Obama News Conference, July 22

Originally, Obama planned to seize the airwaves for the fourth prime time news conference of his presidency at 9:00/8:00 PM CT on Wednesday, July 22.

He's screwing with prime time again. Obama controlled himself in May and June. He managed not to mess with the prime time line-up, but now he obviously feels the need to address the American people, especially since support for his health care plan is dwindling. An informed populace is Obama's enemy.

U.S. President Barack Obama will hold a news conference on July 22, the White House said, taking the unusual step of announcing it on its Twitter page.

The 9 p.m. (0100 GMT Thursday) news conference comes at a time when Obama is trying to drive his healthcare overhaul through a Congress that has raised questions about how to pay for its $1 trillion price tag over 10 years.

It is so lame for the White House to have announced the news conference on its Twitter page.

"You heard it here first...."



Good grief.

On July 20, a change in the plans was announced on the Twitter page.

Update: Primetime presidential news conference @ White House on Weds 7/22 moved to 8PM EDT & will be live @ WhiteHouse.

There was no explanation about the new time.

While the word is out that the time has changed, many media outlets aren't offering any information as to why.

The White House isn't being transparent.

This transparency facade is over. It's done. Chalk it up as another broken promise, another lie.

The reality is the Obama White House couldn't be more opaque.

Apparently, the news conference time was changed to accommodate the networks. They didn't jump at the opportunity to carry an Obama news conference. Yes, it appears that the bloom is off the rose.

Most will carry Obama press conference; time shifted after NBC balked

After some hesitation and a time shift, three major broadcast networks have agreed to carry Barack Obama's latest primetime news conference.

The event was announced Friday afternoon as Obama battles to bolster congressional support for an ambitious health-care overhaul while facing dropping approval ratings.

But broadcasters are struggling with falling approval ratings of their own; Nielsen's audience measurements show viewership in a summertime slump.

The conference will mark the president's fourth primetime press event since he took office six months ago. Such interruptions tend to wreak havoc with network schedules and can cost millions in lost advertising.

CBS, which airs only repeats that evening, agreed early Monday to cover the conference.

But for NBC, Fox and ABC, the decision was tougher. During a summer that's otherwise strewn with repeats, Wednesday includes all of their top-rated reality programs.

Fox declined outright to air the news conference. NBC and ABC fell into line late Monday after the White House shifted the event's time from the previously announced 9 p.m. to the lesser-watched hour of 8 p.m.

The stakes were particularly high for NBC, which airs the most-watched show of the summer, "America's Got Talent," at 9 p.m. This week, the reality hit includes a heavily promoted interview with "Britain's Got Talent" singing sensation Susan Boyle.

Sources said that NBC demonstrated reluctance to carry Obama's news conference live. Faced with the prospect of only one or two major broadcasters -- CBS and ABC -- covering the event, the White House moved its start time to 8 p.m.

In response to a request for comment, a White House representative said, "In speaking with various media outlets, we found that rescheduling for one hour earlier would help us to arrange for as many Americans as possible to hear directly from the President at the press conference."

I guess Obama doesn't have the networks wrapped around his finger anymore.

When Obama even loses the hacks at NBC, he has serious problems.

I wonder if there will be a planted question from the Huffington Post's Nico Pitney again. If there will be, I'm sure the White House will take greater care to cover it up.

Chip Reid and Helen Thomas really ripped Robert Gibbs regarding that little stunt between Pitney and Obama at the June 23 morning news conference. They were right to do so. The White House should not be contacting members of the press and setting up questions.

I hope the press displays some spine Wednesday night and asks Obama some worthwhile questions, none of that New York Times Jeff Zeleny "enchanted" fluff. I hope Major Garrett comes through.

Even if Obama is grilled a bit, the news conference will be a waste. Obama will lie through his teeth about health care.

Obama will toss out his well-rehearsed trash:

“First of all, if you’ve got health insurance, you like your doctors, you like your plan, you can keep your doctor, you can keep your plan. Nobody is talking about taking that away from you.”

Watch the news conference to see the "Lies (And the Lying Liar Who Tells Them)."