Raising the Stakes
Donald Trump held another joint press conference with a world leader. This time it was the Prime Minister of Israel. When they took questions, 45 gave out two. One to David Brody of Christian Broadcasting Network and Katie Pavlich of Town Hall dot com. Two questions given to reporters for two media outlets with a strong conservative bias.
CNN shouted questions about the resignation of National Security Advisor Michael Flynn but they were ignored. 45 is not the first president to ignore shouted questions that he did not want to answer. President Obama and every single one of his predecessors did the very same thing. I'm also pretty sure that 45 isn't the first president to go through difficult stretches of time where he would prefer to give questions to those who might be more supportive.
But this continued refusal to allow the three major broadcast network news outlets and CNN to ask questions at press conferences is troubling. It is a sign that 45 doesn't have the ability or the guts to allow himself to be asked the tougher questions.
45 is also not the first president to obfuscate attempts to dig into the goings on at the White House. With the possible exception of the Nixon administration, no previous administration went to this extreme of opacity. Without 45's administration we would have probably lived our lives without ever hearing someone talk about "alternative facts."
Speaking of Kellyanne Con Job, MSNBC's Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski announced that Ms Con Job has been banned from that news program. They will no longer book her for their show. A Washington Post article contained this from Ms Brzezinski:
"We know for a fact she tries to book herself on this show,” Brzezinski said. “I won't do it, 'cuz I don't believe in fake news or information that is not true. And that is — every time I've ever seen her on television, something’s askew, off or incorrect."
If I were the managing editor of CNN or one of the three broadcast network news operations (I say three because while Fox is a broadcast network, its news operation is cable, not broadcast), I would take the position of Morning Joe one step further. I'd raise the stakes and tell the White House that if they will no longer take our questions, we will no longer give them a platform to present the views of 45's administration.
We would still do in-depth coverage of 45 and his administration. We would simply no longer allow them to use or attempt to "manage" us. No more Kellyanne Con Job and her alternative facts or Bowling Green Massacres. Stephen Miller would have to go on the Christian Broadcasting Network and make his specious claims that the judiciary doesn't have the authority to rein in 45. Or he could do a live-stream from Town Hall dot com.
It is the obligation of the president to allow the press to cover his (or someday her) activities. 45 is attempting to prevent that and it is wrong.
CNN shouted questions about the resignation of National Security Advisor Michael Flynn but they were ignored. 45 is not the first president to ignore shouted questions that he did not want to answer. President Obama and every single one of his predecessors did the very same thing. I'm also pretty sure that 45 isn't the first president to go through difficult stretches of time where he would prefer to give questions to those who might be more supportive.
But this continued refusal to allow the three major broadcast network news outlets and CNN to ask questions at press conferences is troubling. It is a sign that 45 doesn't have the ability or the guts to allow himself to be asked the tougher questions.
45 is also not the first president to obfuscate attempts to dig into the goings on at the White House. With the possible exception of the Nixon administration, no previous administration went to this extreme of opacity. Without 45's administration we would have probably lived our lives without ever hearing someone talk about "alternative facts."
Speaking of Kellyanne Con Job, MSNBC's Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski announced that Ms Con Job has been banned from that news program. They will no longer book her for their show. A Washington Post article contained this from Ms Brzezinski:
"We know for a fact she tries to book herself on this show,” Brzezinski said. “I won't do it, 'cuz I don't believe in fake news or information that is not true. And that is — every time I've ever seen her on television, something’s askew, off or incorrect."
If I were the managing editor of CNN or one of the three broadcast network news operations (I say three because while Fox is a broadcast network, its news operation is cable, not broadcast), I would take the position of Morning Joe one step further. I'd raise the stakes and tell the White House that if they will no longer take our questions, we will no longer give them a platform to present the views of 45's administration.
We would still do in-depth coverage of 45 and his administration. We would simply no longer allow them to use or attempt to "manage" us. No more Kellyanne Con Job and her alternative facts or Bowling Green Massacres. Stephen Miller would have to go on the Christian Broadcasting Network and make his specious claims that the judiciary doesn't have the authority to rein in 45. Or he could do a live-stream from Town Hall dot com.
It is the obligation of the president to allow the press to cover his (or someday her) activities. 45 is attempting to prevent that and it is wrong.
posted by me at 7:06 AM
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