to do it on C-SPAN -- people could showboat. Does he regret making that statement during the campaign? MR. GIBBS: No. C-SPAN | Health Care | Open Government | President Obama | Press Briefing | Robert Gibbs | White House Press Corps Labels: C-SPAN, Health Care, Open Government, President Obama, Press Briefing, Robert Gibbs, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 1:31:00 PM Bounce Backs - White House Press Briefing by Robert Gibbs 8/13/09 — Thursday, August 13, 2009 —  Q Robert, a couple things on public option. It wasn't listed in the e-mail that David Axelrod sent out today where he was defining principal goals for health care reform. By my reading of it, I didn't see any mention of a public option as a mechanism of achieving what you just outlined. Was that an oversight or is this -- are there other --MR. GIBBS: I'd have to go back and reread the e-mail. Q Are there other priorities that take a higher precedent -- MR. GIBBS: Well, again -- Q -- for the President than a public option? MR. GIBBS: Let me be clear -- I thought I was a minute ago, but I'll take another whack at it -- this is an option that provides choice and competition in an otherwise narrow or closed insurance market. That's the President's goal, is to ensure that if you didn't get your health insurance through your employer, you didn't have those type of options, that you would have something that might compete with the only game in town. That's -- I think that's in David's e-mail, choice and competition. Q Speaking of the e-mail, how was the list for who would receive it determined? MR. GIBBS: I believe it's for people that have signed up to receive e-mail updates from the White House. Q The reason I ask is I have received e-mails from people who did not, in any way, shape, or form, seek any communication from the White House, who have never registered on OFA, who have never registered on a campaign Web site -- MR. GIBBS: Well, hold on, let's -- Q Let me finish my question, let me finish my question. MR. GIBBS: No, no, no, but let's be clear, because -- Q Let me finish my question. MR. GIBBS: No, no, no, but let's be clear before you -- I'm going to give you a chance to finish your question. You've done this a couple of times, Major, and I just want to be very clear, okay. OFA -- no, no, no, no, don't look funny. OFA, whether Obama for America or Organizing for America has nothing to do with, never has had anything to do with what -- if you sign up for, through whitehouse.gov, to receive e-mails, so let's just -- the reason I interrupted you is because I want you to rephrase your question that doesn't continue to assume that -- Q Well, all I'm trying to get at is -- MR. GIBBS: -- somebody is violating the law and mixing up political -- Q -- I receive e-mails from people who have never, ever signed up for anything related to this White House, Senator Obama as a candidate, Senator Obama as anything, and have received e-mails from David Axelrod. How could that be? MR. GIBBS: I'd have to look at who you said got the e-mail. Q I mean, do you seek other pieces of information identifying who might be curious about health care outside of people who have asked for e-mails? MR. GIBBS: I'm sorry, say that again. Q Do you in any way seek databases or information about people who might be interested in health care? MR. GIBBS: I will certainly check. I will certainly check. I am not under that impression. But again -- Q I mean, folks have emailed me -- I just want to know -- would like to know how they get an e-mail from the White House when they have never asked for one. MR. GIBBS: I'd be interested to see who you got that e-mail from and whether or not they're on the list. I don't -- Q May I follow up politely on one of Major Garrett's -- MR. GIBBS: Well, let me -- let me finish needling Major. Q -- this row, please. MR. GIBBS: Again, I just want to be -- but I just want to be very -- Q So what you're telling me is I need to give you these people's e-mails so you can check them on a list? I'm just asking. MR. GIBBS: Well, you're asking me if they're on a list. Q No, they're telling me -- MR. GIBBS: If you can figure out a different way of checking without asking me to double-check the name, I'm happy to -- Q Perhaps I'm not phrasing this correctly. They're telling me they're not -- they can't be on a list because they never asked for an e-mail from the White House. MR. GIBBS: Right, but what I'm saying is I don't -- I'd have to look and see -- Q So there's no -- you don't have an explanation for how someone who never signed up and never asked for anything from the White House would get an e-mail from David Axelrod? MR. GIBBS: Well, I hesitate to give you an answer, because you might impugn the motives of the answer. Q Why would you say that? MR. GIBBS: Because of the way you phrased your follow-up. I'd have to look at what you got, Major. I don't -- I appreciate the fact that I have omnipotent clarity as to what you've received in your e-mail box today. Q You don't have to have omnipotent clarity. You don't have to impugn anything. I'm telling you what I got -- e-mails from people who said they never asked anything from the White House -- MR. GIBBS: And I'm simply saying -- Q -- and yet they received something. MR. GIBBS: We can -- let me go to someplace else that might be constructive. David Axelrod | Health Care | Obama Administration | Open Government | Press Briefing | White House Press Office Labels: David Axelrod, Health Care, Obama Administration, Open Government, Press Briefing, Robert Gibbs, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 10:44:00 PM Hello, McFly! - White House Press Briefing by Robert Gibbs 8/6/09 — Friday, August 07, 2009 —  Q Do you know how many e-mails have been sent to the flag at whitehouse.gov address? And, secondly, isn't the White House required by law to save all correspondence it receives, so will it be informing individuals whose e-mails have been forwarded that they might want to have a chance to correct the historical record about the alleged fishiness of their e-mails?MR. GIBBS: I, for the life of me, didn't understand your question. Q Is the White House required to save the e-mails? MR. GIBBS: Obviously, the National Archives documents correspondence with the White House. Q So the people whose e-mails have been forwarded, they won't be informed that their e-mails are being forwarded to the government? MR. GIBBS: Maybe I'm missing something. I'm sure you're hashing some nefarious plot, but I, for the life of me, can't understand it. Health Care | Obama Administration | Open Government | Press Briefing | Robert Gibbs | White House Press Corps Labels: Health Care, Obama Administration, Open Government, Press Briefing, Robert Gibbs, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 2:34:00 PM Wipe Away All The Dark Clouds - White House Press Briefing by Robert Gibbs 7/13/09 — Monday, July 13, 2009 —  MR. GIBBS: Lester.Q Thank you very much. Just two questions. MR. GIBBS: It was probably only one when I passed over you the first time. (Laughter.) Q Six or seven. MR. GIBBS: All right, all right, easy on the first two rows. Les, you can't sit in the second row and complain about all the questions in the second row. You got to go like way back and -- I'm kidding, go ahead. Q I appreciate it. While you and the President were overseas on July the 7th, there was on the Internet a copy of a letter on White House letterhead dated January the 24th, 2009, with the signature "Barack Obama," which stated "The place of my birth was Honolulu's Kapi'olani Medical Center." And my question is, can you verify this letter? Or if not, would you tell us which Hawaiian hospital he was born in, since Kapi'olani, which used to publicize this, now refuses to confirm? MR. GIBBS: Goodness gracious. I'm going to be, like, in year four describing where it is the President was born. I don't have the letter at my fingertips, obviously, and I don't know the name of the exact hospital. Q Can you check on this? MR. GIBBS: I will seek to interview whoever brought the President into this world. But can we just -- I want to do this once and for all, Lester. Let's just do this once and for all. You can go on this -- I hope you'll take the time not just to Google "President, January 24, Hawaii hospital, birth" and come up with this letter, but go on the Internet and get the birth certificate, Lester, and put -- Q It's not a birth certificate. MR. GIBBS: I know. (Laughter.) Just a document from the state of Hawaii denoting the fact that the President was indeed born in the state of Hawaii. Q But it doesn't say where he was born or who the doctor was. MR. GIBBS: You know, Lester, I -- I want to stay on this for a second, Lester, I want to stay on this for a second, because you're a smart man, right? Q Hypothetical. (Laughter.) MR. GIBBS: All right, all right, settle down in here. Only I get to make jokes like that. No, Lester, let's finish this one. Do all of your listeners and the listeners throughout this country the service to which any journalist owes those listeners, and that is the pursuit of the noble truth. And the noble truth is that the President was born in Hawaii, a state of the United States of America. And all of this incredible back-and-forth -- I get e-mails today from people who inexplicably can figure out very easily the White House e-mail address, and want proof of where the President was born. Lester, the next time you ask me a question I'm going to ask you what reporting you've done to demonstrate to your listeners the truth, the certificate, the state, so that they can look to you for that momentous search for the truth, and you can wipe away all the dark clouds and provide them with the knowing clarity that comes with that certainty. Q Another question. (Laughter.) The Washington Times and gawker.com report that of the 60 or more reporters who regularly cover these briefings, only 30 were invited to the White House to watch the July 4th fireworks, and they were ordered not to report this. And my question, why does the President believe it is fair to exclude so many, including even Helen Thomas, who was invited -- (laughter) -- by so many previous Presidents to this event? MR. GIBBS: Please note for the official record that Helen almost fell out of her chair laughing. I just wanted to note -- that's all -- Q This information was confirmed to me, she was not invited, Bob. Why? MR. GIBBS: You know, I -- ohhh. Les, we were -- I haven't the slightest idea what the invitation system is for the July 4th fireworks. I'll do this. I'll figure that out. You figure out the Hawaii birth certificate. We'll meet here sometime next week and we can discuss it all over again. How about that, Lester? Les | Obama Administration | Open Government | Press Briefing | Robert Gibbs | White House Press Corps Labels: Les, Open Government, President Obama, Press Briefing, Robert Gibbs, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 8:40:00 PM It's A Pattern Of Controlling The Press - White House Press Briefing by Robert Gibbs 7/1/09 — Thursday, July 02, 2009 — Q At today's town hall meeting, questions coming in on YouTube and Twitter and such -- who decides what questions will be asked? MR. GIBBS: I think a group over at New Media is shuffling through questions. I think if you go on -- I did not do this today, but I think if you go on our Web site you'll see some of those questions. And I think, Chip, at the end of the day, when you -- I think the questions that will be read to the President -- obviously he'll take some questions from the audience there -- I think will be a representative sample of the issues in this debate that we're dealing with. Q And the audience is all preselected, right? MR. GIBBS: No, we usually just generally hand out tickets on a first come, first serve basis. Q Well, I think in this case, the people were invited either by the White House or by the university -- I mean, invited by this community college, as it was explained to us. MR. GIBBS: Well, if the university is -- Q It just feels very tightly controlled. It feels -- I mean, the concept of a town hall I think is to have a open public forum, and this sounds like a very tightly controlled audience and a list of questions. Why do it that why? Why not open it up to the public? MR. GIBBS: How about we do this -- how about you can ask me that question tomorrow based on what questions were asked rather than preselecting your question based on something that may or may not come through. Q But why pre-select? Why not just open it up for people and allow any question to come in? MR. GIBBS: Well, Chip, I think if you get on your computer from your e-mail address -- Q I have. I have. MR. GIBBS: Have you sent in your question? Q I think that would be inappropriate. This is for the public. MR. GIBBS: I'm sorry, I'm confused -- are you not a member of the public? Q Well, I think if you were going to allow questions from the press you'd have us in a prominent position over there and allow us to ask questions -- you haven't done that. MR. GIBBS: Let's not get into the notion of where you'd be sitting -- (laughter) -- if I let you ask a question, but -- Q Well out of shouting range. MR. GIBBS: Well, but you could e-mail. Q Would you put my question in there? I don't think so. MR. GIBBS: Maybe. Have you e-mailed? Q I mean, this is a town hall. MR. GIBBS: It's a little -- if you haven't e-mailed. Q This is an open forum for the public to ask questions, but it's not really open. MR. GIBBS: I couldn't agree more. Q But it's not open. MR. GIBBS: Based on what? Q Based on the information that your staff gave us on how the audience and the questions are being selected. MR. GIBBS: The questions are being selected by people that e-mail on Facebook and Twitter. Q Well, they're not deciding what questions actually get in. MR. GIBBS: Well, Chip, I appreciate, again -- Q It just feels completely controlled -- MR. GIBBS: I appreciate, again -- Q -- in a way unlike his town meetings all the campaign and -- MR. GIBBS: I appreciate the pre-selected question on your part. Q Will there be dissenting views -- Q Yes, how about that? MR. GIBBS: I think that's a very safe bet. But, again, let's -- how about we do this? I promise we will interrupt the AP's tradition of asking the first question. I will let you ask me a question tomorrow as to whether you thought the questions at the town hall meeting that the President conducted at Annandale -- Q I'm perfectly happy to -- Q That's not his point. The point is the control -- Q Exactly. Q -- we have never had that in the White House. And we have had some, but not -- Q This White House. MR. GIBBS: Yes, I was going to say, I'll let you amend her question. Q I'm amazed -- I'm amazed at you people who call for openness and transparency and -- MR. GIBBS: Helen, you haven't even heard the questions. Q It doesn't matter. It's the process. Q You have left open -- Q Even if there's a tough question, it's a question coming from somebody who was invited or was screened, or the question was screened. Q It's shocking. It's really shocking. MR. GIBBS: Chip, let's have this discussion at the conclusion of the town hall meeting. How about that? Q Okay. MR. GIBBS: I think -- Q No, no, no, we're having it now -- MR. GIBBS: Well, I'd be happy to have it now. Q It's a pattern. MR. GIBBS: Which question did you object to at the town hall meeting, Helen? Q It's a pattern. It isn't the question -- MR. GIBBS: What's a pattern? Q It's a pattern of controlling the press. MR. GIBBS: How so? Is there any evidence currently going on that I'm controlling the press -- poorly, I might add. (Laughter.) Q Your formal engagements are pre-packaged. MR. GIBBS: How so? Q Well, and controlling the public -- Q How so? By calling reporters the night before to tell them they're going to be called on. That is shocking. MR. GIBBS: We had this discussion ad nauseam and -- Q Of course you would because you don't have any answers. MR. GIBBS: Well, because I didn't know you were going to ask a question, Helen. Go ahead. Q Well, you should have. Q Thank you for your support. MR. GIBBS: That's good. Have you e-mailed your question today? Q I don't have to e-mail it. I can tell you right now what I want to ask. (Laughter.) MR. GIBBS: I don't doubt that at all, Helen. I don't doubt that at all. Q Actually, could you pass along a question to the President from all of us, is he going to support a tax increase on the middle class? MR. GIBBS: I will -- if you get on your computer you can ask him that yourself. Q I think you're a more direct pipeline than -- MR. GIBBS: I don't know. I was just told that you guys have a pretty good -- go ahead. Helen | Obama Administration | Open Government | Press Briefing | Robert Gibbs | White House Press Corps Labels: Helen, Obama Administration, Open Government, Press Briefing, Robert Gibbs, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 12:28:00 PM A $357,000 Photo - White House Press Briefing by Robert Gibbs 5/8/09 — Friday, May 08, 2009 —  Q Robert, will your office release the photo and report about the mock Air Force One flyover today or tomorrow?MR. GIBBS: Today. Q Can you tell us when or under what circumstances? MR. GIBBS: It will be sometime later this afternoon. I think the final stuff is on my desk to review when I get back and we'll release the report, the photo -- Q A photo. MR. GIBBS: Yes. Q How would you suggest the American people interpret the handling of this in relationship to the administration's commitment to transparency? MR. GIBBS: I'd suggest they'll be able to read the report, which the President instructed the deputy chief of staff to undertake. We'll have -- without getting into some of what's in there, I think you'll also have -- I don't think this is the only look into this incident that's taking place. Q Secretary Gates had his own. MR. GIBBS: Right. The President has also, without getting into some of the recommendations -- and I've got to finish reading all this -- looking into some of the breakdowns that allowed something like this to happen. And the President instructed the staff to ensure that it doesn't happen again, and those are the steps that we're taking. Air Force One | Obama Administration | Open Government | Photos | Press Briefing | Robert Gibbs | White House Press Corps Labels: Air Force One, Obama Administration, Open Government, Photos, Press Briefing, Robert Gibbs, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 7:57:00 PM I Would Contact The White House - White House Press Briefing by Robert Gibbs 4/27/09 — Wednesday, April 29, 2009 — Q Second question, do you guys feel you owe folks in New York City this morning an apology for this incident having to do with the airplane that looks like Air Force One with two fighter jets? There seemed to be a lot of panic -- MR. GIBBS: I would point you to the FAA or Air Force. Q Everybody's pointing us to the White House Military Office, so that's why -- MR. GIBBS: Well, then I would contact the White House -- Q Well, the White House Military Office won't tell us anything -- they'll refer us to you. (Laughter.) MR. GIBBS: Well, then let me go discuss with the White House Military -- I don't -- I have seen some news reports but -- Q What was the photo op for? MR. GIBBS: I don't know. That's -- I have no information on this other than what I saw -- Q I mean, I understand the way this works. I'm just saying, appearance-wise, it's odd that you guys don't have a response. I mean, this is the President's aircraft or what looks like -- MR. GIBBS: I understand. I was working on other things. You might be surprised to know I don't know of every movement of Air Force One or what happens to it. But I will certainly talk to the Military Office. Q -- very edgy about it. Air Force One | Obama Administration | Open Government | Press Briefing | Robert Gibbs | White House | White House Press Corps Labels: Air Force One, Obama Administration, Open Government, Press Briefing, Robert Gibbs, White House, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 2:36:00 PM Dammit, You Guys - White House Press Briefing by Robert Gibbs 3/26/09 — Thursday, March 26, 2009 —  MR. GIBBS: Mark.Q Robert, in the online town meeting, when the President said he doesn't think legalizing marijuana would give the economy a boost, was he giving a political answer or an economic answer? Does he have economic numbers to back that up? MR. GIBBS: I'm unaware of a CEA analysis -- (laughter) -- regarding that. I think the -- Q Will you let us know if there is one? (Laughter.) MR. GIBBS: I think you've heard the President talk about getting us on a path toward sustained economic growth. I don't think he believes that that is a part of that plan. Q What about medicinal marijuana? MR. GIBBS: I think the -- I'd point you to the Justice Department on developments on that. The President asked people to ask their questions. Obviously interests aligned with certain viewpoints did so, and the President wanted to answer the question that, no, it was not -- he did not think a good economic strategy. Q Did that question get the most votes of any? MR. GIBBS: I will ask Macon and those guys. It is interesting when -- I think several of those topics were in things like financial stability or -- Q Green jobs. MR. GIBBS: Green jobs, right. (Laughter.) It's unclear what leap of faith one has to make to ask that question in some of the -- some of those -- right, some of those -- some of those topics. Q Why did he even bring it up? Why did he even bring it up? I mean, no one asked it online and no one asked it -- MR. GIBBS: No, people -- people asked it online – Q I mean, no, I know they voted for it, they voted for it. But he brought it up on his own. This is what I'm saying. Why did he even bring -- MR. GIBBS: April, the concept of the virtual town hall meeting was to have people -- Q Transparency? MR. GIBBS: No, no, let me -- you can ask and I'll answer -- (laughter) -- that the President asked people to go to the web site, ask questions of the administration, vote on which questions they wanted to have the President answer, and that he would do so. And as I said and as Ann said and -- maybe we should have said "clean-energy jobs" -- that would have -- Q You said "green." MR. GIBBS: Yes, I know. That in some topics -- you know, this is not the first time that an interest group gets on a web site and votes many times for their question to be answered, and the President thought he should answer it and I think he did. Q But, Robert, he didn't take on the serious issue. He made a joke out of it. I mean, there were a lot of questions about legalization of marijuana, not as a job creation program, but just as a serious policy issue. And with what's happening in Mexico -- MR. GIBBS: It poses the legal -- I'll do this for the President -- I didn't -- I neither emailed my question in, nor voted for it, but the President opposes the legalization of marijuana, and I'd -- I'll say I did that without even the slightest hint of laughter. Q Can you say why? Q Robert, while you're on this same subject can we follow up? MR. GIBBS: Hold on one sec. Hold on. Q What did the President learn in this? A lot of the questions were things he talks about all the time. Q Annie, there was a question pending on why -- why he feels that way about legalizing marijuana. MR. GIBBS: He does not think that that is -- he opposes it. He doesn't think that's the right plan for America. Q But a follow-up on the process, on the -- MR. GIBBS: Hold on, let me -- I've lost control. (Laughter.) Hold on, what are you -- dammit, you guys don't get to Google this stuff and send in your questions. Hold on, hold on, hold on, let me -- Democracy | Economy | Open Government | President Obama | Press Briefing | Robert Gibbs | War on Drugs | White House Press Corps Labels: Democracy, Economy, Open Government, President Obama, Press Briefing, Robert Gibbs, War on Drugs, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 7:50:00 PM Geithner Time Loop Theory - White House Press Briefing by Robert Gibbs 3/20/09 — Saturday, March 21, 2009 —  Q On Geithner, is the administration sticking to -- are you sticking to this March 10th date for when he found out about this? Because I -- he was asked about it in Congress a week before - Q It was March 9th. Q March 9th. He was asked a week before, specifically. MR. GIBBS: And I think the Treasury Department addressed that in the newspaper this morning. Look, I think there's -- there has been -- obviously, the Treasury has talked about taking responsibility for knowing more about the timeline. Q When Secretary Geithner talked about that yesterday, he really parsed words. He said, on Tuesday, March 10th, I was informed about the full scale and scope of these specific bonuses. He's not saying that was the first time he learned about it -- MR. GIBBS: Well -- Q A very careful parsing of words here, suggesting he did know about it before then. MR. GIBBS: No, I -- I think if you read carefully the report you're discussing, the Treasury Secretary takes responsibility, as the President does -- Q But he's sticking by that October 10th date -- excuse me, March 10th date -- MR. GIBBS: Right, I -- Q -- even though he clearly knew about it before then. He was asked about it in Congress -- MR. GIBBS: But, again -- but again, Chip -- Q -- and he was overseeing the AIG bailout. I mean, is it -- MR. GIBBS: What committee -- Q It just doesn't seem credible. MR. GIBBS: That was Ways and Means? Q Yes. But he was specifically asked the question. MR. GIBBS: No, I understand. I understand. And I think he's addressed that and I think that's addressed in both the reports today and what he said yesterday. Chip, we're -- we understand and the President shares the outrage and the frustration that everybody has. The administration is taking steps to recoup money that's gone out, as well as to put in place a financial stability plan and to seek progress on getting our economy moving again. Q Let me just ask you specifically. When he says, on March 10th he was informed about the full scale and scope, is he saying that's the first he learned about it at all? MR. GIBBS: Chip, the question is predicated on the report in the paper and I think the report in the paper answers your question. Q So he did know about it before then? 20:54 MR. GIBBS: Chip, I will -- can somebody go get a dollar and buy Chip a newspaper so that he can read the report? Again, I think it's pretty clear -- Q Been read. MR. GIBBS: Excellent. Then I believe it's been answered. Q Robert, can I follow on that real quick? Why did you tell us that it was March 10th, then, that you found out? The statement from the White House was very specific, he found out March 10th. MR. GIBBS: Again, I would point you to the report that the Secretary of the Treasury takes responsibility, as does the administration, with knowledge about the structure and the scope of those bonuses. Q But we were accidentally or however misinformed about the day that he found out. MR. GIBBS: Well, let's -- let's not -- I'm just going to leave it at that. I think the report is pretty clear and so are the answers. Chuck. Q Did he misinform the White House about when he found out? MR. GIBBS: Chuck. Video (note the difference between the uhhh-redacted transcript and the video of uhhhs): AIG | Obama Administration | Open Government | Press Briefing | Robert Gibbs | TARP | Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner | White House Press Corps Labels: AIG, Obama Administration, Open Government, Press Briefing, Robert Gibbs, TARP, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 3:32:00 PM Public Comment Period Waiver - Air Force One Press Gaggle by Robert Gibbs 2/12/09 — Wednesday, February 18, 2009 —  Q During the campaign I'm pretty sure it was on your website that you said that all bills should have some kind of public comment period and they should be posted on the website for five days before the President signs it. What are you going to do about this one?MR. GIBBS: That included non-emergency legislation. Q Ahhh -- the waiver. (Laughter.) There was a waiver. MR. GIBBS: It's not a waiver, it was written right there on the website. We are working out a series of procedures to ensure that -- for non-emergency legislation, that people do have five days to look at the legislation that's been passed by Congress before it's signed into law. There have been some -- we're working through the technicalities of how that happens and we'll get a process together. I know there's something up on the White House blog on this right now, or has been within the past few days. Obviously, if we get this bill, this would certainly meet the President's test of emergency legislation. And if we're lucky enough to have it pass, we'll sign it rather quickly. Q And I just have a question about that. What would be the point of the public only getting to look at it by the time it's been completely passed and the President is about to sign it? I mean, by then it's kind of all over. MR. GIBBS: Mara, I'm amazed at the number of differing hurdles that -- Q I'm just curious. You know, you didn't post it while it was in progress. In other words, you're just waiting until the very end -- MR. GIBBS: Mara, people can go to the same website you go to when you read bills. There's congress.gov, there's the Library of Congress. There are any number of resources. I can only imagine that your reporting is informed by the careful examination of that very legislation throughout the process -- Q I'm just wondering why you wanted the five days in the first place. MR. GIBBS: It's important to put out -- for people to understand -- I think we've seen instances where legislation is done quickly and it's important for people to get a look at what's in those bills. And that's why the President outlined that policy. Air Force One | Legislation | Obama Administration | Open Government | Press Gaggle | Robert Gibbs | White House Press Office Labels: Air Force One, Legislation, Obama Administration, Open Government, Press Gaggle, Robert Gibbs, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 8:23:00 PM So Transparent, You Can't See It - Some WH Press Briefing Transcripts Go Dark - 2/11/09 — Wednesday, February 11, 2009 — In another demonstration of their acclaimed tech savviness, President Obama's White House Press Office today has removed, lost, deleted, who-knows-what recent press briefing transcripts since 2/4/09 with no comment as to their eventual return.Press briefing transcripts for February 4th, 5th and 6th 2009 are no longer listed at http://www.whitehouse.gov/pressbriefings/ and their old links will gift you an Official White House 404 message. Monday's Air Force One Press Gaggle is missing from the list but the link still currently works. Monday's first Presidential Press Conference, not hosted under the Press Briefings section, still remains available on the site. Besides the continuing delayed and slow posting time of press briefing transcripts, the team running the whitehouse.gov site has had a confusing and conflicting information architecture since the site's relaunch. URL references have flipped back and forth between different standards and styles for postings, so we just assume this is another glitch in their operation. UPDATE: The transcript for today's 2/11/09 briefing (using the more dominate URL style) has now appeared on whitehouse.gov but not the missing transcripts. UPDATE #2: The transcripts for the February 4, 5 and 6 briefings were finally reposted sometime on February 12th. Yay. However, the February 9th Air Force One Press Gaggle is still MIA on the whitehouse.gov Press Briefings page although still available at this link. What a mess. Obama Administration | Open Government | Press Briefing | White House Press Office Labels: Obama Administration, Open Government, Press Briefing, White House Press Office >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 7:07:00 PM Pertinent Transparency - White House Press Briefing by Robert Gibbs 2/5/09 — Friday, February 06, 2009 — MR. GIBBS: Jake.Q Robert, two questions. One is a housekeeping one. In the name of the transparency that you and the President herald so much, is there any way we could get the copies of the waivers that the OMB issues to allow certain Cabinet posts or deputy posts -- MR. GIBBS: I'll check on it. Q -- free of the ethics constraints you put up? And also the disclosure forms that your nominees put out that go to the Office of Government Ethics that somehow they're not able to email or put on the web -- is there any way we can get copies of those? MR. GIBBS: I will check. I don't -- I don't know how those forms are distributed. Q Just based on listening to the President's rhetoric, I'm sure it's something he'd want to do. (Laughter.) The question is -- MR. GIBBS: Knowing of your crystal clarity on his opinion, I'll certainly check. Q He doesn't believe in transparency? MR. GIBBS: Did you have another more pertinent question? Q I think that's pretty -- I think it's fairly pertinent here, Cabinet nominees and whether or not they pay their taxes and whether or not they have speaking fees. With all sorts of industries they're supposed to regulate, I think it's fairly pertinent. You don't? MR. GIBBS: Obviously I do, and obviously the President does. Q Okay, well, then we'll move on. A majority of the American people apparently support blocking or making major changes to the stimulus bill, according to a Gallup poll. Are you worried at all that you've lost control of the process on how this bill is perceived? MR. GIBBS: No. Nominees | Obama Administration | Open Government | Press Briefing | Robert Gibbs | White House Press Corps Labels: Nominees, Obama Administration, Open Government, Press Briefing, Robert Gibbs, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 4:43:00 PM White House Press Briefing Transcripts Available on whitehouse.gov — Thursday, January 29, 2009 — The Press Briefing Transcripts have been released after 06 Days, 20 Hours, 35 Minutes, 29 Seconds. The clock has stopped and the wait is over. For the last several years of the Bush administration whitehousepresscorps.org has provided selections from daily press briefings, with the intent of highlighting the relationship between the White House and its press corps. This was made possible by the Press Office's prompt posting of full transcripts in a public section of the White House website. The new administration has finally released press briefing transcripts to the public on the new whitehouse.gov site after 6 days. The archive can be found at the following URL: http://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing_room/PressBriefings/ We applaud the Obama Administration for fulfilling, in this matter at least, their promise of openness and transparency by releasing the press briefing transcripts to the public. A special thanks to Master Transcription, a great company, for providing unofficial transcripts of the press briefings for the past week. Obama Administration | Open Government | Press Briefing | White House Press Corps | White House Press Office Labels: Obama Administration, Open Government, Press Briefing, White House Press Corps, White House Press Office >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 2:36:00 PM A Victim of Disorganized Thinking - A Press Briefing Transcript Lands at whitehouse.gov  Professor Marvel never guesses. He knows! Over 6 days since the debut press briefing by Robert Gibbs, the White House Press Office has finally released a full transcript of a press briefing for the first time. We welcome this move to match the transparency of previous administrations. A transcript of the the 1/28/09 Press Briefing appeared on the whitehouse.gov's blog channel in the late evening. The top of the blog article consists of the Obama Administration narrative highlights followed by a full transcription of the day's press briefing. We're uncertain if any of the previous or future briefings will be posted in full, so we'll keep the ticker going for a bit longer until we know if this turns into a lasting trend. Like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, we're clicking our heels and wishing... Open Government | Press Briefing | Robert Gibbs | White House Press Office Labels: Open Government, Press Briefing, Robert Gibbs, White House Press Office >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 2:23:00 AM Transparency, Please! — Wednesday, January 28, 2009 —  Facebook users can now lend their voices in support to a return of the White House Press Office releasing daily briefing transcripts by joining the site's new Group @ Transparency, Please! Obama White House should publish the Press Briefings.Excellent. Tip o' the hat to Ken Shepherd. UPDATE: 1/29/09 - Just to be clear, Andrea Wojtanowicz Dvorak started the facebook group to raise awareness of the missing Press Briefing transcripts. Good job! Facebook | Obama Administration | Open Government | Press Briefing | White House Press Corps | White House Press Office Labels: Facebook, Obama Administration, Open Government, Press Briefing, White House Press Corps, White House Press Office >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 5:03:00 PM whitehouse.gov Finally Releases Transcripts of a Press Briefing - Sorta Kinda 1/26/09 — Monday, January 26, 2009 —  After 4 days and 4 hours the whitehouse.gov web site finally released transcripts of a press briefing. Well, not exactly, as it turns out."Selected responses" to Monday's (1/26/09) Press Briefing at long last appeared on the blog portion of the White House web site in more of an apparent effort to control the narrative than to live up to the promise of open transparency much ballyhooed by the Obama Administration. And if that weren't bad enough, the blog entry claims that White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs' third press conference held today is his "second press briefing." Careless in small things, careless in great things. So far, a major FAIL by the White House Press Office in providing information to the public in a timely and open manner. Obama Administration | Open Government | Press Briefing | Robert Gibbs Labels: Obama Administration, Open Government, Press Briefing, Robert Gibbs >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 8:46:00 PM Robert Gibbs Provides Transparency - White House Press Briefing by Robert Gibbs 1/22/09 — Sunday, January 25, 2009 —  Full 1/22/09 Press Briefing Transcript Press Sec.: Bill – I'm sorry – yes?Bill Plante: [CBS] How is it transparent when you control the only image of the reswearing. There's nobody in there [before] press reporters; there's no stills; there's no television. And the only recording that comes out, as I understand it, is one that a reporter made, not one that the White House supplied. And how is it transparent when it looks like pay-to-play when the President gives his only interview on inauguration night to a network which paid $2 million for the privilege of exclusive coverage of an event – the [neighborhood] ball? Press Sec.: Let me take your questions separately there. I think that – again, I think the procedures yesterday with which we brought in a print pool and released a photo provided the documentation of exactly what happened yesterday afternoon. Bill Plante: But it's your photo. It's not a photo made by the journalists who cover the White House. Press Sec.: No, but I think that...I encourage you to speak to any of the four journalists that were in there. I think the pool report accurately reflects the events and the time [that] was in there. I think that's what the pool is normally charged with doing. Bill Plante: No argument. Press Sec.: Good. [All right.] Bill Plante: But we have a tradition... We have a tradition here of covering the President. Press corps: [Speaker unidentified] _____ only had four people at an event that everyone _____. Press Sec.: Well, we'd had to get a bigger room. Press corps: [Speaker unidentified] Well, you could've had more than four. Press Sec.: Well, let... Yeah. Let me...the second question – you know – the.. We've done interviews throughout the transition process. We've done...we've answered questions from reporters, and no interview is decided on by me or anybody else who works for the President based on who might sponsor an activity. Bill Plante | Open Government | Press Briefing | Robert Gibbs | White House Press Corps Labels: Bill Plante, Open Government, Press Briefing, Robert Gibbs, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 6:39:00 PM
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