Research

There seems to be an emerging trend from White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs’ press briefings. It isn’t just that he is “arrogant” and “antagonistic” towards the press corps (that trend is already well-documented). He now, however, has taken to referring to anyone who challenges him or the President as children.

Last Thursday, April Ryan, a reporter from American Urban Radio dared to ask Gibbs whether or not White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers had invited herself to the now State Dinner for the Prime Minister of India. Gibbs told her to “calm down” then told her “This happens with my son. He does the same thing.”

That comment “drew ooohs from the press corps,” but apparently Gibbs didn’t learn that it is inappropriate for the mouthpiece of the President to belittle reporters. Today Gibbs was at it again, this time taking aim at a Gallup poll which incontinently showed President Obama with just a 47% approval rating. Gibbs’ responded by saying “I mean, I'm sure a 6-year-old with a crayon could do something not unlike that.”

So what’s the message from this high-minded, new-era-of-politics White House? Apparently it’s that they cannot “disagree, without being disagreeable.”