White House publicly condemns CNBC reporter for bailout rant

[Manedwolf]

Yes, we've reached that stage now. The White House itself, via Robert Gibbs, is beating on members of the media who are actually doing their job. In PERSONAL terms, yet. And then they sent their Truth Squad members of the administration onto CNBC to offer obfuscation.

Scared yet?

Gibbs rebukes CNBC's Santelli
By: Josh Gerstein
February 20, 2009 02:51 PM EST

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs jumped at the chance Friday to rebuke a CNBC reporter whose attack on President Barack Obama’s anti-foreclosure plan caught fire on the Internet.

Gibbs took on CNBC’s Rick Santelli in unusually personal terms after being asked a question about Santelli’s bracing critique during a regular White House briefing.

“I’ve watched Mr. Santelli on cable the past 24 hours or so. I’m not entirely sure where Mr. Santelli lives or in what house he lives but the American people are struggling every day to meet their mortgages, stay in their jobs, pay their bills, send their kids to school,” Gibbs said. “I think we left a few months ago the adage that if it was good for a derivatives trader that it was good for Main Street. I think the verdict is in on that,” the press secretary said, poking directly at the cable journalist, who reports from the trading floor at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. (RICH BUSINESSPEOPLE ARE BAD!, right?)

Gibbs insisted Santelli was misinformed when he said Obama’s program would amount to a transfer of money from prudent taxpayers to those who had taken reckless risks.

“Mr. Santelli has argued, I think quite wrongly, that this plan won’t help everyone,” Gibbs said. “This plan helps people who have been playing by the rules. ... I would encourage him to read the president’s plan. ... I’d be more than happy to have him come here to read it. I’d be happy to buy him a cup of coffee — decaf,” the press secretary said, in a not-so-subtle jab at Santelli’s frantic style.

Gibbs brandished a copy of a fact sheet about Obama’s plan. “Download it, hit print, and begin to read it,” he said. In all, Gibbs used Santelli’s name six times.

The administration also dispatched two high-level officials onto CNBC to rebut Santelli in more detail, Vice President Joe Biden’s economic adviser Jared Bernstein and Housing Secretary Shaun Donovan.

CNBC hosts pressed Bernstein to explain why Obama’s plan calls for allowing borrowers to refinance loans even if they have less than 20% equity in their homes. “To refinance can save a family $4000, $5000, $6000 a year in an economy that’s been extremely tough,” Bernstein said.

“I don’t know that they deserve to refinance because those are the terms they signed up for in the first place,” CNBC’s Melissa Francis said.

“I think we perhaps have a very different perspective,” Bernstein allowed.
Yes, we do. Because you're lying, and people are seeing through it.

In a later segment, Santelli made clear he still wasn’t buying it.

“Pretty much everybody we know’s 401K is now a 201K. Why did that happen? Oh my God, nobody expected this housing crisis through no fault of our ownership of stock prices was decimated. Why is that any different than his explanation. We want our 401K money back. I want my stock money back,” Santelli said. “The retirement funds of many Americans [are] much larger of a loss than some people on their housing at this point in time.”

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0209/19083.html

[ronnyreagan]

Make enough noise and eventually you can make a name for yourself. I think this Santelli guy has that figured out. He's getting more attention because of this "public condemnation" than he ever would otherwise. I'm guessing the only thing he's scared of his not having enough time to cash in on this and do the entire talk show circuit. Yeah, I really feel sorry for him.

[Manedwolf]

Make enough noise and eventually you can make a name for yourself. I think this Santelli guy has that figured out. He's getting more attention because of this "public condemnation" than he ever would otherwise. I'm guessing the only thing he's scared of his not having enough time to cash in on this and do the entire talk show circuit. Yeah, I really feel sorry for him.

Or maybe he was saying how he really feels, and from the viral spread of the video with tens of thousands of comments of applause following, a lot of other people do, too?

But we can't have anyone being critical of your Dear Leader, can we. The fact that the Office of the President is trashing a journalist in a personal manner completely escapes your attention. Or perhaps you're okay with that?

[Monkeyleg]

If they can scare the media into submission, we're screwed.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

If they can scare the media into submission, we're screwed.

Rick Santelli is a standup guy.  I doubt Obama or Obama's press lackey can scare him.

[Manedwolf]

Rick Santelli is a standup guy.  I doubt Obama or Obama's press lackey can scare him.

That's not who they'd scare. They would scare the people who would pull the plug.

Remember...CNBC is still NBC, with quisling cowards and a lot of hard-left sorts for managers.

[digitalandanalog]

Make enough noise and eventually you can make a name for yourself

Like the Great One did...right!

I think this Santelli guy has that figured out.

Like the Great One did...right.

He's getting more attention because of this "public condemnation" than he ever would otherwise.

Like the Great One did...right.

I'm guessing the only thing he's scared of his not having enough time to cash in on this and do the entire talk show circuit.

Like the Great One kinda did...right.

Yeah, I really feel sorry for him.

I thought the Great One and his staff had bigger fish to fry than some talking head who sees fit to call them out on their crap.

I told you, dude, you and me will about never see eye to eye. If we do, it is going to be mighty frosty in Hades for 24 hours.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

That's not who they'd scare. They would scare the people who would pull the plug.

Remember...CNBC is still NBC, with quisling cowards and a lot of hard-left sorts for managers.

I dunno.  If you're running a broadcast station, who interests you more?  The dweeb press secretary, or the screaming cheering crowd standing behind you're reporter and the millions of people echoing them across the country?

[Perd Hapley]

Make enough noise and eventually you can make a name for yourself. I think this Santelli guy has that figured out. He's getting more attention because of this "public condemnation" than he ever would otherwise. I'm guessing the only thing he's scared of his not having enough time to cash in on this and do the entire talk show circuit. Yeah, I really feel sorry for him.

Wow, that was original.  It's pretty much what you said about a talk show host a couple of weeks ago.  So basically, anyone that says anything interesting is nothing more than a publicity whore.  Have you patented this soul x-ray machine of yours? 

BTW, I don't see anyone feeling sorry for him. 

[ronnyreagan]

Or maybe he was saying how he really feels, and from the viral spread of the video with tens of thousands of comments of applause following, a lot of other people do, too?

But we can't have anyone being critical of your Dear Leader, can we. The fact that the Office of the President is trashing a journalist in a personal manner completely escapes your attention. Or perhaps you're okay with that?

I'm not saying that isn't how he feels, a lot of people feel that way. I'm saying that he's benefiting from this "trashing" a lot more than it's hurting him and I'll bet he recognizes that. Gibbs was asked about him and in his response he said a lot more than he should have, but it didn't amount to much other than "he's wrong." There was nothing particularly scathing, insulting, or mean in his response.

Wow, that was original.  It's pretty much what you said about a talk show host a couple of weeks ago.

That's because it looks like the same thing to me. I'm not terribly familiar with this Santelli guy but so far he does look like a "publicity whore" just like most others in the media. Do you think he's upset that he was mentioned multiple times by the press secretary? I don't.

[longeyes]

Santelli's days with CNBC are numbered.  They will find a reason to cashier him.  Too much money's at stake to fight with the highest office in the land.

But Santelli was right.

And he spoke for millions.

Unfortunately, as far as the Obama people are concerned, not the millions who matter.

[taurusowner]

Santelli's days with CNBC are numbered.  They will find a reason to cashier him.  Too much money's at stake to fight with the highest office in the land.

But Santelli was right.

And he spoke for millions.

Unfortunately, as far as the Obama people are concerned, not the millions who matter.

If he keeps it up, his days at CNBC are numbered indeed.  But hopefully, it may open some doors as well.

[charby]

If he keeps it up, his days at CNBC are numbered indeed.  But hopefully, it may open some doors as well.

I bet Fox news would pick him up in a heart beat if that happened.

[Perd Hapley]

Do you think he's upset that he was mentioned multiple times by the press secretary? I don't.

No, I don't think he's crying about it.  I'm just wondering if you're a little envious that you haven't had your fifteen minutes of fame yet. 

[ronnyreagan]

No, I don't think he's crying about it.  I'm just wondering if you're a little envious that you haven't had your fifteen minutes of fame yet. 

Yep, you nailed it. I just sit and wait everyday for Robert Gibbs to say my name You must have gotten a hold of my patented  "soul x-ray machine" somehow.

[Waitone]

Now why is the President of the United States concerned over the words of a lowly reporter who blurted out what a number of people have been thinking for a while.  Is it because he senses his agenda actions is pushing the envelope?

[Monkeyleg]

I get the feeling this administration is as paranoid about criticism as Nixon's.

[Perd Hapley]

Yep, you nailed it. I just sit and wait everyday for Robert Gibbs to say my name You must have gotten a hold of my patented  "soul x-ray machine" somehow.

I figure mine is as good as yours. 

[roo_ster]

Santelli spent 20 years trading on the floor, like the guys who cheered him on, before he got into media.

Gibbs has always been a political spokesman his entire adult working life.

For Gibbs to say Santelli doesn't know what he's talking about, when Gibbs has been paid to flack whatever position he is currently paid to flack, and never had an honest job, is the height of chutzpa.

If Santelli is fired and black balled from the media for life, he still has useful skills with which to make a living.

[Perd Hapley]

Gibbs said. “I think we left a few months ago the adage that if it was good for a derivatives trader that it was good for Main Street. I think the verdict is in on that,”

Some animals are more equal than others.

[digitalandanalog]

Now why is the President of the United States concerned over the words of a lowly reporter who blurted out what a number of people have been thinking for a while.

I thought the Great One and his staff had bigger fish to fry than some talking head who sees fit to call them out on their crap.

Same thought...different words...moving on.

[RevDisk]

I do think it's quite odd that they'd be so jumpy over one reporter getting irate at being forced to pay for a defaulter's mortgage.  Interesting, that.  Do they think Americans will happily march in whatever direction the MSM points?   Granted, that is a large part of how Obama got elected.

[Scout26]

Obama has blown all his political capital and prestige on the StimPorkulus bill.  The honeymoon just can't be over this soon ?!?!?!  So how can anyone question/balsphemy HIS vision within the first 100 days ??  They who question HIS wisdom are obviously dangerous, unbalanced and therefore must be ridiculed and then immediately destroyed. 

[DustinD]

A politician will never call you greedy for wanting somebody else's money, they will only do that for wanting to keep your own.

[Jeff B.]

Santelli spent 20 years trading on the floor, like the guys who cheered him on, before he got into media.

Gibbs has always been a political spokesman his entire adult working life.

For Gibbs to say Santelli doesn't know what he's talking about, when Gibbs has been paid to flack whatever position he is currently paid to flack, and never had an honest job, is the height of chutzpa.

If Santelli is fired and black balled from the media for life, he still has useful skills with which to make a living.

I saw a segement where Larry Kudlow and Rick Santelli had a coversation about the criticism from the Pillsbury Dough Boy, and had a very similar thought, that this Press Secretary is implying that Santelli is "misguided", and that Kudlow and Santellit have forgotten more about economics and the markets than PDB Gibbs ever knew.

Jeff B.