Robert Gibbs Takes a Beating

By
Tuesday, February 03, 2009 at 2:18 pm

Today was not a good day to be the White House press secretary.

After two of President Obama’s prominent nominees withdrew from consideration because of tax concerns, Robert Gibbs took tough questions from the media at his daily press conference. And he didn’t enjoy a bit of it.

At first, he danced around the questions about the Tom Daschle scandal, even pulling a Blagojevich as he changed the subject to the recent peanut butter contamination. “I thought about it the other day when I was making a sandwich for my son,” he said, to the annoyance of the press.

But when the questions about Daschle’s vetting process continued, a visibly impatient Gibbs began shooting them down. “I’m not gonna spend a lot of time up here looking through the rear-view mirror,” he said on three separate occasions.

Finally, he began to take out his frustration on the press. When NBC’s Chuck Todd interrupted him to ask a follow-up question, Gibbs cut him off. “We need lights like the debates,” he said. “At least wait for mine to turn yellow.”

And a minute later: “You know what I’m gonna do from now on? I’m gonna have you write down your questions.”

He did provide a substantial piece of information, though, in confirming that Daschle had withdrawn from both of his prospective posts: secretary of health and human services and White House “health czar.” He also said of the Daschle debacle, “We all take responsibility. The president takes responsibility.”

All in all, not a fun day for Gibbs. Get this man a whiskey.

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Comments

18 Comments

Baubles McGee
Comment posted February 3, 2009 @ 11:36 am

Robert Gibbz? More like Robert Glibbz!


Fiki34
Comment posted February 3, 2009 @ 12:32 pm

What kind of whiskey do you think Mr. Gibbs drinks on Tuesdays?


Jay
Comment posted February 3, 2009 @ 1:14 pm

Amateur like his boss. The left is getting rabid in defense of their boy(oops)and it hasn' been a month yet. He has already sent the little woman out to run interference for him.What a sissy.


Joanne
Comment posted February 3, 2009 @ 1:31 pm

I hope the press keeps after Gibbs, good grief have them put their questions in writing.. wonder if he will want them a few hrs in advance of his tv appearance? What a bunch of wimps


KansasGirl
Comment posted February 3, 2009 @ 2:39 pm

These people are arrogant!


Porkchopicus_of_Borg
Comment posted February 3, 2009 @ 2:54 pm

I'm not seeing a lot of difference between Gibbs' behavior and the behavior of most of President Bush's press secretaries.


LIBBY
Comment posted February 3, 2009 @ 3:08 pm

pUT THEM ALL ON THE HOT SEAT. INSIST ON IRS AUDITS FOR ALL ELECTED AND PAPPOINTED OFFICIALS. GET RID OF THE POLITICALLY CORRECT AND PUT IN HONEST TRUTHFUL PEOPLE. ARE THEY APOLOGIZING THEY DID WRONG OR BECAUSE THEY WERE CAUGHT. I HAVE A CAT, BELLE, WHO IS 2 YEARS OLD AND DEPENDENT ON ME FOR FOOD AND SHELTER AND MEDICAL CARE. ACCORDING TO THE NEW SECRETARY OF TREASURY, I CAN DEDUCT HER CARE. TURN ABOUT IS FAIR PLAY. GET RID OF THEM. PUT IN HONEST PEOPLE.


Debbie
Comment posted February 3, 2009 @ 3:11 pm

Lets cut the political crap and focus on the suffering that is going on in this country. Just fix it.


jacksmith
Comment posted February 4, 2009 @ 12:14 am

I AM SO ANGRY!

Tom Daschle, and Nancy Killefer are two of the finest, and most competent public servants you could possibly hope for in these appointments. They have been assassinated by the Washington healthcare lobby through their paid Bush Republican henchmen in congress. These Bush republicans are the same people blocking the economic recovery plan put forth by the Obama administration.

I am BURNING MAD America. And you should be too. Tome Daschle and Nancy Killefer were exactly what we needed to help turn this country around and fix our economy, and catastrophic healthcare crisis.

If I were their boss I would tell them to get right back to Washington. And dare congress to not approve them. How ridiculous is it to reject highly qualified people that this country needs just because they made a mistake on their taxes. Don't stand for that anymore America. They apologized, and paid their taxes, and that should be it. Their country needs them. But President Obama has to do what he thinks is best. I understand that. I'M JUST SO MAD at the anti American Bush Republicans.

Like many of you I have been trying to enjoy the after glow of this Beautiful historic election. But I see that the republicans in congress and their cohorts aren't going to be good sports, and LOSER'S!

SO BE IT!

In spite of President Obama's repeated offers, and gestures of collegiality to Republicans. Bush Republicans have seized upon every opportunity to stab President Obama in the back. And by doing so they are stabbing you, and the rest of the American people in the back. Well, you don't have to put up with that. And you shouldn't put up with that. President Obama has only been on the job two weeks. And he inherited two wars, and the worst economy since the great depression.

We had an election. And president Obama, and the democrats won BIG. And Bush Republicans lost miserably!

The Bush Republicans are the ones responsible for the worst economic crisis since the great depression. And the Bush Republicans are responsible for the worst healthcare crisis in American history. A healthcare crisis that is killing hundreds of thousands of you every year. Rich, middle class, and poor a like. Insured, and uninsured. Men, women, children, and babies.

President Obama, and the Democrats should take back all the concessions they granted the Bush Republicans, and tell them to put up! or shut up!

Everyone, start calling and contacting these Bush Republicans and tell them to stop blocking President Obama, and the Democrats recovery plan. And stop trying to block, and corrupt healthcare reform. Tell them to get on board with President Obama and the Democrats, or GET OUT!!

If these Bush Republicans refuse to cooperate I want all of you to immediately begin the process of removing them from office by every legal means possible. Including impeachment, and recall. I want you to bring the full weight and power of the movement down on their heads that swept President Obama, and the Democrats into control of the whitehouse, and congress. Take no prisoners. Use all the techniques you learned over this past historic election. Be flexible, creative, adaptable, and relentless like you were in the past.

To my cyber warriors I call on you again. You are among the best and the brightest. I call on you to move this fight from the cyber world to the living rooms, dens, and work places of the voters these Bush Republicans misrepresent. I know I can count on you. This is a fight worth fighting.

To my fellow World citizens. As an American I invite, and welcome you and your advise, input, and help. By delaying Americas recovery, and healthcare reform, these Bush Republicans are delaying our commitment to your recovery, and to being the better America for you that we aspire too.

I had hoped it would not come to this after our historic election. I had hoped that the Bush Republicans would respect the overpowering will of the people, and the World. But I guess not. All the Bush Republicans really care about is them-selves. Well, SO BE IT! Lets finish the job.

Sincerely

jacksmith — Working Class :-)


Robert Gibbs
Comment posted February 4, 2009 @ 8:10 am

Robert “Uhm” Gibbs… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hh4E-b1Ylko


David Adams
Comment posted February 6, 2009 @ 11:29 am

Would someone please tell Mr. Gibbs that is not essential to fill in the blanks in his speech with “uh” and “um”.
This Press Secretary needs to listen to recordings his own talks to see just how bad it is.
Its hard to believe the Mr. Obama who speaks so well would pick a speaker like Gibbs, good friend or not to represent him for communication to the press.


NKay
Comment posted February 7, 2009 @ 1:58 am

I can’t even concentrate on what he says during White House briefings because his speech is so annoyingly peppered with one ‘ah’ and ‘um’ after another. I counted 20-25 ‘ah’s’ in each approximate one minute response! It is like fingernails on a chalkboard. I’m sure this man is very intelligent, but his speech pattern belies that fact. You would think someone of his position would have completed a speech class at some point in his life. As press secretary he really needs to brush up on his speaking skills. I am trying to be positive about this administration, but so far we have a man who cheats on his taxes in charge of the Treasury, a man who has no intelligence experience in charge of the CIA, and ROBERT GIBBS–a man who can’t speak properly as press secretary!! You would think someone with great communication skills would be the number one choice. But, umm, umm, umm….I guess that would make too much sense.


NKay
Comment posted February 7, 2009 @ 2:12 am

Jack-Your comment has me stifling a laugh. It's a bit hypocritical, don't you think? I am not even a Republican (Libertarian, thank you), and I can see that. How many Democrats did we see/hear 'getting on board' and 'cooperating' with Bush after he won elections? You still can't stop the bashing! The reason we have two major parties is so they can negotiate and compromise….not roll over and accept whatever is handed to them, whether they believe it is good for the country or not. The stimulus package was heavy with pork. Once it is hammered out to a more reasonable package that will actually do what it was originally intended to do without saddling future generations with unnecessary debt, it will be passed. Take a chill-pill, Jackie.


Cindy
Comment posted February 20, 2009 @ 5:58 pm

If Robert Giibs thinks Santelli needs to lay off the caffiene, then perhaps Gibbs needs to stop taking sleeping pills and WAKE UP !!!! Ther are many, many AMERICANS that work hard and make an effort to live within their means. We struggle and BUDGET. But, we do not expect others to bail us out.


Christine Spaulding
Comment posted March 9, 2009 @ 11:20 am

Mr Gibbs would be a wonderful spokesman (content) if only he would take (and PASS) a course in public speaking and learn to think without marking a spot with an “AHHH” or “UMM” or “er”, “ahh”. It is so very distracting. I find it hard to believe that someone in the inner circle has not sat down with him and made him count the number of times he does this…and then practice speaking without doing that. He is obviously bright, engaging, knowledge rich and a fine choice…other than this one blatant and on going distraction from the content of what he is saying.


Bob
Comment posted March 23, 2009 @ 11:54 am

what a fool! please get Obama to get rid of this guy. I cant follow him and he is so monotone. that i get distracted because I become so annoyed with his presentat9ion

Is this the best spokesman the USA can find?


Bob
Comment posted March 23, 2009 @ 6:54 pm

what a fool! please get Obama to get rid of this guy. I cant follow him and he is so monotone. that i get distracted because I become so annoyed with his presentat9ion

Is this the best spokesman the USA can find?


grace Larson
Comment posted June 23, 2009 @ 12:29 pm

health care. we in Illinois will no longer pay to bury the indigent.( Headline in paper) this is terrible when we support all the people in Illinois that are on well fare and other situations. I think our President need to take action on this terrible situation. I feel there will always be needy people who are caught in a situation and we need to at least bury our U.S. citizens. Please take it into consideration Thank you Grace Larson


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