Posted on 04/30/2006 4:24:44 AM PDT by sauropod
Honor roll for tonight's FReep include: Jimmy Valentine's Brother, Mr/Mrs Mason-Dixon, bstein80, Doctor Raoul, staytrue, kristinn, tgsltakoma, angelwood, billf, sauropod, exit148, DollyCali, Wheelbarrow, bert, albion wilde, christopher lincoln, bufordp; dinasour, hellinahandcart and gunsareok.
Compared with other years, this year's WHCA FReep was no disappointment. The theme of our counterprotest this year was "Pulitzer Prizes for Treason" given that Dana Priest and others are receiving Pulitzer Prizes for reporting illegally leaked information. There were several signs that alluded to what is going on (only in America), including this brilliant one by BufordP:
This point was further reinforced by our very own Doctor Raoul appearing in front of the Washington Hilton as Boris Badanov and asking the partygoers in tuxes, wrinkled noses and furrowed brows where his Pulitzer was, since he had been working so long to help bring down America, just like them.
Kristinn used a sign to illustrate a point about what the MSM selectively chooses to emphasize. The sign had a picture of Cindy Sheehan and SGT Paul Smith on it. The sign asked, "Why are these two people notable?"
Kristinn's point was that everybody knew who Sheehan was, but very few people knew who SGT Smith was (Only Medal of Honor winner in the current action, died in battle at Baghdad Airport). Kristinn started asking partygoers this pop quiz (with a prize of a $5 Starbucks coupon as a reward for the correct answer). One fellow from the Boston Glob said he did not know who SGT Smith was. When Kristinn told him, he remarked, "Oh yeah, I wrote a story about him."
Think about this. The reporter that wrote a story about a true hero couldn't remember who he was.
There was only one winner for the evening, FoxNews' Bret Baier, who answered correctly immediately.
We saw quite a few other luminaries strolling up to the Hilton. They included Joe DiGenova and Victoria Toensing, James Rosen (FNC), David Schuster (PMSNBC), Bill Plante, Michael Barone (US News and World Report), an infobabe from ABC (could not place her name), Steve Doocy in a cab, and Julian Bond (NAA of Some CP).
I was holding a sign that showed a picture of Dan Rather and Katie Couric (with middle finger extended) and it simply said, "Different hosts, same bias. See BS." Doocy gave the thumbs up from the cab when he saw the sign. I had my camcorder along for the FReep and think I have this on tape.
When I saw Schuster crossing the street, I was trying to man the camcorder and did not ask him about his excreble reporting on Chrissy Matthews show. However, I did score a personal best when BufordP spotted Julian Bond on the opposite side of Connecticut Avenue. I had enough time to get the camcorder fired up, and when Bond reached the median strip, I asked him "Hey Julian, how's the race hustling business going?" I also told him that if we were really the right-wing Taliban, that we had a burka just his size waiting for him. I think i got this on video also.
Bond didn't respond and stonily looked the other way.
We had FReepers attending from some distance away. Here is Bert from Tennesee:
GunsareOK currently resides in very southern Virginia and came up to Dee Cee just for this event.
Staytrue did his usual stellar effort with posters for the counterprotest. Here are a couple he put together:
Danish Cartoon and Nascar
Our local yokels were in attendance as per usual. Here is Jimmy Valentine's Brother.
We had a couple of folks from Protest Warrior attend. One guy dressed up like David Gregory.
He had a lot of fun directly in front of the Hilton, greeting Our Rulers were arriving to attend the dinner.
Now, the piece de resistance' (as they say) was Doctor Raoul's brilliant idea of obtaining a bunch of large binkies for the White House Pimp Corps because they complained one day on Air Force One about the TV always being on Fox News. Here is the relevant exchange (posted on exposetheleft.com and originally attributed to The Hotline):
The "Q" making a big deal out of this is Washington Post’s White House Correspondent and frequent Countdown guest, Jim Vandehei:
Q It’s come to my attention that there’s been requests--this is a serious question--to turn these TVs onto a station other than Fox, and that those have been denied. My question would be, is there a White House policy that all government TVs have to be tuned to Fox?
MR. McCLELLAN: Never heard of any such thing. My TVs are on four different channels at all times.
Q Because you have four different TVs. But every time I’ve ever been--
MR. McCLELLAN: Every TV in the White House also has channels every--has a split screen, where they can--
Q Well, they always seem to be tuned to Fox, and there’s been requests, and these are paid for by taxpayer dollars. And my understanding is that you guys have to watch Fox on Air Force One. Is that true?
MR. McCLELLAN: First time I’ve ever heard of it. First time you’ve brought it to my attention, meaning the first time the press corps has brought it to my attention. In fact, I’ve watched other channels on here.
Q There’s one--
MR. McCLELLAN: Hang on, Jim, come on. I’ve watched other channels on here, so I don’t know where you’re hearing that. But it’s the first time anyone in the press has raised that question with me.
Q You’ve watched other channels other than Fox?
MR. McCLELLAN: On here, yes, sure.
Q I’ve never seen--they’re always turned to Fox, which a lot of people consider a Republican-leaning network.
Q Scott, is it one--on the airplane, is it one for all? I mean, if it’s tuned for Fox here, is it Fox everywhere?
MR. McCLELLAN: I think that certain areas may be interconnected, but I’ll have to double-check which.
Q Is yours off, wherever you are?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, the conference room, or the senior staff office, the staff office, they’re different TVs, and you can switch to different channels. I’m not sure if some of these in the back are connected to some of the others that are watching right here, right now. It doesn’t look like it to me. I’ve never known anyone that’s raised a complaint about a request from back here to watch a different channel.
Q I’m officially raising it and officially complaining about it.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I’m going to go see if we can change the channel for you. Have you called up?
Q I was the Fox victim, and I was told--the quote was, "No," when I asked for CNN.
MR. McCLELLAN: I don’t know who you talked to, so--it didn’t come to my attention. You don’t know who you talked to either?
Q Well, the magic people at the other end off the phone.
MR. McCLELLAN: The magic people at the other end of the phone. Well, I’ll see if this cabin is--
Q I was told, "We don’t watch CNN here, you can only watch Fox."
MR. McCLELLAN: As I said, it’s hard to respond to something when I don’t know who it is you talked to.
Q I used the phone back here.
MR. McCLELLAN: I find this all quite amusing, to tell you the truth. I mean, there are a lot of people on this plane that do watch that channel.
Q I’ve never been told, no. They’re such nice guys up there.
MR. McCLELLAN: First time you brought it to my attention. I’ll go see what we can do on it.
* * * *
MR. McCLELLAN: We just called up. They’re going to be changing it, at your all’s request, to the channel that you requested, which is CNN —from the press corps.
Q Thanks, Scott.
What a BUNCH of WHINERS! To institutionalize this, Doctor Raoul developed the Jim Vandenhei award. The WH Press Corps were quite taken with these:
A close up.
We oughta use these every year!
billf and I are friends so I can take a few jabs.
I'm in the last photo and I think my head shape sort of has the shape of a chicken.
Maybe we are descended from dinosaurs.
ROFLOL! Too true!
I want to move to DC. CB said he's moving to DC. Maybe we can work something out- It wouldn't be anything like Hookergate. I'll bring a ho and tend his garden. ; )
A lot of those press gals were dressed like hoes this year. This comment definitely does NOT apply to Fox's Megyn Kendall, pictured above - she looked perfect.
Next year, everyone should wear Armani.
FReeper Dinasour did wear a tux...AND a FReeper cap!
Kristinn, Jimmy Valentine's brother, Dinasour, Christopher Lincoln
The incomparable FReeper BufordP is a master at signage - this one was one of his best yet!
Excellent post, and good advice for all journalism students! It was great to meet you, too! Hope you can come back again soon!
Descended schmended.
The velociraptors are coming over for dinner.
DollyCali, you and Wheelbarrow were wonderful to come out to DC for the Walter Reed, Bethesda Naval Hospital and WHCA FReeps! All the way from the midwest, to be "THreepers" -- three FReeps in one weekend - in your case, over one contiguous 28-hour period!
It was great of you, who had to drive all night to teach Sunday School the next morning, but incredibly amazing of Wheelbarrow, the 80-year-old WWII veteran! You are both top-notch FReepers!
I love hearing about these FReeps!
Here's an FR thread about Stephen Colbert's lame "comedy" performance that evening:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1625428/posts
The Pretzelman Cometh.
(Former Philadelphian comes to attention and salutes.)
I'm glad I spotted this thread. You all are a hoot. The posters are terrific. Love em. Thanks.
About Dinosour and the tux------
A few WHCD freeps back, when some other protesters wore tuxes, we mentioned that someday, we should all go formal. Imagine -- all the guys in bow ties and the gals in formal gowns --- carrying protest signs and posters!
Would be kinda fun! (but under my gown would be sneakers! Not those shoes that so many limped by in!!)
Answer: Cindy Sheehan has an entry at the Snopes Urban Legend website.
Heck, expose either one.
Totally bang on.
Love all Y'all.
Great Poster.
Great report.
I love you guys.
God Bless y'all.
I suggested Black tie next time... if guys dont have tux.. dressy suits..
join us next year? I am going to try to get there every year.
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