So Much for Listening to The People and Transparency

There has been quite a bit of hubbub over the on-air rant by CNBC's Rick Santelli. If you haven't seen it, here it is. Below that is the report of Obama's PR dolt's comments running Santelli down for saying what he (and clearly those around him) thought. So much for listening to the people.




Washington Times - White House blasts reporter's 'rant':

The White House on Friday launched a bullish retaliatory attack on cable television reporter Rick Santelli, saying his "rant" against President Obama's housing foreclosure plan is uninformed and dangerous.

In a briefing with reporters in which he ridiculed Mr. Obama's own Transportation secretary's idea to tax drivers' mileage and all but said Mr. Obama's successor in the Senate, Sen. Roland Burris, should resign, press secretary Robert Gibbs saved his harshest barbs for Mr. Santelli.

"The government is promoting bad behavior," Mr. Santelli said, calling on the administration to hold an Internet referendum to see if Americans really wanted to rescue those with bad mortgages.

Mr. Gibbs mentioned Mr. Santelli by name six times. The reporter is a former trader and financial executive who has been an on-air editor for CNBC since 1999.

Responding to Mr. Gibbs, a more staid Mr. Santelli said on CNBC Friday that he would read the plan but took a shot at Washington politicians who forced through a $787 billion spending bill last week without giving most lawmakers a chance to read the measure, which spanned hundreds of pages.

"I want a dialogue. Enlighten me, enlighten America," Mr. Santelli said. "We just want to all feel we're being treated fairly and equally."