A First and Lasts at Today’s Obama News Conference

By Chris Ariens 

Comings and goings for the TV press corps at today’s White House news conference.

This is the first newser for Jessica Yellin, as CNN’s Chief White House correspondent.

And this could be the final White House news conference for CBS’ Chip Reid and FNC’s Mike Emanuel. Reid becomes National correspondent ahead of former NBCer Norah O’Donnell’s arrival at the White House for CBS next month. Emanuel is moving to the Hill for FNC ahead of the arrival of former CNN White House helmer Ed Henry at Fox News.

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NBC’s Chuck Todd fronted today’s NBC News special (on MSNBC), but the network is still down one correspondent since Savannah Guthrie moved to New York earlier this month to co-anchor the third hour of “Today.” Ron Mott and Kristen Welker have been filling in, but NBC hasn’t made a final call.

  • Ben Feller of the Associated Press got the first question.

Obama to Feller on debt ceiling negotiations: “I think that what we have seen in the negotiations here in Washington is a lot of people say a lot of things to satisfy their base or to get on cable news, but that hopefully leaders at a certain point rise to the occasion and they do the right thing for the American people.”

  • NBC’s Chuck Todd got the second question.
  • Bloomberg TV’s Julianna Goldman got the third question.
  • Mark Landler of the New York Times got the fourth question.
  • FNC’s Mike Emanuel got the fifth question.
  • ABC’s Jim Scuitto, who as ABC’s senior foreign correspondent is rarely on the White House beat, got the sixth question.
  • Laura Meckler of the Wall Street Journal got the seventh question.
  • Antonieta Cadiz of El Mercurio newspapers got the eighth question.
  • Jessica Yellin was next. Obama: “Congratulations. Your first question here. No pressure. You’re going to do great.”
  • Caren Bohan of Reuters got question 10.

The newser wrapped up at 12:46pmET, 67 minutes after it started.

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