O-TV: The only things missing were the Greek columns

Jake Tapper reports on a recent event where pool reporters were excluded from covering a WH event, only to see it show up later in a WH-produced video:

On April 27, President Obama welcomed the University of Connecticut Lady Huskies, who had just won the NCAA women’s basketball championship.

After the event, President Obama went to the White House basketball court to shoot hoop with the Lady Huskies. The White House press corps was not allowed to attend.

Reads the print pool report from that day: “After shaking hands with the team’s parents and members of Congress who showed up, the president walked the team over to his basketball court and shot hoops. The pool was held back from the stroll down the drive and around the corner, and couldn’t see the court. Poolers could hear periodic cheering coming from the other side of the bushes.”

Read the TV pool report: “Your Pool was not allowed to go over and shoot POTUS with the team shooting hoops. We protested loudly.”

Now we know why: Obama White House officials decided to do their own media report on the visit, complete with cuts, interviews, and chyrons identifying who’s speaking.

Also, just like a network, they have their own little logo!

Make sure to view the video over at Tapper’s site.

He goes on to say:

Do Obama White House officials think their media coverage isn’t flattering enough?

Is the goal to ultimately replace the pesky photographers who film what they want to and not what they’re told to (not to mention the annoying reporters who ask uncomfortable questions about, say, detainee policy and bank bailouts)?

Questions that will never be answered by this administration, but we already know the answers. I have another question:

Were staffers from MSDNC on hand to help out on the production end? Hey, it’s not outside of the realm of possibility, all things considered.

Oh – and no, no Greek columns were on set during the filming of this little WH puff piece.

Come to think of it, I’m already envisioning the backdrop for Obama’s 2012 nomination acceptance speech: Mt Rushmore.

Yeah, yeah – I know. I’ll stop. I want everyone to go into their Memorial Day holiday weekends in a good mood :D

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