White House Limiting Press Access

[toasty]

I have heard rumblings over the last few days about the White House already refusing to let certain news outlets, like the New York Times, attend press conferences, and advising other media outlets that if they covered certain stories critical of the Bush adminstration (i.e., investigating Bush's guard service, interviewing Kitty Kelly about her new book, etc.), they would be similarly cut off.

The interesting thing is that when people have been talking about this, that hasn't been the point of what they would be saying. In other words, they would be talking about one thing but refer matter-of-factly to the Bush admin's policy on this as if it is just part of the deal.

Has anyone else heard anything about this? If this is true, it is absolutely outrageous.

[Jenks]

are you....OUTRAGED?

[toasty]

^^yeah, but not JUST outraged. I'm disappointed, too...

[Jenks]

i'm SHOCKED!

[pacific493]

Re: White House Limiting Press Access

Does this really surprise you at all? Have you been watching this administration at all over the last 4 years?

I will GUARANTEE you that there will be no debate where the candidates are actually asked questions...too much of a risk of running off message and actually making Bush respond to something off-the-cuff (which BTW is great when he does...national sales tax, sounds good...terrorists are trying to harm us, so are we).

This administration is vindictive and ruthless in their control of what is written about them. They use the leverage of the White House and their political power to cow media outlets into submission. The whole idea that conservatives remain "persecuted" in the media is fucking absurd with the Bushies at the helm.

[Jenks]

i was being sarcastic, i really don't care.

[asdf_admin]

Re: White House Limiting Press Access

as long as they have waffles ... I will be there ...

[suave]

meh, nothing new with that. not like the first time the white house has limited the press.

OT here, did they ever fire geraldo? o_O

[BSully828]

Re: White House Limiting Press Access

Last I checked, Kerry hasn't even held a press conference in over 40 days, never mind limit the access to one. Granted the incumbent should be a little more responsive, but what would you expect Bush to say about his guard service or Kelly's silly soap opera story that he hasn't already said? He'd just repeat the same prewritten responses (to avoid adding another line to the Bushism emails), and give nothing new for the headlines. The Times has made quite a hobby out of burying pro-Bush stories and twisting others to inflate the anti-Bush remarks, I'm sure they'll still get enough to fill the paper even without attending those ever so informative press conferences.

And what would Kerry say for that matter? No one has any idea what his plans are and he's made little effort to fill us in, a Kerry press conference would be just another excercise in blaming and complaining about the current admin.

I'm going to write in Bill Pullman, in the off chance aliens attack in the next four years we'd be in good shape with him as President.

[FM]

Re: White House Limiting Press Access

there's no need for a press conference anymore anyway; all the campaign cronies on both sides provide plenty of point-counterpoint-attack-defend crap to cover any paper...