NYTimes Whines: Is Obama Trying To Muzzle The Press Corps?

[babylonsister]

We’re Not Keeping Score, but…
By Helene Cooper


LONDON — Is President Obama trying to muzzle his press corps?

The standard form during “joint press availabilities” — bureaucratic lingo for press conferences where leaders from two different countries stand next to each other and take questions from reporters — is that each official’s press corps gets the same number of questions.

Well, during the joint press availability on Wednesday with Mr. Obama and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown at the ornate British foreign office near 10 Downing Street, Mr. Brown called on the U.K. press corps for four whole questions. Meanwhile, Mr. Obama only called on the White House press corps, which schlepped (granted, on a really nice United 777 charter) across the Atlantic to scrupulously chronicle his first overseas trip as president, thrice.

Mr. Obama even tried to cut off the press conference after six questions had been asked—most dealing with the growing rift between the United States and the rest of the world over how to fix the global economy. “All right?” he asked, in an “O.K.-we’re-done-I’m-outta-here” way.

more...

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/01/were-not-keeping-score-but/?pagemode=print

[rfranklin]

1. They never mentioned it under Bush...

I wonder why they feel free to make this accusation now? Could it be that they are freer to do so? Hmmmm?

[Political Heretic]

2. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand:

[avaistheone1]

3. Well Obama cut off the discussion of single-payer health insurance by

not inviting them to the White House Summit. Then it was only through the activism of single payer advocates that they got a seat at the table at the very last minute. Even then why wasn't single-payer was not given adequate representation at the table. There should have been more advocates at the table for single-payer than private plans as that is what most Americans favor. That process spoke volumes to me with how Obama deals with the American people's most important and critical needs.

[babylonsister]

5. So now the NYT are single-payer advocates? Since when? nt

[avaistheone1]

13. I didn't say the NYT did.

I said Obama did.

[Median Democrat]

16. Shouldn't You Start A New Thread Then To Attack Obama's Healthcare Stance?

Or, do you just plan to hijack threads on other topics?

[avaistheone1]

22. No, I am just pointing out this behavior has happened before.

It is not the first time. Do you think it will be the last?

[DevonRex]

29. Here's the thread on that topic:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8311060

[DevonRex]

26. Or how about she just goes back to the thread that IS about that already?

:shrug:

[babylonsister]

21. You must have wandered into the wrong thread. Shoo now. nt

[avaistheone1]

24. You raised the subject.

I just pointed out the validity of the concern based on a recent event.

Shoo yourself.

[babylonsister]

27. You must be very dense. I raised the subject of the NYT whining.

How could you have missed that? :crazy:

[avaistheone1]

33. I think the criticism is valid. I did not miss a thing.

The press are the people's window to the government, and I am angry whenever they are not given adequate access to our government. The press is not ever without fault. Most often they are spineless. I do think they should have been able to follow protocol and ask their questions.

Your insults really are not necessary.

:kick:

[biopowertoday]

17. How will the White House make amends for censoring single payer in its Iowa health care forum "live

I wish they would cover this story.


Forum Name General Discussion: Presidential
Topic subject Did the White House censor single-payer discussion from "live blog" of health care forum transcript?
Topic URL http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8311060#8311060
8311060, Did the White House censor single-payer discussion from "live blog" of health care forum transcript?
Posted by TacticalPeek on Wed Apr-01-09 02:39 PM


It sure looks as if they did.


How will the White House make amends for censoring single payer in its Iowa health care forum "live blog" transcript?

Tue, 03/31/2009 - 10:14pm — lambert

You know, I'm old school. When I read the words "live blog," I think of a blog that, to the best of the blogger's ability, faithfully records events as they happen, for the record, in near real time -- and doesn't censor anything. The White House, apparently, takes a different view.
* * *

Dr. Jess Fiedorowicz, M.D. -- who will be live-blogging at Corrente Thursday, April 2, 8-10 p.m. CT (9-11 ET/6-8 PT) -- is a board-certified psychiatrist and clinician investigator in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Iowa. Dr. Fiedorowicz also won the lottery for a ticket to the White House's Iowa Health Care forum -- after Iowa's (Democratic!) Governor Chet Culver, most shamefully, had tried to sell the tickets to corporate sponsors! Dr. Federowicz participated in the protests outside the hall, and also spoke inside the hall at the forum. As reported by Reuters India*:

Dr. Jess Fiedorowicz, a psychiatrist at the University of Iowa Hospitals who was with the protest group, told the meeting a majority of Americans support a "single payer" or government-run national health insurance program. "Can we put it on the table for discussion?" Fiedorowicz asked Nancy-Ann De Parle, director of the White House Office on Health Reform. "Can we study costing? Can we study feasibility of this truly universal, socially just and fiscally responsible alternate to our currently unjust and woefully inefficient system?" Fiedorowicz asked. Many in the crowd applauded.

And yet -- and I know this wil surprise you -- Dr. Fiedorowicz appears nowhere in the White House "live blog" of the event! Is Reuters wrong? Let's go to the tape (or in this case, the YouTube):

http://www.correntewire.com/how_will_white_house_make_amends_censoring_single_payer_advocates_its_health_care_forum_live_blog




If this is true, as it appears to be, then the White House should leave this sort of baloney behind with the previous admin.

[babylonsister]

19. Go start your own thread to voice your 'concern'. This is about the NYT whining. nt

[biopowertoday]

23. LOL

[DevonRex]

28. Here's the link to that thread, in case you just got lost:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8311060

[biopowertoday]

32. Thanks, you are so sweet.

[DevonRex]

34. You're quite welcome. :)

I know that was snark but it made me smile anyway.

[Median Democrat]

12. Huh? babylon, was your OP about healthcare?

Did the thread just get hijacked by another DU troll? I looked at the NY Times article linked, and saw nothing about healthcare. Am I missing something?

[DevonRex]

15. Nope. Today is the Day of the Hijackers. Just like in your thread.

[HopeOverFear]

30. I understand their anger

but I wish they'd channel it into actually marching on Washington instead of trolling messageboards.

[babylonsister]

18. Nope, had nothing to do with healthcare. Imagine that. nt

[indepat]

4. Jesus, how I'll weep should the NY Times go belly-up

:P

[tularetom]

6. Growing rift my ass - there may be a disagreement over specifics

But the rift between the US and the rest of the world is if anything healing.

[DevonRex]

7. After Judy Miller, I mostly doubt what the NYT says. You have to fact check

them like you do any other RW hack.

[Dr Fate]

8. Good point- it is actually legitimate to assume the NYT is lying or exaggerating.

Looking at the past 8 years, they don't have much credibility.

[DevonRex]

31. And that's why I canceled my subscription. :)

[redqueen]

14. Exactly. How can they take themselves seriously? (nt)

[Median Democrat]

9. What? Weren't We Talking About Obama's Over Exposure Moments Ago?

Now, Obama only answers 3 questions to Brown's 4? Shoot.

[Thrill]

10. YAWN. The Presser with Brown was almost an hour long

[ericgtr]

11. Obama controls his own message and the MSM doesn't quite know how to deal with it

Cutting them out of the loop when he has a message to get out is the best thing I have ever seen a president do.

[babylonsister]

20. Yes, our president is controlling the conversation. The NYT was

already bent out of shape by being ignored at the last big presser. Now they're really in a snit, and I think it's just fine, too.

[Jennicut]

37. Thats what it is. They hate their asses not being kissed anymore.

Its actually rather amusing to me.

[Cha]

25. Contact numbers for NYT.

NEW YORK TIMES NEWS DEPARTMENT

To send comments and suggestions (about news coverage only) or to report errors that call for correction, e-mail [e-mail] or leave a message at 1-888-NYT-NEWS. To contact a reporter, click on the byline of one of his or her articles to access the reader e-mail form. You can also find any reporter's archive here (alphabetized by last name; reporters' names are italicized): Times Topics: People – http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/peo...

The Editors
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
The Newsroom
[e-mail]

[ShareTheWoods]

35. And tell them what?

To continue asking questions of our government or to stand down and shade the transparency?

I'm telling them to keep asking the hard questions... regardless of who the elected persons may be.

[biopowertoday]

36. Yes, you just gave me

an idea to do that.


thanks

[babylonsister]

38. Keep asking the hard questions?

I think you need to review the NYT's history, say, from 2001-2008 with regards to Bush and Iraq. Yea, they were sure brutal in searching out that truth. :eyes:

[ShareTheWoods]

40. I've stopped looking back aimlessly

Whatever whomever did regarding watching our elected people in the past is moot now. We need total
and deep probing by any and all media that we can muster. Flogging the Bush, Clinton etc years with
the same disdain is a waste of time IMHO.

[babylonsister]

42. Wow. You sound familiar. Yes, best just ignore all that pesky

history that pretty much would determine whether jail would be too good for them.

[DevonRex]

41. Oh good grief. Do you REMEMBER Judy Miller? IT's a RW rag.

[mikiturner]

39. How pathetic

Even politico raised an eyebrow.