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SIMPLE PLEASURES

Reporters Delighted Over Robert Gibbs’ ‘Rising Podium’ Trick

So ha ha, funny story: Robert Gibbs, he has this podium that he stands behind during press conferences, and it can be raised and lowered with no apparent effort, much like a levitating hippie. The simple mechanical act is enough to make Chuck Todd squeal with glee. The Washington press corps has not experienced such a giney-tickling thrill since the Jonas brothers played. [YouTube]


3:58 PM on Mon March 23 2009
By Sara K. Smith
1439 Views

  1. loudmouthredhead says at 4:02 pm, March 23rd, 2009

    Please don’t ever mention Chuck Todd’s squealing giney ever again Sara..

  2. loudmouthredhead says at 4:03 pm, March 23rd, 2009

    Also, who wanted to take Gibbs to T.G.I.Friday’s after this briefing? Please don’t say Helen Thomas

  3. Custerwolf says at 4:03 pm, March 23rd, 2009

    And according to the newscrawl ‘newspapers fold.’

  4. Mr Blifil says at 4:03 pm, March 23rd, 2009

    Ooohhh Aaaahhhh, now let’s get back to the business of burning money…

  5. bitchincamaro says at 4:04 pm, March 23rd, 2009

    Dow up, podium up, economy collapsing. All good.

  6. BillyClubb says at 4:05 pm, March 23rd, 2009

    That loud mechanical sound was the built-in whorebot servicing Robert Gibbs (he just pressed the “BJ” button on the side of the podium). As you can see from his expression and the faces of the people in the audience, that whorebot does a fine “job”.

  7. loudmouthredhead says at 4:08 pm, March 23rd, 2009

    Did Gibbs push the button to activate the molesto-tron 3000 ™ under Chuck Todd’s chair? No wonder the press has been so “agreeable” of late…

  8. The Unfairman says at 4:08 pm, March 23rd, 2009

    Custerwolf:

    To quote Mr. Gibbs: “Ah, technology, right?”

  9. americanscandoanything says at 4:08 pm, March 23rd, 2009

    blessed are the easily amused

  10. Giant Robot says at 4:09 pm, March 23rd, 2009

    No boner joke? Biden would’ve made a boner joke.

  11. Canuckledragger says at 4:11 pm, March 23rd, 2009

    Yeah, but Chuck Todd squeals with glee every time I do the ancient “pull my finger” joke, too.

    He’s like a six year old. Without the worldliness.

  12. norbizness says at 4:14 pm, March 23rd, 2009

    This recalls the George HW Bush/Michael Dukakis (Dana Carvey/Jon Lovitz) Presidential debates in ‘88 on SNL, where the vertically challenged Duke had a hydraulic lift.

    It also included the classic line “I can’t believe I’m losing to this guy” and “I am the son of Greek immigrants. My parents were little people - little swarthy people.” What the hell happened to that show?

  13. MARCdMan says at 4:16 pm, March 23rd, 2009

    No he just hit the button that electrifies the seat of every blogger in the room.

  14. shortsshortsshorts says at 4:20 pm, March 23rd, 2009

    IM SURE THEY WONT BE LAUGHING WHEN HE’S DONE SHOOTING UP THE PLACE. RUN FER YER LIVES!!!!!!1

  15. gurukalehuru says at 4:21 pm, March 23rd, 2009

    I don’t believe he answered the question.

    Somewhere, Scott McLellan is smacking his forehead.

  16. Colander says at 4:24 pm, March 23rd, 2009

    He just turned on the snark detector. He’s trying to save journalism.

  17. thatonegirlsays says at 4:24 pm, March 23rd, 2009

    I’m always disappointed that he is not CJ Cregg.

  18. Holding Out for a Hero says at 4:24 pm, March 23rd, 2009

    Someone explain to me WTF Chip Reid was doing with his hands in that clip…on second thought don’t!

  19. Texan Bulldoggette says at 4:25 pm, March 23rd, 2009

    Gee, the look on Chip Reid’s face was priceless. Guess that means he’s no longer mad at Gibbs’ dissing his buddy Dick.

  20. Accordion-o-rama says at 4:27 pm, March 23rd, 2009

    Continuing escalation in the vertical camera angle wars (shoot from below to enhance subject’s credibility, from above to undermine it). FOX, having spent the last eight years shooting W-admin press conferences prone, will now be issuing their cameramen jet packs to neutralize O’s latest technology.

    http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED130360&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED130360

  21. loudmouthredhead says at 4:28 pm, March 23rd, 2009

    Giant Robot: No, he would have made a COCK joke, my good sir. None of that subtlety stuff. That’s for weenies.

  22. S.Luggo says at 4:30 pm, March 23rd, 2009

    Meh. Rush can do the same thing with his butt dildo.

  23. Lazy Media says at 4:35 pm, March 23rd, 2009

    Actually, he stands ON a podium. He stands BEHIND a lectern. I thought you Harvard girls were supposed to know everything.

  24. Origami says at 4:36 pm, March 23rd, 2009

    Helen Thomas is NOT amused.

  25. Frampton Comes Alive says at 4:38 pm, March 23rd, 2009

    BUT DOES TEH PODIUM HAVE TELEPROMPERZ?!?!11

  26. Presumably it’s to block sudden shoe tosses.

  27. Mr Blifil says at 4:45 pm, March 23rd, 2009

    Why did they book a midget for the warm up act?

  28. WadISay says at 4:54 pm, March 23rd, 2009

    Giant Robot: Dana Perino would have made it taller by cuddling up to it. There’s your goddam boner joke.

  29. Carrie_Okie says at 5:00 pm, March 23rd, 2009

    Giant Robot: <–what I was thinking

  30. Custerwolf says at 5:10 pm, March 23rd, 2009

    Lazy Media: This is the White House briefing room. No one STANDS on the podium. They LIE on it.

  31. Capricatony says at 5:11 pm, March 23rd, 2009

    Magic lectern: the Bush admin’s greatest accomplishment.

  32. El Pinche says at 5:28 pm, March 23rd, 2009

    I don’t mind Todd squealing in ever-luvin delight.
    I just don’t want to see David Gregory dancing and prancing to Jonas Bros or Hillary “bareback” Duff.

  33. AllHat says at 9:47 am, March 24th, 2009

    I can haz new press corps plz

  34. zhubajie says at 10:10 am, March 24th, 2009

    I believe the Byzantine Empire had something like this a thousand years ago.

    Zhu Bajie

  35. liquiddaddy says at 11:50 am, March 24th, 2009

    Mr. Gibbs, is that a mechanical lectern riser or are you just happy to see us?

    BTW, Dick Cheney would have put that sucker through the roof.

  36. teebob2000 says at 1:23 pm, March 24th, 2009

    I know with comely Helen Thomas right in the front there, MY podium would be rising!

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