Vain Thin-Skinned Thug Attacks Press Freedom

Obama promised to change the way Washington does business. In a sense he has done that – by importing the even more corrupt Chicago machine school of politics to Washington.

Obama’s administration has taken a rather precious approach to media relations, going to war with his media critics. This is reminiscent of Hugo Chavez’ style, but Chavez has taken things a bit further, closing down critical media. However, Team Obama appears to have crossed a line with its latest move.

An attempt was made to exclude Fox news from an interview with administration official Ken Feinberg. The other networks refused to do the interview if Fox wasn’t invited. Eventually Fox was invited and the interview went ahead. Deputy White House Press Secretary Josh Ernest said:

“This White House has demonstrated our willingness to do a round of interviews with a range of networks but not Fox. Clearly, that didn’t happen yesterday.”

Putin, that great sponsor of a free and independent media would be proud of this attack on press freedom.

Here is the Fox News report on this issue:

And here is the Huffington Post take on it.

Apart from being utterly childish, and possibly unconstitutional it is time that Obama showed some respect for the people he serves, including those who disagree with. This is of a piece with his attempt to foist a rag-tag bunch of charlatans, tax truants and political extremists into high administrative office. Classic was his attempt to put tax cheat Tom Daschle in charge of health immediately after Daschle’s stint earning millions lobbying for private health industry firms.

The Democrat new broom approach can be seen in the fact that Charlie Rangel is still chair of the Ways and Means Committee despite his serious ethical issues. This is Chicago politics writ large in Washington.

Obama's ambition to be a radical reformer coupled with his administration's bare-knuckled brawler style politics does nothing but ensure that he will be one of the most divisive of all presidents. Certainly now people opposed to Obama are reacting angrily, and in some cases dishonestly (see previous post). Such is the circus of U.S. politics

US Puts Free Speech On The Alter of Appeasement

This is quite disconcerting. As part of Obama's policy of "reaching out" to muslims the US has co-sponsored a dubious UN Human Rights Council resolution which sends out very mixed signals in relation to free speech.

The implications are discussed in the linked article.

Obama Slobbering Media

In a new low, even for the OSM, ABC will broadcast from within the White House on the Obama health reforms.

ABC will not allow any alternative point of view, either by way of having a guest commentator on the program, or by taking paid advertising which differs from the White House view.

With the change of President, the OSM has moved from talking truth to power to being the chief government propagandists. This is a sad day indeed for free speech.

Funnily enough I am finding it difficult to link to a critical story on this issue in the OSM.

Janet Napolitano

US Homeland Security wants to monitor criminal and terrorist activity, not ideology:

We are on the lookout for criminal and terrorist activity but we do not – nor will we ever – monitor ideology or political beliefs. We take seriously our responsibility to protect the civil rights and liberties of the American people,

Except of course in the case of right wing ideology.

Looks like the Obama administration's idea of "change" amounts to little more than stinking hypocrisy.