Obama’s WH Chief of Staff Holds Daily, Secret Calls With Pals in Media

Publius' Forum ^ | 1/30/09 | Warner Todd Huston

[Mobile Vulgus]

Politico reports that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel holds daily chit chat sessions with several Old Media pals every morning to start his day. Apparently Emanuel has for years been involved with daily bull sessions to plan media coverage and ideological strategy with CNN's James Carville and Paul Begala, as well as ABC's George Stephanopoulos, with the occasional participation of pollster Stan Greenberg. But there is one little problem with this daily palling around with mediots these days: Emanuel now works for the White House.

As Politico's John Harris notes, "in any given news cycle, it is quite likely that Washington’s prevailing political and media interpretation -- at least on the Democratic side -- is being hatched on these calls." In light of this early morning scheming, one has to wonder where the supposed autonomy of the media is if they are being programed by the Obama White House in off the record, secret and daily conversations? Where is their objectivity if these media mavens are all assisting Emanuel mould and shape the news to further a specific ideological goal?

Even worse, where are the people that would normally decry a chummy, personal and secretive relationship between Emanuel, a partisan government operative recently called the second most powerful man in Washington, and major members of the Old Media? Where's the outrage that the Obama administration is secretly programing media coverage?

Read the rest at Publiusforum.com...

[Mobile Vulgus]

One more example of media sold out to Obama.

[xcamel]

Dupe of:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2174099/posts
(copied material)

[dblshot]

Talking points directly from the White House chief of staff, and who was accused of getting talking points from the Bush WH? And by whom? Hmmmm

[massgopguy]

Nothing new. In 2000 Al Gore had all the heads of the network news divisions except for FOC meet at his residence to discuss how to cover the eletion. Common Night Walkers.

[devane617]

See my tagline....