I got a zippo.
Posted on 02/14/2006 4:39:05 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest
by Mark Finkelstein
February 14, 2006 - 07:33
Imagine you're a member of the media, and in your heart you believe that a major official wouldn't mind seeing you burn to death. Think that might affect the way you cover him?
A comment this morning by veteran CBS reporter Bill Plante, while perhaps intended to be light-hearted, pulled back the curtain on just how antagonistic the White House press corps believes VP Cheney to be toward them. But more importantly, it suggests how antagonistic they likely feel in return.
The topic was the Veep's accidental shooting of hunting partner Harry Whittington, and more particularly the very contentious press conference yesterday between the White House press corps and presidential spokesman Scott McClellan.
Plante claimed that:
"It's not about us, it's not about the reporters. It's about the fact that the White House is expected to disclose any information about what happens to the President and the Vice-President as soon as they can. In any other White House that I've covered, and that's several as you know, the Vice-President would never have this kind of power [to control the flow of information."
Plante then added his zinger:
"But if it were up to Dick Cheney, he wouldn't tell us if our shirts were on fire, for heaven's sake."
Back in New York, Harry Smith broke into nervous laughter, perhaps aware that Plante had let the cat out of the bag on just how much the White House press corps disdains the Vice-President of the United States.
They're so narcissistic that no matter what the story, they turn it around and make it all about themselves.
"But if it were up to Dick Cheney, he wouldn't tell us if our shirts were on fire, for heaven's sake."
Your point???
Has anyone determined the impact of the hunting accident on job productivity over the weekend? They were certainly a busy lot yesterday at the press conference. What a waste. I am almost certain there were more important issues to be addressed.
You nailed it. The US MSM has lost whatever journalistic credentials it had with its failure to publish any of the Danish cartoons. The public's right to know really means what the MSM wants you to know. They are in the infotainment business, not the news business. The Cheney "shooting" story is really more about them than the incident itself. The WH Press Corps is upset because they didn't get the info first.
And I wouldn't cross the street to pi$$ on you if you were on fire.
The accident was reported to Texas authorities within 30 minutes after it happened. Don't reporters read the police blotter any more?
Dang, ya beat me to it.
I can see them being upset if the Veep was the one that got shot, but they are being childish in their overblown egos - maybe they should run for some Democrat positions if they think themselves so important (or even a number of Republican positions, to be fair about it).
Well some idiot asked if the Vice President would be resigning over this incident. I thought that was pretty ignorant.
Yeah, right, tell us another one.
Amazing comment. . .
First, why would he? They would not listen to Cheney anyway. . .so why would he bother.
IT WAS CLEAR, from yesterday's WH press briefing that the shirts of all the reporters were on fire. . .and they did not even know it.
My favorite was the reporter who actually asked if the story would be more serious if the victim had died.
You got to have a degree in journalism to come up with hard hitting questions like that!
I think the VP should take Bill Plante, David Gregory, and any other complaining reporters (including the chick who did a story on this in blaze orange) out into 'the field' and show them EXACTLY what happened, with one exception ...... they shouldn't be able to sit for weeks.
The reporter who asked that question wasn't ignorant--he/she was arrogant!
I got a zippo.
Prove it.
yup to post #64 ,... and , figuratively speaking...
... the MSM's ass is on fire , and they're on their way to the gas station!
... also , again , these administation "dunces"[he-he] help the presscorps to tip their hand and,
... appear like preschoolers denied their ice cream,
...even Bob Novak said the press should've been notified in a more timely manner
"but BOB , c'mon , what fun it must be for the WH to push somebody's buttons , no??"
Yes I heard that.
McClellan dismissed that as a ridiculous (I think that's the word he used) question.
That media behavior yesterday was very expositional of a mental illness among those lowlifes. The entire tone and texture of the questioning at that event is the greatest example as to what is the illness that is the media today.
A Class Alpha fire is one involving organic material such as paper or wood and is extinguished with water or foam. A Screaming Class Alpha fire is put out with a .45.
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