Obama Meets the Press, First Question to FNC's Major Garrett

Pres. Obama made a rare appearance at the daily press briefing today taking questions from the assembled White House Press Corps, with the first question going to Fox News correspondent Major Garrett. The second went to ABC's Jake Tapper.

The last press time Pres. Obama had a full scale news conference was in July. Just yesterday, The Washington Post's Howard Kurtz spoke with members of the press corps who were not happy with the lack of access to Obama. "It's a source of great frustration here," said CBS's Chip Reid.

Developing...

> 1:48pm: After the third question, Obama says he'll take two more questions... "I just want to be sure I'm getting a balance here," says the president who then calls on NBC's Chuck Todd. Todd's colleagues groan. "He's too good, his questions are going to be too precise," says a colleague.

> 1:53pm: ABC News Radio's Ann Compton got the last question. "Thank you for doing this, it's been a while," says Compton.

> 1:59pm: Obama takes one more question related to jobs.

> More: The briefing became a Twitterpalooza. As NBC's Savannah Guthrie snapped a Twitpic of Garrett asking his question, White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton tries to keep the press corps to focused.

> More, more: No Helen Thomas in the front row. "I guess she's snowed in," speculates an insider.

The view from Savannah's seat, after the jump...

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