The Obama Project@WindonWater.net

According to the Drudge report, these three papers, all of whom endorsed Senator McCain, were ousted from the campaign plane to make room for “more sympathetic” reporters, including Maureen Dowd of the NY Times (my girl! ) and reporters from Ebony and Jet magazines – two of the most prominant black publications in the country.

I say – good. Maureen Dowd, for her acerbic opinions on McCain and Palin, was ousted from the McCain campaign about a month ago – while the campaign was still in the thick of it. Meanwhile, the Post, Times and Morning News – two of whom I KNOW were harsh, maybe even hostile to Obama, got to stay on for the entire campaign. The difference in when to reward reporters for being sympathetic and/or kind couldn’t be more stark. In the one case – we have outright censorship, and in the other – a snub at the dance. Honestly – in these last 4 days before the election, isn’t it fair that the reporters who are going to be read by supporters of a campaign get preferential treatment, while the reporters who are going to be read by detractors from the campaign have to make other arrangements?

Here is a rightwing (I guess) group celebrating Maureen Dowd’s ousting: http://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/warner-todd-huston/2008/10/02/nyt-maureen-dowd-kicked-mccains-campaign-plane-hes-dismissive-1s

Rather amusingly, she was dumped in the middle of Pennsylvania, too. After an August 30 rally in Washington, PA, she was told she could not get back on the plane. The rest of the press corps loaded up and off they flew leaving poor Mo standing there in shock.

Naturally, instead of seeing this as just deserts, Dowd goes on to blame everyone else.

“It was disappointing because I didn’t think John McCain would ever be as dismissive of the First Amendment as Dick Cheney.”

Sorry, Mo, but you shouldn’t expect to be welcomed with open arms while you constantly have your knife out, stabbing wildly like you do. McCain is NOT president yet, so he really doesn’t have to suffer your odious presence if he doesn’t want to.

I actually didn’t know they stranded her in PA – I don’t find that amusing… I find that coldhearted. But whatever. I hope that Obama’s team didn’t strand the NY Post, Washington Times and Dallas Morning News reporters in such manner.

Also – the Newsbusters argue that Dowd was fairly dropped because she’s an Op-Ed writer, not a reporter. OK – I’ll go with that. But I still find it reasonable for Obama to make room for reporters who will report for his supporters, over reporters who will report for his opposition. Especially in the final four days. And as the Newsbusters say – no one’s 1st Amendment rights have been abused, because there is no first amendment right to travel on a campaign airplane.

Editing to add – nope. They are very dejected, and see this as portend of bad things to come.

I, as I’ve already stated, disagree.

QT

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