President Obama Misused His Privilege in Fake Jobs Press Conference

Should the president of the United States use the privilege of a White House press conference to politick against a presidential candidate?

Isn't that like a congressman using office stationery to send out reelection letters -- only worse, because he is the president of the United States?

President Barack Obama

President Barack Obama announced he was going to hold a press conference Friday on job growth and the economic issues dogging the nation. He barely touched on the subject.

Instead, he launched into an attack on presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, telling reporters and voters to look closely at his record.

Obama hit Trump indirectly on the lack of detail in his policy plans, and urged the media and voters to vet candidates' policies.

"He has a long record that needs to be examined," Obama said. "I think it's important for us to take seriously the statements he's made in the past."

Said the president, "I just want to emphasize the degree of which we are in serious times, and this is a really serious job. This is not entertainment. This is not a reality show. This is a contest for the presidency of the United States."

He said a lot more than that, but you get the drift. Why aren't the media screaming bloody murder about this?

Nothing untoward about what he said, if that's what he wanted to say. It's where he said it and how he said it -- on a pretense, and in the American people's -- not his -- White House. 

It was wrong, Mr. President, and you know it.