Obama heckler was on assignment for Bloomberg News

[babylonsister]

Obama heckler was on assignment for Bloomberg News
submitted by canadianperson on August 7, 2008 - 1:03pm


Right wing media planting hecklers now?

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/news/16352
http://chronicle.com/blogs/election/2304/bizarre-incident-during-obama-visit-to-college-seen-as-unavoidable

August 6, 2008


Bizarre Incident During Obama Visit to Ohio College Is Seen as Unavoidable

Officials of the U.S. Secret Service say there is nothing they could have done to avoid an incident yesterday in which Barack Obama was heckled by a strangely behaving man in the press section during an appearance at an Ohio college.

The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee was beginning a town-hall style meeting at Baldwin-Wallace College when John Quinn, a freelance photographer on assignment for Bloomberg News, interrupted him by calling on him to say the Pledge of Allegiance. Senator Obama went along and led the crowd through the pledge.

Mr. Quinn subsequently refused to give his name to other journalists in the press pen. A video of the incident shows Mr. Quinn shoving his hand into camera lenses, shouting at other reporters, and responding to requests for his name and press affiliation by saying, “I was speaking as John Q. Public.”

“Nobody wants to honor the flag,” Mr. Quinn says in the video. “I had to speak up.”

snip//

Judith Czelusniak, a spokeswoman for Bloomberg News, confirmed today that Mr. Quinn was on assignment for her company. “He was hired for that assignment, and there are no more assignments scheduled,” she said.

[my2sense]

1. In Other Words

It was a one time assignment to disrupt an Obama event. I wonder why the talking heads haven't mentioned this?

[Faygo Kid]

2. He's fired. Bloomberg owes Obama an apology. Totally unprofessional.

I don't care if he was free-lance. They are responsible for the people they hire.

[JerseygirlCT]

27. Oh I agree an apology is in order

But I doubt this guy was set up to do this by Bloomberg.

But whether they knew or not, he was their guy there, and they ought to assume responsiblity for him.

That said, I thought Obama handled that masterfully.

[otohara]

3. Hmmm....That's Not His Job

not to mention, he looked to pissed to just want to "honor the flag"

[Justitia]

4. What kind of business is "Bloomberg News" into these days??? -eom

[graywarrior]

5. This got posted here today.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x166933

[avaistheone1]

8. This heckler

is a total chickensh*t. He won't give his name and he flees. The heckler is obviously the harasser and then he tries to point the blame at others. This heckler John Quinn guy is a total LOSER.

I bet Bloomberg News had no idea this freelancer was going to heckle Obama.

[babylonsister]

9. Thank you; I hadn't seen that. nt

[Phx_Dem]

6. FIrst, Bloomberg should fire his sorry ass

and then we should send him a thank you card for providing Obama the opportunity to LEAD the Pledge of Allegiance with the HAND OVER HIS HEART on television.

He made a fool of himself, everyone now knows he was a plant, and Obama came up smelling like a rose. Thanks proud-to-be-ignorant man. :patriot:

[ObamaIL]

7. Bloomberg is Pretty Cool, He Probably Already Has nt

[LiberalFighter]

10. Here is the freelance photographer from Parma OH

[YOY]

16. The most racist city in Ohio...

I went to high school there. Shocked I tell you shocked.

[mtnester]

23. You have never been to Fairfield County and points SE then have you

c'mon down, in 15 minutes, I bet I can take you somewhere even more shocking

[YOY]

29. Oh contraire mon ami I have

East Liverpool...Stuebenville...shudder...

[Kaylee]

33. My father grew up in one of the only black families in East Liverpool

in the 50's....I can't even imagine what that was like.

[YOY]

34. A "little" better in some ways than now I imagine...worse in others

After all back then East Liverpool was a vibrant pottery manufacter...now it's some serious decay going on.

[book_worm]

19. I still say Obama should have invited him up on stage to lead it

I wonder if he would have gotten all the words right.

[JerseygirlCT]

28. Does he look about a second away from flinging that hand up

in a certain type of salute usually associated with blond guys in jackboots?

[Butch350]

30. Yeah your right...Heil

[LiberalFighter]

11. Gee I wonder if this guy will receive press credentials for the convention?

[truthisfreedom]

12. I think he did Obama a grand favor.

Nobody can say Obama doesn't put his hand over his heart. Nobody can say he won't say the pledge of allegiance.

[GreenPartyVoter]

25. Or that he can't handle heckling

[The Backlash Cometh]

13. Erm. isn't one of the principles of good reporting to not become part of the news?

The boy sounds like he self-promoted his importance.

[Spazito]

14. Oh, that is soooo yesteryear!

Now it is all about pretty faces spouting the latest WH propaganda, making the news instead of reporting it. The days of Walter Cronkite/Edward R Murrow are long gone. There are no "principles" left in the "news" business.

[Alexander]

15. Did they fire him?

Is that what they're saying in the article, or are they using weasel words?

[mainer]

17. I'm sure Bloomberg news had no idea

My son was a freelance photographer for Bloomberg. When there's an event out in the sticks, Bloomberg News just hires whoever's available in the area. They probably didn't know they'd hired a weirdo. And I bet they're really embarrassed.

I'm sure they'll never hire him again.

[avaistheone1]

21. I think you are right.

Bloomberg may not be perfect, but I think he has better business and social acumen them to send someone to heckle Obama.

[Sidney J Mussburger]

22. Well if they are embarrassed

they damn well better issue a sincere apology. I hope someone recognizes this schmuck on the street and kicks him square in the nuts. That's right, I'm advocating nut kicking.

[book_worm]

18. If he hasn't been fired, he should be.

[Heather MC]

20. Where are the photo's he took of the event? If he was there for an Assignment

Where is the Assignment? Did he get paid for that?

[crimsonblue]

24. Cuz if you don't do the fucking Pledge at every Goddamn event

then the terrorists win.. I now have come to hate our terrorist Forefathers... None of whom ever said the pledge. Mr Jefferson, Mr Lincoln, I'm looking at you, motherfuckers!!!

[JerseygirlCT]

26. I could easily see a free-lancer free-lancing on something like this

I'm not sure it's time to assume Bloomberg planted him there.




And you know what? I really don't care much abou honoring a flag, personally. Constitution. Now there's something I'd like to see honored. But a tri-colored piece of fabric? Means little to nothing to me.

[shenenebrown]

31. MSM caught red handed

And they wonder why we argue that they are in the tank for McCain.

[Patsy Stone]

32. Yeah!

Why doesn't anyone want to honor the flag anymore???

Oy.

[Supersedeas]

35. lol, so it begins -- the Media involved in dirty RW antics -- and caught.