Complaints from reporters and media outlets covering the Obama White House have reached the main news cycle, as over two months has gone by without the President formally taking questions from them.
ABC News' Jake Tapper writes on his blog:
His last news conference was at the G20 in June, when he answered six questions from three reporters on the European debt crisis, the conflict in Syria, and the notion of politics stopping at the water’s edge.The White House press corps has not formally been given the opportunity to ask questions of the president on U.S. soil since his appearance in the Briefing Room on June 8 (when he said “the private sector is doing fine.“)His last formal White House news conference was on March 6.
Andrea Mitchell grilled the Obama campaign's press secretary today on her MSNBC show, who said "the President has been available for dozens of questions each week on the campaign trail."
The White House press corps is specifically unhappy with lack of access and comments given to them, as opposed to media outlets around the country.
See below for the exchange on Andrea Mitchell's show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nPH30aVlcXA
(h/t Politico)