Beer Summit Questions At White House Briefing - 7.30.09 (1/2)

ABC News' Jake Tapper can't understand why the White House won't invite the media into President Obama's "Beer Summit" with Professor Henry Louis Gates and Sergeant James Crowley.

"The President says he wants this to be a teachable moment," says Tapper. "If he wants to make it a teachable moment... come out and teach."

Gibbs says "having these men get together... is a positive thing, even if you're not able to hear each and every word of it."

Within minutes, another columnist asks Gibbs, "Why not allow the press to get closer?"

Gibbs jokes, "Shouldn't I simply make them talk to you?"

Later, Jenniver Loven from the AP, which conducted a poll on Obama's health care plan, asks Gibbs about how some polls don't favor the plan. This gets Gibbs to joke that this is "another series of teachable moments," immediately followed by, "I watch NBC, for God's sake, Jen!"

Next, a reporter wants to know the exact location of the beer summit, lest the gentlemen "splash beer on Malia and Sasha's picnic table".

Afterward, a reporter asks what the White House hopes to accomplish the morning after the Beer Summit. "No more questions about what kind of beer they're going to drink?"

But he ultimately hopes the event will "make headway on some of the issues that we have been wrestlig with for a long, long time."

"Obviously you had a situation that got a lot of attention... because of a word choice... he wishes he hadn't used those words." And even though "one beer can't massive;y change the course of human history," the dialogue is necessary.

The clip closes with a "Thelma & Louise" crack.

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[NWOfighters]

this is a perfect ditsraction from the real issues and the evilness of obama

[exonei]

What a complete and total fucking waste of resources. Hey lets take a situation and blow it way out of proportion so it gets national attention. What just because the so called "victim" Professor Gates is buddies with the president, they think it's worth of news coverage? Give me a break, people get arrested everyday. Shit like this is the reason we are in the shape we're in. How about the "officials" start focusing on what matters. Nobody gives a shit about this.

[gnosticfellow]

Did he say something? Over nine minutes of shoddy one-liners and that's about all folks!!

[bobbytiger]

"Beer Summit", "Cash for Clunkers", and on, and on, and on.

Thank god that Obama is as pathetic as he is.

It guarantees a one term "service"

[dddiegopan]

it is a smoke screen

[zillsbury]

this spokesman is a real fuck

[HollowGlower]

There needs to be more footage of Obama drunk.

[JigaboosCantSwim]

Who would want to have a beer with a geek like Obama?

These people are just plain creepy

period