Gibbs and ABC's Jake Tapper have tense moment during WH Briefing

[TeamJordan23]

A tense somewhat uncomfortable exchange transpired during the White House briefing on Thursday as spokesman Robert Gibbs, at first joking, seemed to grow increasingly irritated with ABC News' Jake Tapper.

The episode started with Tapper asking whether, "in the name of transparency," the White House would make public copies of disclosure and waiver forms that allowed cabinet members with lobbying ties to serve in the administration.

GIBBS: "I'll check. I don't know how those forms are distributed."


TAPPER: "Given the president's rhetoric I'm sure it's something he would want to do."

GIBBS: "Knowing of your crystal clarity on his opinion, I'll check.

TAPPER: "Does he believe in transparency?"

GIBBS: "Did you have another more pertinent question?"

TAPPER: "I think that's fairly pertinent here, cabinet nominees and whether they pay taxes or have speaking fees with all sorts of industries that are supposed to regulate. I think that's fairly pertinent. You don't?"

GIBBS: "Obviously I do...."

TAPPER: "The majority of the American people apparently support blocking or making major changes to the stimulus, according to a Gallup poll. Are you worried at all that you lost the process on how the bills are received?"

GIBBS (interrupting the question): "No I don't. Chuck."

VIDEO HERE - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/05/gibbs-and-tapper-have-ten_n_164376.html

I guess Jake himself does not believe in transparency. I posted a critical comment of his behavior today on his blog, and a couple minutes after being posted - it was deleted. Looks like all comments that are critical of him are being deleted. HAHA

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/02/todays-qs-for-1.html#comments

[ErinBerin84]

1. lol

It's not even that Tapper doesn't have somewhat of a point, but he is such a sniveling ass and his tone is always like that. The "Knowing of your crystal clarity on your opinion" from Gibbs makes me giggle.

[roguevalley]

12. he waffles. if he had been this hard on dickhead maybe I would

not want to slap him. I saw this exchange. Gibbs was a gentleman. Tapper played like a sniveling ass.

[ErinBerin84]

15. true, I guess I meant

always a sniveling ass to Obama.....remember his "OMG, I think I smell some smoke on Obama!" blog post on ABC.

[roguevalley]

16. I know. he's something, our Jake.

[MarjorieG]

2. I saw that. Gibbs did not have strong retorts generally, but Tapper usual arrogant self.

Really smug.

[TwilightGardener]

3. "Disclosure and waiver forms"? Did they demand these of GWB's administration?

Seems like the press is going to punish Obama for their own failure to closely examine all aspects of Chimpy's administration.

[Thrill]

4. Of course not

[hughee99]

8. I don't remember * saying anything about being transparent,

honest, competent, or avoiding conflict of interest either (they seem to have encourage conflicts, in fact). Even though Tapper can be an a-hole, it's a valid question that Gibbs could have handled it better.

[ShortnFiery]

5. Gibbs handled that well. The STRAC Press Corps are getting petulant like children -

making THEMSELVES the story instead of investigating and reporting on events.

Tapper = Attention Whore!

[nsd]

6. Chuck?

Why Chuck and not Jake?

[ecstatic]

7. Just saw the clip. He moved on to the next questioner, named Chuck

Not sure if it was Chuck Todd or not but I'm guessing it was.

[TeamJordan23]

9. yeah, I think Chuck Todd. nm

[high density]

10. The majority of the American people have no clue who the heck Jake Tapper is

but if they did know him, they'd think he was an ass.

[genna]

11. What happened to Jake Tapper? When he worked at Salon he didn't the show

the attitude.

He was a lot more mellow during the Clinton years. Did he start smelling himself or what?

[EFerrari]

13. I'll never bet against Gibbs.

Ever. :)

[City Lights]

14. Jake Tapper sold his soul to Mickey Mouse and became a corporate stooge.

Most unfortunate.

[Frank Booth]

17. ABC strikes again.