by Michelle Lea

Created on: November 10, 2008

Should government candidates be required to hold press conferences and answer questions from the media and the public? My answer to this question is yes, in my own opinion. The public, more than the media, have rights too and I feel that one of our rights as a voter is to be able to get to better know the candidates! We can do this by the press conferences, we can ask questions on issues that are important to us and that just might be a decision maker on which direction we (the citizens) go with our votes in the elections.

For example, the following is a (partial) article on a press conference held in 2006 by the President. After reading the article please tell me whether or not you think it's important to have press conferences. Please read:

"Indian Treaty Room, 10:00 A.M. EST THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Good morning. This week I went to the Pentagon for the swearing-in of our nation's new Secretary of Defense, Bob Gates. Secretary Gates is going to bring a fresh perspective to the Pentagon, and America is fortunate that he has agreed to serve our country once again. I'm looking forward to working with him.
Secretary Gates is going to be an important voice in the Iraq strategy review that's underway. As you know, I've been consulting closely with our commanders and the Joint Chiefs of Staff on the strategy in Iraq, and on the broader war on terror. One of my top priorities during this war is to ensure that our men and women wearing the uniform have everything they need to do their job.
This war on terror is the calling of a new generation; it is the calling of our generation. Success is essential to securing a future of peace for our children and grandchildren. And securing this peace for the future is going to require a sustained commitment from the American people and our military.
We have an obligation to ensure our military is capable of sustaining this war over the long haul, and in performing the many tasks that we ask of them. I'm inclined to believe that we need to increase in the permanent size of both the United States Army and the United States Marines. I've asked Secretary Gates to determine how such an increase could take place and report back to me as quickly as possible.
I know many members of Congress are interested in this issue, and I appreciate their input. As we develop the specifics of the proposals over the coming weeks, I will not only listen to their views, we will work with them to see that this becomes a reality.
Two thousand and six

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