White House press conference overwhelmed by cell phones
By Nilay Patel 
posted May 14th 2009 12:19PM
posted May 14th 2009 12:19PM
P.S.- We're actually more amazed at the second guy, who not only interrupts the briefing, but walks out of the room to take the call. Cojones!
I wouldn't let that guy that walked out back in. He was so rude the way he handled that.
True, but what Gibbs did wasn't any less rude. Where does he get the nerve to take someone's cell phone and THROW it out of the room, literally? That was extremely unprofessional, and I don't know where that guy gets the nerve to do something like that. If it was that much of the problem, the man should've been kicked out of the room, not treated like some high school teenager caught texting during class. Talk about rude and unprofessional.
what a shame....
Yup. The only explanation for that pompous douchebag that took the call and walked out and took the call is he works for Fixed News.
CBS News.
I wouldn't have let him take my phone either. So he forgot to turn the ringer off, doesn't mean he should lose his phone!
Carlos; the guy who walked out is actually Bill Pante from CBS News. Shows the professionalism and attitude they have there...
Cue the Daily Show...
It was pretty rude of everyone to not have their phones on vibrate, and for that guy to walk out, but still--Gibbs did not handle that very professionally either. What TOOL takes grown people's cellphone away?? I'm sorry, are we still in high school??
To me, that was just a FAIL because he was trying so hard to assert power and respect, and got none. I say he got his just deserts.
I bet it was more of a joke than anything...
These people should have their organizations warned, and if it happens on two occasions, let CBS (or whoever) get their news story somewhere else. If this happened, and you were in a board meeting, I think you could expect serious repurcussions if you refused to turn off your phone or hand it over, if your boss asked for your phone. The same should apply in this situation. I work for peanuts, and I have more professionalism than what was shown here.
It's called cellphone etiquette, and these kinds of people are what made me wait years before getting one. I saw too many douchbags like this, acting like their phone was more important than anything else (cars, movies, libraries, buses) and it really turned me off to cell phones. But I do my best to be considerate of others, now that I have my G1, which I can't live without ;)
Tool?
Who leaves their cellphone on in any type of serious meeting setting let alone the White House? Seriously if youre too dumb too turn it off or put it on silent then you shouldnt be there in the first place and escorted out. Apparently some of the reporters need to go back to high school because they are too dumb to be respectful
Theres only so much crap someone should have to take making a speech, especially someone in his position in that setting.
It's home field advantage. If you have one and it interrupts you lose. I'm SURE that isn't something they have to remind any of these folks when they have the press room. But true, maybe taking a cell, pda or similar device that interrupts a national/international press briefing is overkill--maybe they should do what they do in most government buildings when people carry a firearm--leave it behind. Just ban all cell phone/blackberry devices in the briefing room until there is a mutual understanding from both parties that this isn't political it's just showing professional respect for each other. After they leave they can say and do whatever they want when they report and spin the information they receive.
robert gibbs is a peice of shit. i wouldn't let him throw my phone anywhere. totally unprofessional on his part. GoBama
way to stay on topic.
As a former law enforcement officer, might I chime in, TRY to take a cellphone into a courtroom. SOME courts will allow the attorneys to bring in phones, but there is absolutely NO tolerance for an attorney that forgets to turn it off or to silent. When Gibbs threw the phone, you can hear someone say "He threw it," and Gibbs plainly said "someone caught it." It wasn't just thrown to clatter on a floor or desk.
Make no mistake, I'm no fan of the man, either, but he IS the Press Secretary, and it is HIS press conference, and he SHOULD be the center of attention. Having your phone interrupt the conference is disrespectful. "What TOOL takes grown people's cellphone away?? I'm sorry, are we still in high school??" Maybe if they lack the professionalism (this IS their job, after all) to turn off their phones in a press conference (hell, I turn off my phone when I have a meeting with my boss AND when I run a meeting), maybe they NEED to be treated like high schoolers.
As for Bill Plante, you could tell by his tongue-in-cheek attitude on the phone when Gibbs tried to take it, that his grandma did not get hit by a train (or some similar earth-shattering emergency). If his personal calls are more important than White House business, maybe he needs to be free to handle his calls. Far be it for the office of the President of the United States to interrupt that. The White House should tell CBS to send someone who has time to listen.