WASHINGTON — Jay Carney is back under the hot lights.
The White House tried its hardest to get rid of three stories that threaten to derail President Obama's second-term agenda last week, but the daily briefing Monday was the latest sign that effort hasn't exactly stuck.
Carney, the White House press secretary, wanted to talk about the historic visit from Thein Sein, the president of Myanmar. The country is an important one in Obama's presidency — he became the first sitting president to visit the Asian nation last year — and Carney wanted to tout the visit to the White House.
Reporters were not interested. They peppered Carney with questions about the latest revelations in the IRS scandal (that senior officials inside the White House knew about the upcoming IG report on conservative group targeting in April) and a new story of the federal government reading the emails of a Fox News reporter.
A frustrated Carney tried to change the subject after the two stories were brought up again and again. The White House visit appeared to be off the menu.
"So nobody's gonna ask me about Myanmar?" he asked. No one did.