Controlling the Kagan Message
[Guest post by DRJ]
The Obama Administration sent a not-so-subtle message to the White House press today — reporters are expendable:
“While the White House seems to believe the American people deserve to hear from Kagan, it has not made her available to reporters. That prompted some consternation at today’s White House briefing.
“It appears that Solicitor General Kagan did an interview yesterday right after the president’s announcement,” said a reporter. “You’ve now posted that on the White House Web site. Who did the interview? And can I have one?”
“I think it’s — I think it’s on the website if you want to see it,” responded Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.
Soon after, the reporter can be heard saying, an edge in her voice, “So a White House staffer interviewing her.”
Gibbs says yes, and the reporter asks if Kagan would like to do another interview.
“She has — she’s not told me that, no,” replied Gibbs, prompting the reporter to respond, “Tell her we’re deeply frustrated.”
The decision to post an interview with Kagan conducted by a government employee – not a journalist – is in line with the Obama administration’s policy of regularly using new media tools to go around traditional media.”
Will the media begin its full court press as it did when the McCain campaign limited access to Sarah Palin?
— DRJ
A pox on their house – they dragged his carcass over the goal line, yet now they feel differently when they’re on the receiving end. Like a poor dog that’s been kicked repeatedly yet still comes back to its master, they’ll get used to it.
Dmac (21311c) — 5/11/2010 @ 3:17 pmWhy should the press be surprised after some of them were banned from his exhaulted presence during the campaign for their intemperate attitudes.
AD - RtR/OS! (09aa03) — 5/11/2010 @ 3:26 pmThey’re receiving only a small portion of what they so rightfully deserve.
Lame Cherry posts briefly about this. It’s worth reading.
Vermont Neighbor (4249e2) — 5/11/2010 @ 3:36 pmlamecherry.blogspot.com
The phrase “too clever by half” comes to mind more and more with respect to this White House. I am starting to think that Axelrod has been closeted in the hallowed halls of the WH for too long. He’s always been a spinner and a deft packager of the narrative, but his instincts really did used to be better. If even a few of the press start reporting their scoops on a daily basis instead of holding them for the books they plan to write, things could go south for the administration rather rapidly, I think.
elissa (9c4e9f) — 5/11/2010 @ 3:37 pm“Will the media begin its full court press as it did when the McCain campaign limited access to Sarah Palin?
Umm….no.
Mr. Pink (bb8267) — 5/11/2010 @ 3:45 pmAwww, poor babys. Don’t he respect you this morning?
mojo (4e4a98) — 5/11/2010 @ 3:47 pmDoes it bother anyone that a Supreme Court nominee doesn’t know the difference between the Attorney General — who prosecutes Terrorists as criminals — and the Surgeon General — who puts the labels on cigarette packages?
Just sayin’.
Christian (3290f5) — 5/11/2010 @ 4:16 pmPicky, picky, picky. Let’s try to act like adults, keep in mind that Kagan is up for the Supreme Court. It’s not like she’s ever going to have to take a pop quiz in high school civics.
ropelight (72c034) — 5/11/2010 @ 4:42 pmkeep in mind that Kagan is up for the Supreme Court. It’s not like she’s ever going to have to take a pop quiz in high school civics.
True. A knowledge of basic civics is completely unnecessary to the job of being a Supreme Court justice.
I’m not sure that’s something to celebrate but it is the reality.
Suboai (9db5b8) — 5/11/2010 @ 4:51 pm#8 ropelight — Would you have been so generous had W made a similar slip? I think not. You continue to demonstrate the “we know she’s smart because she agrees with me syndrome.” That’s ridiculous.
Me laughing at her slip of the tongue? That’s wallowing in my own superiority.
Me saying she shouldn’t be on SCOTUS merely because of the quote? That’s sarcasm.
Just sayin’.
Christian (3290f5) — 5/11/2010 @ 5:00 pmChristian, don’t tase me bro. I’m singin’ from your hymnal. Your #7 was a delight, it’s my goofy humor gets in the way sometimes. I was just trying to jump on your bandwagon.
Think tongue in cheek.
ropelight (72c034) — 5/11/2010 @ 5:11 pmIt’s not like she’s ever going to have to take a pop quiz in high school civics.
I’m thinking this might be a good place to start for anyone nominated. Weed them out from the get-go before the hearings begin.
Dana (1e5ad4) — 5/11/2010 @ 5:31 pmSo Kagan is fond of softball, poker and cigars… did I hear that right, CBS News?
LOL.
GeneralMalaise (d86494) — 5/11/2010 @ 5:34 pm“Obama administration’s policy of regularly using new media tools to go around traditional media.”
Scrapiron (4e0dda) — 5/11/2010 @ 5:55 pmObama regime’s policy of regularly using retarded fools in the media to go around traditional retarded media fools.
Fixed it for you. And the traditional media love the head up O’Dumbo’s a** position.
It’s like a dysfunctional marriage and we all know the part the WH press corps (or is that corpse) is playing the part of the spouse that doesn’t want to press charges after getting beat.
MU789 (a16f7d) — 5/11/2010 @ 6:00 pmwell, as far as i’m concerned, the press asked for it.
😀
redc1c4 (fb8750) — 5/11/2010 @ 6:05 pmMSM getting exactly what it deserves.
JAY (4c7de6) — 5/11/2010 @ 6:27 pmPoliticians and the traditional media are completely unprepared for what is about to happen in a few short months.
The lap-dog media is so completely devoted to the narrative they generated that they are incapable of understanding they were used as a political tool that can be discarded when its useful life is over.
The only analogy I can come up with is they are similar to a five-year-old when the child realizes Santa isn’t real.
Politicians, both left and right, are finally going to have to face the fact that the decisions to devote trillions of dollars in debt to ill-begotten stop-gaps against an inevitable economic calamity are going to be judged at the ballot.
If you really get down to it, though, it is our fault. We, the people, elected these rubes.
And we, the people, are going to have to figure out a way to dig ourselves out of this mess.
I suggest voting as if it matters.
Ag80 (f67beb) — 5/11/2010 @ 8:46 pmWell, for once I agree with Obama – I have no use for the MSM whores either.
sherlock (62f2cf) — 5/11/2010 @ 9:45 pmWatch the interview. She says it right. The news article got it wrong.
Patterico (c218bd) — 5/11/2010 @ 11:42 pmHow about this: back in her Clinton Administration days, Kagan apparently favored a ban on late-term abortions. I would love to see her explain that to Barbara Boxer.
JVW (08e86a) — 5/11/2010 @ 11:46 pmAnd apparently this point of view, just last year;
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Kagan-Speech-is-free-if-government-decides-it-has–93309159.html
ian cormac (c19bdd) — 5/12/2010 @ 4:30 amWatch the interview. She says it right. The news article got it wrong.
Comment by Patterico
Well, it’s reassuring that she got it right. (Though it was hilarious to read- gave me quite a chuckle.)
And the fact that a reporter and editor got it wrong is not surprising. Will they print a correction?
Proof positive that our host is an intellectually honest fellow, correcting mistakes even on behalf of the left.
MD in Philly (ea3785) — 5/12/2010 @ 6:21 am@mu789: “It’s like a dysfunctional marriage and we all know the part the WH press corps (or is that corpse) is playing the part of the spouse that doesn’t want to press charges after getting beat.” corpse is correct. they’ve been DSOA (Dead Since Obama’s Arrival). I’m afraid it’s too much to HOPE that they would see the light, arise and CHANGE their ways.
DFWlady (b5c096) — 5/12/2010 @ 7:20 am“The decision to post an interview with Kagan conducted by a government employee – not a journalist – is in line with the Obama administration’s policy of regularly using new media tools to go around traditional media.” As opposed to using the traditional media tools in the White House Press Corps?
Socratease (02c2d9) — 5/12/2010 @ 4:18 pm