White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs made adult men regress to their school years as he snatched a cellphone away from a reporter during his daily briefing wednesday. As it was, the event progressed during a slightly akward atmosphere of embarrassment, comparable only to that of a teacher taking away a passing note from mischievous students, just so did Secretary Gibbs confiscate Human Event’s John Gizzi’s mobile phone and toss it out the back door, an act one reporter dubbed the “Gibbs’ Interrogation Technique”.

“Come on, let me see this thing.” Robert Gibbs, asking for John Gizzi’s mobile phone

Standing in stupor, you kind of felt for the guy as a mix of outrage, shame and embarrassment danced over this reporter’s face, specially when he looks at the cameras and reality dawns on him, he was on national television. But luckily for him the fun didn’t stop there.

Walking back into the room Gibbs assured the man that his phone was fine, “Somebody caught it, don’t worry” he said, and walked up to the podium when, as if heaven threw in a lifeline to save the first man, a second cellphone rang; drawing laughter from the gathered press and a shift of attention to the new phone.

“You too?” asked Gibbs, this time directing his attention at White House reporter Bill Plante. Plante after a brief moment of heckling from Gibbs, stood up and walked out of the briefing. A clearly displeased, but still humored Secretary Gibbs interjected by saying “I assume it’s your banker with a suit like that”, touche.

Secretary Gibbs ended the interlude by saying “Cotton candy down the street, its a circus.”

Photo Credit: Reuters