The President’s Biographer playing journalist

The honeymoon might be over for a few WH reporters. Everyone can’t be first and everyone can’t be the

Richard Wolffe

favored guy, all the time. But it appears that one guy is favored with the WH more often and more obviously than others.

Richard Wolffe, author of Renegade: The Making of a President and a planned sequel, is getting an unfair amount of access than other reporters and it’s not sitting well with many of the pool reporters. A fact that Wolfe does not dispute and in fact, verifies:

Wolffe said over email: “I’ve been in lots of parts of the White House and talked to lots of White House officials. Most often on my own. Sometimes with very few media present. Sometimes with lots of media present. I’ve never been a pool reporter. I negotiate my own access for the book and pursue my own reporting.” [Emphasis mine]

As background, Wolffe was a reporter for NewsWeek and was on the campaign trail with Obama – strictly Obama, during which he was doing foundational work for Renegade. His NewsWeek editors discovered indirectly that he was working on a book while he was also working on their dime. (NewsWeek reimbursed the Obama campaign $170,000 for travel expenses incurred by Wolffe.)

By the way, it was Obama who suggested that Wolfe write a Theodore White-type book [The Making of the President 1960] about the campaign and expected presidential win.

In his book, Wolfe wasn’t very kind to his bosses at NewsWeek. In one passage, Wolfe takes a direct shot at the Newsweek’s chief scribe, Evan Thomas [great grandson of socialist and several time presidential candidate Norman Thomas], describing him as one of the magazine’s “most senior, and white, writers” whose “racial stereotyping” wasn’t that different from Jeremiah Wright’s inability “to accept that America was in the process of change.”

We all remember Evan Thomas:

But I digress.

On the campaign trail, many of the pool reporters were unhappy and jealous of his almost unlimited access to Obama. He played basketball with the candidate while on the campaign trail and “after a campaign event at a restaurant in Reno…, Wolffe and Obama shared a heaping piece of frosted carrot cake as the Secret Service ushered the rest of the press corps to a waiting bus, according to a pool report.”

Fast forward to last month and the rising tension between the press and the WH.  Julie Mason, pool reporter for the Washington Examiner said: “I was the print pooler, and I told him, ‘You are not in the pool — you shouldn’t be here [at a House Democratic Caucus meeting with the president],'” Mason recalled. “We did have words, and he invited me to take it up with Robert Gibbs. I asked him if he was now officially working for the administration, which rightly [ticked] him off.”

Wolffe is no longer with NewsWeek. Many at the publication felt that he had become too enamored with Obama during the campaign and that his coverage (or lack of it) effected his reporting for the publicaton. After the election, they wanted to take him off the WH beat for other duties but he was not inclined to accommodate their wishes. He’s now working for a public relations firm, writes for the Daily Beast and is a sometime consultant to – where else – MSNBC.

TheDailyCaller.com

Politico.com

Yahoonews.com

Media marginalizing and misreporting Tea Party events

Tea Party rally in Searchlight, NV

John Fund/WSJ.com

Saturday’s Tea Party Express event in the hometown of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was downplayed by much of the media — perhaps because the only incidents of violent behavior among the large crowd seemed to come from angry supporters of Mr. Reid. Following a week in which charges and countercharges about which side in the health care debate has engaged in more objectionable rhetoric, the media’s treatment of the Tea Party event in Searchlight, Nev. was curious.

There was virtually no reports of eggs being hurled at the Tea Party buses or the threat of physical violence against Breitbart. I agree Mr. Fund, that is curious.

CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield certainly didn’t think the crowd was worth much of a mention, estimating that only “hundreds of people, at least dozens of people,” turned out for it. By contrast, Politco.com concluded that the event drew “as estimated 20,000 Tea Partiers” to a windswept desert lot.

I can attest that “hundreds of people, at least dozens” was a real understatement.  When I left, before Palin stopped speaking, I waded through a sea of people. No question, there were thousands. But it works so much better as part of their narrative to understate and underestimate the numbers. Tea party people must be marginalized to the few thousand viewers that CNN and MSNBC have.

Andrew Breitbart, the conservative Internet entrepreneur who was one of several speakers at the rally, says the crowd was large enough that it raised the ire of local Reid supporters. He noticed one man holding a sign directing Tea Parties in the wrong direction. When Mr. Breitbart approached to chat with the Reid supporters, he saw several throwing eggs at the Tea Party Express buses. The protesters, he says, quickly surrounded him, including one who declared: “I’m going to have to go to jail today if this guy [Breitbart] doesn’t leave.”

These people have taken on a mob mentality, one that tea partiers don’t have. It’s frightening to think what could happen if only one had taken some kind of action against Breitbart.

“It’s unsettling to see them use threats and provocation like this,” he told me. He was especially peeved at what he witnessed given what he said were the unconfirmed accusations hurled at Tea Party protestors last week in Washington, including that some had used ugly and violent language against members of the Congressional Black Caucus. On stage at the Searchlight event, Mr. Breitbart offered to donate $100,000 to charity if anyone could provide video evidence that racial epithets were used against CBC members. Mr. Breitbart says he suspects the accusations were just a cynical attempt by the left and elements of the media to “marginalize” the Tea Party movement.

These congressmen took the deliberate and provocative step of doing their own mini “march on Selma” in order to make it a civil rights issue. It was an unnecessary move to do nothing but be provocative and to do nothing more than incite the protesters further.  And really, does any of this rise to the level of Kenneth Gladney being beaten up by men dressed in SEIU shirts and also called the n-word? No it does not but no one is covering that story or the one of the man who got his finger bitten off at a rally, either. Neither of those stories got any national coverage but allegedly spitting on a congressman has turned into a major national event. But you know what? Congressmen and senators are not any more important than I am. I really don’t care what they were allegedly called or whether one was spit on. I no longer have any reverence or respect for the office they have held and tainted.

If so, it doesn’t seem to be working. The stage at the Nevada event was crowded with notables, including Sarah Palin. She brought cheers from attendees when she proclaimed that voters in the November election would fire Harry Reid. She added: “There’s something not quite right when Fidel Castro comes out and says he likes ObamaCare when we don’t.”

Another speaker was Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons, who told the audience: “Voters don’t want to see the Constitution trampled. They are angry, they deserve to be listened to and this is going to be heard nationally.”

No, Governor Gibbons, we do not deserve to be listened to. We demand it.

Klavan: It doesn’t get too much better than this!

From BigHollywood.com

~~~ooOoo~~~

• ACORN slated to get nearly $4 billion in Obama’s fiscal 2011 budget
• Pelosi aide says Democratic congressional leaders have settled on legislative “trick” to pass Obamacare; So why have a summit?

• No place for whack-job 911 truther Debra Medina in the Tea Party
• The Final Kennedy bites the dust; Obama now spared backing another Progressive loser
• Sarah Palin brings down another one; Palin stalking Progressive Troll Eric Robinson makes a total ass out of himself

• “Retard” Incident Brings Out the Best in ABC News and, er, ah Roland Martin at CNN
• Second Muslim State Goes Nuclear – ‘Demise’ of ‘Capitalist System’ ?

• lluminati: Mongol Invasion of the New World Order?
• Noahide Law: Orders the Decapitation of Christians?
• Usama bin Laden: Propaganda Report from an alleged DEAD man. Whose agenda does it serve?

• Glenn Beck Mocks Debra Medina
• 75% Are Angry At Government’s Current Policies
• NewsBusted 2/9/10

• And Then, There Were 50… With Rare Snowfall in Dallas, All 50 States in US Have Snow Now — Update: Snow Impacts NBA All-Star Jam Session in Dallas
• Google Home Page Logo Today Salutes Beginning of 2010 Olympics Vancouver Games, Plus Some Opening Ceremony Highlights

We can only hope Olbermann’s on the ropes

Newsbusters

The New Yorker has a good, but long-ish article about MSNBC’s biggest hate monger.

SCOTUS rules to protect free speech

4 of the 9 Supreme Court justices are in favor of book banning and speech censorship. F-O-U-R  of them. And the 5 who voted in favor of the First Amendment are being called ACTIVISTS. Now, isn’t that ironic? To be in favor of the Constitution is now considered radical.

Amazing.

The case of Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission was decided last week by the U.S. Supreme Court, in a sqeeker vote that should scare all Americans. This case has unveiled to the public, the justices who would be in favor of censoring free speech and who are willling to ignore the first amendment’s stark and direct language:

“Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press…”

How much clearer could the Founders have been?

From the AP:

When the Supreme Court first heard the case in March, Deputy Solicitor General Malcolm Stewart, representing the FEC, was pulled into a discussion of an issue that took him down a slippery slope: If the movie were a book, would the government ban publishing the book if it mentioned a candidate for office within the election time frame?

Stewart said that it could.

“That’s pretty incredible,” Justice Samuel Alito said.

Then came questions about electronic devices such as the Kindle.

“If it has one name, one use of the candidate’s name, it would be covered, correct?” Chief Justice John Roberts asked.

“That’s correct,” Stewart replied.

“It’s a 500-page book, and at the end it says, ‘And so vote for X,’ the government could ban that?” Roberts asked.

[David] Bossie [founder of Citizens United and maker of Hillary the Movie] said this was the argument that turned a majority of the bench against the FEC and in favor of Citizens United.

“That sent a chill down the Supreme Court,” Bossie said. The argument became a “point of demarcation.”

The marxists progressives are now screaming outrage. This from the Wall Street Journal:

President Obama was especially un-Presidential yesterday, putting on his new populist facade to call it “a major victory for big oil, Wall Street banks, health insurance companies” and other “special interests.” Mr. Obama didn’t mention his union friends as one of those interests, but their political spending will also be protected by the logic of this ruling. The reality is that free speech is no one’s special interest. New York Senator Chuck Schumer vowed to hold hearings, and the Naderite Public Citizen lobby is already calling for a constitutional amendment that bans free speech for “for-profit corporations.” Liberalism’s bullying tendencies are never more on display than when its denizens are at war with the speech rights of its opponents.

But the marxists progressives make no mention of networks like MSNBC that is owned by the corporate giant General Electric and that has been nothing short of the communications center for the Obama administration. This case protects their free speech, as well.

As David Bossie writes at BigJournalism.com:

Finally, as the Court acknowledged, the position that corporations cannot engage in political speech has a fatal logical flaw.  Almost every major media outlet in the country is owned by a corporation and most of them advocate for or against candidates via endorsements, opinion columns, or politically-oriented programming.  Why should General Electric, which owns MSNBC, be permitted to use its nearly unlimited resources to influence elections, while I, who made Hillary The Movie using corporate funds for roughly .03% of the budget, could be put in prison for airing the documentary?

What is really frightening is that TheOne has 3 more years to appoint justices. One more liberal appointment could change the entire complexion of the Constitution and it’s protection of Americans. Those appointees have to be confirmed by congress. This is just another urgent reason that Constitutionalists must be elected this  year.

Let’s start an office pool – what’ll be the left’s new cause?

Democrats need an accomplishment. And Democratic activists and voters need a new cause…

I love this line from the Washington Post because it’s all too true. The hallmark of the marxist progressive movement is all about “causes”.

In my life time it was the Viet Nam war, then civil rights, and women’s rights with the sub-cause abortion rights. These causes (for the exception of abortion) have all but evaporated and so they glommed onto health care reform and the green cause, aka global warming climate change.

Scott Brown has murdered health care, all alone and premeditated. Just ask Chris “leg tingler” Matthews:

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “Eyeblast.tv“, posted with vodpod

But look! Leaked emails, skeptical scientists coming out of the closets and Al Gore hiding in one, have debunked that so-called cause. So down the shitter goes the green cause and with it, cap and trade.

What’s the next cause? We need to be a step ahead of them. I call immigration the next big marxist progressive movement.

What say you? (Oh NO, Shoot me. I’m channeling Bill O’Reilly!)
______________________

On Scott Brown’s Win… Are They Listening Now? New Strategy for Democrats: “Jump Ship, Obama Can’t Help You”

Dems Assemble Circular Firing Squad Over Coakley Loss; Freedom Left Intact

Massachusetts Victorious in First Battle of the Second American Revolution; The Patriot’s Revolt against Tyranny of the DC Socialists

Left-Wing Demons Viciously Attack HillBuzz Blog for Its Scott Brown Support… HillBuzz Is Fighting the Good Fight for America, So Needs Your Help

Mass. Senate Race: NBC News Cries Racism | The FOX Nation

New racist stereo type: You own a pickup, you’re a racist.

These people will never admit that there is actually an ideology break between this president and congress and the American people that has nothing, whatsoever, to do with race. But now even New Englanders are redneck, pickup driving, gun toting race haters.

My God. Will it ever end with these jerks? Will they ever get it?

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “Mass. Senate Race: NBC News Cries Rac…“, posted with vodpod

________________________________________

Priceless: Scott Brown’s Truck Ownership Dissed by Obama, Brown Hits Back… Brown Rules on Twitter & YouTube (video)

“I’d cheat to keep these bastards out”

MSNBC’s fat Ed Schultz From Gateway Pundit:

Now we have national talking heads promoting voter fraud. It was bad enough that we still have the Black Panthers, SEIU and ACORN actually doing it, with absolutely NO Justice Department response to federal criminal acts, now we have fat loud mouths on cable networks encouraging it.

The ends justify ANY means…

The Best Notable Quotables of 2009

Runner-up from Media Research Center’s Best of the Worst of 2009

Matthews Man Crush continues:

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “The Best Notable Quotables of 2009“, posted with vodpod

MSNBC’s Matthews: Republicans Have Become ‘Party of the Confederacy’

“Are you going to keep building your party with Dixiecrats – ex-democrats who think the Democratic Party is too mainstream?”

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “MSNBC’s Matthews: Republicans Have Be…“, posted with vodpod

Too Mainstream? TOO Mainstream? Has this leg-tingler lost his  mind? I’m really sure that no one views the democrats as too mainstream. The problem so many Americans are having with the democrats is that they are not even close to mainstream. They have been hijacked by the crazy left marxists and it’s turning off many sensible party members. I believe there will be a dramatic rise in people who identify as independents in the coming year. There are many who simply cannot call them selves Republicans but will not call themselves democrats, any longer.

Obama will leave a legacy of gutting his own party.

“I have become increasingly concerned that the bills and policies pushed by the current Democratic leadership are not good for north Alabama or our nation,”  Griffith said during a press conference Tuesday.

“I am announcing today that I’m joining the Republican conference immediately,” he said.  “Our nation is at a crossroads and I can no longer align myself with a party that continues to pursue legislation that is bad for our country, hurts our economy, and drives us further and further into debt.”

Let’s hope that what Congressman Griffith is saying, is true and heartfelt.