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Gibbs enforces cellphone etiquette

Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor  May 13, 2009 07:02 PM
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For everyone who gets annoyed to no end when a cellphone buzzes during a meeting or chirps during a play, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs lived out a fantasy today.

Interrupted and distracted one too many times during his daily briefings, a fed-up Gibbs walked up to a reporter, grabbed the offending phone, and tossed it.

He was answering a series of questions about President Obama's change of mind on releasing photos of detainee abuse when the cell belonging to John Gizzi of Human Events magazine went off.

"Just put in on vibrate, man," Gibbs complained with a tight smile. "We did this before."

"I'm sorry," Gizzi said.

"That's all right. It's all right," Gibbs said, but then reminded Gizzi it was the third time.

Gibbs started to continue his answer, but then the phone rang again.

"Give me the phone. This is enhanced interrogation technique," said Gibbs, who then walked into the hallway and threw the phone.

"He threw your phone," another reporter said.

"Somebody caught it, no worries," Gibbs replied.

Amazingly, a second phone -- this one belonging to Bill Plante of CBS -- went off, infuriating Gibbs anew.

"You, too?" he asked. "You want to do this, too? Here, come on."

Before he could confiscate it, Plante left the room to take the call.

But not before Gibbs got in a shot: "I assume it's your banker, with a suit like that."

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About Political Intelligence

Glen Johnson Glen Johnson is Politics Editor at boston.com and lead blogger for "Political Intelligence." He moved to Massachusetts in the fourth grade, and has covered local, state, and national politics for over 25 years. E-mail him at johnson@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globeglen.
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