Obama Camp Cancels FL TV Interview over Tough Questions

Unpleasant Media Questions:
Obama Campaign Cancels Interview with Florida TV Station




Paul Joseph Goebbels was a German politician and Reich Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. He was one of German dictator Adolf Hitler's closest associates and most devout followers.
Joseph Goebbels

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Joseph Goebbels was famous for controlling the flow of information and news in Nazi Germany. To be clear: we are not saying the Obama campaign is a Nazi organization--though comparisons between Bush and Hitler have been a favorite staple of leftie blogs for most of the Bush administration.

We're just saying: Herr Goebbels would recognize the Obama campaign's cutting media access off to those who ask unpleasant questions.

Here's a tip to the media, in case they didn't already know it: if you ask any questions of Barack Obama or Joe Biden that aren't of the "softball" variety, you can forget getting anymore access.

From Obama campaign cuts off WFTV after interview with Joe Biden:

Biden so disliked West's line of questioning that the Obama campaign canceled a WFTV interview with Jill Biden, the candidate's wife.

"This cancellation is non-negotiable, and further opportunities for your station to interview with this campaign are unlikely, at best for the duration of the remaining days until the election," wrote Laura K. McGinnis, Central Florida communications director for the Obama campaign.

McGinnis said the Biden cancellation was "a result of her husband's experience yesterday during the satellite interview with Barbara West."

Here's a link to the interview: http://www.wftv.com/video/17790025/index.html.

WFTV news director Bob Jordan said, "When you get a shot to ask these candidates, you want to make the most of it. They usually give you five minutes."

Jordan said political campaigns in general pick and choose the stations they like. And stations often pose softball questions during the satellite interviews.

"Mr. Biden didn't like the questions," Jordan said. "We choose not to ask softball questions."

Jordan added, "I'm crying foul on this one."

Ours may be labeled a "partisan" view. The charge will likely come from many of the same people who delighted in posting "Bushitler" images on the Internet. Campaigns do try to control the flow of news and Obama's is no different.

We just note the lack of 'outrage' from those same quarters that raised a fuss over all things George Bush.

Meanwhile, Big Media can heave a sigh of relief: there's no chance of the Obama campaign canceling any interviews with ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, The New York Times, LA Times or MSNBC.

There's also no chance of Americans learning anything from those "news" outlets--except perhaps, Barack Obama or Joe Biden's favorite color.

by Mondo
image: dbkp file

St. Petersburg Times: Fabricating Racism to Fit Story?

Media Caught Fabricating White Racists?
by Barbara Sowell
Faultlines USA




A quote attributed to Sandra Cichon, a private citizen, is spreading across the internet as a living example of White Racism. Did a reporter put words in this woman’s mouth?

An article in the St. Petersberg Times, quotes Cichon as having said, “I can't imagine having a black president . . .”

In a phone interview Saturday, Sandra Cichon of Spring Hill, Florida denied that she ever spoke with any pollster or reporter concerning Obama or about anything regarding race. Cichon was taken by surprise when phoned by this reporter, and she was not aware that she had been quoted in any newspaper.

The September 15, 2008 article Black ‘issue’ hangs over presidential polls by Adam Smith of the St. Petersburg Times Political states:

A pollster calling Sandra Cichon, a 60-year-old Democrat from Spring Hill, would hear her identify herself as an undecided voter. But is she really?

"I can't imagine having a black president, and I think he's inexperienced," she told a reporter recently, eventually acknowledging she was leaning unenthusiastically toward McCain. "I don't think we (Democrats) have a chance to be in the White House with Obama."

Many analysts wonder how many voters answering polls hide their racial biases or mislead survey-takers about their real preferences.

The article fails to name the pollster who claimed to have called Cichon. When asked during my phone interview, Cichon denied speaking to any pollster on the phone.

Cichon explained that the only time she spoke with a reporter was in August when she went to vote in the county commission races. She said that he (the reporter) seemed nice and she gave him a catalogue for gift baskets.

Cichon is quoted in an August 27, 2008 article in the St. Petersburg Times, Russell, Mitchell, Hackworth win congressional primaries, by Rita Farlow, Stephanie Garry and John Frank, Times Staff Writers.

Many Democratic voters said they were unimpressed with the quality of the candidates.

"I don't know one from the other," said Sandra Cichon of Spring Hill.

Sandra Cichon shows up in another August 27, 2008 St. Petersburg Times article Dismal voter turnout in Hernando by Barbara Behrendt and John Frank. Times staff writer, John Frank, was a reporter on both August 27th articles.


The response from the St. Petersburg Times was usual, non-denial denial.

Continue reading: Media Caught Fabricating White Racism?

WANT more Faultlines USA? Try these recent posts: * Hummer Eco-terrorist Vandal Surrenders * Many Ike Victims to Lose Land to the State of Texas * The Best Campaign Ad Ever!

by by Barbara Sowell
images: faluninfo
Source: Media Caught Fabricating White Racism?
[Originally published Saturday, September 20, 2008 in Digital Journal.]

Florida Democrats Outraged Over DNC's Decision

After Saturday's decision by the DNC to allow the Florida delegates to be seated at this summer's DNC convention but with only one-half a vote, the reaction of Democrats from the Sunshine State has been one of voters angry enough to contemplate staying away from the polls or possibly voting for John McCain, the Republican candidate.

Florida Senate Minority Leader Steve Geller, D- Cooper City, a super-delegate who hasn't endorsed either Clinton or Obama, felt that the decision by the DNC was "offensive". Geller sarcastically wondered whether Dem Floridians should "only raise 1/2 as much money as we normally raise" and whether Florida should "turn out half as many Democrats as usual".

Rep. Kelly Skidmore, D- Boca Raton, said that Democrats were "extraordinarily upset, beyond what words can describe".

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, a national co-chairwoman of the Clinton campaign said that emails from constituents contained "pretty deep dissatisfaction" and that the decision made it harder to "motivate voters".

Clinton delegate and Broward County leader Jack Shifrel, was more succinct:

"You'd be an ostrich with your head in the sand if you didn't accept the reality that there are going to be Democrats that we're going to have to work very hard to convince," he said. "There are good decent Democrats that are very upset and it's going to take a lot of work to get them to vote at all."

A Floridian demonstrating in D.C. at the DNC meeting on Saturday gave this reaction when learning of the decision to allow only 1/2 a vote at the Democrat's convention:

``It’s a slap in the face,’’ said Margaret Grostefon, 44, of Fort Lauderdale, who joined the demonstration. ``Fifty percent? It’s like saying we are half of a citizen.’’

``In the general election, I am debating whether to vote at all,’’ she said.

A majority of the anger stems from the 1/2 vote decision. One unhappy Florida voter felt their their "civil rights and constitutional obligations" had been infringed upon:

``I’m not going to make a decision on my vote today,’’ said Vanessa Alikhan, 31, of Fort Lauderdale. ``I’m going to fight for my civil rights and the constitutional obligations that the government has to the people of the United States and ask them to count 100 percent of our votes.’’

A May 21st a Rasmussen poll showed Republican candidate John McCain with a double digit lead over Obama, 50 to 40%. Rasmussen also reported that phone surveys concluded that an estimated 57% would vote for Obama while 27% of Democrats said they planned to vote for John McCain.

According to Rasmussen, even before Saturday's decision, McCain has a 75% chance of winning Florida, a key state in the Presidential election.

While the DNC's decision centered on Florida scheduling its Democratic primary earlier than was allowed the DNC made a crucial error in its decision to penalize the delegates and their votes. The DNC could have looked at other measures, such as "probation". Instead they decided to penalize the very heart and soul of the party, the very people who should count, the voters who showed up for the Democratic primaries. Those voters were dissed by the DNC by declaring the delegates would be "allowed" to be seated at the convention, but would be considered 1/2 vote "outcasts", a ludicrous solution at best.

The attitude of the DNC further underscores the fact that, in the end, the voters were merely a means to more money in donations, that their votes were a sham and a mockery, that, all along, the superdelegates held the key to who will be declared the candidate on the top spot of the Dem's ticket in the 2008 Presidential election.

No one likes to be used and it looks like quite a few Floridians were merely pawns in the Democrat game of Stratego. Close to 1.4 million Democrats voted in the Florida primary. The DNC decision on Saturday has been called a "compromise". The only persons truly compromised were the electorate who cast their ballots believing they would have a voice in choosing the candidate for the Dem's top ticket.


By LBG

Source - Real Clear Politics
Source - Rasmussen Reports
Source - Sun-Sentinel - Many South Florida Democrats still unhappy about delegates
Source - Sun-Sentinel - Florida Democrats protest their own party
Image - Florida Democrats