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White House Press Corps Happy to Attend Barack Obama's Off-the-Record BBQ
Gawker ^ | 7/9/09 | John Cook

Posted on 07/09/2009 7:19:02 PM PDT by JRochelle

Reporters from roughly 30 television networks, newspapers, magazines, and web sites celebrated the Fourth of July with Barack Obama at the White House last weekend. Why didn't you know that? Because they were sworn to secrecy.

We reported yesterday that Politico's Mike Allen was spotted milling about as a guest at the White House's "backyard bash" by the pool reporter, who was allowed into the event for 40 minutes and kept in a pen before being ushered out. When Allen quoted from the pool report in his Playbook column the next day, he deleted a reference to his own name and didn't bother to tell his readers that he was actually at the party.

Well, he wasn't alone. Gawker has learned that the White House gave tickets to virtually every major news organization that covers the president—the New York Times, Washington Post, Newsweek, Time, ABC News, NBC News, CNN, CBS News, and so on, about 30 in all. The reporters were invited to attend on the following condition:

"You are being invited to attend this event as a guest. Blogging, Twittering or otherwise reporting on this event is not permitted. If you feel that you cannot agree to abide by these ground rules, please don't claim a ticket."

That's right: Much of the White House press corps spent the Fourth schmoozing with White House staffers, catching performances by the Foo Fighters and Jimmy Fallon, and watching the fireworks from the most exclusive vantage point in the D.C. metro area, all off the record—not to mention off-the-Facebook and off-the-Twitter. These are the same people who just a week ago were whining in the press briefing about Obama's malicious and dastardly attempts to "control the press."

There is a cosmic irony at work here: The party was "closed press." (Ha!)

(Excerpt) Read more at gawker.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; Government
KEYWORDS: 20090704; abcnews; allen; bbq; bho44; bhopress; biasedmedia; cbsnews; cnn; independenceday2009; mediabias; mikeallen; msm; nbcnews; newsweek; newyorktimes; obama; politico; staterunmedia; synchronizingwatches; time; washingtonpost
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To: JoeDetweiler

Crawford was Bush’s own house. The White House is not
Obama’s property. There’s the difference.


21 posted on 07/09/2009 8:39:00 PM PDT by P-Marlowe (LPFOKETT GAHCOEEP-w/o*)
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To: eggman

“Slight difference there. Bush was inviting them to his private home. Obama was using the White House and undoubtedly taxpayer money went to buying the silence and goodwill of the press.”

Bingo! Just like we are now paying for Obama’s dates to New York, his family vacations in Europe, pizza flown in from Chicago, waguyu beef, champagne, and lobster, elaborate cocktail parties with expensive hollywood entertainment every wednesday night and the list goes on and on!

Obama and the democrats are robbing us all blind and putting our children and grandchildren in debt.


22 posted on 07/09/2009 8:47:01 PM PDT by penelopesire ("The only CHANGE you will get with the Democrats is the CHANGE left in your pocket")
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To: JRochelle

Nothing like meeting to get the spin straight on the cap and trade carbon indulgences bill while serving carbonized meat. Or did they forgo the charcoal grill and use a solar oven instead?


23 posted on 07/10/2009 12:46:30 AM PDT by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge)
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To: Venturer
The transparency Obama promised has turned into us being able to see right through him.

One big frat party, with no one allowed to tell where the bodies are buried because they are all suspects.

This is awful, the press will be in the tank for Obama now!

LOL

24 posted on 07/10/2009 1:26:59 AM PDT by Syncro
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To: JRochelle

Was FOXNews represented there?


25 posted on 07/10/2009 4:41:16 AM PDT by cranked
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To: JoeDetweiler

Ok so Bush did it? But we can still make it a issue with Obama, right? Come on man, get with the program :)


26 posted on 07/10/2009 5:45:45 AM PDT by Friendofgeorge ( Yes I Love Sarah Palin!! I wish she was mine.)
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To: JoeDetweiler
Sorry Joe

I send this again because I think it came out wrong. I was making a dumb joke! I was saying we should use it against Obama even if GW did the same thing.

I can not stand Obama so we should use whatever we can find...even if we said nothing about GW doing the same. All is fair in love and war right? LOL

27 posted on 07/10/2009 9:23:00 AM PDT by Friendofgeorge ( Yes I Love Sarah Palin!! I wish she was mine.)
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To: Friendofgeorge

He wears shoes. You can use that if you want. Just don’t expect me to get too excited about it.


28 posted on 07/10/2009 10:00:48 AM PDT by JoeDetweiler
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To: JRochelle

I guess it wasn’t exactly Independence Day for the press.

Mark Levin was really on top of this one last night.

Linked at http://www.marklevinshow.com/Article.asp?id=1406421&spid=32345


29 posted on 07/10/2009 10:28:32 AM PDT by H.Akston
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To: penelopesire

The pigs have truly moved into the Manor Farm, and have found the key to the liquor cabinet.


30 posted on 07/10/2009 10:48:48 AM PDT by H.Akston (Sub-prime lending was the democrats' fourth veto of welfare reform.)
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