Carney Ducks off Camera for Today’s Briefing
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney today turned off the briefing room lights to address reporters in an unusual off camera gaggle, taking some of the spotlight off the White House as its senior Middle East peace negotiator resigns and questions arise over whether too much information has come out about the SEAL 6 raid that killed Osama Bin Laden.
Beyond that, Carney may be a bit weary. He’s briefed on camera three times this week already, and he edgily noted as he departed today’s gaggle that he had to cut the 11:35 am session short because he had a “a 12 o’clock meeting with one of my many bosses.”
Carney would not confirm the then-breaking news that Middle East envoy George Mitchell, who was at the White House, was there to tender his resignation. But Carney didn’t deny it and said a written presidential statement would be released shortly.
The decision to hold the off-camera gaggle just before releasing news of the Mitchell resignation is consistent with a clear White House strategy to low-key the departure.
With the news not official, Carney didn’t have to answer questions about it, and he didn’t have to appear to be stonewalling on TV. Obama will not appear in public today with Mitchell to thank him, denying the TV cameras a platform for a cable news feast on the failure of Obama to secure peace in the Middle East after nearly two and a half years of trying.
The stakes in the Middle East are huge for Obama, who came into office disparaging George W. Bush for not placing sufficient emphasis on getting a deal and who appointed Mitchell to do just that. Mitchell’s departure is tantamount to an admission of failure.
Carney may also have wanted to avoid a public spat with Defense Secretary Gates, who yesterday appeared to be suggesting that White House officials broke an agreement to keep quiet about how the Bin Laden raid went down.
Oddly, the White House press corps bothered neither to ask about Gates nor to find out why the briefing was off camera
Beyond that, Carney may be a bit weary. He’s briefed on camera three times this week already, and he edgily noted as he departed today’s gaggle that he had to cut the 11:35 am session short because he had a “a 12 o’clock meeting with one of my many bosses.”
Carney would not confirm the then-breaking news that Middle East envoy George Mitchell, who was at the White House, was there to tender his resignation. But Carney didn’t deny it and said a written presidential statement would be released shortly.
The decision to hold the off-camera gaggle just before releasing news of the Mitchell resignation is consistent with a clear White House strategy to low-key the departure.
With the news not official, Carney didn’t have to answer questions about it, and he didn’t have to appear to be stonewalling on TV. Obama will not appear in public today with Mitchell to thank him, denying the TV cameras a platform for a cable news feast on the failure of Obama to secure peace in the Middle East after nearly two and a half years of trying.
The stakes in the Middle East are huge for Obama, who came into office disparaging George W. Bush for not placing sufficient emphasis on getting a deal and who appointed Mitchell to do just that. Mitchell’s departure is tantamount to an admission of failure.
Carney may also have wanted to avoid a public spat with Defense Secretary Gates, who yesterday appeared to be suggesting that White House officials broke an agreement to keep quiet about how the Bin Laden raid went down.
Frankly, a week ago Sunday, in the Situation Room, we all agreed that we would not release any operational details from the effort to take out bin Laden. That all fell apart on Monday, the next day.Gates added that Navy SEALs who performed the operation now have concerns for the safety of their families.
Oddly, the White House press corps bothered neither to ask about Gates nor to find out why the briefing was off camera
{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
May 13, 2011 at 1:13 pm
“[B]ecause he had a “a 12 o’clock meeting with one of my many bosses.”
Yeah, did he get that memo?May 13, 2011 at 1:23 pm
- They never ask the right questions. Don’t ask don’t tell.
May 13, 2011 at 1:25 pm
- Wait and see—–this WHPS will soon resign—–he is probably getting tired of spreading BS for the TOTUS (teleprompter of the United States)
May 13, 2011 at 1:31 pm
- You might be right, BillyBob. MrCarney looks like he aged 10 years since his appointment and seems to be having trouble with pointed questions.
May 13, 2011 at 1:31 pm
- Bring Gibbsy back – he loves to lie for Dear Leader. He relished ridiculing the press corpse … oops I meant corps of course.
- Present company excluded Keith! (wish there was an edit option!)
May 13, 2011 at 1:33 pm
- Hmmmm…things not all well and good with the “dream” team….again. Somebody had better grab hold of the orrs before they ALL float downstream. Never seen so much division at the top….ever!
May 13, 2011 at 1:34 pm
- The entire ‘Osama’ situation once again demonstrates How To Turn a Stunning Victory to the advantage of America’s enemies……..Ob..had to go for him, had he declined, it would have leaked, and he would have looked bad, so he had the Seals kill him, Ob…proclaims a victory, and then proceeds to give our operational secrets to the world———Ob…is not Stupid, he is doing this to weaken the America because he believes we have been on top too long……..Ob…did the same with the economy, an outrageously expensive recovery bill that did nothing, continuing with policies that inhibit recovery to weaken America, so a newer Crisis can be Exploited—-remember—don’t waste a perfectly good Crisis, and if there are none around, create one—need I mention the Middle East—same scenario——! ?!?!? !
May 13, 2011 at 1:38 pm
- What’s it take a 2X4 upside your head to know that we have a serious problem with this administration??
Ah the poor baby, suck it up buttercup!!
May 13, 2011 at 1:39 pm
- Transparency. Right.
May 13, 2011 at 1:47 pm
- Ya’ just can’t beat this kind of transparency.
May 13, 2011 at 1:51 pm
- Carney is a lightweight. He has no business being where he is.
May 13, 2011 at 1:54 pm
- “[Carney] edgily noted as he departed today’s gaggle that he…had a “a 12 o’clock meeting with one of my many bosses.””
It’s hard working for the Keystone Kops.
May 13, 2011 at 1:56 pm
- Great blog/note Keith. But I hope you were being fecetious re: the “oddly” part…you know full well why no questions. They might not like what they hear.
May 13, 2011 at 1:57 pm
- Of course Carney is a bit weary. You have to remember he’s busy at night shooting the “Dennis the Menace” sequel.
May 13, 2011 at 2:04 pm
- These people grew up thinking life was a John Hughes movie. In the end all they want is to be alone and in the dark. Cowards. We are led by cowards.
May 13, 2011 at 2:05 pm
- This guy is embarrassing! After 10 years of briefing Colonels and Generals, I could do a better job than this guy. Not that I would even offer my services but truly, this guy is Way out of his league.
May 13, 2011 at 2:05 pm
- The question to ask on the bin Laden raid is why they immediately announced it to the world, reducing the value and the time frame to act on intelligence taken from the compound. But as far as our Narcissist In Chief is concerned, the whole operation is about him and his re-election. The main reason his death was confirmed by Al Qaeda was to alert the rest of the network that the story was true and to take appropriate measures.
May 13, 2011 at 2:06 pm
- Sounds like the whole place is falling apart…
- Charlie Foxtrot. Act accordingly.
- The Day After . . . Part Two
May 3, 2011
Dear President Obama,
When we won WW2 what happened? Did President Truman issue orders to protect the indigenous population from domestically based Nazis or Imperial Japanese? No. Did President Truman use the word “I” 5,000 times in a speech to the nation after we made the tough but necessary decision to drop Atomic weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki? No. So why do you? America is a team, divided now because of your failed efforts to lead this nation, that, for lack of a better word elects the President. So why do you insist on taking credit for things you are not doing and not standing by decisions that will make a doctor, a hospital bed, and a gallon of gas more expensive?
See that is the real rub Mr. Obama. Sure the liberal left can hope to resuscitate legions of useful dope smoking idiots to vote for you, and to be fair most will, but in the end there is this other party that has it’s ears on, I’m not talking about the big ones you are sporting. Recently Mrs. Pelosi remarked how she wished that elections did not matter; in essence she was hoping for a dictatorship lead by a liberal socialist that stood for “social justice.” Now that is some of the most un-American sentiment I’ve ever heard expressed. Elections must matter, because of all the peoples of the Earth, of all the countries of the Earth, the citizens of The United States of America deserve to have the final say on whether we place that final nail in our coffin as a nation in the form of “Obamacare,” or we choose the wiser path. When I was in my formative years a man named Ronald Reagan was the President.
Mr. Reagan did what ever he could do to remind us, the American people, that it our success wasn’t his doing. On his desk he had a plaque that read “There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn’t mind who gets the credit.” People of your political stripe hated Mr. Reagan and worked against his efforts. Of note is a movie called “The Day After.” This movie depicts nuclear devastation and subconsciously blames President Reagan for it. What we really had though was peace, then victory, and prosperity. Even for the defeated Soviets as they focused not on building bombs, but oil rigs and trade. Not all good trade, but at least their main focus was not dropping a hydrogen bomb on the White House. The American people know exactly what you are, and the political class thinks you may not win. By November of 2011 we will both know whether or not you are going to face a primary challenge. You see Mr. Obama we no longer live in an era when we are only given a limited number of media choices, we have changed the channel on you so many times no matter what you do, other then change your mind entirely, will we ever click back.
We’ve had it.
Or as my father used to say, “If you don’t clean up this f-ing room I’m throwing everything the f- out!” Well, he did. And the American people are going to take your toys away on November 6, 2012 because, brother, you are making an f-ing mess, and there is not a garbage bag big enough to clean it up if we allow you to hold onto the Presidency.
Respectfully,
Joe Doakes
May 13, 2011 at 2:09 pm
- Carney is about as incompetent at his job as Obozo is at being president. Long pauses… uhh’s…. ahh’s… loads of BS and no personality to boot. He’s a perfect representative for his boss. I’d hate to have his job. I thought Gibbs was the worst ever, he may have to settle for second spot now.
May 13, 2011 at 2:12 pm
- Yep, it’s very difficult to be transparent with so many cameras and people watching.
