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Gibbs Compares Black Female WH Reporter To His Child (re Desiree Rogers)
YouTube ^ | 12-4-09

Posted on 12/04/2009 2:44:55 PM PST by STARWISE

They really got into it .. and April held her ground and gave it right back (see transcript below)

VIDEO


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: aprilryan; desireerogers; robtgibbs; whitehousedinner
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April Ryan

April Ryan a White House correspondent for the American Urban Radio Networks, was compared to a child behaving badly by Robert Gibbs. Gibbs is a press secretary.

Ryan was questioning Gibbs regarding Desiree Rogers, who is a White House social secretary, and it seems Gibbs was a little annoyed by Ryan.

The transcript for this briefing still does not appear on the White House’s website.

The interview went as follows:

APRIL RYAN: Was there a concern in this White House that she came out being, some might have called her the ‘belle of the ball,’ overshadowing the first lady at the…

ROBERT GIBBS: I don’t who some are. I’ve never heard that. Again…

RYAN: Well, it’s been bantered around Washington, and it’s been in Democratic circles as well as Republican circles, high-ranking people.

GIBBS: April, I, I, that’s not a station I live in in life.

RYAN: Just answer the question, please.

GIBBS: Are you done speaking so I can?

RYAN: Oh yes, I’m done.

GIBBS: I’ve not heard any of that criticism. I’ve not read any of that criticism. The president, the first lady, and the entire White House staff are grateful for the job that she does. And thinks she has done a terrific and wonderful job pulling off a lot of big and important events here at the White House.

RYAN: Did she invite herself to the state dinner or was she a guest? Did the president invite her or did she put her… No, that’s a real question. Do not fan it off. I’m serious.

GIBBS: I, I, Jonathan-

RYAN: No, no, no. Did she invite herself or did the president ask her? Her name was on that list, and social secretaries are the ones who put the names on the list.

GIBBS: Right. Was she at the dinner? April, April, calm down. Just take a deep breath for one second. Now see? This happens with my son. He does the same thing.

(Here there is an Audible reaction from other reporters as, Ryan mouths, “I’m older than your son.”)

RYAN: Don’t play with me. I’m being serious. Do not blow it off.

GIBBS: I’m not… And I’m giving you a serious answer. Was she at the dinner? Yes. She’s the social secretary.

RYAN: Social secretaries are not guests of the dinner.

GIBBS: She had the primary responsibility for running the dinner. I’m going to get back to weightier topics like 98,000 men and women in Afghanistan.

1 posted on 12/04/2009 2:44:56 PM PST by STARWISE
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To: penelopesire; seekthetruth; television is just wrong; jcsjcm; BP2; Pablo Mac; April Lexington; ...

~~PING!


2 posted on 12/04/2009 2:45:33 PM PST by STARWISE (They (LIBS-STILL) think of this WOT as Bush's war, not America's war- Richard Miniter)
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To: STARWISE

....liberals show their paternalistic stripes in many ways. You noticed ole girl said “don’t play with me”. That’s what Democrats really think of black people anyway. Why, why, why do my people keep throwing their votes away on those a$$bags.


3 posted on 12/04/2009 2:48:50 PM PST by brwnsuga (Not a Slave!)
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To: STARWISE

Gibbs has been rude to and dismissive of her from the outset. I was glad to see her push back.

I agree with April on just about nothing, but she is a diligent reporter and does her homework. She deserves to be treated with respect.

Gibbster comes off as positively racist.


4 posted on 12/04/2009 2:49:48 PM PST by Bahbah (Only dead fish go with the flow)
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To: STARWISE

5 posted on 12/04/2009 2:50:16 PM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: STARWISE

The Mouth doesn’t want to give a truthful answer to the question and instead he insults and ridicules the lady.

Such a class act, Obama’s administration.


6 posted on 12/04/2009 2:50:44 PM PST by Gator113 (Obama is America's First Failed Black Pres-dent.....)
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To: brwnsuga
The key to understanding here is that Gibbs treated her like a child and the other white people stood aside from defending her, and some laughed.

I think we got this one down right.

As so many black slaves learned back in the day there's no difference between the owners and the supervisors.

7 posted on 12/04/2009 2:56:41 PM PST by muawiyah (Git Out The Way)
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To: STARWISE

What’s unique is that Gibbs used his superior attitude against a black woman.


8 posted on 12/04/2009 2:58:55 PM PST by donna (Sarah Palin: The Feminist ideal comes to fruition in the Republican Party. Betty Friedan laughs.)
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To: STARWISE

not sure if her color matters


9 posted on 12/04/2009 2:59:54 PM PST by MNDude (The Republican Congress Economy--1995-2007)
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To: STARWISE

Gibbs is such a pile of crap. A perfect representative for this White House.


10 posted on 12/04/2009 3:02:09 PM PST by Bullish
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Comment #11 Removed by Moderator

To: STARWISE

I’ve seen the exchange and she is clearly in the wrong. She is your typical pushy female liberal “journalist”, asking a stupid, rumor-based question about something so petty it doesn’t even rate. He was way nicer to her than she deserved. She was acting like a spoiled brat, behaving as if the Gibbs should kowtow to the press, as they all do, and frankly, I’m tired of THAT. Don’t damn him just because he’s Obama staff.. kneejerk reactions dont’ cut it here.


12 posted on 12/04/2009 3:07:22 PM PST by Awestruck (Now if we can only get the rest of the "republican" leaders to stand up to the liberals.)
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To: STARWISE
GIBBS: She had the primary responsibility for running the dinner.

That's the money quote.

Her usual job (or so I heard) is to be at security check points (or one at least) to allow or deny access to those that don't seem to have the proper papers.

She is the one that the SS took the bullet for.

She was too busy modeling her mummy dress to do her job.

13 posted on 12/04/2009 3:08:43 PM PST by Syncro (TPXIII coming soon! March 27th to April 15th 2010)
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To: Bahbah

I didn’t see this exchange- but am interested in his attitude. Was it racist or just typical condescension towards anyone who questions The One?

I ask because of my own reaction toward Obama on the race level. I think of him as a man with dark skin- not an African American. Odd, isn’t it?


14 posted on 12/04/2009 3:09:16 PM PST by SE Mom (Proud mom of an Iraq war combat vet)
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To: Bullish

Gibbs always takes this attitude with people when he doesn’t like the question. Reporters have empathy for each other regardless of political stripe and they don’t like this. There will be payback, eventually.


15 posted on 12/04/2009 3:10:28 PM PST by bigbob
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To: muawiyah

That Gibbs is a piece of work. She was much more respectful to him than I would have been had he called me a child. I would’ve gotten totally Ghettolicious on him.


16 posted on 12/04/2009 3:11:11 PM PST by brwnsuga (Not a Slave!)
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To: muawiyah
The key to understanding here is that Gibbs treated her like a child and the other white people stood aside from defending her, and some laughed.

I heard no laughing. I heard a lot of negative 'uhhhhs'. Sounded like they were defending her by their reaction.

17 posted on 12/04/2009 3:16:26 PM PST by UCANSEE2
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To: Bahbah

He doesn’t seem particularly racist to me.

Of course, I’ve always pegged him as just another garden variety a-hole.


18 posted on 12/04/2009 3:17:14 PM PST by Califreak (Obama's Purple Reign must be stopped!)
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To: UCANSEE2

Reporters use that hissing sound to suppress overt laughter. Remember, we are not dealing with normal people here.


19 posted on 12/04/2009 3:17:47 PM PST by muawiyah (Git Out The Way)
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To: donna
What’s unique is that Gibbs used his superior attitude against a black woman.

Honestly, I don't think Gibbs cared or noticed. In his view, everyone is just a sheeple that he is directed to lie to and placate.

20 posted on 12/04/2009 3:18:18 PM PST by UCANSEE2
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