Incompetent Press

This isn't strictly Alaska-related but today's account of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's press conference is classic:

The news conference veered off into an unruly question-and-answer session, with reporters praising the president, questioning him and some jumping from their seats demanding that their questions be taken. The president politely admonished one reporter, saying he needed to behave better.

One reporter said he had no question but wanted to recite poetry.

A reporter for a small newspaper called The Path of the People stood to ask a question and said: “I was hoping when you arrived I would share my pain with you. Now I have no pain in my heart, only happiness.”

I have been to a few press conferences in my short time as a reporter, though none that are nearly as entertaining as this (though last weekend's joint Rumsfeld / Ivanov availability had the potential to come close). I guess it's as possible in Iran as it is in the United States to be blinded by the star quality of the person you're interviewing.