Jake Tapper challenges Obama White House to justify Fox News gambit
By: Mark Tapscott
Editorial Page Editor
10/20/09 5:14 PM EDT

This from today's face-off with Obama press secretary Robert Gibbs is what White House reporters - no, make that all journalists - are supposed to do all the time - Ask those in power, regardless of who is in power, the tough questions they don't want to answer:

"Tapper: It’s escaped none of our notice that the White House has decided in the last few weeks to declare one of our sister organizations “not a news organization” and to tell the rest of us not to treat them like a news organization. Can you explain why it’s appropriate for the White House to decide that a news organization is not one –

(Crosstalk)

"Gibbs: Jake, we render, we render an opinion based on some of their coverage and the fairness that, the fairness of that coverage.

"Tapper: But that’s a pretty sweeping declaration that they are “not a news organization.” How are they any different from, say –

"Gibbs: ABC -

"Tapper: ABC. MSNBC. Univision. I mean how are they any different?

"Gibbs: You and I should watch sometime around 9 o’clock tonight. Or 5 o’clock this afternoon.

"Tapper: I’m not talking about their opinion programming or issues you have with certain reports. I’m talking about saying thousands of individuals who work for a media organization, do not work for a “news organization” — why is that appropriate for the White House to say?

"Gibbs: That’s our opinion."

Tapscott's question: Will Gibbs now do a Dede and call the cops on Tapper?

HT: Glenn Reynolds for pointing this out.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Jak...