Press pissed off @ Palin

[flyingimam]

Palin Meets with Karzai, Press Shut Out

September 23rd, 2008 12:54 PM Eastern
by Shushannah Walshe

NEW YORKâ??Sarah Palin just wrapped her meeting with Afghan president, Hamid Karzai. The Palin camp relented and allowed the pool TV producer and cameraman in; even after the camp told print poolers they would not be allowed to enter.

The Palin campaign spokesperson Tracey Schmitt provided this statement as to why originally no editorial presence would be allowed in the meetings, but no explanation, â??The decision was made for this to be a photo spray with still cameras and video cameras only.â?�

According to the pool producer, Palin was seated in a large chair to the left of Karzai with a table in between the two. Behind the Alaska Governor were McCain-Palin foreign policy advisers Steve Biegun and Randy Scheunemann.

Karzai and Palin were talking about his young son when the pool entered the room. The only part of the conversation the journalists allowed in the room for 29 seconds could hear is below:

â??What is his name?,â?� Palin asked.

â??Mirwais,â?� Karzai responded. â??Mirwais, which means, â??The Light of the House.â??â?�

â??Oh nice,â?� Palin responded.

â??He is the only one we have,â?� remarked Karzai.

Karzai and Palin met for thirty minutes after the cameras left. The campaign says the full pool, which includes a print reporter, wire reporters, one television camera, and still cameras will be allowed in the next meeting with Colombian president Alvaro Uribe â?? which is set to begin shortly.

Palin Meets with Karzai, Press Shut Out « FOX Embeds « FOXNews.com
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Now, the story from pool TV "producer and cameraman"

McCain camp tries to keep reporters out of Palin meetings

September 23, 2008
Posted: 02:45 PM ET

From CNN Political Producer Peter Hamby

(CNN) â?? McCain-Palin campaign officials shifted course Tuesday after being informed by television news organizations that they would not broadcast footage of Sarah Palinâ??s meeting with Afghan leader Hamid Karzai Tuesday in New York â?? the Republican VP nomineeâ??s first with a foreign leader â?? if a reporter was not allowed in to observe the pair.

CNN, which was the pool network for the event, informed the campaign of its decision. The network was then told a CNN producer would be allowed in the room to act as a media representative, just minutes before the photo op was scheduled to take place. However, print reporters and wire services were not allowed to observe the meeting, as they have been able to do at similar McCain events in the past.

The press only caught a brief glimpse of the vice presidential nominee. Palin was seated in a large chair a few feet from Karzai, with a table in between them. Seated slightly behind Palin were campaign foreign policy advisers Steve Biegun and Randy Scheunemann, who are accompanying the governor in her motorcade today.

As the pool entered, the Afghan president appeared to be telling Palin about his young son, who was born in January 2007.

Palin, her legs crossed and at one point patting her heart, was leaning in eagerly and smiling. Karzai, wearing his traditional clothes but without his trademark karakul hat, was also grinning while discussing the child. His remarks were mostly unintelligible as the noise from the clicking cameras drowned them out.

â??What is his name?,â?� Palin asked.

â??Mirwais,â?� Karzai responded. â??Mirwais, which means, â??The Light of the House.â??â?�

â??Oh nice,â?� Palin responded.

â??He is the only one we have,â?� remarked Karzai.

After 29 seconds observing the meeting, CNN and other photographers covering the meeting were escorted out of the room.

Later, McCain-Palin press representatives chalked up the restrictions to a â??mix-up, a miscommunication among staff.â?� The full pool â?? a print and wires reporter, along with a television producer â?? was then allowed in to observe Palinâ??s meeting with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe for 15-20 seconds.

CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - McCain camp tries to keep reporters out of Palin meetings « - Blogs from CNN.com
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Now seriously, if McCain camp wants to make her foreign policy credentials any better, do u think this was a smart move? I find it absolutely a very bad choice even if I was a hardcore McCain fan which I'm not.

talking backlashes

flyingimam Reviewed by flyingimam on 09-23-2008. Press pissed off @ Palin Palin Meets with Karzai, Press Shut Out September 23rd, 2008 12:54 PM Eastern by Shushannah Walshe NEW YORKâ??Sarah Palin just wrapped her meeting with Afghan president, Hamid Karzai. The Palin camp relented and allowed the pool TV producer and cameraman in; even after the camp told print poolers they would not be allowed to enter. The Palin campaign spokesperson Tracey Schmitt provided this statement as to why originally no editorial presence would be allowed in the meetings, but no Rating: 5

[dragonrider]

I just started a thread about this too --- maybe they can be merged.


I agree, if this was meant to boost her foreign policy credentials, it is totally backfiring. It's just highlighting the fact that she knows nothing about foreign policy. And shutting out the press makes it look like they are trying to hide her incompetence while taking advantage of the photo ops.

They are blowing it.

[flyingimam]

I just started a thread about this too --- maybe they can be merged.


I agree, if this was meant to boost her foreign policy credentials, it is totally backfiring. It's just highlighting the fact that she knows nothing about foreign policy. And shutting out the press makes it look like they are trying to hide her incompetence while taking advantage of the photo ops.

They are blowing it.

yeah, once i posted this and searched for new posts i saw yours.

this is not a good move at all. I as an independent observer and analyst want to get to know this lady better. and I just got to know a tad bit more about McCain & his camp's policies and advisers, if ya catch my drift!

[JakeMartinez]

The Republicans, if they mention this new attack on the McCain/ Palin War in the Press front, will probably make her out to be a victum of "unfair scrutiny from the liberal media" as they have in the past.

[flyingimam]

The Republicans, if they mention this new attack on the McCain/ Palin War in the Press front, will probably make her out to be a victum of "unfair scrutiny from the liberal media" as they have in the past.

that is exactly why i posted my link from foxnews as well. i highly doubt ANYONE would claim them to be the liberal media.

this is absolutely an unfair practice @ censorship of the press, liberal or conservative wont matter.

these talks were not official head of state talks or any form of classified matters imo. they were supposed to be a "show" to boost her credentials in public's eye.

and they totally canceled the show

[Psycho4Bud]

I just started a thread about this too --- maybe they can be merged.


I agree, if this was meant to boost her foreign policy credentials, it is totally backfiring. It's just highlighting the fact that she knows nothing about foreign policy. And shutting out the press makes it look like they are trying to hide her incompetence while taking advantage of the photo ops.

They are blowing it.

LOL...I agree it's not like Obama's world tour but what the hell, she's getting a chance to meet these people without the distractions. Not all ego's need the "photo op" like others.

As I recall, Obama skipped seeing some vets in the hospital because of the lack of a photo op. LOL

Have a good one!:s4:

[Psycho4Bud]

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told FOX News the Pentagon did not tell Obama he couldnâ??t visit, but explained that he would be under specific restrictions.

â??We do have certain policy guidelines for political campaigns and elections and what is appropriate and what is not appropriate in those situations,â?� he said. â??The issue here is that if you are both a sitting senator and a political candidate â?¦ you need to do it in your capacity as a sitting senator or you have to do it with the restrictions that apply to any other candidate out there that might be running for office that is not a sitting senator.â?�

A memo sent out Wednesday from Undersecretary of Defense David Chu explained that Obamaâ??s visit to such a military facility would be limited under these circumstances. Obama would not have been able to bring any of his campaign staff â?? only one Senate staffer and security. He also would not have been able to address the media or make any campaign-related statements.
Obama Camp: Visit to Troops Would Have Seemed Too Political - America’s Election HQ

Like I stated, NO photo op.

Have a good one!:s4:

[daihashi]

And if he had McSame would have criticized him for something else, catch 22.

Possibly, but to say Obama wouldn't do the same would be a lie wouldn't it? I mean look at how many times he's tried to use his name and race alone as an issue. I don't see anyone bringing up these issues except Obama.

This is politics. I would be shocked if Obama or McCain didn't use like this to gain an advantage over another. :hippy:

[daihashi]

Point taken.

...

Obama > McCain :stoned:

So Obama trying to create controversy over his race and middle name when no one else is doing so makes him better than McCain who points out controversy that already exists?

Whatever floats your boat buddy :hippy:

[daihashi]

Where are you getting this from?

Where has Obama made the election about his religion/race? He's a christian, and he's BARELY black... if you ask me.

Obama Suggests GOP Will Use Race to Scare Voters - Americaâ??s Election HQ

YouTube - Barack Obama: Did I mention he's black?

YouTube - "He doesn't look like the other presidents on the coins." go to 4:30 on this video

I can pull up more stuff. Fact is that McCain and republicans have made sure to steer clear of his name and race. Obama has tried so many times unsuccessfully to try to bait republicans or paint them as racists. He is the only one who mentions this stuff in hopes of trying to catch the ignorant who won't check up on what he says.

I'm not making this stuff up, I really wish I was because it disgusts me that someone would try to make race an issue to try to win a campaign. I can pull up more videos from different places he's given speeches. He plays the race card and there's no denying it. He did it against the Clintons also in the democratic campaign trail.

Bill Clinton: Obama Campaign 'Played the Race Card on Me' | The Trail | washingtonpost.com

Clinton audio clip is included in that link also. I despise Bill Clinton but I have to admit that he was right about Obama and he was right about how the news media was trying to spin this story anyway they could against. It is distracting to the American people from issues that are TRUELY important.