Another Swipe From Obama At "Cable Chatter"

(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

It's not "press coverage" that bothers President Obama. It's "cable chatter."

By that he means the cacophony of pundits on the cable news channels endlessly chewing over his pronouncements, policies and motives.

Addressing the nation's governors this morning in the East Room, he said he welcomed "healthy debate" about the massive $787-billion economic stimulus bill he signed into law last Tuesday.

"That keeps my on my toes," he said, "It keeps our administration on our toes."

But he thinks that some of those offering their views on the cable news channels do more to obfuscate than illuminate – and he believes his economic objective "gets lost in the cable chatter."

He concedes some have "very legitimate concerns" about the sustainability of expanding unemployment insurance. But he says it's a relatively small part of the stimulus.

"What hasn't been noted is that it's $7-billion of a $787-billion program," he said.

He's concerned that nit-picking doesn't amount to "an honest debate."

"If we agree on 90 percent of the stuff, and we're spending all our time on television arguing about 1, 2, 3 percent of the spending in this thing and somehow it's being characterized in broad brush as wasteful spending, that starts sounding more like politics -- and that's what right now we don't have time to do."

It's not the first time Mr. Obama has lamented publicly about "cable chatter."

Addressing House Democrats earlier this morning at their caucus in Williamsburg, Virginia, he complained about the "tired arguments and worn ideas" he was up against in trying to win support for the stimulus package.

"They did not send us here to get bogged down with the same old delay, the same old distractions, the same talking points (and) the same cable chatter."

"Aren't you all tired of that stuff," he asked his audience rhetorically?

It's clear he is. And the frustration was reflected even more pointedly last Friday by his spokesman, Robert Gibbs. Where his boss hears chatter, Gibbs hears rants.

"I also think it's tremendously important that for people who rant on cable television to be responsible and understand what it is they're talking about," said Gibbs, singling out the commentary of CNBC's Rick Santelli, who delivered a blunt denunciation of the President's plan to help troubled homeowners facing foreclosure.

At the same time, Gibbs questioned the credibility of cable news – charging they got it wrong about Mr. Obama during the campaign as well.

"If I hadn't worked on the campaign but simply watched the cable news scorekeeping of the campaign – we lost virtually every day of the race," said Gibbs.

He said that if he had just watched the cable news channels back then, "I long would have crawled into a hole and given up this whole prospect of changing the country."

There's nothing new about politicians complaining about what's written and said about them.

Perhaps the most famous press complaint from a politician came decades before cable news, when failed presidential and gubernatorial candidate Richard Nixon told reporters in 1962: "Just think how much you're going to be missing. You won't have Nixon to kick around anymore."

Of course, he gave the press many more chances, twice again running for and winning the presidency – only to resign under threat of impeachment in 1974.

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(CBS)

Mark Knoller is a CBS News White House correspondent. You can read more of his posts in Hotsheet here.

[news2me63]

Oh, now the KING and demonicrapic GOD has voiced his displeasure over dissenting views. I''m surprised he doesn''t demand their heads.
Posted by edintex

He should just make friends with one cable news outlet and only talk to them...hehe

[dburfears]

Most of the GOP parrots on cable and on the chattering mindless Right Wing Radio ARE OBFUSCATING. As soon as I hear these disingenuous shills start focusing on something that is 1% or 0.1% of the overall bill, and they try to slam the whole package based on that 1% or 0.1%, then all you can do is dismiss these people as NOT SERIOUS. They are TRANSPARENTLY POLITICAL when they do this. I think the American people are waking up to this fact.

The GOP will continue to become a small extremist RUMP PARTY if it continues down this path of petty and inane political shillery.

[neonutty]

WOW!! The neonuts are out in force!

[edintex]

Oh, now the KING and demonicrapic GOD has voiced his displeasure over dissenting views. I'm surprised he doesn't demand their heads.

[national4321]

He is going to send Gaza 900 million..to help rebuild after Israel attacked..does this mean he is for or against Israel?? What a hypocrit. Obama is in the process of destroying this great nation and people are applauding him..what a bunch lunatics we live with here in America. If you want to sit back and support the "change" you are one of the destroyers.


Dare he change the 1st Amendmant we all will impeach him. This is a fact of life.

[oftencensord]

I thought Obama was a constitutional lawyer... is freedom of speech now limited to Obama's opinion of a what is legitimate speech?

[robert2237]

If Bush had said something like this about all the BS he had to put up with the cable and the ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and FOX people would have went throught the roof. But the obama gets a pass as if what he says should be the law. Sorry we need opition to his far left agenda. I do agree with him on a few very few things but could never support this spend omatic bill he just signed. All state should say no, if they don't then they open themself up to goverment control. Federal goverment should have very minor part of our goverment, the state goverment should have most power as stated in the consititution.

[lehenson]

The best thing this Leftist Anti American, could do for Our Country is to resign. CBS, CNN, and the other so called liberal "news" networkd do NOT Report th truth - only try to extend their Anti- America propaganda. LEARN American values - go to FOXnews and JBS.org. Aldolf Hitler would love the UN "fairness doctrine". [e-mail] before you respond - read ObamaNation, a best selling NY Times Books. A snake will always be a snake - don't forget that!