The President was in Boston yesterday for a fundraiser. The Boston Herald requested access. It was turned down. Why?
Well it seems that the last time Obama was in town, the Herald put a Mitt Romney written op-ed on the front page criticizing the President’s economic policy. That “unfair” treatment was cited by the White House as the reason for yesterday’s snub of the paper.
It was a mistake.
First and foremost, “never pick a fight with someone who buys ink by the barrel”. That sage advice was first attributed to America’s first sage, Benjamin Franklin. It was true back then. It is just as true today.
Second, it draws attention to the history of heavy-handed press management by this administration. It highlights yet another area of incompetence of this White House — just what they need in the lead-up to the 2012 campaign. Recent examples include exiling a reporter wanting to cover a Biden fundraiser to an utility closet and banning a reporter in San Fransisco who had the temerity to take video of people protesting the President’s visit there.
Third, it gives one of Obama’s likely 2012 opponents a platform from which to attack the President. Said opponent, Mitt Romney, promptly took advantage of the opening. The Herald quotes him as saying:
“The media has a responsibility to be truthful and to be interesting, and the Herald is both of those things. The president barring the Herald from attending a presidential event flies in the face of the spirit of the First Amendment.”
“I know the president and the White House are very sensitive about anyone who talks about the failures in the economy. They’re in denial about putting people out of work and the under-employed. When the Herald speaks the truth, they lash out.”
“I think the president’s campaign promises in too many cases have gone by the boards. The transparency pledge was the first to go. The inclination toward retribution and lashing out toward people who disagree with his economic posture is only the latest chapter.”
Fourth, it shows the President trying to limit news coverage of Mitt Romney. Are they worried? Even if they aren’t, this sort of thing says they are.
The President and his people seem to have a hard time grasping the fact that the White House is located in Washington, D.C., not Chicago, Illinois. They are rapidly running out of time in which to figure that out.
May 19th, 2011 at 9:11 am
I’m sure if george w bush would have banned the boston globe from an event the media/politcos/academic types reaction would have been breaking news type intense…MSNBC anchors would have gone nuts but this will be crickets.
May 19th, 2011 at 9:14 am
The Left cherishes its power, and will do anything to keep it. They don’t tolerate dissent from their orthodoxy or policies.
And Romney is the biggest threat to their power. Of COURSE they’re afraid.
May 19th, 2011 at 9:31 am
HOW DARE THEY LET MITT CRITICIZE THE PRESIDENT ON THE FRONT PAGE!!!!!
That’s the op-ed with the “Obama Misery Index” IIRC.
Strong stuff from Mitt and Barry & Co. didn’t like it. A little retribution was in order!
Seriously, Obama’s going to be a HORRIBLE candidate the second time around. His lack of a record last time played right into his Hopey/Changey wheelhouse, but he’s going to go absolutely bezerk when he has to address his many failing. It’s going to be a meltdown of epic proportions. Mitt will roast him on a daily basis.
Should be fun to watch.
May 19th, 2011 at 9:31 am
Romney is the strongest candidate with the widest appeal against Obama, and everybody knows it. The curretn administration is simply inept and unable to hide thier fear of Mitt.
May 19th, 2011 at 9:41 am
WHITE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE FROM OBAMA REELECTION COMMITTEE:
5/19/11 6:07 AM ET:
“We will do anything possible to make sure the media stay focused on the President’s positive narratives. Anyone who deviates from ignoring the Republicans will be swiftly removed from the White House Press Corps. We appreciate cooperation in the future.”
nah, just kidding
Would not be surprising though…
May 19th, 2011 at 9:43 am
Mitt received positive coverage in the Globe and The Economist yesterday. Mostly it was a way to B-slap Republicans over their changing standards on the individual mandate, but they were overall positive towards Mitt for not bowing to the pressure of the “literati” as Newt puts it.
May 19th, 2011 at 9:47 am
Makes you wonder if the Boston Herald will retaliate or get back in line with the president and the democrats. This event should be front news every where… should it not?
May 19th, 2011 at 9:49 am
What would have happened if Bush would have done something like this? Which FOXNEWS person is it that wants you to e-mail media bias to them? Maybe one of you civil Romney supporters should contact them and explain the bias.
May 19th, 2011 at 9:49 am
The initial lumps were tough on Mitt last week, but I think ever since, he has probably benefitted on every count. Now if he goes on to General election-dom he will have a lot of credence to Independents for standing up for Health Care, and it will be tough for Dems to knock him, since many (like Ezrra Kliine) gave Mitt some props for standing up to the current lemming mindset of conservative punditry.
May 19th, 2011 at 9:51 am
It boggles my mind that Obama was supposedly a teacher of Constitutional law but has no problem whatsoever of violating that law. Everyone on here knows I’m not a Romney supporter so my outrage has absolutely nothing to do with how it affects Romney – but everything to do with our freedom!!!
May 19th, 2011 at 9:53 am
Just more Chicago-bred, Alinsyite crap from Obungler. Remember the on-again, off-again War on Fox? It’s apparently deeply ingrained on the Dem side in general, since the candidates fell over themselves to boycott FNS even back in the Dem primary campaign.
Of course, all of this is another example of the post-partisan, post-racial, post-modern, most transparent administration in history.
May 19th, 2011 at 9:53 am
10 Agreed. They tried to do the same thing to Fox News last year.
May 19th, 2011 at 9:53 am
Granny T – exactly. We need to extradite this crud from the Whitehouse in 2012 and send them back to the streets of Chicago.
May 19th, 2011 at 9:55 am
RUBIOZONE,
Chicago is too close to my home in South Beloit, IL. If he keeps violating laws can’t we keep him off the streets and send him to the slammer instead?
May 19th, 2011 at 9:57 am
Granny T Says:
Everyone on here knows I’m not a Romney supporter so my outrage has absolutely nothing to do with how it affects Romney
===========================================================
That is an understatement. Have you recovered from our last discussion
May 19th, 2011 at 10:01 am
Granny,
That would cause black outrage. This is how Obama has America by the balls right now.
OMG, I’m so cynical I can’t stand myself.
May 19th, 2011 at 10:10 am
I thought under Obama, we would enter the Age of Blessed Bipartisanship, and the lion would lay down with the lamb, and the mouse would suckle on the serpent’s breast.
May 19th, 2011 at 10:13 am
17 Serpents have breasts? Does the porn industry know this? Talk about a whole new market!
May 19th, 2011 at 10:13 am
Then maybe we should get some black patriots and black Congressmen to lead in the effort. I am “color blind”. I have several black people and Mexican people that I count as family. My husband gave my daughter’s best friend (that happens to be black) away at her wedding. My son’s best friend introduced me as “Mom” when he was a shift manager at McDonalds years ago. The girl at the register looked shocked and I promptly said, “Don’t you see the family resemblance?” (Dre was a tall skinny very black man and I am a short very white woman.) Dre laughed and then told her, “This is Brad’s mom.” My daughter married a black man and I have four mixed grandchildren. My objections to Obama have NEVER had ANYTHING to do with race.
May 19th, 2011 at 10:14 am
What about “transparency”?
May 19th, 2011 at 10:19 am
thunder,
I have cooled down and gotten some rest since then. As long as people don’t try pushing me around I don’t have too much of a problem dealing with things. Pushy people and people saying bad things about or hurting someone I love have always caused me to lose my temper. It’s very difficult to overcome my hot headed Irish and bullheaded German dominance in my American mutt genealogy.
May 19th, 2011 at 10:23 am
asparagus,
Serpents have metaphorical breasts…..
May 19th, 2011 at 10:32 am
# Granny T Says:
May 19th, 2011 at 10:19 am
thunder,
I have cooled down and gotten some rest since then. As long as people don’t try pushing me around I don’t have too much of a problem dealing with things. Pushy people and people saying bad things about or hurting someone I love have always caused me to lose my temper. It’s very difficult to overcome my hot headed Irish and bullheaded German dominance in my American mutt genealogy.
===============================================================
I understand that, I am a son of an Okie Truck driver, and I tend to go full steam ahead. BTW: I am not shelby, and I would not be caught dead at a Huckabee web site (unless of course, he was Romney’s running mate).
May 19th, 2011 at 10:35 am
Speaking of boobs, is anyone keeping abreast of conditions at the GOP GOTV system? Sounds like there’s a lot of work to be done there.
May 19th, 2011 at 10:45 am
Grab onto this like a Canary dog, Mitt. America is itching to see someone take this guy on.
We may have lost Bonham, but Fuller is still hitting homeruns out there. It’s going to be a good season.
May 19th, 2011 at 10:45 am
Great article on the GOP GOTV system. Thanks for sharing. We really need the best GOTV this next November to beat Obama, ACORN, and the crookedness that will exist in some areas of the country. You know they will cheat to try and win this thing.
May 19th, 2011 at 11:09 am
We have semi ‘candidates’ on our side who will only talk to Fox. I see little difference from not allowing access for a news outlet, and only dealing with ‘friendly’ reporters. Mitt talks to them all.
May 19th, 2011 at 11:12 am
Granny 19: They just don’t get it about conservatism. (The majority of blacks and liberals) Sadly.
May 19th, 2011 at 11:18 am
Let’s get these polls on the front page!
http://realclearpolitics.blogs.time.com/2010/05/18/2012-poll-romney-the-new-hampshire-favorite/
Presidential Primary Election Matchup
Romney 41 (-6 vs. last poll, Feb. ’10)
Palin 12 (+3)
Giuliani 11 (-2)
Huckabee 9 (+2)
Gingrich 5 (+1)
Paul 6 (n/a)
Pawlenty 3 (-1)
Santorum 2 (n/a)
Thune 0 (unch)
Johnson 0 (n/a)
Other 3 (unch)
May 19th, 2011 at 11:18 am
New Suffolk Univ National poll vs Obama (think we had the GOP horse race numbers a couple of days ago).
http://www.suffolk.edu/46652.html
“Mitt Romney has become the clear front-runner among Republican primary voters nationwide. The former governor found support from 20 percent of all likely GOP primary voters. Among voters of all parties, Romney was the closest of the Republican challengers tested to catching President Barack Obama (Obama 46 percent vs. Romney 43 percent).”
May 19th, 2011 at 11:25 am
Woe betide the bearers of bad news, but this was predictable:
How does the good gov. respond to that in a campaign? “It was great for MA, but the Constitution tells us you can’t have it, America!” Oddly, I don’t think that’ll fly.
Finally, our formerly limited government can break free from the last of its Constitutional constraints.
Said the Bamster:
Yes, driving down costs is what we’ll all be working on. Nonstop. Interminably. All the while reformed health care gobbles up an increasing share of the government’s total budget.
May 19th, 2011 at 11:31 am
At this point the greatest threat to a mitt romney presidency…is a small field of candidates. Romney has a somewhat solid base…with a basement of 15%(nationally). No matter what, he can count on 15%. Right now he is probably much closer to 30%…if for no other reason than his name recognition. Mitt only has to worry about the base rallying around a single anti-romney candidate. Will it happen? I don’t know. I hope so. But the governor has to feel good about the state of the field right now. I think if I were him though…i’d work on cozying up to the base a little. His rhetoric needs to be honest, but he needs to speak with authority on the issues we care about.
May 19th, 2011 at 11:33 am
[...] Today I found out “The President was in Boston yesterday for a fundraiser. The Boston Herald requested access. It was turned down.” H/T Mark @ Race42012 [...]
May 19th, 2011 at 11:46 am
#31
How Romney answers that question?!?!:
We did it in Mass WITHOUT raising taxes
We did it in Mass WITHOUT payoffs and kickbacks (Louisiana Purchase and Cornhusker Kickback)
We did in in Mass WITHOUT granting waivers to politicaly allies or our preferred businesses.
We did it in Mass over a 2 year period and din’t ram it down the nation’s throat before they could even read the bill.
We did it in Mass with an overwhelmingly bipartisan 198-2 vote and public support instead of a razor thin margin in Congress and ZERO bipartisan support (even 19 Democratic congressmembers voted AGAINST it).
We did it in Mass with constitutional authority and within the powers of our state and federal constitutions instead of a huge and unconstitutional federal “power grab.”
MITT knows how to play offense. I’m not worried. His history with passing health care legislation would actually make him the strongest GOP candidate on the issue of Health Care go go up against Obama.
May 19th, 2011 at 11:53 am
I know the health care question floats many people’s boats (particularly the tea partiers), but so far as I can tell, Mitt’s the only one with a legitimate proposal to dissemble the monstrosity. He certainly understands the issue more deeply than most.
That said, what is floating more people’s boats is the dismal economy, unrelenting joblessness, and the feckless leadership from this administration in dealing with same. Once again, the economy will be issue #1 in voter’s minds, and not many candidates (on either side of the aisle) have much street cred on that issue.
Obama is the problem. The solution is clear.
May 19th, 2011 at 12:08 pm
30:
Wait for it…wait for it…wait for it…ZZZpaw SURGE!!!
May 19th, 2011 at 12:17 pm
[...] Today I found out “The President was in Boston yesterday for a fundraiser. The Boston Herald requested access. It was turned down.” H/T Mark @ Race42012 [...]
May 19th, 2011 at 12:48 pm
If Mitt is ‘all that and a bag of chips’
why is the GOP establishment running around like a chicken with it’s head cut off trying to convince Chrisie or Daniels or anybody else to run?
Think about that one.
May 19th, 2011 at 1:00 pm
If Mitt is ‘the establishment candidate’ of the ‘Washington insider’
why is the GOP establishment running around like a chicken with it’s head cut off trying to convince Chrisie or Daniels or anybody else to run?
Think about that one.
May 19th, 2011 at 1:20 pm
Mitt is all that… just not a “sexy” campaigner. I for one don’t care about that. I’m more interested in competence.
The “establishment” thinks we need a “media” candidate to go toe to toe with Obama. All style, no substance (but as we’ve seen with Obama, that doesn’t work out so well when it comes time to govern). I beg to differ. Mitt will eat Obama’s lunch on substance, and the independents that are paying attention (New Hampshire) have already noticed that.
With the middle, and the independents, we’ll swing enough states back to the red column to win the general, and once in office, he will truly shine.
May 19th, 2011 at 1:32 pm
[...] in Boston yesterday for a fundraiser. The Boston Herald requested access. It was turned down.” H/T Mark @ Race42012I know some of you have to be shocked I am taking up a cause that Romney is one of the leaders of. [...]