Obama Boots Reporters From Conservative Papers

[katandmoon]

Barack Obama's campaign has booted from its airplane three reporters who work for newspapers that have endorsed John McCain.

The campaign says that a limited number of seats forced it to make the tough decision of which journalists would be permitted to follow the Democratic presidential candidate in the last four days of the campaign, but the papers are calling foul, claiming they were targeted for their editorial-page positions and kicked off while nonpolitical publications like Glamour and Jet magazines remained on board.

Eliminated from the plane's traveling press were the Washington Times, the New York Post and the Dallas Morning News.

"It feels like the journalistic equivalent of redistributing the wealth," said John Solomon, executive editor of the Washington Times.

Obama Boots Reporters From Conservative Papers

Awwww. Here is my tiniest violin trio playing for these sad rejects.

:nopity: :nopity: :nopity:

[Versailles]

1. A "duh" moment.

"It feels like the journalistic equivalent of redistributing the wealth," said John Solomon, executive editor of the Washington Times.

'Cause that'll make them change their minds. Idiots.

[Number23]

29. Even one of the newspapers booted off of the plane said it wasn't political

Link - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x230447#230477

Entire article here - http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/10/the-dallas-morning-news-and-th.html

Key points: "For what it's worth, we've had the same trouble with the McCain campaign. One of our reporters dropped off earlier this week when space became an issue, and we're only getting back on with McCain tomorrow for the final weekend because they, unlike the Obama campaign, are adding a second plane."

This story is just a couple of conservative clowns (Fox and The Washington Times) trying to stir up drama and ratings.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

2. I can't believe these freaks have the audacity to whine about this

After 8 years of what can only be described as open disdain for a free press by the Bush administration.

[abumbyanyothername]

3. Well I didn't really like it when the Bushies did this in the WH

and I don't like it here.

But I am not really current on protocol on press planes. I am sure that these papers will be allowed in the press pool at the White House.

Or if not, I will be outraged, just as I was when Bush traded access for strictly favorable coverage.

[democrattotheend]

20. I agree with you. I also think this was a dumb move

It makes them look petty right before the election...why do something like this to attract bad press? I know it was a space issue, but they could have picked one non-conservative paper to boot to make it look less partisan.

[jrockford]

25. Those papers wouldn't of been favourable anyway. I doubt its much a loss,

why make it easier for them to be critics? Allowing them to travel with the campaign is a lot different than whether or not they can sit in at the WH

[Gman]

Mr Solomon still doesn't know when to shut his mouth

I guess he's had his last flight on Obama's plane. It's amazing that he wonders why.

[BlueIdaho]

4. Shot across the media's bow... go ahead - fuck with us - please! nm.

[99th_Monkey]

5. Now I guess they'll have to ride in a WAAmbulance.. awww .. poor babies. ~nt~

[blogslut]

6. heehee

:)

[DerekJ]

7. "It feels like the journalistic equivalent of redistributing the wealth," Thanks for proving

Obama's campaign right in their decision.

[jrockford]

26. Exactly.

What a very stupid thing for him to say.

[LSparkle]

8. It's a MERITOCRACY ... If you're not providing your readers with journalism ...

then you have to take a back seat. 'Bout time if
you ask me.

[Sodan]

9. You missed this:

"including the NY TIMES' Maureen Dowd, who once complained that she was barred from McCain's Straight Talk Express airplane."

[Green Mountain Dem]

10. Doesn't bother me at all after....

what the WH did to Helen Thomas!!

[Sodan]

11. The OP is misleading..

"including the NY TIMES' Maureen Dowd, who once complained that she was barred from McCain's Straight Talk Express airplane."

Both campaigns do this.

[AldebTX]

12. I Disagree With This Headline

Several conservative papers were left ON the campaign plane. Even papers that have endorsed McCain. The campaign claims they dumped papers that have not been with them for the entire campaign.

One of the papers cited was our local paper (The Dallas Morning News). While yes the paper does serve the largest Metro area in the state, they admit that they have not always requested a seat on the plane or always had a reporter on the campaign plane.

[BlooInBloo]

14. Thanks for the clarification.

[ErinBerin84]

13. David Shuster on MSNBC

said that his wife covers the Obama campaign, and the reporters were kicked off bc they do not cover the campaign consistently (not on the plane when they go to each location) , to make room for others (and to make room for the crew of a documentary that is going to be filmed, apparently). I forget which paper Shuster's wife works for, but I'm pretty sure it's a fairly conservative one. Don't know if it's true, but I think kicking off those writers (and as others have pointed out, Maureen Dowd was targeted and is from the NYT, and there are other conservative outlets that the Obama camp could have kicked out) is a good place to start. Hell, Glamour probably covers politics more accurately than the NY Post.

[AzNick]

15. Whinie whinie whinie... n/t

[Sorceress]

16. Man, I can't stand The Washington Times. It's all about the The Washington Post 'round these parts!

[catgirl]

17. Sucks to be them

[donco6]

18. That's life in the big leagues.

What did they expect?

[frylock]

19. couldn't solomon work in a joe the plumber reference too?

try a little harder on those RW talking points, dumbnuts. maybe someday you'll understand why you got booted.

[Ron Green]

21. All 3 of those rags deserve to walk the plank.

The Moonie Times and the NY "Post" are just trading on name confusion, and the DMN has been a right-wing screed posing for decades as a big-city newspaper.

[casus belli]

22. The "redistributing the wealth" comment proves he made the right decision. n/t

[NYC Liberal]

23. Whatever little sympathy I may have been thinking of feeling towards them

went away very quickly with the "redistributing the wealth" comment:

[JustAnotherGen]

24. Honestly

I'm not too concerned about the Post getting the boot. Cry me a river. If you guys could read the total slant AGAINST Barack - well let's just say . . . I'm glad they finally gave him a reason to give them the boot. I've written no fewer than 23 letters to them since August 28th. Polite, respectful, etc. etc. Not one has been printed - because they know I'm calling them out for their slant.

Good riddance - less for them to make shit up with.

[busybl]

27. NY Post is a rag

[joop]

28. Honestly, I doubt he "booted" them

He's class act all the way. Boots implies kicking them off forcibly.

and good for him.

[TexasObserver]

30. Those three papers are RNC rags. Fuck them.

[Born_A_Truman]

31. Isn't Tara Wall from the Washington Times?

She is vile and I hope it was her butt that was kicked off the plane.