O'Reilly Factor - Left-wing "reporters" met with John Kerry in Al Franken's apartment

03.22.04

[kcvl]

In an effort to galvanize the message Kerry wants to deliver in the time remaining, he convened a powerful roster of journalists and columnists in the New York City apartment of Al Franken last Thursday. The gathering could not properly be called a meeting or a luncheon. It was a trial. The journalists served as prosecuting attorneys, jury and judge. The crowd I joined in Franken’s living room was comprised of:

Al Franken and his wife Franni;
Rick Hertzberg, senior editor for the New Yorker;
David Remnick, editor for the New Yorker;
Jim Kelly, managing editor for Time Magazine;
Howard Fineman, chief political correspondent for Newsweek;
Jeff Greenfield, senior correspondent and analyst for CNN;
Frank Rich, columnist for the New York Times;
Eric Alterman, author and columnist for MSNBC and the Nation;
Art Spiegelman, Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist/author of ‘Maus’;
Richard Cohen, columnist for the Washington Post;
Fred Kaplan, columnist for Slate;
Jacob Weisberg, editor of Slate and author;
Jonathan Alter, senior editor and columnist for Newsweek;
Philip Gourevitch, columnist for the New Yorker;
Calvin Trillin, freelance writer and author;
Edward Jay Epstein, investigative reporter and author;
Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., who needs no introduction.

We sat in a circle around Kerry and grilled him for two long hours. In an age of retail politicians who avoid substance the way vampires avoid sunlight, in an age when the sitting President flounders like a gaffed fish whenever he must speak to reporters without a script, Kerry’s decision to open himself to the slings and arrows of this group was bold and impressive. He was fresh from two remarkable speeches – one lambasting the PATRIOT Act, another outlining his foreign policy ideals while eviscerating the Bush record – and had his game face on. He needed it, because Eric Alterman lit into him immediately on the all-important issue of his vote for the Iraq War Resolution. The prosecution had begun.

[Shermy]

Ed's probably a Kerry supporter
Are you saying that because of the invitation from Al Franken, as described in the article, or do you have some other reason for thinking Epstein is a Democrat?

Just an assumption, an observation not meant to be a criticism of Ed, just something of interest.

Slow news days in our usual topics recently.

:)

[Stakka Skynet]

I mean the bits such as "the journalists served as prosecuting attorneys, jury and judge" and "(Kerry)had his game face on. He needed it, because Eric Alterman lit into him immediately..." (lit in this context must mean dropped to his knees and serviced the senator). The media is a huge threat indeed. I have had friends who generally support Bush (but are pretty ignorant about politics in general) listen to Paul Begala's Bush bashing for an episode or two of Crossfire, and believe every lie he spits from his vile tongue.

[Capt. Tom]

Is it just me, or isn't there an inordinately high percentage of Jews in this group?

Don't forget Kerry isn't Irish anymore. Did you count him. - tom

[wardaddy]

LOL on the Alterman image...yes I can see that.

I don't think I've ever seen the media so desperate to unseat a president (maybe Nixon 72) in my lifetime (46)

[Tribune7]

ping

[hardknocks]

This is absolutely ridiculous... These guys are the same ones trying to label FNC as biased... It makes my head spin... These guys are buddying up w/ the Democratic Candidate in a darned APARTMENT, what a bunch of ballyhoo.

[Purdue Pete]

bttt

[GOPJ]

:)

[GOPJ]

:)

[Trajan88]

What a nasty orgy.

Trajan88

[GOPJ]

Remember a year or so back, when it was discovered that Roger Ailes sent a letter to President Bush after 9/11 asking if there was anything he could do to help the war on terror? The partisan media went ballistic on that!

Shame on the press for this self serving, blatantly obvious conflict of interest. These "reporters and editors" and I gag saying the words when speaking of these people, are playing for the power of the black book. The folks who feed them inside information aren't too useful if they're not in power. And the top guys want their black books to once again reflect power. Is it a sellout when the coin of the realm is inside information?

[GOPJ]

Registered hits another one home.

[kcvl]

I can't imagine why Chris Matthews and Lawrence O'Donnell weren't there. Unless, they were meeting with Carville and Begala, over at the West Wing, or trying out for parts, in the Joe Wilson/Valerie Plame movie, about their book.

[MeekOneGOP]

Yep ! Reg does good stuff !

[GailA]

btt

[hardknocks]

It is like O'Reilly said, can you imagine what would happen if WSJ and FNC were holding secret meetings with ANY of the candidates? It would be all OVER the place... Ugh, I cannot stand these leftist organizations... And CNNN has the gall to call others biased...

[hobbes1]

bump for FEC complaint.

[Political Junkie Too]

Franni Frankin???? Seriously?

It reminds me of Sparkle Farkle, daughter of Fred and Fanny Farkle, neighbor of Ferd Berfle.

-PJ

[kcvl]

bttt

[FlyVet]

Imagine they got a knock on the door, opened it, and there stands Limbaugh, Coulter, Will, Sowell, Steyn, etc.

"Mind if we come in? We have a few questions too, and we just LOVE a good party. The beer's on us!"