An American Lion

Robert Gibbs may have talked himself out of a job this week:

Contentious exchanges between White House press secretaries and members of the media have been fairly commonplace during the past few presidential administrations.

However, the one that took place Wednesday between White House press secretary Robert Gibbs and April Ryan of American Urban Radio, in which Gibbs essentially compared Ryan to a petulant child, is among the most heated (and entertaining) in recent memory.

The testy exchange was sparked by Ryan’s insistent questioning of White House social secretary Desiree Rogers’ role at the recent state dinner, which has been in the headlines because of the fallout from Tareq and Michaele Salahi’s “party crashing.”

Ryan claimed that there have been whispers around Washington insinuating that Rogers had overstepped the traditional role of her title at the event to become the “belle of the ball,” thus “overshadowing the first lady.” Frustrated by Ryan’s tabloid-y line of questioning, Gibbs instructed her to “calm down” and to take a deep breath,” adding “I do this with my son and that’s what happens.”

I think that this exchange is utterly classless and demeaning. I don’t excuse the argumentative role of the journalist—I know these exchanges can be tense and combative. I think Mr. Gibbs failed to realize that he holds all of the cards. He is the person in authority. He can cut off a journalist and make them look foolish and that will reduce the person degraded in the eyes of their employer, who has sent them there to get information out of Mr. Gibbs.

It must be especially troubling to be a reporter who is not well known at all to have to endure that kind of degrading comment from Mr. Gibbs.

I certainly don’t think Gibbs should keep his job after that exchange. The White House can’t use symbol after symbol and event after event to push a political agenda and then not expect some inquiry when said event or photo opportunity blows up in their face.