Obama turns to Web to bypass news media

WASHINGTON: Call it Round Two of the news conference, with a big Internet twist.

President Barack Obama took questions from the White House press corps on Tuesday in a prime-time, East Room session that represented the most formal and time-honored of president-and-reporter interactions.

Yesterday, he was taking to that same room for another public grilling - this time by regular folks armed with questions submitted via the Internet and in person, as part of a political strategy to engage Americans directly. "It's a way for the president to do what he enjoys doing out on the road, but saves on gas," press secretary Robert Gibbs siad.