Gibbs Wins Standoff With Indian Security to Get Full Press Pool Into Meeting

Robert Gibbs literally got his foot in the door and threatened that he would pull President Obama out of a meeting with India’s prime minister today when Indian security tried to cut back on the number of U.S. reporters allowed into the session, according to Fox News. The press secretary got tough when Indian security officials said only five reporters from the White House press pool would be allowed in the meeting between Obama and Prime Minister Manmoham Singh instead of the eight stipulated in advance.

The meeting between Obama and the prime minister, who also met during the G-20 summit in England in 2009 (photo left) and during the Indian official's state visit to the United States, proceeded only after Indian officials capitulated, Fox reported.

Several U.S. officials pressed in vain to let all eight reporters in, but Indian officials yielded only when Gibbs literally stuck his foot in the door of Hyderabad House where the meeting was taking place and asked security officials whether they intended to break his foot, Fox reported.

“That whole group is going in because they’re going in with me,” Fox quoted Gibbs as insisting.