When did it get to be unusual behavior for a reporter to loudly ask questions?
That’s what the media is supposed to be for; a kind of check and balance of the people. We can’t sit in all the long meetings up in the Whitehouse so we depend on reporters to ask the questions for us and demand answers. Last Friday that’s exactly what Neil Munro of the Daily Caller did at the president’s speech on new immigration policy. So why did it ruffle President Obama so much that he actually scolded him and visibly lost his temper?
Now don’t get excited that I am going to jump on the bash Obama bandwagon. There are too many people already there to fit me in. I’m writing a post to praise Neil Munro for daring to ask questions when it was apparently inconvenient. Historically presidents have always had to stand up to the lashings of the press. Why is it rare enough in the Obama reign that a feisty reporter is newsworthy then?
Presidents are public servants and should be held accountable to the people they serve. That’s us. The media is our collective voice asking questions that we deserve answers to. Everything about our leaders should be clear and visible. When a man signs on with the military he waives many of his personal comforts and rights for the service of his country. The presidency should be no different. The Whitehouse should be made of glass, not a shadowy temple of secrets and muddled policy.
Why are there so many questions and mysteries with this president? Whether you support Obama or not you have to admit that there has been more confusion and backtracking during the last four years than I can ever remember. I have never seen so much division and abject poverty. Soon the homeless on our corners will be out numbering the pedestrians. I am not saying where the fault lies. I’m saying someone better start asking more questions soon and loudly!
So cheers to Mr. Monroe. Thank you Neil for risking a presidential scolding to ask for clarification. You are my new hero because you dared to ask the obvious questions even when it annoyed He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Interrupted.
