Reporters (mostly) barred from Tea Party convention
Tuesday, January 12, 2010 at 9:41 am
- 15 Comments
For a while, I’ve been calling and emailing the organizers of the National Tea Party Convention with some basic logistical questions, to no avail. Star Tribune Washington reporter Kevin Diaz explains why: the convention, held in Nashville next month and including speeches by Sarah Palin and Rep. Michele Bachmann, will be closed to all but “selected” members of the press.
Organizers say that journalists without passes will not be allowed into the convention at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. (A Star Tribune request for a pass was denied, the paper’s interest in covering its home-state congresswoman notwithstanding).Convention spokesman Judson Phillips informs us that most of the sessions are closed “at the request” of the presenters. “Given the media interest, I don’t want the sessions disrupted and overrun with the media,” he said.
This really is unusual. As a journalist, I’ve been allowed into sessions, dinners, everything at conferences hosted by the Eagle Forum and by Focus on the Family. Extra credit to Eagle Forum here — when I was covering the How to Take Back America Conference in St. Louis, Phyllis Schlafly’s son Andy, an organizer, invited me away from my media seat and into a seat at his dinner table to chat with more activists. And some of the most controversial speakers at the National Tea Party Convention, like Rick Scarborough, happily chatted with me inside and outside of their sessions at previous events.
One major implication of this, of course, is that for the third time since the presidential election — the first at a speech in China, the second at a speech for a pro-life group in Indiana — Sarah Palin will give a political speech that members of the media are not allowed to attend. According to co-sponsors I’ve spoken with, they, not journalists, will get to spend time with Palin before and after the speech.
15 Comments
Comment posted January 12, 2010 @ 10:10 am
I guess Tea Baggers aren’t familiar with the FIRST Amendment. So much for basing their actions on the Constitution.
Comment posted January 12, 2010 @ 11:30 am
Yeah, like town hall meetings held by Ellison and Franken last summer were open to all! (NOT!) And, the health care “reform” bill reconciliation committee proceedings have been “transparent”!(NOT!)With the spin that the “drive by media” puts on things, I’m not surprised that the Tea Party Nation is being somewhat selective.
Comment posted January 12, 2010 @ 1:51 pm
Maybe they could try airing the whole convention on C-Span? Well maybe only an hour of it…’transparency’, ya know, like in DC.
Oh boy! I really “Hope” they do so I don’t have to “Change” the channel to something that I should REALLY care about, like American Idol or debate on whether or not Mark McGwire so go to Cooperstown.
Basing their actions on the Constitution, ha! Good point. I mean that’s like raising taxes and then not paying them. Who does that? I mean, unless they don’t understand the computer program, or are unaware you need to claim revenue from rental properties, or forget to remind your husband to pay on his business, or you really don’t want to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services, or Chief Performance Officer…there certainly can’t be any MORE reasons to say one thing and do another in DC. Right? No, Left. Wait! Independent? Nah, who wants what’s best for our kids…I sure as heck don’t…keep that non-partisan BS away from this guy. Paaaaalease….
Comment posted January 12, 2010 @ 2:03 pm
Dennis,
The HCR meetings were available for viewing at any time via CSPAN. The members of Congress who are saying the meetings were “behind closed doors” are misleading their supporters. I watched them on C SPAN because I wanted to know what amendments were being offered, who was offering them, and how the votes were being cast. Republicans have, IIRC, over 60 amendments attached to the HCR bill, and if the Democrats did everything “behind closed doors” and the republicans were locked out, how were those amendments added in committees? The republicans were THERE.
Comment posted January 12, 2010 @ 2:18 pm
Majii, I don’t know what you have been watching, but this letter from C-Span to House Speaker Pelosi is still up on the C-Span site with no word of a response!
http://www.c-span.org/pdf/C-SPAN%20Health%20Care%20Letter.pdf
Comment posted January 12, 2010 @ 3:39 pm
Sounds good to me. Maybe if the media just ignored these idiots, they would just go away.
Or if more people refrained from filling out the census, Bachmann will go away for good.
Comment posted January 12, 2010 @ 11:12 pm
With all the whining by the “tea-baggers” about the money being spent by the government–they sure don’t mind spending a bunch to stay at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel! If any one cares–try to get a room there for under $350 a night!
Comment posted January 13, 2010 @ 8:07 am
Clay, I think you are confusing lynch mobs with popular revolts. The image you have of the “old days” with people “rising up” over some outrage is a colorful fantasy which has no grounding in reality. County government being the “primary regulating monitor”? Are you kidding?
Comment posted January 13, 2010 @ 8:13 am
Clay Barham,
Posting identical comments on multiple sites is considered spam, so I’ve deleted your last comment. Thanks.
Comment posted January 13, 2010 @ 11:08 am
Isn’t it against the law not to allow reporters there? If not, it should be. We should be able to just outlaw these idiots. Then we can be rid of those dumb Teabaggers forever.
Comment posted January 14, 2010 @ 2:38 pm
Is there anything stopping reporters from buying tickets, attending as everyone else, and then reporting on what happened?
Comment posted January 14, 2010 @ 2:57 pm
There is, mathman72. Two barriers: a $549 pricetag and the fact that the event is sold out.
Comment posted January 17, 2010 @ 9:19 am
This all based on the presumption that the Convention will happen at all. The GOld Sponsor, the American Liberty Alliance, has just dropped out over concerns of how donations to the convention were processed through pay pal accounts or something. Anyway, the Silver sponsor is Tea Party Emporium, which makes money selling teabag jewelry.I am not using an offensive term – they really tiny pimped-out teabags.
I wrote a bit more on this in Huffington Post the other day, if anyone’s interested
Comment posted January 17, 2010 @ 9:19 am
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alex-brantzawadzki/tea-party-convention-lose_b_416987.html
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