WHITE HOUSE - OBAMA COULD HE REPLACE LENO?

OBAMA COULD HE REPLACE LENO?

President Obama demonstrated on Saturday that he could hold his own with the top late-night comedy hosts as he addressed the White House Correspondents Dinner in Washington. He took no issue with Republican claims that the national press had favored his election over Republican rival John McCain, saying at the outset of his spiel, "Most of you covered me; all of you voted for me." Then, after waiting for the laughter to subside, he remarked, "Apologies to the Fox table." But Obama turned serious as he he concluded his talk, referring to the current uncertainty faced by those working in the news media. "You know, Thomas Jefferson once said that if he had the choice between a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, he would not hesitate to choose the latter," the president said. "Clearly, Thomas Jefferson never had cable news to contend with," he quipped. "But his central point remains A government without newspapers, a government without a tough and vibrant media of all sorts, is not an option for the United States of America."

11/05/2009