Posted on 04/29/2010 9:56:48 AM PDT by Nachum
Politico's Josh Gerstein and Patrick Gavin have a long article describing the growing anger of the White House press corps towards the Obama White House. Many of the grievances are petty, though some are serious and substantive (involving lack of transparency and media manipulation), but the passage that I found most revealing is this one:
Much of the criticism is off the record, both out of fear of retaliation and from worry about appearing whiny. But those views were voiced by a cross section of the television, newspaper and magazine journalists who cover the White House.
(Excerpt) Read more at salon.com ...
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Gee, I wonder why.
Scared and totally agree with them too.
And yet, they weren’t afraid to criticize President Bush. What is the difference?
Of course they can’t complain. They can’t even talk with their heads up Obama’s colon....
“...both out of fear of retaliation...”
####
This phrase alone suggests a REAL news story of historically unprecedented magnitude.
Yes, they are.
In fact, I really think they’re afraid to NOT PRAISE B.H.O.
And now 0 will give a speech about his administration being the most transparent in history.
Salon, this is a liberal site, right? Too bad that are staying quiet about it. There job is to speak up. Wonder if they know something??? Scary ship we are riding.
The difference is that the Bush administration never threatened to cut off their access whereas both the Obama and Clinton administrations have.
Helen Thomas made a comment about Obama’s “Nixonian” treatment of the press and was immediately given a time out in the second row.
Ya gotta be tough when yer dumb...or nuanced...or NYTed-intellectual.
Although the press is in bed with the Democrats dresssed in their lettered MSNBCCBCABC crotchless cheerleader lingerie on, at some point they will get around to thinking about the reason, rights and responsibility of a “free” press.
This is BS commie propaganda.
Bill clinton got at least five reporters fired from their jobs for reporting on his shennanigans. He used the regulatory agencies and the IRS to threaten their bosses.
I’m sure Obama would do the same thing, and probably be less subtle about it. That officer who was the first to challenge the birth issue was released from service, but then was fired from his job with a defense contractor, when the Pentagon threatened to cease doing business with his employer unless he was fired.
This is more than just threatening not to give reporters access. Because none of them are getting any access anyway. It’s approaching a year since Obama’s last press conference. They don’t get access, they get news releases, which they are obliged to print. Or prime-time TV shows entirely on Obama’s terms.
And not ONE SINGLE cocktail party for the press since the inauguration. That must REALLY have them upset, after all the good times during the clinton years.
Poor babies. It’s like spousal abuse or even child abuse. And they just have to take it.
How about, “Reporters in Venezuela (America) work for Hugo Chavez (Barack Obama).
I’m surprised this appeared in Salon, which is pretty liberal and could be expected to host only Obama devotees.
But it is very scary; the press is getting a taste of living in Castro’s Cuba, Hugo’s Venezuela, or a host of scummy African dictatorships where the press has to tread carefully. Right now they’re just worried about being denied “access;” wait till they start having to worry about criminal charges for criticizing or even just revealing unapproved information about The One.
cojones and a spine
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