CHRRONICLE EDITORIAL: Administration exercises its control freak streak

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 4/29/11 | Editor

[SmithL]

The White House that fancies itself as the most transparent in history is not without its control-freak instincts when it comes to media access.

It seems that Team Obama was none too pleased that veteran Chronicle political reporter Carla Marinucci posted a 40-second video of a group of supporters-turned-protesters serenading the president a cappella - "We paid our dues ... where's our change" - at a recent fundraising breakfast at San Francisco's St. Regis Hotel. The protesters' objection: the treatment of Wikileaks source Pfc. Bradley Manning.

The White House threatened that Marinucci would no longer be allowed to serve as a pool reporter during future Obama swings west. Marinucci's apparent offense was shooting video during an event that was closed to broadcast journalism.

Last we checked, this was the 21st century, and Obama was the politician with the comfortable mastery of social networking - at least when it serves his purposes, as in having a cozy town hall at Facebook or soliciting donations for what is expected to be a $1 billion re-election campaign.

The White House appeared to be backing off from its banishment of Marinucci late Thursday. Still, the fact that television and radio reporters are not allowed into most fund-raising events is unacceptable. . . .

[SmithL]

Misspelling Chronicle in the headline was a typo. I'm used to typing Comicle instead.

[FrankR]

[E. Pluribus Unum]

You don't disrespect protesters in San Francisco.

They are a protected class.

[goodnesswins]

Someone at the Chronicle is reading Free Republic.

[Uncle Hal]

Remember folks The SF Chronicle is about as left wing as you can get. So this must really be bad for them to complain in an editorial.

[TheOldLady]

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Lazamataz is fading away!

[Erik Latranyi]

First rule of socialist dictators....eliminate the press that helped get you to power.

[UCANSEE2]

There was another thread on this but it didn’t get much attention yet.

On that thread, the source stated that other reporters were ‘warned’ that if they published the info about the smack down, they too would suffer a most horrible fate.

[CedarDave]

There was another thread on this but it didn’t get much attention yet.
On that thread, the source stated that other reporters were ‘warned’ that if they published the info about the smack down, they too would suffer a most horrible fate.

What’s worse: more than a few journalists familiar with this story are aware of some implied threats from the White House of additional and wider punishment if Carla’s spanking became public. Really? That’s a heavy hand usually reserved for places other than the land of the free.

[avacado]

"Remember folks The SF Chronicle is about as left wing as you can get. So this must really be bad for them to complain in an editorial."

The protesters where left-wing moonbats. Had they been conservatives the chronicle wouldn't have noticed the Obama Admin's fascism.

[avacado]

"Remember folks The SF Chronicle is about as left wing as you can get. So this must really be bad for them to complain in an editorial."

The protesters were left-wing moonbats. Had they been conservatives the chronicle wouldn't have noticed the Obama Admin's fascism.

[worriedinoregon]

Elements of the Left beating up on other elements of the Left-—now that is as good as it gets!

[sportutegrl]

The entire left wing belief system is a house of cards: global warming/socialism/welfare/multiculturalism/the glorious messianiac wonderfulness of Obama. Liberals have to have blind faith obedience to their doctrine. If they start to question any of it, it falls apart. Exposing any one piece of the doctrine as false can make a true believer question the whole. This is the only way to make them leave the faith.

Conservatives can cite facts and argue until they are blue in the face, but closed minded libs will only cling the harder to their liberal canards. This could shake more than a few out of their Obama-faith, and an important few: members of the Media. If Obama loses them, he loses in 2012.

[upchuck]

Anybody have a link to the video?