WASHINGTON (CNN) - White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs delayed the start of his daily briefing Thursday - which is only remarkable for the fact it's so unremarkable.
The Bush White House briefings were only rarely delayed. Journalists covering the White House have now grown accustomed to waiting in the briefing room…at least so far.
Consider the numbers: Gibbs was a total of 13 hours and 46 minutes late to his own press briefings in the month of May alone.
Of the 19 briefings held by Gibbs in May, the White House officially pushed the scheduled start time back 14 times (although: one time they actually made it earlier.) That averages out to a delay of roughly 28 minutes a day - a total of 8 hours and 50 minutes for the month.
He was tardy for every one of the scheduled briefings he held that month: The shortest delay was just eight minutes, the longest was one hour and 41 minutes. The actual time Gibbs arrived at the podium to start the briefing took even longer - the time from when the briefing was originally scheduled to when it actually started accounted for a 13 hour and 46 minute total delay, or 43 minutes a day.
From CNN Politics
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Thats kind of funny....Probably because they're doing work 24/7 so Gibbs cannot read it all.
maybe he is working.......???
Of course the Bush press briefings were on time. When it is pre-packed propoganda why would it be late.
He knows that no matter what he does or says the press will eat out of his hand because they are so enamoured with his boss. It's sad, really.
At least he tells the truth when he gets there.
Dear Xuan,
No one cares about the fact that you had to wait for the press secretary. That is your job. If your going to complain maybe you should talk to someone who cares.
Really CNN? This isn't news.....
"wah wah...you're late....wah wah...."
no one cares....
This swine flu pandemic is getting out of hand in my area. People aren't talking about anything other than the swine flu.
This is news why? He's only the most questioned White House Press Secretary we ever had. Give him a break. Rob's a god guy and a hell of alot funnier than Perino and Fleischer.
And I should care why exactly? That means he places actually doing his job more important than kissing the butt of reporters. Sounds fine to me.
Gibbs has to take several doses of headache powders or something to get up the courage to go out there and lie, lie,lie.
This is news. If there's nothing going on, leave it alone.
This administration has a lot more going on trying to fix the hugh messes the last administration left. Also they are working on things that will help the majority (95%) in this country. The last administration was only working to help the top 5%. That and starting 2 open ended wars...
They need time to decide what to say?
Who cares?
He needs to get his act together. No matter how open the administration is with the press, it's disrespectful to show up late on a consistent basis, when others are waiting for you. Why not move the briefing time back an hour if there are conflicts.
Who cares! This is not news!
bad example Mr Gibbs.
SO WHAT!!!
The Bush Administration had nothing to say so why be late!!
Has CNN news finally found a flaw in the Obama administration? Is the Obama love fest finally over? Is this the best you can do?
And your point is? The media works for Obama and his staff, not the other way around. BO is arrogant, and his staff has learned to be the same.
Look at it this way...comparing the Bush press conf. To the Obama press conf. It seems Obama is actually doing something productive as opposed to Bush...so what if the press secretary is late?? Do you really have anywhere to be that can't wait 30-60mins?
Ya gotta get better with that Gibbs
Clearly he should be fired. Think of all the valuable time of the reporters that were wasted. He needs to be more polite to the reporters.
Gibbs is a shining example of the incompetence in the Obama administration. I believe Obama sought him out, and appointed him because he's one of the few people who was worse of a public speaker than he is. I've never seen a public official, representing any branch or office of the government with worse speaking skills...and the hoot is, he was hired to TALK to the press.....he rambles, babbles, misquotes and generally is rude and sarcastic to members of the press...heck, even though many of them are liberal boobs they still deserve better respect. Conversely, the press "disses," him as well; showing blatant disrespect for his position. It's as if the "class level," of the White House administration was dialed down a few notches when Obama was ushered in....
I'd rather he show up tardy and informed rather than on time to evade direct answers like Ari Fleischer.
Very unprofessional of Gibbs and a sign of dissaray in the White House. Shows arrogance in that Gibbs sees his time as valuable, the reporters time as less so.
No surprise at all. This President, more than any other in history, is all about careful, some may say deceptive, messaging and packaging in real time and very little on transparency and facts.
Someone has entirely too much spare time to calculate such inane numbers that no one, except perhaps the White House Press corp, will give a flying fig about.
WOW...News worthy
Are u guys bored at CNN. This is not news. Time for a pay cut.
Lesser mortals will wait, that's the attitude. The attitude trickles down from top I guess.
Xuan,
I have continued thinking about your article and have come to conclusion that CNN should probably fire you. If you want to report on fake news I would suggest applying at the onion. I'm sure that they would be glad to have you and your incredibly informative reporting. Another thing you might consider is seeing how long you can keep a plastic bag over your head.
Well, you konw it wasn't because he was studying up on questions that may be asked of him. I don't think that he has actually answered anything since he has been PS.
Really, what do you expect.....He's a blundering idiot....Just like his boss.
How stupid is this story? So what if he is often late? Obviously he is very busy tending to numerous issues in the Bush mess clean up. And assumptively (word?) Bush's press secretary did less or had less to do. And shut up R-wingers...yes it's a big mess Bush created to clean up! And no I'm not a L-winger. I am a centrist Independent. So know what the hell you are talking about before labeling others. GOP = no solutions, just mud-raking. And yes, I do know what I am talking about.
Oh come on now, give the guy a break. It takes time to come up with good plausible cover stories.
CNN this is not NEWS... and silly to report on it
This is 'change' at its finest!
I see Randy Quaid as Peter Blunt in Caddyshack 2. Can't help it. And the buffoon type approach including being late plays right into it. I just can';t atake Gibbs seriously. He will be replaced within a year.
Another example of the self-importance and arrogance of this administration. This administration believes the solar system revolves around them. The media is so enamored with this administration, they are willing to overlook this unprofessional behavior. In any other company, an underperforming employee who is chronically tardy to their own scheduled meetings would be fired. Where is the new transparency and accountability of government that was promised by this administration during the campaign? This administration is quick to point out the speck of dust in corporate america, be critical of CEOs and corporations, yet this administration does not see the moat in their own eyes, they overlook their wasteful spending of our tax dollars with photo op fly overs of NYC and date night travels with Airforce One, and now a clear example of an overpaid underperforming employee in Robert Gibbs. The hypocrisy is hard to miss.
@ TCM who said
"I've never seen a public official, representing any branch or office of the government with worse speaking skills…and the hoot is, he was hired to TALK to the press…..he rambles, babbles, misquotes and generally is rude and sarcastic to members of the press."
That sounds alot like Sarah Palin and not Robert Gibbs.
Aha! Yet another sign the administration is dragging the country down to Socialism. Gibbs is surely ready on time, just sitting beyond the press room door reveling in the control he has over those press peons
This, along with Obama's implicit approval of citizens' lines to order food when he went for a burger, are the PROOF, comrades...
It definitely takes good preparations to wash the laundry.
Obama's press sec: tardy
Bush himself: tarded
I mean, who didn't see that coming?
Gibbs is closely involved with the President and is probably tied up with important meetings most of the time. Bush's press secretaries I understand were not at all involved and had to fictionalize as they went.
arrogance.
It is better late than never. However, I wish he improves. Lateness does not speak well of our beloved new Obama administration. Buckle up and be on time Gibbs! Love you.
I have a question: which comes first, the lobotomy or membership in the democrat party?
If I'm late for a total of 13 hours in one month, I'd be fired. I'd be fired for being late much less.
Wait, was he late for the time HE appointed?
@ KRISSY -
AND WHAT EXACTLY IS OBAMA DOING THAT'S PRODUCTIVE?
Again, another liberal talking out their rear end.....
if running up the debt 10x in 5 months, endangering our troops and homeland, causing unemployment to skyrocket and taking over firms at taxpayer expense is "doing something,...." Perhaps Obama should do nothing....King Midas, he's not....
Well when you have an administration where NOBODY knows what the response should be, its like children playing hide and seek...
Gibbs is a pompus jerk. He puts that fake southern folksy accent to him, but he's obnoxious. He is typical of the worst administration since Nixon.
@ Will-o -
Exactly...as the "do-boy," for the messiah, he acts as if he's some kind of royalty....what's classic is the clip when the cell phones start ringing....Gibbs takes one guy's phone –
then another rings. The second guy totally blows off Gibbs, gets up, talking the whole time, and walks out on him....what a face slap for the babbler! It's definitely a sign of discourse in the White House....trickle-down incompetence.
Why do the obama nuts go on here and say "so what" "not news" if it wasn't news, why did you click on the story?
I am confident Obama is paying people to go on these blogs and rip anything against him...or anything even debating King Obama's flawed plans.
Fire him. If he is that incomprtent it's pathetic. But then again there are a lot of pathetic characters in this administration. Yoy haven't seen anything yet.
@ VL- Chicago
I guess VL stands for Very Lame. I'd rather Gibbs be late and informed than be on time and answer half ass questions. Get a clue!
@ Lee W. in Raleigh, NC
@ Sniffit
Keep dreaming boys....smile and wave......Gibbs is a poster child for
"trickle-down," Obamanomics; otherwise known as a self-inflicted "dumbness," wound....
Although not fatal, extremely irritating to rational, hardworking, lawabiding conservatives....both dem and repub.
Common CNN....is this news
Hey, don't pick on him - he "won," remember? When you "win" you can do whatever you want. It's only when you're trying to win that you have to "appear" to be considerate of others.
@ Proud Member..Party of No -
Dang, I have an answer for everything, but you've stumped me with that one!
Late? Heck.....GW never even showed up for his Presidency
Come on, Dutch....
You should admit that he needs speech therapy, at a minimum....
Cut the guy some slack. It takes time to figure out how to put a positive spin on socialism.
Given that Bush was being told only what he wanted to hear in meetings, , without vigorous debate and from only one person, his press secretary didn't have a reason to be late. He knew the party line and could spit it out. Look what that got us into.
Someone commented on Gibbs fake Southern accent....he is from Auburn, Alabama. No shame in that.
Krissy,
What are you smoking, Obama has done absolutly nothing! Look closely at the facts, use your head. The only thing he has accomplished is creating the deepest division among Americans that I can remember. Spent money like a drunken sailor (actuallyu the money was wasted not spent), done nothing for the economy, nothing to end the wars, nothing to help common people, appologized to the world for america when it's mostly our doings that have kept the world safe from tyrants like Hitler, and now wants to destroy the best healthcare system in the world. THINK, he is a sham and we were all fooled.
Tardniess is not excusable, but obviously he actually has something to prepare and say. Obama has done more good for this country in a few months than republicans did in the last 28 years, and that takes some keepig up with.
It is easy under republican briefings. All you have to say is "No comment" , or "We can't divulge anything", or "That is privileged information" and so on. Takes no prep whatsoever representing the party of "No". "No progress, No Policy, No Comment".
By now the Bush administraton would have gone through at least two press secretaries. They got worn out so fast trying to keep up with all the lies, censorship, and hostility to the press that they burned out quickly. By contrast Gibbs is relaxed and at home with the truth and the reporters. Maybe too relaxed, if he is tardy this much.
So what??? You want the briefing, you wait for the briefing. Bush White House briefings were only rarely delayed because they got their TALKING POINTS the day before from Rush. If there was anything new happened during the day, they made stuff up.
"Late? Heck…..GW never even showed up for his Presidency"
* * * *
Agreed.
@John Q Adams -
I'm not overly excited about Bush, however, he was there, did the job and protected this country....was a professional....made mistakes, made some good decisions......
what can we possibly say about Obama, that's been positive for the majority of the country, and hasn't pandered to fringe, deviants, or minority group interests?
(crickets chirping........)
@ Pat
"Hey, don't pick on him — he "won," remember? When you "win" you can do whatever you want."
You're talking about Bush, right?
Press secretary- Tardy
Vice President- lot of screw up in statements.
Speaker of House- Tell her own staff they are liar
Tresaury Secretary- Don't pay tax
I think bush team was better.
@TMC
You know with all the hate you have you should put it good use. Maybe you should set up a ballon stand outside of your trailer and sell hot air ballons, moron
thats the liberal media for you... always supportin the liberals and never saying a bad thing about them
and another thing puppet gibbs, can you roll over and play dead
And we really care if the press has to wait awhile. This is a non-story except for reporters. Buy them doughnuts and tell them to get over it.
Remember the first 9 months of the bush-cheney "presidency". I think bush sat on his hands those first months, I don't recall that he did anything of note, other than re-classify some Reagan documents that were due to be released under the freedom of information act, and allowed more mercury in the environment, cut funds for Head Start... While someone, was it cheney, was planning 9-11, bush and rice did nothing. He could not even give a press conference; he didn't know how.
Yes. Barack Obama has to cook up his answers to cheat the media and the reporters. It takes time. If you are straight talker, you will always be punctual and ready to answer any questions at any time. This administration is full of cheats and un-professional. It looks like presidential campaign is still going on. That is why you can see campaign advisers all over the place including ambassadors to UK, France, Japan, everywhere. What a drama we have to watch.. More to come after the break....
@ Too True For You -
Dude, you aren't drinking the koo-aid, you're chugging the frickin' pitcher!
Obama's done more in 5 mo than repubs in 28 yrs? HAHAHAHHA....just what website did Obama send you to for that tidbit? Liberals are a riot when they cannot defend demoliberal incompetency!
Get over it, CNN. Time wasn't made to revolve around White House correspondents. Must be really, really slow news day to be posting a ticker item complaining about job conditions.
Who cares if he's late . . . at least he's not spewing lies and war mongering. Will the Baby Boomers please DIE so we can fix the divisive mess you've made? Thanx.
Lets see he is probaly late because he was busy bowing down to allah obamas feet
Where is the story about Obama breaking his own law by the way he fired Inspector General Walpin, who investigated an Obama croney and discovered he had spent $800,000 of taxpayer money for personal use. Obama gave Inspector General Walpin 1 hour to resign or be fired, when the law requires him to give 30 days notice to Congress along with a full explanation. Obama can't get out of his own way!
The press would prefer the Bush years where the press briefings were started on time but they were told lies. So the press could just repeat those lies to the public without any investigation. "We're not torturing", WMD, etc. The press prefers Rove's talking points instead of real information.
Becky June 18th, 2009 4:19 pm ET
@ Pat
"Hey, don't pick on him — he "won," remember? When you "win" you can do whatever you want."
You're talking about Bush, right?
----------
No, Becky - I was talking about Gibbs. Sorry if I didn't make myself clear.
If I was Obama, I would tell him to be on time once and the second time I would be looking for new press secretary.
I was a construction representative and I had an architect that was chronically late and I finally got tired of having to wait on him for that job and I told him our meeting started at 10 o'clock and that is when I expected him to be there for the rest of us were busy too. He got the message and so would Gibbs if I was in charge.
The Press Secretary's tardiness is simply uncalled for! How discourteous to members of the Press, who are human beings and deserve better treatment. After all, they have schedules to adhere to and the PS's inconsideration adds angst and frustration. Someone, perhaps the President himself, should reprimand his Press Secretary, and promise dire rebuttals if the behavior doesn't cease! After all, he can be replaced.
There is no excuse for Gibbs' tardiness. It shows unprofessionalism and rudeness and he should turn over a new leaf and begin to hold briefings on time. That being said, the press needs to start acting like adults. I have seen many times when the press just keeps beating a dead horse and other times follow up questions are not pursued when the answer begs a follow up.
The press seems more interested in sensationalism than in serious reporting. The supposed leaders of the Washington press corps have been lobbing softball questions for the last few years. Where has investigative reporting gone?
Blogs on Palin, McCain, and Bush but nothing on the unanimaus support for the President's stand of not getting involved in the internal politics/strife in Iran. This morning a disappointed John Roberts spoke to a former Iranian hostage who unequivically supported the president full of specific actions America has taken against the Iranian people.
Just now Wolf Blitzer, who seem oblivious to the answers the person he is interviewing give, spoke to an expert from Iran who again stated that America needs to keep out of Iranian politics. John Kerry, as the CNN headline writers would say, ' SLAMMED' John McCain for comments CNN has reported and aired several times.
Where is fair and balanced. The only people I have heard supporting the big mouthed, out of power Republicans are Republicans...and of course lou Dobbs.
So much for fair and balanced!!
@ EDR -
EXACTLY!!!!
Where's the Walin story? CNN – you know the one about Obama breaking the law, the very law he proposed as a senator, to fire an IG for doing his job and ratting out embezzlers of taxpayer money?
what's that? It was one of Obama's buddies? And it was for AmeriCorp ? Oops...my bad...won't mention it again....
unfortunately when you are working hard- you do not have the time to have these dumb press meetings. Bushes people were never late because they were never doing anything- started a war and sent our troops to fight it while they sat here and got rich.
Chronically tardy. Not to mention chronically tongue-tied and chronically disingenuous.
Waterboard him! lol just kidding. his lateness isn't the worst thing in the world.....borrowing an additional $5 Trillion over the next 4 years, socializing banks, car companies and healthcare now that is the real problem.
Change you can wait for.
Is this news? Sorry CNN but we have to run a country. If it will help, go buy a crying towel at walmart.
@ DONNA -
You're kidding right...? You honestly believe that Gibbs is working feverishly....? At what? And then stammering through his explanation....? Come on...it's the pinnacle of incompetence!
I waited for 8 years . . .
let them eat cake
Anyone want to take bets on who the next James von Brunn will be, TCM or phoenix86?
Boo Hoo the press has to wait, when you have a presidency about nothing except two foreign wars and squadering a surplus it's easy to be on time.
Dutch Newz- Gibbs is defending policies that trample on freedom and the constitution.
Quit worshipping Obama and read a history book...read about why Big Government is bad. Read about state rights. Quit being blinded by lib. news and have a thought. Then get a job.
The Bush conspiracy folks are out in number today!! Must be kool aid day at the ESC....
This is stupid, whats even dumber are some of the GOP rants, the same old tired arguments about socialism. Ever stop to think with as much as he has going on maybe there are times he needs to brief him on additional things to cover? I mean after all, he was left with a destroyed economy, 2 failed wars, a crumbling education and healthcare system, the entire world hating us...so maybe it takes a few minutes longer to brief......gimme a break.
Why am I pretty certain I have BETTER job than VL-Chicago?