Taibbi: Michelle Wolfe Slays Useless White House Correspondent's Dinner

[TygrBright]

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/taibi-michelle-wolf-slays-useless-white-house-correspondents-dinner-w519682

Everything that is revolting about the D.C. press corps was on display in this incident. On the one hand, who cares – it's just a party, right? On the other hand, why are we partying with the people we're supposed to be covering?

The reason is that a significant portion of the national press corps genuinely gets off on the experience of being close to power. They love going to fancy restaurants and being whispered to by a Senatorial aide or, better yet, an actual Senator. Even more titillating is being handed a packet of secrets by someone at the CIA, the FBI, the Pentagon!

This is why so many journalists circle the wagons when someone dares to interrupt their public love sessions with the people who misuse our tax money, bomb innocent civilians, lie to us, give get-out-of-jail free cards to white collar criminals, etc.

We're supposed to recoil from them, as from scorpions, but instead we host dinners for them, beg for photo ops, and defend them from even the most remotely pointed barbs. It's gross.

I am so deeply disappointed in Margaret Talev. Taibbi gives it voice.

appreciatively,
Bright

[comradebillyboy]

1. Taibbi gets one right for a change of pace.

[Cha]

12. Surprised and thinking

the same.

[MaryMagdaline]

2. Love this line:

"We also did so by too often acting like courtiers to power instead of adversaries who challenge it, behavior that allowed the billionaire Trump to ludicrously – but successfully – portray the press as the real "elite" during the 2016 race, while he, Trump, was just a regular guy."

[OldHippieChick]

3. I have little to offer other than

to K&R for being so spot on.

[BigmanPigman]

4. Talev's statement really pissed me off.

I may just not watch the dinner ever again if that is how the press defends their chosen entertainer (who was spot on by the way). It seems to me that the pussy press and Talev are almost as bad as the pussy in chief who doesn't even show up. They both lack courage and conviction.

[ProudLib72]

5. Agreed. Talev vetted her. If anyone is to blame, it is Talev

Personally, I think Talev should step down. If she was sooooooo disappointed with Wolf, the only person she can blame is herself. In another post I said this was exactly like the people Rump picks to work for him. They are wonderful people until someone finds a skeleton in the closet. Then they are horrible and must be fired. You picked them. You are responsible.

[BigmanPigman]

6. I think I heard her say at the beginning of the dinner that she

already has planned to leave and it was before the entertainment came on stage. Pretty convenient exit.

[Scurrilous]

7. K&R

[radical noodle]

8. No longer a Taibbi fan

but this is on target. Thanks, Bright.

[YOHABLO]

10. "No longer a Taibbi fan" because why?

[shanny]

15. iirc some were upset that he defended Bernie voters... eom

[radical noodle]

16. Because I'm not fond of

misogynistic jerks like Taibbi.

[Cha]

13. ..

rad

[radical noodle]

17. Hey Cha!

[Cha]

18. Not wise to put words

in your mouth.

rad

[orangecrush]

9. Hear, hear!

The absolute unvarnished truth.

[Ferrets are Cool]

11. OMG, speaking the TRUTH!!!

"This is why so many journalists circle the wagons when someone dares to interrupt their public love sessions with the people who misuse our tax money, bomb innocent civilians, lie to us, give get-out-of-jail free cards to white collar criminals, etc. "

[shanny]

14. Got that right.

And not for the first time.