''It was a glorious day because it revealed the lack of mettle the administration has; it revealed the extent of their paternalism and arrogance where the establishment press is concerned; and gave the latter pause that is tantamount to a loss of political currency for Obama.''
Friday, Oct. 23, 2009, was a glorious day. On that day it was reported that the Obama administration had failed in a significant effort in the area of the autocratic tactics it has employed since Barack Obama took office, and far more increasingly in recent weeks.
I am speaking of the administration's attempt to maneuver establishment news organizations into segregating the Fox News network
from the press corps. On Thursday of last week, the administration planned to allow members of the White House press pool to conduct interviews with "pay czar" Kenneth Feinberg. The pool is a group of five rotating network news organizations that is ostensibly representative of the press at large, and traditionally has shared the expense and function of covering the president.
The White House's intention was that all members of the White House press pool would be allowed to participate in the interviews with Feinberg – all, that is, except for Fox News.
As the reader may be aware, the Obama administration has been waging what can only be considered a one-sided (albeit vigorous) war of words against Fox. On Oct. 18, White House senior adviser David Axelrod said (on ABC News' "This Week" program) that Fox News is not a real news organization, and that other news networks ought not treat it as such. A broad hint, to be sure, if not a threat; on the same day, White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel made similar remarks during his appearance on CNN's "State of the Union" news show.
But, despite the establishment press' heretofore slavish devotion to Obama, the tactic backfired. The bureau chiefs of the pool networks asserted that none of their reporters would participate (in the interviews with Feinberg) unless Fox News was allowed to do so.
Discover the truth about the intimidation tactics used by today's White House in Whistleblower magazine's "MOB RULE: Under Obama, Chicago-style bullying and intimidation go nationwide"
And the administration gave in. http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=114314