Posted on 03/26/2011 2:52:57 PM PDT by Las Vegas Dave
*** REPORTER CONFINED IN CLOSET DURING VEEP'S FUNDRAISER ***
Sat March 26 2011 17:04:37 EDT
Staffers with Vice President Joe Biden confined an Orlando Sentinel reporter in a closet this week to keep him from mingling with high-powered guests gathered for a Democratic fundraiser.
Reporter Scott Powers was the designated "pool reporter" for the vice president's Wednesday visit to the massive Winter Park, Fla., home of developer and philanthropist Alan Ginsburg. The veep hadn't arrived yet but most of the 150 guests (minimum $500 donation) had. They were busy noshing on caprese crostini with oven-dried mozzarella and basil, rosemary flatbread with grapes honey and gorgonzola cheese and bacon deviled eggs, before a lunch of grilled chicken Caesar and garden vegetable wraps.
Not so for Powers. A "low-level staffer" put Powers in a storage closet and then stood guard outside the door, he told the DRUDGE REPORT. "When I'd stick my head out, they'd say, 'Not yet. We'll let you know when you can come out.'"
And no crustini for Powers, either. He made do with a bottle of water to sip as he sat at a tiny makeshift desk, right next to a bag marked "consignment." Powers was closeted at about 11:30 a.m., held for about an hour and 15 minutes, came out for 35 minutes of remarks by Biden and Sen. Bill Nelson, Florida Democrat, and then returned to his jail for the remainder of the event.
Powers' phone didn't work in the closet, but his Blackberry did, so he fired out a picture of his impromptu prison to his editors, who posted a short blog item on the lack of freedom of the press under the veep's control.
Powers didn't mention his confinement in either of his pool reports that day, saying only that "press coverage was limited to a single pool reporter, filing on behalf of all local media, who was allowed to listen to the remarks but not given an opportunity to talk with anyone at the event."
On Friday, Powers said, the home's owner called him. "He said he had no idea they'd put me in a closet and was very sorry. He said he was just following their lead and was extremely embarrassed by the whole thing."
catered by Katies Restaurant no doubt
Sounds like they didn’t want him to have any contact with the guests.
Wonder why.
Have you ever seen reporters eat when the food is “free”? Picture hyenas and a wildebeest on the Serengeti.
I guess I won’t hold my breath until I see it on CNN!
Eventually, that will be reported. This one has legs and our side has the power get it spread.
Stockholm syndrome
Communism can be tough on "the little people". If you're not one of the top rung elite, you gotta stay in the closet.
Well, this had more information than earlier posts.
Now I don’t feel for the reporter at all. He should have had his mom come get him.
If I was the editor and found my reporter agreed to be shut in a closet, I would fire him on the spot and give him a $20 out of my pocket so he could go look for his spine.
Yes, Matt got it from our FR posting which we sent to him too.
Too bad FR buried it in some “opinion” area.
Where is Katie’s restaurant?
Had an asignment editor in Texas who would drive 20 miles for a free lunch, 35 miles for dinner and 50 for cocktails and dinner.
No, I’m not kidding. It was the famous “Rick, the Wrestling Consultant” and since it was the Panhandle, 50 miles was 35 minutes!
what a cissy. I doubt that ever happens to me. No job that valuable to be belittled like that. If that were my kid I’d kick his butt.
. . . . REPORTER CONFINED IN CLOSET DURING VEEP'S FUNDRAISER, - Drudge Report.
Technically that’s kidnapping. Any “ordinary” American would be looking at serious criminal charges. Biden and his staff are, of course, immune since Holder controls the FBI.
LOL
Whether or not it is a crime has one set of answers, but a person detained against his will, by an unlawful authority, is ALWAYS free to bring a civil charge of false imprisonment.
This reporter's "complaint," if he makes one, is hollow if he doesn't file a civil complaint.
There are problems, though. First, Biden's advance team are clearly morons - following their boss's lead, no doubt. And, the newspaper is wrong for spiking the story. In fact, they IMHO bear almost all the blame. If the politicians doesn't want you there, that's fine, but that's also news. And, if the politician handles it in a ridiculously incompetent manner, then that's also news.
From the report, he has no legal case at all. He was free to leave, any time he wanted to, and voluntarily chose to stay. His beef is access to the glitterati, and nobody has a right to that.
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