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McCain-Palin Camp Tried to Block Media Access to Palin in NY
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ShareSeptember 23, 2008 12:09 PM
ABC News' Kate Snow reports: The McCain campaign tried to limit access to Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin today as she met with world leaders in New York.
For a time this morning, the McCain-Palin campaign refused to allow any editorial presence -- no reporters or producers -- to go with a network pool camera to take pictures of Palin meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.
The McCain campaign eventually relented after the television networks threatened to ban and not use any footage of Palin meeting with leaders.
Palin is scheduled to meet with Karzai shortly, followed by Uribe, and then with McCain advisor, Kissinger.
The networks had arranged for a "pool" camera -- one camera to cover the first few seconds of the meetings, whose video would be pooled or shared with all networks.
Such arrangements are standard when dealing with intimate high-level meetings between leaders and candidates.
But typically, along with cameras, there is an editorial presence -- at least one print reporter, one television reporter, and one radio reporter is standard.
However, today, the McCain campaign told media covering Palin's trip to New York that they would allow only one editorial person inside.
Then the campaign scaled back further, saying it will only allow a camera and no editorial presence.
The networks, including ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, and Fox fiercely objected to the McCain campaign's apparent effort to try to shield Palin from questions. Networks voted today, as a protest, to not use any video coming out of Palin's meeting.
Palin has not held a news conference since being selected as McCain's running mate, nor taken questions from her traveling press corps, frustrating journalists assigned to cover Palin for the election.
After the television networks strenuously objected to the McCain campaign's effort to block any editorial presence from the room, the campaign finally allowed one CNN pool camera and one pool producer into the meeting room.
As she arrived for her meeting with Karzai, Palin avoided reporters who were camped out at the main front entrance of the hotel, instead pulling up in a motorcade to a side entrance and quickly sneaking inside.
Palin's dance with the press continued during her meeting with Karzai. After being told that an editorial presence would be permitted in Palin's meetings, pool reporters were asked to leave after the first 30 seconds, according to the pool report. Print pool and wires were not permitted in.
"The decision was made for this to be a photo spray with still cameras and video cameras only," Palin spokesperson Tracey Schmitt told reporters.
Reporters in the room for the brief period only heard Palin, who was accompanied by foreign policy advisers Steve Biegun and Randy Scheunemann, inquire about Karzai's son.
The McCain-Palin campaign allowed a "full pool" into the meetings with Uribe and Kissinger, but the sprays were even shorter, and reporters heard nothing more than pleasantries being exchanged.
September 23, 2008 in Palin, Sarah | Permalink | User Comments (906)
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"None of you deserve any time with her. Your treament of her and her family was a national disgrace. None of you have any right to demand anything from her." s.b., you obviously do not understand that this woman is running for the second highest PUBLIC office in the land. We, the AMERICAN people pay her salary and expect our government to act on our behalf. We have EVERY right to demand that she be properly vetted by the media and the fact that McCain's campaign ROUTINELY sheilds her from the media sends a very loud and clear message that they do not trust her to be able to answer the questions properly or knowledgeably. I could care less that she kills moose or has a pregnant daughter and I don't want to know any more details about her private life BUT I darn well want to know EXACTLY how she can handle world leaders, the economy and domestic issues and if McCain won't let us see how she can do it then obviously he has no faith in her ability.
Posted by: allie | Sep 23, 2008 12:38:20 PM
DUH like she is a hollow shell no content. Why else hide her from the news reporters???
Posted by: polarbearkiller | Sep 23, 2008 12:39:33 PM
"Never in America shall we elect a President and Vice who have not been scritinzed by the REAL PRESS (not FAUX NEWS)."
What real press?
Posted by: Mack | Sep 23, 2008 12:39:36 PM
Does Palin meet with President Uribe of Colombia today (after George W. Bush yesterday) to insure him that the $4,319,000 (over 4+ billion) 2001 - 2008 that GWB has sent on the "war on drugs" will continue to flow to the corruption of his government and military under a Palin-McCain Administration? Talk about a covert CIA operation like the supported dictator in Guatemala that killed tens of thousands of indigenous Indians - Uribe is a crook. He was condemned by all Latin nations for his killing of innocents in Ecuador. Why is Palin choosing sides? Get this woman off the world stage before she does more damage than GWB could imagine.
Posted by: OnTheGloryRoad | Sep 23, 2008 12:40:10 PM
How can anyone support yet another candidate (Palin) who believes they do not have to answer to the public. It is reminiscent of the secrecy of Cheney, Harriet Myers and other Bush administration officials hiding evidence, "losing" thousands of e-mails, and refusing to appear before Congress, even when subpoenaed.
And why is the news media lettting her get away with refusing to answer questions or have press conferences??
Everyone should write the national news media demanding action and coverage.
Haven't we had enough of this??
Posted by: Star | Sep 23, 2008 12:40:15 PM
Shame on any of you journalists if you cover Palin on ANYTHING from now on. Let's put the focus on somebody with a brain. . . Obama.
Posted by: Wisconsin for Obam | Sep 23, 2008 12:40:24 PM
allie STFU we can ask of her everything and if she can't supply that info she doesn't belong in the race.
Posted by: Saddlesablazing | Sep 23, 2008 12:41:14 PM
Wow, s.b. Are you the transgendered teen whose identical defense of Britney Spears was quite the sensation on You Tube for a while? If so, it worked better with video and tears.
Posted by: Lisa | Sep 23, 2008 12:41:14 PM
s.b,
What are you talking about. So an unknown vp candidate's background is off limits?
Since McCain refused to vet her the media have every right to vet anyone seeking the office of the Vice Presidency and may even end up becoming President.
At least the more we now know of Sarah Palin the better informed we are about who she is, what she believes in and how she had be running Alaska with her husband and cronies.
Job well done by the media
Posted by: Ro | Sep 23, 2008 12:41:32 PM
About time the media is standing up to this sort of non sense that the McCain camp continues to dish out but then they get upset when the table turns. Should have vetted the Beauty Queen.
She is a disgrace to all women..... Just plain dumb!
Posted by: KMMT2 | Sep 23, 2008 12:41:50 PM
"We have EVERY right to demand that she be properly vetted by the media and the fact that McCain's campaign ROUTINELY sheilds her from the media sends a very loud and clear message that they do not trust her to be able to answer the questions properly or knowledge"
Very simple, don't vote for them. It's that easy. Not that you were going to vote for them anyway. Phony indignation.
Posted by: Mack | Sep 23, 2008 12:41:54 PM
s.b. -"None of you deserve any time with her. Your treament of her and her family was a national disgrace. None of you have any right to demand anything from her." Hell yes we do!! She wants to lead this country. We have every right to ask legitimate questions of her. Such as her views on foreign policy, education, the economy etc. She is running for office and if she is planning on being by Vice President, she had better get her head out of her ass and start talking. She is an idiot.
Posted by: jenny | Sep 23, 2008 12:42:55 PM
Sarah Palin is just another marketing strategy used by the Mccain camp to get votes. The Mccain campaign was hammering Obama about his inexperience,then they go out and pick a VP that has no experience either. Okay,Obama doesen't have executive experience,but neither does John Mccain.I think Obama has this election all rapped up just go to http://www.politico.com/convention/swingstate.html. Politico has Obama winning on November 4.
Posted by: mebeingme | Sep 23, 2008 12:43:02 PM
Ba Gawk.... chickens. I'd hide her too, she is a mess and cannot talk without someone's hand making all the movements of her lips. I wonder if Kissinger is rolling his eyes at this time, thinking about what a ninkompoop she is.
Posted by: Whatsthatsmell? | Sep 23, 2008 12:43:44 PM
I dont deserve time with her? she could one day be helping to run or runnig our country... I think I should be allowed to talk to her. And the family issues... wow seems we talk about those more than the political ones she will be handeling.. wonder why that is *rolles eyes*
Posted by: Becky | Sep 23, 2008 12:43:59 PM
Wow, if she can't even handle a friendly pool of reporters after 3 WEEKS of training, what on earth makes anybody think she could handle Ahmenijad? Not ready to lead, not fit for duty!.
Independent for Obama.
Posted by: USMC | Sep 23, 2008 12:44:27 PM
Well now you have your answer press!
Refuse to televise any footage of them.
Neither of them could tolerate that. Remeber how John McCain was having temper tantrums when Obama was overseas holding high profile press conferences with world leaders. He will do anything to keep his face in front of the cameras.
So unless they allow them selves to be held up to scrutiny by the AMerican people every day. No video footage of them on tv.
They are not Diety, and they should be required to faced the AMerican people.
Posted by: Truth Matters | Sep 23, 2008 12:44:35 PM
If that is transparency I will vote for them.
Posted by: The Unshrub | Sep 23, 2008 12:45:04 PM
She is a big girl she can take it, every time they attack her, she gets stronger. McCain and his team are making a tatical mistake. Get her out there, the people like her. But no, McCain just wants a photo op, and wreck his campaign like Hilliary did hers. Awful!
Posted by: hmn | Sep 23, 2008 12:45:18 PM
What the hell?? She acting like Britney Spears with the Paparazzi.. who's the Celebrity wanna be now MCSAME?
Posted by: Lawrence | Sep 23, 2008 12:45:21 PM
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