God bless Jake Tapper

This exchange took place this morning during the White House press briefing:

Tapper: It’s escaped none of our notice that the White House has decided in the last few weeks to declare one of our sister organizations “not a news organization” and to tell the rest of us not to treat them like a news organization. Can you explain why it’s appropriate for the White House to decide that a news organization is not one –

(Crosstalk)

Gibbs: Jake, we render, we render an opinion based on some of their coverage and the fairness that, the fairness of that coverage.

Tapper: But that’s a pretty sweeping declaration that they are “not a news organization.” How are they any different from, say –

Gibbs: ABC -

Tapper: ABC. MSNBC. Univision. I mean how are they any different?

Gibbs: You and I should watch sometime around 9 o’clock tonight. Or 5 o’clock this afternoon.

Tapper: I’m not talking about their opinion programming or issues you have with certain reports. I’m talking about saying thousands of individuals who work for a media organization, do not work for a “news organization” -- why is that appropriate for the White House to say?

Gibbs: That’s our opinion.

Can you imagine the fallout if President Bush had targeted ABC, CBS, NBC or CNN as Obama has done Fox news?

Can you?

Of course you can.

Comments

[Locutisprime]

Based upon Gibbs admissions? It is obvious that Beck and Hannity are the two major thorns in their azz.

Which means they are getting to the white House with their exposes.

Of course the furor will continue and they will ratchet up their rhetoric to attempt and stifle Fox.

I would say that their actions and the actions of the other media outlets available would drive me completely away an to Fox for my news.

But it already has and long ago.

[Shifty1]

There are other media outlets for news BESIDES Fox?!?! I thought those were all COMEDY channels!

[Mommynator]

This is the kind of in-their-faces questioning and speaking out we need. Challenge, challenge, challenge with the facts and never ever back down.