Controlling the Press

 

In July of last year, Helen Thomas, one of the left's most loyal and esteemed reporters, accused the Obama Administration of wielding unprecedented levels of control over the press. Thomas seems to be enjoying a better relationship with the White House these days, so it might be tempting to assume that any problems she had with the administration's control of the press had been resolved. Yet now, Dana Milbank is offering similar criticism. In this article (Obama's disregard for media reaches new heights at nuclear summit),

Milbank accuses Obama of turning Washington into a military encampment "with camo-wearing military police in Humvees and enough Army vehicles to make it look like a May Day parade on New York Avenue."

He calls Obama the "occupant of an office once informally known as `leader of the free world."

But, according to Milbank, Obama is uninterested in press freedom. Indeed, he says the following:

The only part of the summit, other than a post-meeting news conference, that was visible to the public was Obama's eight-minute opening statement, which ended with the words: "I'm going to ask that we take a few moments to allow the press to exit before our first session."

Several members of the press, says Milbank, found themselves escorted out just minutes after they arrived. Some were only allowed to stay for thirty to forty seconds.

Perhaps the most interesting line in the Milbank column is the following:

Reporters, even those on the White House beat for two decades, said these were the most restricted such meetings they had ever seen.

It would be hard to accuse the Washington Post of being a conservative publication. Dana Milbank himself used to appear on Countdown with Keith Olberman.

So the fact that Milbank is writing this story is worth noting.

One can understand why a conservative might want to accuse a democrat of too much control. But, when leftists begin to voice such concerns about officials on their own side, then there is, perhaps, even more reason to worry.

Comments

[Guard]

KB, you worry too much about little things as well as big things beyond your control. We're going to be allright. It's just a little Control of the Press at the White House. I can think of far bigger things to be much more conerned about. LOL

[Guard]

KB, you worry too much about little things as well as big things beyond your control. We're going to be allright. It's just a little Control of the Press at the White House. I can think of far bigger things to be much more conerned about. LOL

[Guard]

I stand corrected...Miranda, you worry too much. Lighten up! LOL

[Miranda Flint]

Now, Guard, you're not being consistent! If everything works according to God's plan and nothing we do matters, then there aren't any bigger things to worry about.