Ahead of President Obama’s annual picnic with members of Congress, the White House prohibited television cameras and photographer access to the event. Only allowing print pool reporters were allowed to cover Obama’s speech.
That annoyed White House reporters including ABC News reporter Jon Karl, who pointed out that it was a change from year’s past.
Transparency Watch: In a break w/ past practice, the WH is prohibiting TV&photo coverage of today’s Congressional picnic at the White House
— Jonathan Karl (@jonkarl) September 17, 2014
The White House did not offer a live stream video of the event on it’s website either, as they have done in years past.
In 2011, cameras filmed Speaker John Boehner lighting up on the South Lawn during the picnic, and in 2010, cameras captured pictures of White House chefs smoking salmon on a fire pit.
Obama’s first White House Congressional picnic was a Hawaiian style luau which featured amusing press photos of a dunk tank with then Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.
The picnic was canceled in 2013 in the middle of the debate surrounding authorization for a military strike in Syria.
The White House did not offer an explanation for the change and did not return a request for comment to Breitbart News.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.