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WND banned from covering Capitol (Paul Sperry)
WorldNet Daily ^ | 8/7/02 | Joseph Farah

Posted on 08/06/2002 11:32:43 PM PDT by glorygirl

Posted: August 7, 2002 1:00 a.m. Eastern

© 2002 WorldNetDaily.com

America's founders, fearing the day would come when Congress would make laws restricting the free press, crafted the First Amendment to the Constitution as a special protection against such abuse.

They understood without a vibrant, independent watchdog, government would become too powerful, exceed its authority and the people would be deliberately kept in the dark about what Washington was doing.

That time has come – despite the founders' clear provisions designed to prevent such abuses.

Last week, in a secret meeting, the Standing Committee of Correspondents, an official institution of Congress funded by tax dollars, banned WorldNetDaily Washington Bureau Chief Paul Sperry from covering the Capitol.

It was the ultimate act of spiteful arrogance that followed 18 months of stalling and excuse-making by the committee, which has searched in vain for any legitimate reason to block WorldNetDaily from the accreditation process that would give the independent newssite unfettered access to the Capitol.

Until last week, the committee had simply refused to grant permanent accreditation to WorldNetDaily, but provided limited access through day passes. Now, even the day passes have been revoked.

According to the committee's chairman, William L. Roberts III, himself a journalist for Bloomberg News Service, there wasn't even a vote by the five-member board. There was no notice of the meeting. No hearing preceded it.

The latest reason for turning away WorldNetDaily from the Capitol? The attorney for the committee says the unprecedented action was meant as punishment for Sperry for allegedly making "factually inaccurate" statements at the appeals hearing last April.

Accusing Sperry of misleading the committee is the latest in a long list of excuses used to deny WND unfettered access to Congress.

First, WND was told the committee had no rules governing Internet-based media. The next objection was WorldNetDaily's association with the nonprofit Western Journalism Center, from which it was spun off three years ago. Then came erroneous charges that WND takes money from businessman Richard Mellon Scaife, whom the Clinton administration alleged directed a vast, right-wing media conspiracy. Then questions arose regarding WorldNetDaily's non-existent connections to Judicial Watch. In the end, the committee settled on an alleged shortage of "original content" on the newssite as a main basis for denying WND accreditation.

Nevertheless, through the entire fishing expedition, Paul Sperry was permitted access to the Capitol through the indignity and inconvenience of day passes. Last week, he was informed that he would no longer be welcome in the Capitol at all.

This is the same Paul Sperry, by the way, who not only was previously accredited to cover the Capitol but who, as the former Washington bureau chief of Investor's Business Daily, actually decided which other reporters from his news organization would be accredited by the committee.

Now, it should be clear to one and all that this committee is discriminating against WorldNetDaily because of its independent, muckraking reputation.

The committee, comprised by William L. Roberts III of Bloomberg Business News, Donna M. Smith of Reuters, Scott Shepard of Cox Newspapers, Jack Torry of the Columbus Dispatch and James Kuhnhenn of Knight Ridder, has managed to insulate itself from criticism and accountability. So it's time to go over their heads and make the Senate Rules Committee accountable for this egregious First Amendment violation.

It's not Sperry who is lying to these self-appointed press police. It's they who are lying to the American people and to themselves about their own inexcusable, un-American actions.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Constitution/Conservatism; Government
KEYWORDS: farah; mediabias; washingtonreporters; wnd; worldnetdaily
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Guess this is what happens when you ask too many pointed questions. And I wonder how long WND will be "welcome" at the White House?
1 posted on 08/06/2002 11:32:44 PM PDT by glorygirl
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To: honway; backhoe; lawdog; OKCSubmariner; Alamo-Girl; BlackVeil; Nancie Drew; Nita Nupress; ...
ping
2 posted on 08/06/2002 11:34:24 PM PDT by glorygirl
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To: glorygirl
I believe they did the same thing when Clinton was in the WH. Same old, same old.
3 posted on 08/06/2002 11:40:01 PM PDT by Fred Mertz
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To: Fred Mertz
Nevertheless, it is wrong. I would urge anyone who believes in freedom of the press to visit the source page and email everyone linked. Most Freepers b**ch and moan about the media, WND is one of the few media organizations DOES ask questions and probe where no one else is willing to go.




















4 posted on 08/06/2002 11:43:55 PM PDT by glorygirl
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To: glorygirl
people...i don't have to list all of the things being done by our government(no, not our government...it is no longer ours...it is simply the government) to take OUR country away from you and me...certain segments of our society...and correspondents with similar leanings to WND...HAVEN'T WE HAD ENOUGH...HOW MUCH FURTHER IS THIS GOING TO GO BEFORE WE THE PEOPLE STAND UP...MR. ROBINSON...I implore you to help us utilize the POWER OF THIS SITE to start a massave letter, fax, phone campaign along with street demonstrations for those who are able NOW...we just can't sit back and see this go further...if i am being an alarmist...please forgive me...but just look around at just the lies alone being fed to us by the govt....which are enuf for heads to roll...most of us read yesterday's article on the OKC bombing...if only half of that article is accurate we are headed for totalitarianism...i am in a position to devote full time to this and i pledge that if you will guide me and hopefully us, i will do exactly that
5 posted on 08/06/2002 11:48:01 PM PDT by gPal
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To: glorygirl
The solution is simple: sue. Sue the Standing Committee, sue the individuals that compose it. Sue Tom Daschle and Dennis Hastert in their capacities as the current leaders of Congress. Go Scientologist on their asses. He'll get his pass, just so they can make it all go away.
6 posted on 08/06/2002 11:51:18 PM PDT by Timesink
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Bump for a later read
7 posted on 08/06/2002 11:53:02 PM PDT by Mo1
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To: gPal
Yes, I am aware that these slugs are supposed to be an independent committee but I would never be convinced that this could have happened without the backing from a group of very powerful politicians!
8 posted on 08/06/2002 11:56:47 PM PDT by gPal
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To: Timesink
Yes, you are right. Sounds like a job for Judicial Watch. I am probably naive about these things but can we get behind them?
9 posted on 08/06/2002 11:59:30 PM PDT by gPal
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To: Jim Robinson
see post #5, please
10 posted on 08/07/2002 12:00:42 AM PDT by glorygirl
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To: glorygirl
Thanks for posting.
11 posted on 08/07/2002 12:05:22 AM PDT by Michael2001
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To: glorygirl
BBTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
12 posted on 08/07/2002 12:06:08 AM PDT by lawdog
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To: gPal
How about we all E-mail Rush on this. He likes WND.
13 posted on 08/07/2002 12:06:14 AM PDT by MedicalMess
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To: MedicalMess
bump
14 posted on 08/07/2002 12:09:16 AM PDT by timestax
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To: timestax
Rush@eibnet.com
15 posted on 08/07/2002 12:12:07 AM PDT by MedicalMess
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To: MedicalMess
I was going to suggest that myself.
16 posted on 08/07/2002 12:12:33 AM PDT by glorygirl
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To: gPal
NOOOO, every time Judical Watch starts a new project, I get 10 new direct mailings asking for money.
17 posted on 08/07/2002 12:14:02 AM PDT by bybybill
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To: Fred Mertz
And now Clinton is out of office and I am still up at goofy hours. What is your excuse, Fred?
18 posted on 08/07/2002 12:22:37 AM PDT by Lion Den Dan
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To: glorygirl
Here are some relevant documents on rules and accreditation -

Google search - Standing Committee of Correspondents'

19 posted on 08/07/2002 12:31:55 AM PDT by HAL9000
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To: HAL9000
from one of those "rules" links....

3. The Standing Committee of Correspondents shall limit membership in the press galleries to bone fide correspondents of repute in their profession, under such rules as the Standing Committee of Correspondents shall prescribe.

4. Provided, however, that the Standing Committee of Correspondents shall admit to the galleries no person who does not establish to the satisfaction of the Standing Committee all of the following:

(a) That his or her principal income is obtained from news correspondence intended for publication in newspapers entitled to second-class mailing privileges.

(b) That he or she is not engaged in paid publicity or promotion work or in prosecuting any claim before Congress or before any department of the government, and will not become so engaged while a member of the galleries.

(c) That he or she is not engaged in any lobbying activity and will not become so engaged while a member of the galleries.

20 posted on 08/07/2002 12:43:00 AM PDT by glorygirl
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