Posted on 03/23/2009 5:48:36 AM PDT by rightwingintelligentsia
WASHINGTON (CNN) – Having mastered the Hollywood gossip scene, celebrity site TMZ apparently has set its sights on a new conquest — Capitol Hill.
The site — owned by Time Warner, CNN’s parent company — has started accosting members of Congress, including Illinois Republican Rep. Aaron Schock, as they go about their work in Washington.
“I didn’t know what was going on,” Schock said of his first encounter with TMZ. “I was on my way to the floor for a vote, I’m talking to a constituent literally on my cell phone and there’s some guy with a handycam in street clothes walking next to me. And, so, I didn’t know what to expect.”
The 27-year-old freshman congressman, whose congressional district includes Peoria, Illinois, told CNN’s Howard Kurtz how his paparazzi encounter played in his Midwestern city.
(Excerpt) Read more at politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com ...
“...and he has already received a fair amount of personal attention from President Obama — though it was not enough to convince Shock to support Obama’s $787 billion stimulus package...”
*SHRUG* A rising star today that the Dems will have for lunch later in the week.
Would someone PLEASE bring back the Grown Ups to Washington? I never thought I’d miss Dick Cheney so much!
This could be good or bad ultimately. If Levin decides to let his program be used as a vehicle for the “2-minute hate” as a courtesy to our new Communist leaders then it will end badly. If he is using first going after Republicans as a way to get a foot in the door, maybe he’s being smart. If he’s using this as a way to eventually expose TRUE hypocrisy on Capitol Hill then that’s good... Still, Levin and his crew should adapt a much more respectful M.O. if they are going to cover Washington, now... These are NOT celebrities, and they do have tough, and serious jobs to do — especially the ones who aren’t corrupt!!!
This reminds me of one thing I remember from when I was at a National LP Convention. When something is covered by the “paparazzi” or the “establishment media” - even when their goal is to twist things, there are a LARGE number of people behind the scenes that sit in silence and HEAR the truth about what is being covered... They meet the people who are vilified in person, and can’t be so easily swayed by the propaganda after a while...
Near the end of the LP Convention I attended I had a chance to speak with some of the CSPAN employees who covered the entire thing. The things they shared with me went along these lines; While there were some people among the attendees that are a bit eccentric and “open” about their personal, um, “lives” (a man wore a butterfly costume one day to make a statement about hypocrisy). They all agreed that for the most part THEY ended up agreeing with our views about our countries laws, and the philosophy behind the laws we proposed, and the reasons we were complaining about the things we were complaining about — even if they didn’t exactly agree at that point with all of it. They admitted that we weren’t NEARLY as strange, or “off-the-wall” with our ideas as they had been told repeatedly by the more mainstream parts of society.
Granted, this all happened before the war in Iraq got into full swing so the situation was a bit different back then... In fact, I’ll bet a lot MORE of those techs agreed with all the anti-war stuff I would imagine was spoken about in the last few years at those conventions! LOL (I’m no longer part of the LP - left in 2002)
They should have a TMZ for members of the media - start digging in the closets of those who are smarter than the rest.
It’s predictable, really. They are simply expanding the “Bread & Circuses” atmosphere in our country to divert our attention like they did in Rome — some form of gladiator games, and feeding Christians to lions will come soon... Perhaps this is the form it will take — instead of a stadium the “contestants” who the leaders want to oppress will take their turn in the court of public opinion being humiliated on national television...
It’s easy to say these people are all stupid. The useful idiots who don’t see through it are, but the ones in charge are definitely not... They are playing the game by the book.
(I do agree with you though — it is a rather childish belief that communism could work for anyone’s benefit besides those in power. Even if someone almost as perfect as JESUS tried to create a GOOD communist-type government someone would come along and use the power for evil... THE RING MUST BE DESTROYED!!! LOL)
Getting a taste of their own medicine might stop them in their tracks. A good idea really... They do highlight members of the media when they goof up (like when Sawyer was wasted on television after the inauguration), but they don’t follow them around as they do actors and actresses. I don’t think they should do that to anyone — except maybe the people passing the laws that are corrupt as sin. If the MSM doesn’t have the guts to do it perhaps the Paparazzi will...
I should also mention though - as far as TMZ goes - some of the women working there are as infatuated with Obama as Chris Matthews. At least the men still roll their eyes when they get all giddy over him! LOL
That actually sounds like a good idea.
Do you have any idea what Harvey Levin’s politics are? I know he is a vet, Vietnam era I think.
Looks to me like they like him. “Hottest New Member Of Congress” or something like that toward the end of the article.
this is BAD!
Our politics and politicians have already lowered themselves to the level of our all-pervasive entertainment. How much more will the likes of Chuck Schumer perform for the camera if they know TMZ is watching?
The site — owned by Time Warner, CNN’s parent company...
It's all MSM, just different flavors.
Point taken! :) They wouldn’t be shown on the network if they weren’t would they? LOL
Honestly I don’t. I have noticed in watching though that his opinion of Obama isn’t THAT high... He’s definitely not above ridiculing some of the more obvious “Cult of Personality” like things we’ve seen happening...
As I said, I do notice he rolls his eyes when the women in the studio start saying “Obama is so Hot” and the like! I have to say another thing about Levin that might indicate what type of a person he is...
Back when Britney was being attacked by everyone and their mother, when she was going through what many of us thought would lead her to suicide, even though he covered what was happening the tone was different... They started watching the other shows watching HER also, and saying things like, “This is getting really serious now.. someone in her family has to get her some help. etc... etc...” And, IIRC he was the only one who reported that there was some talk about her male companion drugging her and such. It was a completely different tone than other shows of that sort at the time...
As I said, I don’t know for sure, but there are glimmers at times that Levin definitely has a conscience...
Oh, one more thing... The website might be owned by Time-Warner, but one needs to look at the production company and the producers themselves to infer more than Time-Warner in promoting the show and as part of their contract with the production company provides the hosting for their online presence.
It’s not exactly the same as a CNN News program for instance that is produced by the network itself, and much more closely aligned with the corporate executives...
STILL... point taken though. However, if he really starts ripping on Obama or Dems the show might just end up cancelled pretty soon, too! LOL
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