Obama Plane Pitches Reporters From McCain-Endorsing Papers

Apennysaved1 · #1 (**permalink**) 10-31-2008, 11:16 AM

"Journalists from three major newspapers -- each having endorsed John McCain -- reportedly have been booted from Barack Obama's campaign plane for the final leg of the presidential race."
Paper affected..
The Washington Times
The New York Post
Dallas Morning News
Obama Plane Pitches Reporters From McCain-Endorsing Papers - FOXNews.com Elections

truble2301 · #2 (**permalink**) 10-31-2008, 11:38 AM

I guess they learned that trick (if true, Fox isn't exactly unbiased) from the McCain campaign.

Joe Klein and Maureen Dowd were banned from the McCain planes a while ago.

Quote:

Why can't Klein get a seat? UPDATE

Time columnist Joe Klein, who’s been a forceful critic of the McCain campaign (and already said he’s unwilling to accept a post-election apology), has found himself without a seat on the McCain or Palin planes the past four months.

In June, Klein was kept from boarding the McCain plane over what they said had been a security issue. More recently, when trying to fly on the Palin plane last week, Klein told Politico over e-mail that the campaign's response was he “couldn’t be accommodated at this time.”

“I’ve done nine presidential campaigns and this is the first time this has ever happened to me,” Klein said. “I was even allowed—I won’t say welcomed—on the Clinton plane in the summer of 1996 after I was revealed as the author of Primary Colors.”

“I rode with McCain during the primaries, but not since I asked him—at a June press conference—whether he really believed Ahmadinejad was the ‘leader’ of Iran, since he has no control over foreign policy or the nuclear program,” Klein continued. “That was when they suddenly told me that I hadn’t called in time to get secret service clearance. (I had called more than a day in advance.)"

But he’s not the first high-profile critic to get the cold shoulder.

New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that she had been “banned” by the campaign for what they told her was “the foreseeable future.” Despite Dowd being kept off the planes, The Times continues to have reporters travel with the campaign.

Similarly, other Time magazine staffers, including Washington bureau chief Jay Carney, " reporter Michael Scherer, and Mark Halperin (The Page), have not had a problem with access.

Klein noted that a couple weeks ago he told McCain adviser Nicolle Wallace about planning to get on the McCain plane again, and by his account, “she seemed to think it would be fine.” (Wallace has not yet answered a request for comment).

One thing seems clear about not getting on the Palin plane: space wasn't an issue. According to a reporter traveling with the campaign, there had been a few empty seats last week.

“My understanding is that his request came in too late,” Palin spokesperson Tracey Schmitt said.

So either Klein is consistently too late putting in requests, or the campaign just doesn't really want him aboard.

UPDATE: Campaign spokesperson Michael Goldfarb responded that "we don't allow Daily Kos diarists on board eithe

Hey, seats are limited on a plane -- it only makes sense for the campaign to allow reputable journalists on first and Washington Time and the NY Post (I know nothing about that Dallas paper) don't exactly qualify.

Link

kvmj · #3 (**permalink**) 10-31-2008, 12:41 PM

The Dallas Morning News is a regional paper. The Washington Times is owned by the Rev. Moon. The New York Post is owned by Rupert Murdoch who also owns Fox.

Obama would have had no doubts about who the latter two would endorse from the beginning.

truble2301 · #4 (**permalink**) 10-31-2008, 12:58 PM

David Shuster just made an excellent explanation on MSNBC -- which I'm sure none of the neocons will believe, so I won't bother repeating it.

As the old cliche goes, don't bother explaining -- your friends don't need it and your enemies won't believe it.

So the neos and the Drudges can believe what they like. With an 11 point lead in today's polling, I don't think Sen. Obama is going to worry about it.

mom2twins2 · #5 (**permalink**) 10-31-2008, 07:04 PM

Guess that would make Obama a COWARD!

truble2301 · #6 (**permalink**) 10-31-2008, 07:21 PM

Well, don't feel bad. You've guessed wrong before, too.

mom2twins2 · #7 (**permalink**) 10-31-2008, 07:24 PM

If Obama does win Tuesday, there will be more of this pick and choose type of crap. Obama is so afraid of people who don't believe as he does. Typical, just typical.

Isn't this what happens in communist China? Guess the next thing is Obama deciding what is to be aired on TV and radio news. Can't have anything that makes Obama look bad now, can we?

COWARD!

truble2301 · #8 (**permalink**) 10-31-2008, 07:25 PM

Surely you're used to it, after the past eight lies of Bush it.

Coward? Funny, considering that McCain is afraid of a few college students.

mom2twins2 · #9 (**permalink**) 10-31-2008, 07:28 PM

People better enjoy their freedom of expressions today because if Obama is elected, it will be gone. He's starting to show some of his true colors now. And this is just the beginning.

jndhoyt · #10 (**permalink**) 10-31-2008, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mom2twins2

Guess that would make Obama a COWARD!

Just another one of your nasty unintelligent remarks that adds nothing to the conversation. How does this make Obama a coward? So is McCain also a COWARD for doing the same thing on his plane?

Sometimes I just can't fathom where these off the wall comments come from.

usnamom · #11 (**permalink**) 10-31-2008, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mom2twins2

People better enjoy their freedom of expressions today because if Obama is elected, it will be gone. He's starting to show some of his true colors now. And this is just the beginning.

Fear, fear, fear. I can't imagine that the things you fear will come true. This is still America and we are still Americans. Do you really believe the things you write? Come on. You are looking silly with the paranoid stuff and I know you are rational. Come on.

truble2301 · #12 (**permalink**) 10-31-2008, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by usnamom

I know you are rational. Come on.

Honestly, I've never seen any evidence of that.

forrestlayne · #13 (**permalink**) 10-31-2008, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mom2twins2

People better enjoy their freedom of expressions today because if Obama is elected, it will be gone. He's starting to show some of his true colors now. And this is just the beginning.

He has been showing this type of behavior for several months.
Everyone knows that Obama would not go on Fox for months because of Fox releasing the Rev Wright tapes.

Just one place that Obama's campaign tried its tactic.
As nation watches Denver, Obama campaign muscles Chicago station over ex-radical Ayres | Top of the Ticket | Los Angeles Times

truble2301 · #14 (**permalink**) 10-31-2008, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by forrestlayne

He has been showing this type of behavior for several months.
Everyone knows that Obama would not go on Fox for months because of Fox releasing the Rev Wright tapes.

Everyone knows that, huh? News to me. Where did you procure this valuable information?

forrestlayne · #15 (**permalink**) 10-31-2008, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by truble2301

Everyone knows that, huh? News to me. Where did you procure this valuable information?

Obama Met With Fox News Executives

truble2301 · #16 (**permalink**) 10-31-2008, 08:08 PM

Not one word of that article supports your claim that "Everyone knows that Obama would not go on Fox for months because of Fox releasing the Rev Wright tapes." You got anything that actually backs that up?

jaded · #17 (**permalink**) 10-31-2008, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mom2twins2

If Obama does win Tuesday, there will be more of this pick and choose type of crap. Obama is so afraid of people who don't believe as he does. Typical, just typical.

Isn't this what happens in communist China? Guess the next thing is Obama deciding what is to be aired on TV and radio news. Can't have anything that makes Obama look bad now, can we?

COWARD!

What exactly is it called when McCain does it? Heroism? Democracy?

NYT Maureen Dowd Kicked Off McCain's Campaign Plane: He's 'Dismissive of 1st Amendment' | NewsBusters.org

Michael Calderone's Blog: Why can't Klein get a seat? UPDATE - Politico.com

jeanief · #18 (**permalink**) 10-31-2008, 10:43 PM

It's called, "It's okay because he is our candidate and just as our candidate is, so are we--HYPOCRITES." They believe in do as we say, not as we do." Like, they are all afraid of us losing our freedoms, but what party was it with Watergate tapes? What party was it within the last 8 years that were caught illegally wiretapping, then retroactively making wiretapping legal?

sher218 · #19 (**permalink**) 10-31-2008, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mom2twins2

People better enjoy their freedom of expressions today because if Obama is elected, it will be gone. He's starting to show some of his true colors now. And this is just the beginning.

You are sooooooo right....It is really scary.....SHerri

jndhoyt · #20 (**permalink**) 10-31-2008, 11:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sher218

You are sooooooo right....It is really scary.....SHerri

What is the matter with you guys! You actually believe Obama will just throw away the Constitution?

Get a grip people.

dannyboy · #21 (**permalink**) 11-01-2008, 12:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mom2twins2

People better enjoy their freedom of expressions today because if Obama is elected, it will be gone. He's starting to show some of his true colors now. And this is just the beginning.

Is this a test about which party stands for freedom of expression?

Two words.

Patriot Act.

Two more words.

Unauthorized wiretapping.

Five words.

Unlawful firing of US Attorneys.

One word.

Guitmo.

Three words.

Suppression of evidence.

Three words.

Denial of counsel.

Five words and one final phrase.

All Republican acts and initiatives.

The idea that the Republicans are the bastion of free speech and the protectorate of personal freedoms is so absurd that it makes my mind explode. I'm in bizarro world. It is really as though I'm living in a parallel world, where up is down and right is wrong.

Last words.

You are nuts. Or delusional.

Very last word.

Stupid. Just stupid. Anyone who looks at Obama and says, "oh, my heavens, he threatens my free speech," in the last years of this administration, which systematically shredded personal protections, is just stupid or naive.

Or maybe clever. In the sense that you know better, but you are trying to stir up the storm because you think that you'll like the result when the dust settles.

jeanief · #22 (**permalink**) 11-01-2008, 12:16 AM

The dust WILL settle, but they will NOT be happy when their candidate does not win AND their gloom and doom and death of a nation does not transpire.

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