Posted on 02/14/2006 11:52:48 PM PST by smoothsailing
Snip..
As I understand the profound concern of the ever alert White House reporters, they smell a constitutional crisis because the shooting party failed to alert the media of the accidental shooting down in Corpus Christi, Texas. Well, actually they did alert the Corpus Christi media — but that didn't count. Unless the exalted ones have been formally informed by an official government press secretary, no public communication has technically occurred.
I checked the bylaws of the White House press corps, and they are right. It seems that the bylaws refer to Article XXIII of the U.S. Constitution which expressly designates that White House reporters with a minimum annual income of $375,000 (plus minimum stock options equal to not less than two-thirds their yearly salary, plus use of driver and long sedan during business hours, which hours must include post-deadline dinner engagements of a semi-social nature) are the exclusive recipients of all government information.
If information isn't hand-delivered in gold-edged paper to them while they are reclined on their chaise longue, it hasn't been released to the public. And if they don't report a fact, it hasn't happened. This provision is vital to a vigorous and independent free press. (I should note, my copy of the Constitution must be outdated, because it doesn't have an Article XXIII.)
Of course, this provision technically makes the White House press corps not reporters, but receivers — sort of glorified shipping clerks, but with the prerogative to rewrite and repackage the material before they deliver it to the public.
When an out-of-town newspaper got the scoop, the dignity of the White House press corps had been impeached, so they threw a public temper tantrum. As that has worked for many of them since their early childhood...
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
Shipping clerks, eh? Yep...that sounds about right.
L
Some of their questions were beyond stupid, and that one guy was very rude. Can't some of these boneheads be shown the way out?
you mean like the one who asked that if the guy had died\, would it be more serious - duh... these people have come to believe they are are the power that runs the country - and to whom obeisance is due - there's not a true reporter amongst them
If the White House only allowed only responsible,agenda-free reporters in to daily briefings, Scott could conduct them in a broom closet!
"If the White House only allowed only responsible,agenda-free reporters in to daily briefings, Scott could conduct them in a broom closet!"
And the down-side of that would be...?
How I would love to have that job.
"That man is too stupid to be in this room. Throw him out, and never let him in again."
"That woman is an axe grinding crypto-commie. Barred for life."
More fun than I've ever had.
"The bigger the information media,
the less courage and information they allow.
Bigness means weakness."
-- Eric Sevareid
(1912-1992) American newsman, journalist, author
Source: 1959
http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Eric.Sevareid.Quote.30BD
"There is no such thing, at this date of the world's history, in
America as an independent press. You know it and I know it.
There is not one of you who dares to write your honest opinions,
and if you did, you know beforehand that it would never appear in
print. I am paid weekly for keeping my honest opinions out of the
paper I am connected with. Others of you are paid similar salaries
for similar things, and any of you who would be so foolish as to
write honest opinions would be out on the streets looking for another
job. If I allowed my honest opinions to appear in one issue of my
paper, before twenty-four hours my occupation would be gone.
The business of the journalists is to destroy the truth;
to lie outright;
to pervert;
to vilify;
to fawn at the feet of mammon, and
to sell his country and his race for his daily bread.
You know it and I know it and what folly is this toasting an
independent press? We are the tools and vassals of rich men behind
the scenes. We are jumping jacks, they pull the strings and we
dance. Our talents, our possibilities and our lives are all the
property of other men. We are intellectual prostitutes."
-- John Swinton
(1829-1901) Former Head of Editorial Staff for the New York Times
was one of America's best loved newspapermen.
Called by his peers "The Dean of his Profession"
1880, At a banquet in his honor
Source: Labor's Untold Story, by Richard O. Boyer and Herbert M. Morais, published by United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America, NY, 1955/1979
http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/John.Swinton.Quote.5299
Come on W, get rid of Scott MccLellan. He is an embarassment and a "deer in the headlights." We need a ringleader to teach the morons in the press corps some manners. Someone with stature would highlight how idiotic and self-centered these lemmings are.
I nominate the guy on the history channel that is always yelling "listen up." The guy that dresses like a drill seargent.
Come on W, it would be fun.
NJPATRIOT
This is GOLD. BOOKMARKED.
"In the absence of any pressing news these days — other than Iran's nuclear weapons development crisis, the election of Hamas terrorists in Palestine, on-going worldwide Muslim riots and killing in reaction to a cartoon, Al Gore's near sedition while speaking in Saudi Arabia, the turning over of our East Coast ports to be managed by a United Arab Emirates firm, the criminal leaking of vital NSA secrets to the New York Times, Mexican military incursions across our southern border, the Iraqi crisis, Congress's refusal to deal with the developing financial collapse of Social Security and Medicare, inter alia — the White House press corps has exploded in righteous fury..."
"I nominate the guy on the history channel "
Hey, I already called dibs.
REPORTER
All conscientious scruples--all generous feelings must give way to our inexorable duty--which is to keep the public mind in a healthy state of excitement, and experience has taught us that blood alone can do this.
MARK TWAIN
But the hallmark of the Washington Press corp these day is mediocrity, groupthink, a lack of curiosity and rampant careerism.
No reason for the POTUS to submit himself to socializing formally with these goons. (I checked the Constitution...definitely not in there.)
I agree. I am still chuckling. Wes Pruden wrote one heck of a GOOD column too. Have you read it yet?
Wes's column: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1578078/posts
Read it yesterday. LOL I never miss reading a Wes Pruden column. (But I dread to see a Peggy Noonan column on this subject in all her breathless touchy-feeling mode.)
Scott's mom is former RINO Carole Keeton Strayhorn. She just left the Republican Party so that she can try to unseat Republican Texas Governor Rick Perry this year as an independent. That should be reason enough to toss Scott out on his ear.
Bill Plante of CBS News.
A ONE HUNDRED PER CENT Clymer. I think he is so ugly that they don't give him much face time on the network. But he is always hanging around the WH and always full of righteous anger at some administration "highhandedness."
Unfortunately, I saw a few seconds of Plante about to blow a gasket over being scooped by local media on the bird hunting story. Such a jerk is this Bill Plante. (Just wanted to get it on the record.)
Oh Lord. Please ping me if you see hers posted.
Will do......Ole Wes got one thing wrong: one birdshot is NOT the size of a BB shot. The birdshot is infinitely SMALLER. He's from Arkansas and should know better, but I guess journalists only hunt for a story, not birds.
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