During President Obama’s press conference yesterday quite a few journalist got schooled presidential style on questions ranging from the President’s response on Iraq to the recent smoking bill that he signed this week.  See the details below.

First up, Major Garret of Fox News:

PRESIDENT: Major Garrett? Where’s Major?

QUESTION: Right here, sir.

In your opening remarks, sir, you said about Iran that you were appalled and outraged. What took you so long?

(CROSSTALK)

PRESIDENT: I don’t think that’s accurate. Track what I’ve been saying. Right after the election I said that we had profound concerns about the nature of the election, but that it was not up to us to determine what the outcome was.

As soon as violence broke out — in fact, in anticipation of potential violence — we were very clear in saying that violence was unacceptable, that that was not how governments operate with respect to their people.

So we’ve been entirely consistent, Major, in terms of how we’ve approached this. My role has been to say the United States is not going to be a foil for the Iranian government to try to blame what’s happening on the streets of Tehran on the CIA or on the White House, that this is an issue that is led by and given voice to the frustrations of the Iranian people.

And so we’ve been very consistent the first day, and we’re going to continue to be consistent in saying this is not an issue about the United States, this is about an issue of the Iranian people.

What we’ve also been consistent about is saying that there are some universal principles, including freedom of assembly and freedom of speech, making sure that governments are not using coercion and violence and repression in terms of how they interact with peaceful demonstrators. And we have been speaking out very clearly about that fact.

QUESTION: Are Iranian diplomats still welcome at the embassy on Fourth of July, sir?

PRESIDENT: Well, I think as you’re aware, Major, we don’t have formal diplomatic relations with…

POOWWW!

Next up, Chip Reid of CBS:

PRESIDENT: Chip?

QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President.

Following up on Major’s question, some Republicans on Capitol Hill, John McCain and Lindsey Graham, for example, have said that up to this point your response on Iran has been timid and weak.

Today it sounded a lot stronger. It sounded like the kind of speech John McCain has been urging you to give, saying that those who stand up for justice are always on the right side of history, referring to an iron fist in Iran, deplore, appalled, outraged.

Were you influenced at all by John McCain and Lindsey Graham accusing you of being timid and weak?

PRESIDENT: What do you think?

(LAUGHTER)

Look, the — you know, I think John McCain has genuine passion about many of these international issues. And, you know, I think that all of us share a belief that we want justice to prevail.

But only I’m the president of the United States. And I’ve got responsibilities in making certain that we are continually advancing our national security interests and that we are not used as a tool to be exploited by other countries.

I mean, you guys must have seen the reports. They’ve got some of the comments that I’ve made being mistranslated in Iran, suggesting that I’m telling rioters to go out and riot some more. There are reports suggesting that the CIA is behind all this. All of which patently false. But it gives you a sense of the narrative that the Iranian government would love to play into.

So the — you know, members of Congress, they’ve got their constitutional duties, and I’m sure they will carry them out in the way that they think is appropriate. I’m president of the United States, and I’ll carry out my duties as I think are appropriate.

BAAMMM!

Here comes Chuck Todd of MSNBC:

PRESIDENT: Chuck Todd?

QUESTION: Mr. President, I want to follow up on Iran. You have avoided, twice, spelling out consequences. You’ve hinted that there would be from the international community, if they continue to violate — and you said “violate these norms.” You seemed to hint that there — there are human rights violations taking place.

PRESIDENT: I’m not hinting. I think that when a young woman gets shot on the street when she gets out of her car, that’s a problem.

QUESTION: Then why won’t you spell out the consequences that the Iranian people…

PRESIDENT: Because I think that we don’t know yet how this thing is going to play out. I know everybody here is on a 24-hour news cycle. I’m not.     [appropriate deafening silence after a slam then moving on] OK?

QUESTION: Shouldn’t — I mean, shouldn’t the world…

(CROSSTALK)

PRESIDENT: I answered — I answered…

QUESTION: … present regime know that there are consequences?

PRESIDENT: I answered your question, which is that we don’t yet know how this is going to play out. OK?

SOOOOCK!

Next, a health care question:

QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President.

Two of the key players in the insurance industry, America’s Health Insurance Plans and Blue Cross/Blue Shield, sent a letter to the Senate this morning saying that a government health insurance plan would, quote, “dismantle,” end quote, private insurers.

QUESTION: Why are they wrong?

[snip]

PRESIDENT: Why would it drive private insurance out of business? If — if private — if private insurers say that the marketplace provides the best quality health care; if they tell us that they’re offering a good deal, then why is it that the government, which they say can’t run anything, suddenly is going to drive them out of business? That’s not logical. 

Now, the — I think that there’s going to be some healthy debates in Congress about the shape that this takes. I think there can be some legitimate concerns on the part of private insurers that if any public plan is simply being subsidized by taxpayers endlessly that over time they can’t compete with the government just printing money, so there are going to be some I think legitimate debates to be had about how this private plan takes shape.

But just conceptually, the notion that all these insurance companies who say they’re giving consumers the best possible deal, if they can’t compete against a public plan as one option, with consumers making the decision what’s the best deal, that defies logic, which is why I think you’ve seen in the polling data overwhelming support for a public plan.

Finally, Margaret from McClatchy News

PRESIDENT: Margaret from McClatchy? Where’s Margaret? There you go.

QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President.  As a former smoker, I understand the frustration and the fear that comes with quitting. But with the new law that you signed yesterday regulating the tobacco industry, I’d like to ask you a few questions. How many cigarettes a day…

PRESIDENT: A few questions?

QUESTION: Well…

(LAUGHTER)

QUESTION: … how many cigarettes a day do you now smoke? Do you smoke alone or in the presence of other people? And do you believe the new law should help you to quit? If so, why?

PRESIDENT: Well, the — first of all, the new law that was put in place is not about me. It’s about the next generation of kids coming up. So I think it’s fair, Margaret, to just say that you just think it’s neat to ask me about my smoking as opposed to it being relevant to my new law.

But that’s fine. I understand. It’s an interesting human — it’s an interesting human interest story.

Look, I’ve said before that as a former smoker I constantly struggle with it. Have I fallen off the wagon sometimes? Yes. The — am I a daily smoker, a constant smoker? No. I don’t do it in front of my kids. I don’t do it in front of my family. And, you know, I would say that I am 95 percent cured. But there are times where…

(LAUGHTER)

There are times where I mess up. And I mean, I’ve said this before. I get this question about once every month or so. And, you know, I don’t know what to tell you, other than the fact that, you know, like folks who go to A.A., you know, once you’ve gone down this path, then, you know, it’s something you continually struggle with, which is precisely why the legislation we signed was so important, because what we don’t want is kids going down that path in the first place.

And the President’s work is done.  Main stream media obliterated in the final round.