At today's White House Press Briefing, the assembled reporters spent most of the time having a go at Press Secretary Robert Gibbs regarding the prisoner abuse photos. However, there were some lighter moments.
During one of Gibbs' answers, a reporter's phone rang very loudly. After what seemed like several embarrassed minutes, the man managed to quiet the phone. Several moments later, however, the guy's phone rings again, and Gibbs says "Give me the phone!"
He took the phone and whisked it off to the press office behind him.
and the guy took the call! He answers the phone, in the front row, then proceeds to walk (slowly) outside to finish the call.
After that, at least 4 more cellphones went off during the briefing, to raucous laughter. I've never seen anything like it. Once, since I've been covering the White House, has a cellphone rung during the briefing, and the guy was mortified.
This could have been the work of pranksters like Caleb Howe, who called me just seconds after I had muted my ringer.
To my fellow White House reporters, I offer this cautionary advice:
The white house reporter who answers the phone and then leaves the room at a glacial pace should lose his privledge for reporting from the white house--he was arrogant and disrepectful to Gibbs and all the other reportes there--throw the bum out-imo
RATE THIS COMMENT: (1)
jpgoodrow
4:38PM May 13th 2009
IT'S NOT LIKE GIBBS has anything real to say anyway. He just stands up there and spins and spins and spins... They should change th anme from the gaily Briefing to GIBBS' FIBS. LOLOL
RATE THIS COMMENT: (0)
Debra S.
4:54PM May 13th 2009
So you are writing about cellphones going off, and NOT about Obama backtracking on prisoner abuse photos?? I guess it is all about priorities and what fits, or does not fit, a person's view of the President.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (1)
Polly
5:03PM May 13th 2009
Since you used the helping word "has", the verb should be rung not rang.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (1)
swhitmon
5:12PM May 13th 2009
WOW!!! You people need to get a life or smoke a joint, I'm not sure which. CHILL OUT. It was a light moment at the press briefing. Get over it. I, for one, got a laugh out of it. If this kind of news story isn't your "cup of tea", don't read it and certainly don't comment. Go back and read about how the Republicans are going to change the way they refer to the Democratic party. That sounds like a story you zealots can appreciate.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (1)
Master
9:14AM Jul 17th 2009
as a press secretary, you simply end the press conference at that point. why waste your time with people who have only casual interest in what you say? they can read it in the papers or on their cell phone text alerts.