Question Quotas?

In the "you have got to be joking" file, we have this excerpt from a White Houst press conference from late last month. Press Secretary Scott McCellan was fielding the usual questions, and then there was this little exchange:

Q Scott, at the press conference yesterday, approximately 25 percent of the journalists were women, and the President took only one question from a woman reporter. Can you explain this pattern?

McCLELLAN: That might be a reflection on the media. That's not -- I don't think that's a reflection on who the President calls on.

Q Their hands were up, the female hands --

McCLELLAN: You pointed out that there is a smaller percentage of women at the event. I think that's a question you may want to address to the media, if it's a question of diversity in the media.

Q If 25 percent of the journalists are women, I would think more than 2 percent of questions -- or, in fact, it was one question -- would perhaps be directed to the women.

McCLELLAN: The President looks forward to taking questions from a wide variety of people, and I don't think that's a reflection on the President. I think that's a reflection on maybe the media and the diversity within the media. So I think that's a question you ought to direct to the media, not us.

Q Can you assure us that he will take note next time to count --

McCLELLAN: He was pleased to call on women journalists yesterday --

Q He called on one. (Laughter.)

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, like I said, there are a number of major media organizations that were represented there. The President believes it's important to get to those major media outlets and start the news conference that way. And if it's a question of diversity within those organizations, I think it's a question to direct to those organizations, not us.

(hat tip NRO)

What is scary is that there are probably people who think "question quotas" are probably a good thing because, after all, everyone knows that those nasty Republicans hate women.

Reading the above transcript reminds me why I don't watch these press briefings any more, whether it is a Republican or a Democrat in office. As often as not the questions are stupid, ill-informed, or irrelevant. And that's when they're actually questions, often they're little more than insults along the lines of "how often do you beat your wife".

Weren't we talking about the msm a few posts ago? Larry, you didn't know how right you were.