CodePink Members Among ‘Independents’ in Newspaper’s Focus Group

Fox News ^

[Chet 99]

The radical anti-war group CodePink infiltrated a Detroit Free Press focus group of independent voters for the political conventions during the last two weeks.

Two CodePink members in the focus group claimed they were politically independent, then they ripped Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah’s Palin’s acceptance speech and praised Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama’s. Their comments appeared online and were excerpted in the Free Press’ print edition.

A Free Press editor expressed regret over the incident.

“I wish that it weren’t the case that there were two people from an activist group and we didn’t know about it,” assistant managing editor Randy Essex said.

But Essex defended the panel.

“If there is a radical leftist or two in the group, I don’t care,” he said. “I want a robust conversation, a complete range of political viewpoints.”

[BobbyT]

(No mention was made of all the radical leftists in the media who changed their status to “independent” when they got their jobs as reporters.)

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

So the 10 point lead is really a 14 point lead? Um, ok by me.

[T Lady]

Code Pink Skanks stink.

[screaminsunshine]

Wolf Blitzer is a member of code pink after hours. He puts on a dress and blends right in.

[Cementjungle]

I wish that it weren’t the case that there were two people from an activist group and we didn’t know about it

It's so hard to spot them, they look just like anyone else:

[maggief]

Asked if a correction would be published, Essex said not until he found evidence that the CodePink members were not political independents. He noted that political independents can have agendas just like members of either political party.

[Personal Responsibility]

Link to the FOX page is showing no info - did they take it down?

[kristinn]

ABC News pulled this story from their website within an hour of publishing it a few days ago.

Here's the dead link.

What remains on the Web can be found here at this aggregator site:

Jake Tapper | Political Punch
3 days ago

Detroit Free Press 'Focus Group' Appears to Include 'Code Pink' Members as 'Independents'

What the...? The website Riehl world View finds that two of the supposed "independents" in the Detroit Free Press "focus group" we mentioned earlier today are members of the anti-war group Code Pink! Joellen Gilchrist and Ilene Beninson appear to...

I can't get the Fox News story to pull up either now.

[kristinn]

Link to Riehl World View post that apparently started this.:

Update: A second Code Pink member identified by ABC and the Detroit Free Press as an independent voter? What are the chances of that? h/t to an emailer

Detroit & Tri-County Area
Detroit, MI
Joellen Gilchrist

via The Detroit Free Press article also carried by ABC. And they used these same alleged "independents" to praise Michelle Obama after her speech.

“Sarah got as much applause as Hillary did, and had a friendly, appealing appearance. Her delivery style reminded me of a high school valedictorian who also might have been a cheerleader. I thought she would appear more professional, more stateswomanly. She's no match for Joe Biden.”

-- Joellen Gilchrist, 64, Beverly Hills independent

Gawd this was easy, let's see what else turns up over time. Via ABC:

The Detroit Free Press invited a panel of Michigan voters to weigh in on Gov. Sarah Palin's speech last night. Their reactions run the gamut, but the independents didn't seem to care for her very much.

Ilene Beninson, 52, Berkley independent: "Her speech contained few statements about policy or the party platform. … I am not convinced that Palin's experience as a mayor or governor in Alaska meet the qualifications to be vice president much less one stroke or heart attack away from being commander in chief.”

Oh, you mean the Code Pink independent from Michigan doing a lame hunger strike for Cindy Sheehan. Yeah, how "indpendent" can you get??? ha ha ha

Ilene Beninson, Berkley, MI (will fast every Tuesday)

[kristinn]

The Hill wrote about the focus group:

September 4, 2008
Palin's Speech Flops among Independents on Focus Group
@ 1:34 pm by Chris Good

Though Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's (R) convention speech has received mountains of praise this morning from conservatives, independents who took part in a Detroit Free Press focus group were unconvinced by it.

All six of the panel's independents gave Palin poor reviews. Democrats and Republicans on the panel were split over Palin's speech, adhering to their party affiliations as they reacted to it.

SNIP

[AGreatPer]

#6, Are they beautiful or what? Toga, Toga.

[kristinn]

Updated version on Fox website now.

[SunkenCiv]

Pullleease. “The Free Press didn’t know, yuk yuk.”

[grellis]

If you would like to be added or dropped from the Michigan ping list, please freepmail me.

Infiltrated???!

Ya gotta be kidding me!