Is Media Matters for America fluffing George Barack Obama

Was President Obama's at his scripted question-calling to Nico Pitney at his White House presser on Iraq just an "innocent mistake"?

Matters for America takes the angle that because the question was tough and not itself preplanted, this is no big deal.

Wrong.

If Obama was dumb enough to transparently go to Pitney that early, clearly outside of protocol,, after the WH press office had contacted Pitney in advance, AND not have more of a clue as to the question’s detail, it just makes him look dumb, rather than guiltless.

Let’s put this in Media Matters for America terms.

By this “dumb means guiltless” angle, George W. Bush never committed one wrongdoing while in the White House.

Nice Democratic Party try, but it doesn’t work.

If Media Matters for America were a truly progressive media watchdog, and not a Democratic Party-oriented watchdog, every election cycle it would comment on the lack of Green Party election coverage. So, don’t make me bitch-slap you for arguing with my statement that MMA is a Democratic Party fluffer outfit.

And, via Politico, a review of just what happened.

Allegedly, the White House. Via Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton called Pitney in advance, and “invited” him to ask an Iran question Here’s Burton:

“We did reach out to him prior to press conference to tell him that we had been paying attention to what he had been doing on Iran and there was a chance that he’d be called on. And, he ended up asking the toughest question that the President took on Iran. In the absence of an Iranian press corps in Washington, it was an innovative way to get a question directly from an Iranian.”

The White House never denied the question was tough. That said, even if there was no “planting,” you still have bad optics. It was clumsy, clumsy.

And, though it’s rare, I simple disagree with the angle of Greenwald’s take in his Update. It’s not about whether Pitney is not a serious journalist or Huff Post isn’t a serious outlet. (Though, with anti-vaccinators and other nutbars getting more and more of The Greek Goddess’s bandwidth, HuffPost as a journalism site DOES leave itself open to questions like that, Glenn.)

Also contra Glenn, it was Politico, neither “establishment media” nor “right-wing blog,” that first raised the issue.

Whether this IS the way it is bad or not, it looks bad because:
1. It looks like the Obama press office was trying to “soften” that tough question;
2. It looks like the WH press office was trying to fish for at least a partial angle on that tough question;
3. On an issue where many conservatives are pushing him, it looked like an attempt to pre-empt tough questioning on Iran from a somewhat friendlier source.