Posted on 07/03/2009 6:29:55 PM PDT by neverdem
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WaPo cancels lobbyist event |
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Washington Post publisher Katharine Weymouth said today she was canceling plans for an exclusive "salon" at her home where for as much as $250,000, the Post offered lobbyists and association executives off-the-record access to "those powerful few" — Obama administration officials, members of Congress, and even the paper’s own reporters and editors.
The flier promised the dinner would be held in an intimate setting with no unseemly conflict between participants. “Spirited? Yes. Confrontational? No,” it said. “The relaxed setting in the home of Katharine Weymouth assures it. What is guaranteed is a collegial evening, with Obama administration officials, Congress members, business leaders, advocacy leaders and other select minds typically on the guest list of 20 or less. …
Kris Coratti, communications director of Washington Post Media, a division of The Washington Post Company, said the flier “came out of a business division for conferences and events, and the newsroom was unaware of such communication. It went out before it was properly vetted, and this draft does not represent what the company’s vision for these dinners are, which is meant to be an independent, policy-oriented event for newsmakers.
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© 2009 Capitol News Company, LLC |
Washington Post sells access, $25,000+
When you follow the link for that story, you get the story I'm posting here.
Congratulations, Democrats and Washington Post. Never has naked bribery and the selling of influence been advertised so plainly.
Sub-Driver, when I followed the link from your excerpt, this is the story I got. It appears to be a major rewrite by Politico.
Here is what I got back from the Ombudsman at the WP — he said at the link you don’t do drafts on glossy paper.
Thanks for writing. As ombudsman, I operate independently from the newsroom and Post management. Here’s what I wrote about the “salons” situation: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ombudsman-blog/2009/07/wps_salon_plan_a_public_relati.html#more
Thanks for the link!
From Wiki: A salon is a gathering of stimulating people of quality under the roof of an inspiring hostess or host, partly to amuse one another and partly to refine their taste and increase their knowledge through conversation and readings, often consciously following Horace’s definition of the aims of poetry, “either to please or to educate” (”aut delectare aut prodesse est”). The salons, commonly associated with French literary and philosophical salons of the 17th century and 18th century, were carried on until quite recently in urban settings among like-minded people of a ‘set’: many 20th-century salons could be instanced.
However, in Weymouth’s case, she was selling admission tickets at $250,000 per lobbyist. “Post offered lobbyists and association executives off-the-record access to “those powerful few” Obama administration officials, members of Congress, and even the papers own reporters and editors.” Weymouth & those participants prostituted themselves upon the altar of RAT greed.
This old gal's biography notes: "A former associate at William & Connolly, a prominent law firm in Washington, D.C., Weymouth ... blah, blah, blah...."
I'd just guess Ms. Weymouth was going to sell a date with Greg Craig (and maybe even with his buddy Fidel Castro) for $250,000 or so.
I remember when you could go down and see Greg "doing a number" for a client on the sidewalks. Toss him a quarter or something.
This is the guy who invented "litigation street theater", so why not "buy a White House staffer".
Something tells me this is all very much a violation of the law. Yet, with Greg Craig there, why not Eric Holder, and David Bois ~ and maybe some young children for them to play with ~ no doubt Weymouth is willing to trot them out for the benefit of the crowd's entertainment.
I heard right back from him when I wrote. He went right after the Post for their actions.
How does this differ from other political fundraisers?
Both parties’ various committees and most candidates offer small, intimate/exclusive affairs to lobbyists for donations up to the maximum amounts permitted. I suppose those don’t then lead to positive media coverage?
"O-o-o-o-o, I can't wait.
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TWITTER: Other Deals offered by the Washington Post
For $25K, Boswell will let Manny Acta tattoo a Nat's W on his a**.
For $500K, Charles Krauthammer will write a series of columns advocating war with a country of your choosing.
For $10,000 the WaPo will review your stimulus package and they won't mention that it promotes socialism!
For $25k, we'll have Woodward write a book on you.
For $250k, it will actually be complimentary.
For $5000, WaPo will let you write the same psychopathic op-ed http://tr.im/qD3b that you wrote in WSJ 3wks ago http://tr.im/qD3y
For $200K Katharine Graham will rise from the grave and shimmy for you.
For $5,000 George F. Will will speak on the topic of your choice without resorting to baseball metaphors
For $10K, Tom Sietsema will finally review Mrs. K's in Silver Spring.
For $25,000, you can have Katharine Weymouth in Katharine Weymouth's house.
For $7000, (Dana) Milbank will whisper "Dick!" to your enemies while wearing a wacky orange duck hunting get-up.
For $29.99, David Broder will take his teeth out.
For $15000 film critic Dan Zak will add a "c."
For $30000 Richard Cohen will fly to your house & yell at those annoying kids on your lawn.
"For $25K, after I do my Baghdad Bob impersonation, I go into my Vinnie Barbarino act."
LOL
"For $25K, would you let your wife play Butt Bingo with the staff of the Wash/Po?"
Who ever wrote this missed a slow, hanging curveball.
It should have been :
For $5,000 George F. Will will speak on the topic of your
For $50,000 George F. Will will speak on the topic of your choice without resorting to baseball metaphors
You have to pay for more to get him to not use baseball as the yardstick for all other human endeavors.
Oops. I left out “choice” on my $5,000 line, embarrassing me as much as going out to play shortstop without a glove, requiring the humiliating trudge across the infield back to the dugout.
Sure, they are now claiming that the newsroom isn't going to attend “non-confrontationally” - but the owner is getting paid 25,000.00 per person = the newsroom is getting paid for for these.
Sure. But George Will does not pretend to be a “unbiased” reporter, and IS deliberately presenting his ideas as an political observer or is employed specifically as an confrontational speaker: like when he is opposed by three or four liberals on a talk show.
It is the reporter’s and editor’s bias that is present 24/7 on ABCNNBCBS!
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