Tag Archives: Jen Psaki

Psaki has done well, however …

Having said already that Jen Psaki should resign her job as White House press secretary after allegedly accepting a job offer to work as a commentator for MSNBC, I feel a need to give her a thumbs-up for the job she has done speaking for the Biden administration.

She has performed admirably. The juxtaposition of the job she has done compared to jobs done by the four people who preceded her in the previous administration prove my point.

You had Sean Spicer, whose first press briefing was devoted to blasting the media for its reporting of the crowd that attended Donald Trump’s inaugural in January 2017; it went downhill from there. Then you had Sarah Sanders, who would later admit to telling lies to the press. Then came Stephanie Grisham, who left her job in first lady Melania Trump’s press office only to never conduct a press briefing while serving as flack for the POTUS. Finally, there was Kayleigh McEnany, who blathered, blustered and lied her way before the media all the way to the end of Trump’s term in office.

Jen Psaki became press secretary for President Biden, and to my way of thinking, she has conducted herself with professionalism and resolve, particularly in the face of strong questioning from the media representatives before whom she stood in the White House press briefing room.

Speaking for a presidential administration is among the most challenging jobs one can imagine. They occasionally have to “clarify” statements that presidents make. At times they have to defend the indefensible; some of them do it admirably while others, well … don’t. They all — whether they work for Democrats or Republicans — face hostile questions. They have to maintain their composure.

Jen Psaki has managed to accomplish virtually all those goals during her time in the press room hot house.

johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

Psaki should step down

Those critics of the Biden administration have a point in calling for press secretary Jen Psaki to resign her job as White House flack while awaiting a formal announcement that she is returning to cable TV news.

Psaki reportedly is close to signing a deal to join MSNBC as a commentator. Now, is that in itself a bum deal? No. It isn’t. However, she cannot perform the parallel role as spokeswoman for President Biden’s administration while waiting for new employer to make official what reportedly already is well-known among the Washington, DC press corps.

I believe Psaki has done a creditable job as press secretary. She has sought to give straight answers to straight questions. When she doesn’t know the answer, she has been fond of telling reporters that she is willing to “circle back” when she obtains the answers they seek. Nothing wrong at all with that.

She is now set to don some new proverbial attire as an MSNBC talking head. Psaki did work for CNN before joining the Biden administration in 2021, so it’s no big shakes that she would return to the fight with another network.

Psaki must not mix the two roles — as one who covers the news and one who on occasion makes the news. She is getting far too close to that line to make many of comfortable.

johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

Oops! It’s a ‘crisis’

By JOHN KANELIS / johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

Jen Psaki didn’t mean to use the word “crisis” when describing what is occurring along our nation’s southern border.

The White House press secretary tried immediately to walk back that term, referring to it during her daily briefing as a “challenge.”

Well, actually it is a crisis. I don’t begrudge the White House press flack for calling it what it is. Those unaccompanied youngsters need our nation’s attention when they cross our border. Their numbers are at 20-year highs. I think I would call it a crisis.

Now, is it a crisis that cannot be repaired? Of course it can! It is possible for the Biden administration to get its arms around the problem. I want the immigration team to get busy crafting a solution.

White House press secretary slips up, calls border migrant surge a ‘crisis’ (msn.com)

I just chuckle and wince at the same time when government officials and their spokespeople get hung on using precise terminology.

I know what she said. I also know what is occurring. There shouldn’t be any need to grammar-check the White House press spokeswoman.