Posted on 02/17/2006 6:45:21 AM PST by SwinneySwitch
For all of us at this "small newspaper in South Texas" or as the host of MSNBC's "The Situation" Tucker Carlson says "podunk paper," it's enlightening — and sometimes embarrassing — to look at our big brothers and sisters in the national media on a story we each are covering.
The first step we could all see coming. Someone should have given White House press secretary Scott McClellan a blindfold as he stood at the podium Monday afternoon. The White House press corps spent the previous day stewing about how the White House had failed to deliver a press conference to announce the vice president’s hunting accident.
They went into full "kill the messenger" mode, peppering McClellan with 65 questions about Dick Cheney’s shooting of Harry Whittington, while asking only 17 question not related to the shooting. (Good thing we are not at war, have a CIA leak, record-setting trading deficit or anything big going on.)
On Tuesday, the folks at Christus Spohn Hospital Memorial felt a bit of the brunt. As Whittington suffered a morning heart attack, hospital administrator Peter Banko and director of emergency services Dr. David Blanchard stepped to the bank of microphones for a noon press conference and were battered with questions.
It was bad enough that Banko started the Wednesday press conference by declaring that the meeting would end if the same question were repeated and that they were not there to teach medicine.
Still waiting for Cheney to speak, Fox News grabbed an exclusive interview on Wednesday. That was the last straw for some.
Most outspoken in his criticism may have been CNN’s Jack Cafferty. Appearing on "The Situation Room" before the Cheney interview aired, Cafferty had this to say while speaking with host Wolf Blitzer.
CAFFERTY: "Well, I obviously didn't see it because it hasn't been released in its entirety yet. But I would guess it didn't exactly represent a Profile in Courage for the vice president to wander over there to the f-word network for a sit down with Brit Hume. That's a little like Bonnie interviewing Clyde, ain't it? Where was the news conference? Where was the access to all of the members of the media? Whatever ?"
BLITZER: "You still think he needs to do a full-scale news conference and invite all the cameras, all the reporters and ask whatever they want?"
CAFFERTY: "That's never going to happen. But running over there to the Fox network? Talk about seeking a safe haven. He's not going to get any high hard ones from anybody at the f-word network. I think we know that."
I hate it when people blame the media. As a member of this group, I like to think that we are part of the solution. But in this case, we look like the problem.
Contact John Allen at allenj@caller.com
Not only did Jack Cafferty hit a bicycle messenger and then leave the scene of an accident, he failed to hold a press conference about it.
News Anchor (Jack Cafferty)Faces $10 Million Lawsuit
(AP) NEW YORK A bicyclist has filed a $10 million lawsuit against CNN anchor Jack Cafferty for leaving the scene of an accident.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday in state Supreme Court in Manhattan, alleges Cafferty was "reckless and grossly negligent" when he knocked Billy Maldonado off his bike with his Cadillac and drove away on May 14.
A call to Cafferty's attorney was not immediately returned.
Earlier this month, the anchor was ordered to pay a $250 fine and perform 70 hours of community service after pleading guilty to leaving the scene of an accident.
A traffic officer and about five pedestrians ran after Cafferty's car to stop him after the accident, but Cafferty drove through at least two red lights and around other vehicles without stopping, dragging the bike beneath his car, according to a police complaint.
Cafferty later told police that he'd seen a man on a bike who may have been a messenger weaving in and out of traffic as he drove south on Ninth Avenue. He told police that when he looked in his mirror, he saw the man getting up off the ground but was unaware he had hit the bicyclist.
Maldonado had told police he was slightly injured. His lawsuit called the injuries serious.
http://cbs2.com/entertainment/entertainment_story_227145124.html
Just gotta love those Texans. :-)
My favorite line in the article:
"It was bad enough that Banko started the Wednesday press conference by declaring that the meeting would end if the same question were repeated and that they were not there to teach medicine."
If only Scott McClellan would go to the "Don't get stuck on stupid" school of running press conferences.
So naturally CNN picked him up. Figures. Doesn't matter if the guy's a souse as long as he's a Leftist.
"Even the liberals I know want Mary to grow up to be normal."
An observation that is both logical (conservative) AND emotional (liberal).
:-)
Charming.
Cafferty later told police that he'd seen a man on a bike who may have been a messenger weaving in and out of traffic as he drove south on Ninth Avenue. He told police that when he looked in his mirror, he saw the man getting up off the ground but was unaware he had hit the bicyclist.
There's a bike dragging underneath his car, and Cafferty is unaware of it?! Sounds like he might have been under the influence.
Did you read that book by....man, I can't remember his name...How I accidentally joined the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy and Found Inner Peace.
Great book. Laughed so hard because he writes well and you could just see the light coming on.
Anyway, I have to go pack for a long weekend outing. Hope you have a good one!
STOP USING CNN FOR NEWS SOURCE, THEY WILL NOT GIVE YOU THE TRUE STORY. I HAVE NOTICED HERE AT FR A LOT OF PEOPLE USE CNN
AND, THAT IS THEIR PRIVILEGE, BUT DON'T COME BACK ON FR COMPLAING WHAT YOU JUST SAW ON CNN WHEN MOST OF YOU KNOW HOW THEY TWIST NEWS STORYS TO SATISFY THE LEFT.
I AM A DISABLE VET AND I USE THE VA FOR MY HEALTH CARE. IF YOU ARE A VET AND A CONSERVATIVE HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU NOTICE EVERY TV IN THE VA IS ON CNN. I ASK AN EMPLOYEE WHY THIS WAS THE CASE AND, HE REPLYED, A MAJORTY OF THE EMPLOYEES WERE LEFTEST. HE SAID, HOWEVER I'M NOT ONE AND, I DON'T LIKE IT EITHER BUT I HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT. NOW THIS GENTLEMAN SHOWS THE DIFFERENCE IN A LIB AND A CONSERVATIVE. IF THIS WAS A LIB. AND THE TVS WERE ON FOX NEWS NETWORK ALL HELL WOULD BREAK OUT. WHO IS THE MOST TOLLERANT, CONSERVANTIVE OR
LIB?
CNN hired him from a California gig, I think. Maybe he dried out.
Me too - packing for a long weekend!
Tucson - warming up the ditital camera now :-)
Have fun!
Is Libby the short-haired, kind of "husky" looking gal? I figured as much when I saw her on TV. The liberals are at their best when they're eating their own, dontcha know?
Podunk Paper Ping!
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off this South Texas/Mexico ping list.
This rant from a man who left the scene of an accident...............ROFLMAO!
Whoah, there - toggle off that caps lock key.
Must be a pal of Ted's...
She's gained some weight since she had her kids. I met her when she moved to Corpus Christi just after college. She was about average weight for her height back then. She couldn't understand why the Canadian health care system wouldn't be a good model for the US. Back in 1990 she spent the weekend in jail after she refused to hand over her notes from her jail-house interview of a capital murder suspect who was later convicted and sentenced to death.
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