White House press corps sued for doing Obama's 'bi

[Esther]

White House press corps sued for doing Obama's 'bidding'

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=139657

A lawsuit has been filed in Washington accusing the White House Correspondents' Association of doing the bidding of the Obama administration in trying to belittle, exclude and irreparably harm a leading Internet news outlet, WorldNetDaily, which has carried commentary critical of the president.

The dispute arose over WND's request – and payment – for three tables at the association's annual banquet in Washington, which has been described as being to the news industry what the Academy Awards are to Hollywood.

"However, it has been largely excluded from the event during the tenure of the Obama administration. This year, for instance, WND was among the first to order tables at the event and it ordered three tables. WND was led to believe by the WHCA that it would get three tables. WND needed three tables in order to bring its personnel and distinguished guests to the event, as this was the anniversary of Les Kinsolving's tenure as a distinguished White House correspondent, and his daughter, Kathleen Kinsolving Willmann, has just written a book about his career, entitled 'Gadfly.' The three tables were thus necessary to celebrate the occasion and because WND has become over the years a major publication," the complaint states.

"This year, in anticipation of the event, which will take place on May 1, 2010, WND tendered $6,750 USD for three tables. However, the WHCA cashed only one of the checks, number 13662, for one table. ... The amount of the check is $2,250.00 USD. Accordingly, WHCA accepted WND's offer to buy at least one table for the event."

The complaint explains WND also was "led to believe" it would get the two additional tables for which it submitted payment, and "WND invited guests ... for three tables."

"On information and belief, after the WHCA accepted WND's order for one table for the event, the Obama administration and White House intervened and put pressure on the WHCA to reneg on even this commitment. As a result, and in an insulting manner, WND was then informed that it would only get three seats at the event, and not even its own table," the complaint continues.

"White House officials tried to bar Fox News White House correspondent Major Garrett from a press pool event. The administration was making Executive Pay Czar Kenneth Feinberg available for interviews, and Fox was told that while other members of the pool would have access to Feinberg, it would not be allowed to participate," he wrote.

In that case, the other four members of the pool, ABC, NBC, CBS and CNN, "told the White House that if Fox was not allowed to participate then none of them would participate..."

The report confirmed "the White House relented and Fox News was allowed to participate."

The White House has expressed the opinion at the time that it did not consider Fox a "news" organization.

If I recall my history correctly all dictators took over the media. Seems that is also Obama's goal, and seems he has just about accomplished that.

[n david]

White House Press Corps and foreign press have not been impressed (ha) with accessability to BHO's Nuke Summit.

Reporters for foreign outlets, admitted for the first time to the White House press pool, got the impression that the vaunted American freedoms are not all they're cracked up to be.

Yasmeen Alamiri from the Saudi Press Agency got this lesson in press freedom when trying to cover Obama's opening remarks as part of that limited pool: "The foreign reporters/cameramen were escorted out in under two minutes, just as the leaders were about to begin, and Obama was going to make remarks. . . . Sorry, it is what it is."

Alamiri's counterparts from around the world wrote of similar experiences in their pool reports. Arabic-language MBC TV's Nadia Bilbassy had this to say of Obama's meeting with the Jordanian king: "We were there for around 30 seconds, not enough even to notice the color of tie of both presidents. I think blue for the king."

The Press Trust of India, at Obama's meeting with the Pakistani prime minister, reported, "In less than a minute, the pool was asked to leave." The Yomiuri Shimbun correspondent found that she was "ushered out about 30 seconds" after arriving for Obama's meeting with the Malaysian prime minister. A reporter with Turkey's TRT-Turk went to Obama's meeting with the president of Armenia, but "we had to leave the room again after less than 40 seconds."

Even the Chinese president, Hu Jintao, was more talkative with the press than Obama. Michelle Jamrisko, with Japan's Kyodo News, noted in her pool report that Hu, at his session with Obama, spoke to the Chinese media in Chinese, while Obama limited himself mostly to "say hello to the cameras" and "thank you everybody."

Obama's official schedule for Tuesday would have pleased China's Central Committee. Excerpts: "The President will attend the Heads of Delegation working lunch. This lunch is closed press. . . . The President will meet with Prime Minster Erdogan of Turkey. This meeting is closed press. . . . The President will attend Plenary Session II of the Nuclear Security Summit. This session is closed press."

Reporters, even those on the White House beat for two decades, said these were the most restricted such meetings they had ever seen. They complained to both the administration and White House Correspondents' Association, which will discuss the matter Thursday with White House press secretary Robert Gibbs.

Source

After vowing to be more transparent and open, BHO is proving to be otherwise. Not surprised though. He is what he is.

[Esther]

Originally Posted by n david

White House Press Corps and foreign press have not been impressed (ha) with accessability to BHO's Nuke Summit.



Source

After vowing to be more transparent and open, BHO is proving to be otherwise. Not surprised though. He is what he is.

Exactly. LIAR...comes to mind.

[Twisp]

He isn't lying. Common sense dictates you only let essential personnel into a meeting like that. I do not recall him ever saying he would allow reporters into a high level meeting of national security importance. If he did, please let us know.

Besides that, there are 47 other nations attending this. I can imagine that they would not want reporters there, as well.

Really scraping the bottom of the barrel, aren't we?

[BeenThinkin]

Originally Posted by Twisp

He isn't lying. Common sense dictates you only let essential personnel into a meeting like that. I do not recall him ever saying he would allow reporters into a high level meeting of national security importance. If he did, please let us know.

Besides that, there are 47 other nations attending this. I can imagine that they would not want reporters there, as well.

Really scraping the bottom of the barrel, aren't we?

Yea, Twisp and found you there at the bottom of the barrel! Since when do we allow 47 countries to come into our country and tell us what reporters can attend or not attend the meetings. Yes, I'm aware that they did not tell us that, but that is what you are suggesting they should be able to do! Get real!

Been Thinkin

[Twisp]

Originally Posted by BeenThinkin

Yea, Twisp and found you there at the bottom of the barrel! Since when do we allow 47 countries to come into our country and tell us what reporters can attend or not attend the meetings. Yes, I'm aware that they did not tell us that, but that is what you are suggesting they should be able to do! Get real!

Been Thinkin

I did not suggest any such thing. I merely said that they probably, along with our President, do not want reporters there. I never suggested that they told us not to let them be there.

You seem a little unhinged there, BT. Again, this is a high level meeting about national defense. Please tell me what other president allowed reporters at meetings such as this.

[n david]

Originally Posted by Twisp

I did not suggest any such thing. I merely said that they probably, along with our President, do not want reporters there. I never suggested that they told us not to let them be there.

You seem a little unhinged there, BT. Again, this is a high level meeting about national defense. Please tell me what other president allowed reporters at meetings such as this.

It isn't such a thing. Why would 47 nations be here if it was about our "national" defense? It's not about that. It's about controlling nuclear weapons, not just here, but worldwide.

[BeenThinkin]

Originally Posted by Twisp

I did not suggest any such thing. I merely said that they probably, along with our President, do not want reporters there. I never suggested that they told us not to let them be there.

You seem a little unhinged there, BT. Again, this is a high level meeting about national defense. Please tell me what other president allowed reporters at meetings such as this.

Yea... unhinged I guess! How many other meetings, (low level) has he kept reporters and republicans out of! He is the biggest joke for president that we have ever elected and is given a "total pass" as he is so "transparent", ha ha ha ha!

Bernanke said this morning that the spending is leading us to the point that in ten years our over spending will equal our GDP! What is Obama doing? SPENDING - SPENDING - SPENDING! and doesn't even ask anyone about it before he spends it!

BT

[Twisp]

Originally Posted by n david

It isn't such a thing. Why would 47 nations be here if it was about our "national" defense? It's not about that. It's about controlling nuclear weapons, not just here, but worldwide.

It is a meeting among many countries about nuclear weapons. I'd say there will be enough sensitive information in that meeting to kick to a high level meeting.

[Twisp]

Originally Posted by BeenThinkin

Yea... unhinged I guess! How many other meetings, (low level) has he kept reporters and republicans out of! He is the biggest joke for president that we have ever elected and is given a "total pass" as he is so "transparent", ha ha ha ha!

Bernanke said this morning that the spending is leading us to the point that in ten years our over spending will equal our GDP! What is Obama doing? SPENDING - SPENDING - SPENDING! and doesn't even ask anyone about it before he spends it!

BT

Which ones are you referring to?