Press Furious About 'No Access' to Obama's Golf with Tiger Woods

Journalists promise to fight for 'transparency'

The White House press corps is venting unusual outrage about a lack of access to the president. Obama spent the weekend golfing in Florida, including an excursion with Tiger Woods - an ideal chance for the media to pull in a lot of viewers and pageviews, had they been granted access.

Ed Henry, Fox News correspondent and president of the White House Correspondents Association, stated that the press had "absolutely no access to the president" during this media-friendly outing. He added righteously that "there is a very simple but important principle we will continue to fight for today and in the days ahead: transparency."

Some might be amused - or troubled - that the press corps' indignant quest for transparency is focused on a celebrity golfing vacation, and not, say, the president's lack of transparency on various national security issues.

The White House responded that the level of access was quite normal for a presidential golf trip.

Via Reuters.

Are journalists right to be mad about exclusion from Obama's golf weekend?

[ErnestPayne]

The mainstream american media (NPR/PBS and the Christian Science Monitor excepted) are dismal at their job. They get their panties in a knot over trivialities and manage to avoid reporting important news whenever possible.

[AMSCountryboy]

This has got to be a joke

[InjusticeSucks]

Nope its the best Politix can do.

[marine1]

politix had a thread on this yesterday but it disappeared, fancy that.

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

Does the press really want transparency or another opportunity to be lap dogs for obama. Even obama gets tired of his fans running behind him talking about how great he is. If the press really wanted transparency they'd find out what really happened in Benghazi and not worry about another golfing trip (how many is that now? on the taxpayer's dime!) by obama.

[Zazziness]

"So far, President Obama has taken 61 vacation days after 31 months in office. At this point in their presidencies, George W. Bush had spent 180 days at his ranch where his staff often joined him for meetings. And Ronald Reagan had taken 112 vacation days at his ranch. Among recent presidents, Bill Clinton took the least time off -- 28 days.

To be fair, a presidential vacation away from the White House is not the same as a vacation for the average person. The president is still in contact with his advisers and on call for any emergency."
(That was current as of 2011 but the proportions haven't changed.)
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-2009380...

[PoliticalSpice]

@Zazziness Like fact matter to Neo.

[thatgirl]

@PoliticalSpice Touche!

[falco_alba]

Most reports show that President Bush spent approximately 3 of his 8 years as president on vacation - over 1,000 days. Just pointing it out.

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

@Zazziness - Okay, and your point is?

[RoFroh]

Who should care about this???

[PoliticalSpice]

Nobody. Just more obama bashing. That's why it was a FOX reporter that made an issue of it.

[RoFroh]

@PoliticalSpice gotta go partisan it's sad man really sad

[PoliticalSpice]

@RoFroh Oh, I forgot, no one goes partisan on this site. And that icon isn't fair, makes me feel like I'm picking on a baby.

[RoFroh]

@PoliticalSpice was being facetious .....I like it

[PoliticalSpice]

@RoFroh Oh...my bad :)

[thatgirl]

The press sound like a bunch of paparazzi.

[jaybebo84]

Queue Lady GaGa...

[thatgirl]

@jaybebo84 More along the lines of Don Henleys song, Dirty Laundry, lol

[jaybebo84]

@thatgirl

I can agree with that one also...

[jessejaymes]

If the press wants transparency concerning presidential golf matches I suggest they all streak the golf course. That should do it. What the hell? This is not even noteworthy.

[stepped_in_it]

yep, not even noteworthy.....but, streaking the golf course.....Obama and Tiger's expression on film would be priceless!

[dances-weebles]

@stepped_in_it the problem is that if it were a pretty girl who did the streaking, tiger'd throw his clubs at obama and take after her.

[marine1]

two putters looking for a couple good chippies, cameas not allowed.

[DARSB]

"Transparency"? That works both ways. For instance, about half of Sarah Palin-endorsed candidates won last fall. Karl Rove couldn't even get Ohio right. So why did she get pink-slipped by Fox while Mr Rove got a contact renewal?

[PoliticalSpice]

Relevent commentary. Your chance of at job at FOX is over.

[Knight80]

Ha! Ha! Ha! The press is mad because they've been sucking him for over 5 years and now he doesn't need them anymore.

[MolonLabe]

They're worried about transparency with his golf game, yet Obamacare being passed and all the other horseshit The Admin has done is just fine?

[MadAmerican]

I don't think the press missed much. Obama is probobly just as bad at golf as he is running this country.

[dances-weebles]

being good at playing golf is rather like being good as watching flies fornicate.

[miketost]

LOL the press demands transparence of this jerk on a golf course but could care less of the facts he hides from the American people.

[puppybrownie]

Is this part of the president's 'war on women?' I don't blame him for not wanting to be seen with another fallen sports hero, especially a whore monger like Tiger.

[Tralee]

I have to laugh, they are miffed because of this? They expected transparency? This has been the most secretive president I can recall, even Nixon was more open, Obama rarely has a presser as they call it and then spends most of the time giving long winded non-answers. What a joke, they don't do their duty and report all the truths, guard his back at every turn and when he takes a few days off to play they get upset? Nuts, all of them are idiots.

[BelinKS]

I checked they should be mad, but not about this. During Obama's first campaign he promised complete ltransparency of his administration! That has never happened and will not ever happen.

[Cheenoguy]

Seriously? It's PRESIDENT'S DAY weekend. If anyone should get the day "off" (or as much as an off day a president gets) shouldn't it be anyone who is or ever has been President. I hope the hometowns of the Bush's and Carter did something for them this weekend to show appreciation for their service, no matter how poor one thinks their service was.

[ConserveUSA]

You are so right! Hell, it is hard job.

[wonka45ACP]

Give the man a break! he's gettin a brotha's input on pimpin, call girls.

[AlexMIA]

Are they serious? What a bunch of lap dogs! They should go back to the White House and leave a statement poop for being left alone! Or you can try asking tough questions and worrying about transeparency when it really matters!

[Vance1]

another Obama's golf weekend?.......wow
No wonder he left 4 good americans to die

[dances-weebles]

do you have anything intelligent to offer to the discussion?
do you know that they were good americans, or were they possibly traitors who had to be gotten rid of by the cia? if that were true, then the president would never have been informed. he has no need to know and neither do you.

[dances-weebles]

wtf

obviously the press needs a tub of laundry to hand wash.

[GedankPol]

Even the President of the USA deserves a little privacy. Tiger Woods and the President have lots of things in common, and they are entitled to privacy so that they may act as two individuals getting to know and befriend each other, without the press there to possibly distort and/or misconstrue anything that is said in a private conversation. Man, talk about petty, childish tantrums!