President Elect Obama First Press Conference (Anyone Find Obama/Candy-Cnn ?s/Answers Interesting?)

[kpete]

I found their exchange fascinating - what is it that Obama is (or is not)telling us...hmmmm? kpete

...................

Question: You are now privy to a lot of intelligence that you haven't had access to before, in fact, much of what the president sees, I'm sure all of it.

First of all, do you -- what do you think about the state of U.S. intelligence, whether you think it needs beefing up, whether you think there's enough interaction between the various agencies?

And, second of all, has anything that you've heard given you pause about anything you've talked about on the campaign trail?

.........................

Obama: Well, as you know, if -- if there was something I had heard, I couldn't tell you. But...

Question: (off-mike)

Obama: I have received intelligence briefings. And I will make just a general statement.

Our intelligence process can always improve. I think it has gotten better. And, you know, beyond that, I don't think I should comment on the nature of the intelligence briefings.

That was a two-parter. Was there another aspect to that?

Question: Well, just whether -- you know, absent what you've heard...

Obama: OK, I get you.

Question: ... whether anything has given you pause.

Obama: I'm going to skip that.

the whole transcript:
http://us.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/07/obama.conference.transcript/index.html

[babylonsister]

1. Poor Candy. He ain't talking! nt

[elleng]

2. 'Poor Candy?'

He CALLED ON HER!

[babylonsister]

5. You missed my sarcasm. nt

[frogcycle]

3. smart dude

what a breath of fresh air

[Duer 157099]

4. The only thing it says to me is that he's being circumspect

which he should be, especially at this point and about that subject.

I have no doubt that he "had been given pause" - I think *anyone* would, because this outgoing administration has been more secretive than any in history. But the pause could be anything along the whole spectrum, from "wow, I didn't realize how utterly clueless we really are" to "wow, I had no idea of the depths of the penetration of the NSA surveillance activities".