Just for fun, Mr. President-elect?

"Does Obama not think it's important for the press to elucidate serious differences between leading political figures?"

It's important for the some of the press to get a life and figure out the difference between substance and detritus. The Bush era is OVER!!!!

Of all people, the media should know what is campaign "rhetoric" and how the great realities of our time may dictate personel decisions and policy. Campaigns are like 12 month job interviews......one of the ways to measure yourself UP is to knock down your adversaries claims. But once the public's decision is made, it is best to find the common ground and utilize everyone's strengths...including your most adversarial opponent. The dems get nothing done if they are not united...and united they ARE. Of course the right leaning talking heads and those inn the media who NEED a story will try to push a wdge into the mix......but really, how transparent is that effort. Liken it to how little or how much a professional football coach says in his press conferences. You know you are being lied to and it really doesn't matter. Campaign comments and claims are always "stretches" of the truth -- it matters not to anybody, except the questioner.

Oh, please. We have endured 8 years of a president who wouldn't know the truth if it asked him out for drinks. And the media barely noticed, and certainly failed to comment, when he wantonly lied about matters of tremendous substance.

I also think that it's possible that both of Mr. Obama's statements are true - Mrs. Clinton may have exaggerated her experience (remember the whole 'dodging' bullets story?) during the campaign. She may also be very capable of international diplomacy. This is a ridiculous red herring, and an embarrassment given the media's lack of substance during the Bush years.

Well, the sky has opened and celestial choirs are singing Halleluja to Secretary of State Clinton. LOL. Is that equally revealing of Clinton as well? Obama hasn't even taken office yet, and the press is trying to cut him down already. I agree with qudrcps... the press really needs to find somethign better to do.

If the press was really interested in pushing campaign rhetoric- where was the uproar over Bush's campaigning against Gore over gas prices? Bush ran on lower gas prices for Americans if he was elected. Where is your outrage and questioning of that rhetoric? I guess the news depends on the political view of the reporter and editors.

Scott Helman (this blogger) is "insulted" that Obama thinks he is having fun. Heaven Forbid! Mr. Helman is a *professional*. He has been "belittled" by the president-elect. Mr. Obama didn't say reporters aren't important; he didn't say they shouldn't compare the future president's words with his actions. He did say they have fun stirring things up, and he said there's nothing wrong with that. That's exactly what the press does. They stir things up, they make people pay attention, and they try to attract readers. I hope they have fun too.

Mr. Obama did not belittle The Press. He realizes they have an important job to do just as he has. They will do their job and he will do his. Even the President has fun sometimes.

As Secretary of State, Clinton is an advisor to Obama. The final word is still his, therefore he doesn't have to bring in someone who agrees with his every opinion, a Yes-man of the Bush persuasion. Bringing in different opinions from his own is a GOOD thing.

Well, there is a difference between campaign policy positions and campaign rhetoric about your opponent. It is useful for the media to point out differences in Obama's campaign policies and promises and what he is saying and doing now. I'm not sure it is particularly meaningful to talk about what he said about Clinton, McCain or anyone else. I think it is generally understood that in a presidential campaign there is going to be heated rhetoric about your opponent, since it is unfortunately neccessary to not just convince the electorate why they should vote for you, but why they should not vote the other person.

Now that the true intentions of the media has been outed, perhaps you will all take a refresher course in journalism....

This is just the beginning of Obama pulling back from his campaign speeches and promises. Up next: middle class tax cuts, getting out of Iraq in 16 months, and ending tax cuts for the wealthy and "large" corporations (how a company netting 250k a year is a "large corporation" is beyond me, but I digress).

You heard it here first: none of these will be accomplished during his first term - and then he'll campaign on the same platform in 2012 and all the moonbats will re-elect him.

Excellent Team... Ms. Clinton is a good person and has what it takes to be the Secretary of State. We have to employ people with strength.

I love all these hypocrites who read the Globe/Boston.com. During the campaign they were eating up all the attacks on McCain and Palin but now that the press is actually SORT OF doing its job (finally!) and asking Obama to reconcile some of his past statements, everyone is up in arms. I know you guys want the press to tip toe around him like they have for the past two years but he's no longer a candidate and he should be taken to task.

After the (sometimes well deserved) lashing Bush has taken over the last four years, Obama better be criticized for his words, and criticized often. This might be fun after all........

It is pretty hard to tell now who is the most shallow and incompetent, Bush and his administration or the media.

The media is incompetent and needs to grow up. Instead of making up this drama between Barack and Hillary and talking about how Gates is a token republican and setting Obama up to fail, why don't you people do your jobs for once and report on the fact Bush is still trying to do damaging things to this country. You are nothing but a pack of paparazzi who are pressing about Clinton. Get over it and grow up. This country needs real journalists back!

By the way I hold you, the MSM, partly responsible for this idiot Bush destroying our country. 90 percent of you need to be fired!!!

Hillary Clinton was not an acceptable choice as president because she did not show the flexibility that would be needed as president. But as Sec. of State with Obama setting the policy she would in fact be excellent. She is well know and overall has good relations with foreign nations. She is tough and could play the bad cop while Obama is the good cop. It is not apparent to me that there is any inconsistency between his present position and that of the campaign. Mrs Clinton was Obama's adversary or rival, not his enemy or someone who was not also well qualified.

WOW!
Looking at these comments is a mind blowing experience. The mental contortions that Obama's supporters put themselves through to justify his actions is staggering.
Could anyone else in the history of this world be granted such a wide latitude as Obama does form his adoring fans?
Some day these people will wake up out of their stupor, and they are going suffer the worst hangover of their lives.
Just know this, Obama realizes that he has his followers eating out of his hands and he is manipulating you all in the same manner that some of the worlds most tyrannical cult leaders have in the past. This should frighten you, if you still have an ounce of lucidity.