Log In | Register
An all-star list of progressive media folks came to the White House today to chat with President Obama...
Those there included the Washington Post's Ezra Klein and Greg Sargeant, MSNBC anchors Ed Schultz, Rachel Maddow, and Chris Hayes,...Katrina vanden Heuvel, ...Frank Bruni, ...Arianna Huffington, ...Faiz Shakir, and ...Joy Reid...
POTUS has Coffee with Progressive Media Stars
Seeded on Tue Dec 20, 2011 9:23 AM EST
Article Source: ABC News- Enjoy this article? Help vote it up the 'Vine.
- Public Discussion (60)
The group chatted with the president about economic messaging, his agenda for 2012, the various campaign arguments against different GOP candidates...
Nope, no media bias --- absolutely none whatsoever and don't you forget it!!
- 6 votes
Economic messaging huh? I think we've seen alot of that already. For instance.....those un-employment numbers aren't up, they're down. See, the economy is doing great! And just look at all that money spent on Black Friday. Normally, the press will say what percentages of the spending was cash and what was credit....funny they left those stats out this year. Hmmm
- 5 votes
Looks like they are coordinating the headlines and what stories to run for next year's election.
- 5 votes
Ladies and gentlemen of America -- I am proud to introduce Obama's campaign team for his 2012 re-election bid!!
But they are still quality, independent-minded, objective journalists.
LMAO!! (Couldn't type this with a straight face.)
- 5 votes
Team Obama have worked out that people are very gullible and will fall for anything, but I don't think any amount of money or media bias will buy him this election....no matter what he promises them.
- 4 votes
At least this has more openness than the energy policy meetings by the previous administration...
Most of the activities of the Energy Task Force have not been disclosed to the public, even though Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests (since 19 April 2001) have sought to gain access to its materials. The organisations Judicial Watch and Sierra Club launched a law suit (U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia: Judicial Watch Inc. v. Department of Energy, et al., Civil Action No. 01-0981) under the FOIA to gain access to the task force's materials. After several years of legal wrangling, in May, 2005 an appeals court permitted the Energy Task Force's records to remain secret.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_Task_Force
I'll leave it to others to decide which meeting has or will have more impact on America.
- 5 votes
FYI -- This seed is about so-called media journalists having "coffee" with the president to talk about what comes across as a campaign strategy meeting.
So, please feel free to take the "Bush did it" mantra onto an actual political seed or article, because this is not about Bush.
Thanks.
- 5 votes
Absolutely this is a campaign strategy meeting. No denying it. No different than what has happened in the past between Fox/pubs & MSNBC/dems. Just hope you acknowledge it for the status quo for both sides. Mock conservative shock that this is happening is simply disingenuous.
- 5 votes
Ahhhh....Obama just wanted to make sure what they are supposed to say about him and what they are supposed to ignore. Just like the flock of Obama followers on Newsvine.
- 5 votes
Mock conservative shock that this is happening is simply disingenuous.
What's disingenuous is that you describe us as being in shock....even in a mocking tone. This is normal everyday activity for the "progressive" media and obama. Try again!
- 4 votes
Where are the above average spending by comsumers coming from if the majority of people are living in poverty?
With 3.3 mil job openings (Oct number) and if unemployment is going down then why are they so determined to extend more unemployment?
- 4 votes
NYPeach....I'm guessing you have no acquaintance with Fox News judging by your statement in 1.9
- 2 votes
Good point, my-pockets-r-mt.
(Technical question --- Is block copying a comment done the same way as a seed?)
- 4 votes
NYPeach....I'm guessing you have no acquaintance with Fox News judging by your statement in 1.9
Wow...now I am reduced to explaining myself and my position to someone who would defend Obama no matter how much he has screwed up. I am up at 2 a.m. every morning for work....I really don't have much time to watch television....I get most of my news off the internet.
Your turn...do you watch much Chris Matthews, Maddow, Bill Maher...Olberman....MSNBC...NBC...CNN....ABC...CBS....New York Times....Huffington....Democratic Underground?
- 4 votes
Don't be fooled by the liberals, it's obvious they must watch fox all the time and pounce if anyone's thinking happens to correlate with fox. Whenever they don't like what a person is saying they use fox to deflect and accuse them of being with fox, watch fox or whatever. Makes me want to watch fox more often.
- 4 votes
I don't let the hard core liberals affect me....but I am willing to be open to those on the left who are willing to listen and debate without throwing accusations my way like you-know-who!
I believe we can leave the radicals from either side behind and eating our dust by coming together with compromise and honest debate.
- 2 votes
BTW.... How are you folks on the right doing at selecting from all those on their book tours.... pardon me... running for the republican nomination?
- 3 votes
#2 - Tue Dec 20, 2011 10:22 AM ESTSee comment 1.6. This is about the media -- not politicians.
What's the word I've seen on this site? Derail? I would appreciate no more derails please.
- 5 votes
FLYNAVY1
This is about bashing President Obama, if you will not participate please go to another article and do it there.
You are not welcome here, comments with facts and stuff will be deleted or collapsed. Anyone not willing to call someone a communist/fascist/socialist will not be liked.
So that my comment gets voted up, here is my Obama bash.
He isn't very good at basketball.
- 5 votes
I've been reading the articles on NV about the CoH and apparently derailing is against the NV #5 CoH and can be reported and deleted.
- 3 votes
politics, obama, media, msnbc, washington-post, new-york-times, bias, huffington-post, the-nation, talking-points-memo, thinkprogress, the-reid-report
This is a list of the tags for the article. The first one is politics. So if this isn't an article about politics I don't know what is.
- 1 vote
So that my comment gets voted up, here is my Obama bash.
He isn't very good at basketball.
Or being President....or talking without a teleprompter....
- 3 votes
Elaine.... your 1.1 seed was about the economy and it's reporting.... is that not off the subject and to be considered derailing?
- 1 vote
Hmmm...more derails.
Do either of you have anything to say about the actual seed? Can either of you explain the bias in the media based on this meeting?
Or should I allow you to continue with your derails so you can prove the point that the so-called objective media has no bias to it since it is clear they do?
You know what --
Since, you know the media is biased and in the tank for Obama -- I'll let you derail away and increase my page views, comment count, and overall visibility on this site. I'll come back every so often and summarize your derails in one comment so everyone can see what you are saying. Does that work for you two?
Thanks for increasing my earnings as well -- appreciate it.
- 5 votes
Actually, I thought Elaine's comment was an example of economic messaging in plain English as opposed to the standard political-ese that we get.
Your comment in 1.5 was about energy policy meetings of the previous administration -- which to me is an entirely different topic.
- 4 votes
NYPeach- You are right, he isn't nearly as smart or Michele Bachmann, or as wholesome as Newt Gingrich, and hasn't amazed us with his brilliance like President Bush.
The teleprompter thing, really, that's how you judge the presidents ability to do his job. You would prefer he memorized his speeches?
I am not even a fan of the President, I am disappointed in tons of stuff he has done but holy crap the teleprompter thing is simply dumb. If you want to complain at least use things like his inability to close Guantanamo or his actions in Libya or his inaction in retrieving a drone form Iran.
- 1 vote
The tag for politics is that is what they discussed in the meeting -- politics. Campaign politics in particular -- see comment 1.7 by FlyNavy.
- 3 votes
NYPeach- You are right, he isn't nearly as smart or Michele Bachmann, or as wholesome as Newt Gingrich, and hasn't amazed us with his brilliance like President Bush.
He isn't any of those things and I never said those people were. You're reaching.
The teleprompter thing, really, that's how you judge the presidents ability to do his job. You would prefer he memorized his speeches?
I prefer a man who knows and understands his message should his teleprompter fail. Is that too much to ask?
- 4 votes
I find it energetic that the President is having a meeting with people who actually want to meet with him. It tells me that there is hope for the future.
- 2 votes
#3 - Tue Dec 20, 2011 10:45 AM ESTPeople who are supposed to "objectively" report the news as opposed to shaping it -- that's the hope we are supposed to want....
Is that what you are saying?
- 3 votes
You know I have never been one to say two wrongs make a right, but in this case there really is no wrong.
Every president before Obama has had journalists and TV new cast folks to the WH. What is the big deal.....oh, my bad....it's THIS president that is not allow to talk to the press.
Sheesh.....almost as bad as his vacation bashing.
- 4 votes
Again, where's the reporting of "conservative" journalists going to the Bush WH to hold a campaign strategy meeting in 2003/2004? Do yo have anything?
- 4 votes
Doesn't mean it didn't happen, jcar.
Where's the reporting on Cheney's energy strategy with the players in the game? "What can I do for 'ya, folks? - Yoouuuuuu got it!"
- 1 vote
True -- but everyone on here seems to know about them. Begs the obvious question -- where did they learn about them? Were they at the meeting? (I am being slightly facetious here.)
For people not at the meeting, they have to learn about it from somewhere. Since '03/'04 was only a short while ago -- there is some intrepid reporter somewhere with an article out there for the world to see.
Otherwise, it comes across as an opinion and nothing more.
- 3 votes
People who are supposed to "objectively" report the news as opposed to shaping it -- that's the hope we are supposed to want....
Is that what you are saying?
Nope. I'm saying that there are people still willing to meet with him. The opposition hate him so much that they don't even meet with Obama when they have to for work. They only meet with him as a political move or publicity stunt. This proves that Obama isn't as hated as the right-wing media would want us to believe.
And I would believe the people listed in the articles ARE journalists, compared to those that work for Fox News or Brietbart...
I wish Dave Weigel and David Frum were included in that. At least they are conservatives I respect...
Does that mean that you are finally willing to admit that FOX news is biased as they appear to have been married to the GOP candidates other than Ron Paul?Each of these people have also called out this administration when they disagreed with them.
- 2 votes
#4 - Tue Dec 20, 2011 10:56 AM ESTWas there reporting of such a meeting where they discussed economic messaging, agendas for 2012, and all the other stuff mentioned in the seed?
Or are you basing this on your own take of what you see on their opinion shows? (Since most people on here talk about Beck, Hannity, and O'Reilly only.)
- 3 votes
I love the righteous indignation here about Obama meeting with journalists. How about Supreme Court justices meeting (attending fundraisers) with Koch Bros. and the actual attorneys who will be arguing the Affordable Care Act in front of them?
You state the Obama/meeting was a strategy move. Hmmmm, what would you call rabid right wing activist judges being courted by their courtiers?
- 2 votes
#5 - Tue Dec 20, 2011 11:11 AM ESTAgain, do you have a link for either of these? (Especially about the SCOTUS judges...) Or are you providing your opinion?
- 4 votes
http://www.politicususa.com/en/koch-constitution
http://www.frumforum.com/liberal-group-links-scalia-and-thomas-to-koch-brothers
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/20/scalia-thomas-koch-industries_n_769843.html
http://crooksandliars.com/john-amato/does-scalia-and-thomas-have-conflict-in
- 2 votes
Thanks Sebbydad...you're awesome! Wonder if he'll read any of the links provided????
No problem! I'm surprised you didn't know (acknowledge) it!
huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/20/scalia-thomas-koch-industries_n_769843.html
kaystreet.wordpress.com/2011/06/28/rick-scott-attends-secret-koch-brothers-meeting-in-colorado/
politico.com/news/stories/0611/57888.html
crooksandliars.com/john-amato/does-scalia-and-thomas-have-conflict-in
onewisconsinnow.org/press/paul-ryans-koch-fueled-weekend.html
politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/01/28/koch-weekend-meeting-fires-up-debate-over-politics-influence/
Don't know how to make them "clickable" or I'd have done it.
- 1 vote
#6 - Tue Dec 20, 2011 11:31 AM ESTHaven't been into news-watching for that long.
I can't access blogs at work though. Will look at the other ones over lunch.
- 3 votes
OK. Maybe it's just me, but I have a hard time accepting anything from a site called Crooks and Liars with any degree of sincereity. But that being said, that article is more about what the group Common Causes is doing to overturn Citizens United than about the justices.
The Huffington Post link clearly states that any sort of impropriety at this point is merely speculative. The sixth paragraph states that there is a lack of concrete evidence and a call for more disclosure. The rest of the article goes on a speculative rant which seems to want to impugn conservative members of the court. Also, the article referred to it as a seminar and not a fundraiser. Also, that justices attending these kind of events is not a rare occurrence.
The Politico article says that the politicians attended the events and listed what a few of them did there. But there was no implication of "courting" by the Koch Bros. Since it is about politicians -- you would have to concede that this is on both sides. (Part of the reason I like imposed term limits. I think it would limit special interests to some degree.)
The CNN article reports on the crticism of the meeting by liberal groups (no surprise there that they would be critical) as opposed to the meeting itself.
I can't pull up the other sites on my work computer.
- 2 votes
OMG - surely you're joking. It's pretty obvious to me that you are sorting these through your own "filter." That being said, you are implying that it is OK for Supreme Court Justices to attend a function with (sitting at the table next to) attorneys who will be arguing a case before them?
Let's just turn the tables, here. If the reverse were true, if left leaning judges were to attend any kind of a left leaning fundraising event, the rabid right would be screaming at an unheard of decibel level, calling for immediate impeachment of the judges.
Let me just say that perception isn't good, if nothing else. The "courting by the Koch Bros.", as you state wasn't the direct approach, it was the invitation. Everyone knows what the expectations are. For you to imply otherwise shows just how naive you are!
Oh, BTW - CNN has make a fairly significant right turn.
Impune? What more do you need? The fact that Justice Thomas' wife was the head of a Tea Party group that worked to overturn ACA? The right-wing justices are bought and sold. The fact that there is little or nothing that can be done about it just allows them to thumb their noses at anyone who complains.
I am basing my statements on what was in the article. It appears you are basing your statements by filling in the gaps with your own assumptions --- won't debate you on that since everyone is entitled to their own.
As for perception -- no one can argue that.
But, since you want to "turn the tables" -- let's...
If Thomas should recuse himself from a hearing on ACA because of his wife; then Kagan would have to do the same since she crafted the Obama Administration defense of the law. Is there not a conflict of interest there as well?
Can't have it both ways since it "appears" to be a conflict for both of them.
- 2 votes
Thomas has gone on record that he will never recuse himself from the case. AND, he hasn't in the past when there have been other conflict of interest issues. He is one of the most biased (next to Scalia) judges in history.
You don't understand the problem, here. Whether we know what went on inside the event isn't the issue. The fact that they should never have attended the fundraising event is the issue. To accept is a conflict. These judges should be holding themselves above any kind of scrutiny.
I work for a nonprofit. My job is to raise money for the company. I will extend invitations to people to events and they know, by accepting, that they are required to give. This is a business here - whether nonprofit fundraising or politics. The outcome is the same. These judges know there will be some kind of repayment. You might have some kind of argument if ALL the judges or left-leaning judges were invited.
BTW - Kagan has talked about recusing herself.
- 1 vote
I haven't heard that about Kagan. Oh, well...I don't think either of them would be the swing vote on the case anyway based on their histories.
I think we will have to agree to disagree on the Koch thing. The HuffPo article says there has to be overt political activity -- otherwise it is not uncommon. I understand your point, but I think they did get one thing right --- more information is needed.
- 3 votes
Those there included the Washington Post‘s Ezra Klein and Greg Sargent, MSNBC anchors Ed Schultz, Rachel Maddow, and Chris Hayes, the Nation’s editor and publisher Katrina vanden Heuvel, the New York Times‘ Frank Bruni, and stars of the interwebs Arianna Huffington, Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo, Faiz Shakir of ThinkProgress and Joy Reid of The Reid Report.
...opinion journalists all.
The thing is, with the exception of Joy Reid, it's not rare for the people listed to criticize Obama. For instance, I could show you criticism of Huffington by extreme Obama devotees that would probably appall even you. Don't discount the possibility that Obama's purpose for meeting with them had something to do with trying to forestall criticism- well, except for Joy Reid. I don't think he has to worry about her, LOL.
#7 - Tue Dec 20, 2011 12:29 PM ESTI wish I could pull up video on this computer. The last time Maddow, Olbermann, and Schultz attended a White House function at the behest of Obama -- Maddow mocked the outcry that Obama had the nerve to invite journalists to the White House during an episode of her show.
She never referred to herself as an opinion journalist -- which liberals seem to want to bash Hannity, Beck, et al over for being an opinion journalist to use your term. She claimed to be a journalist -- which is supposed to include objectivity.
As for why they met -- no one will ever really know.
- 2 votes
Maddow is a journalist with creds much longer than any of the Fox "journalists" you mention. She has a doctorate in Political Science. I'll give you Ed Schultz - his idea of reporting is turning up the volume to 11.
She never referred to herself as an opinion journalist --
You mean, she never referred to herself that way in the video you're talking about? So what? She is an opinion journalist, as are Hannity and Beck. She was right to mock the outcry.
As for why they met -- no one will ever really know.
Ooo, that sounds sinister:).
Never called Hannity, Beck journalists -- they are opinionated talking heads who are paid to tell people what they think. I have seen numerous people on this site refer to them as journalists.
As for Maddow, I don't know enough about her to disagree with you, but Plantsmantx referred to her as an "opinion journalist" which is contrary to how she referred to herself. Personally, her show is more a "talking head" show like Hannity in my mind.
And if she is a journalist; wouldn't shaping the campaign strategy of a presidential candidate --regardless of party -- impugn her objectivity?
- 2 votes
contrary to how she referred to herself.
How did she refer to herself? In your previous comment, you say that she never referred to herself as an opinion journalist, but you didn't tell us how she did refer to herself.
I don't know if this is the video you're talking about, but I found it pretty easily:
http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/maddow-and-olbermann-right-wing-freak-out
I listened to the whole thing to find out whether or not she referred to herself and the others who met with the President at that time as reporters, and not opinion journalists. She didn't. Near the beginning of the video, she refers to herself and the others as "columnists and commentators", which is what they are.
Everyone should watch that video, by the way. Even though it's over two years old, she gives a very effective rebuttal to critics of this instance of liberal opinion journalists meeting with Obama.
Streaming video is blocked at work for me -- so that's why I can't provide one, because I couldn't verify if it is the one I was talking about.
- 3 votes
That's alright. I didn't link to the video itself, but a blogpost in which the video is embedded. Luckily, the transcript of the video is on the web page.
- 2 votes
The majority of the GOP candidates have been employed by FOX, and you right wingnuts come up with this nonsense? LOL.
#8 - Tue Dec 20, 2011 2:03 PM ESTThis stuff is done all the time, by many presidents. Sure, Obama meets with progressive 'journalists' - but he also meets with conservative 'journalists'. Bush met with his media friends as well - at least twice. This is news?
The folks Obama and Bush met with are well-known advocates for one side or the other. I'm just glad that there weren't any representatives of what passes for the 'unbiased' journalism outlets.
- 2 votes
#9 - Tue Dec 20, 2011 2:37 PM ESTYou're in Easy Mode. If you prefer, you can use XHTML Mode instead. |
As a new user, you may notice a few temporary content restrictions. Click here for more info.
