White House spokesman Jay Carney on Tuesday said he is “completely sympathetic” to reporters’ concerns over limited access to President Obama.
But Carney emphasized that Obama has given 591 interviews since he took office and has held more solo press conferences than George W. Bush did. “I think it’s clear we are making an effort to provide access,” Carney said.
White House reporters expressed “extreme frustration” over the lack of access to Obama throughout Presidents’ Day weekend. Media were not allowed any access to Obama throughout Presidents’ Day weekend. In a statement Sunday, White House Correspondents Association president Ed Henry summed up the exasperation: “Speaking on behalf of the White House Correspondents Association, I can say a broad cross section of our members from print, radio, online and TV have today expressed extreme frustration to me about having absolutely no access to the President of the United States this entire weekend. There is a very simple but important principle we will continue to fight for today and in the days ahead: transparency.”
