Washington (CNN) - Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-Rhode Island, blasted national reporters Wednesday for focusing on trivialities instead of the war in Afghanistan.
While delivering a speech, Kennedy spotted only a handful of reporters sitting in the press gallery overlooking the House floor. But because House floor debates are televised, reporters often monitor the proceedings from their desks outside the chamber where they can more easily take notes and work on computers.
From CNN Politics
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Whether the press is in the room or not, he is right. I have heard more about back waxing and Palin than the war and economy.
Money/ratings is ruining journalism. I get better news from the opening monologues on late night TV then most cable news.
The National Press Corp is despicable. Wow, I cannot believe that I actually agree with a Kennedy. Never in my life time did I think this would happen.
Well said!
I love Pat, I'm glad he is moving on. He is above the gathering of swindlers we call the US Congress.
Oh wow, way to prove his point CNN! Whether inside or outside the room, SO WHAT??? Even here, all you've done is focus on the trivialities.
Although he was shrill, I tend to agree with him. Even it reporters monitor proceedings from their desks it surely doesn't seem like they get those more important stories in the news. I guess it's just too boring for us eh?
Just like Chavez in Venezula .. when the media doesn't kowtow to you and kiss your behind, complain they are working against you. IN this case, they aren't writing up enough positive articles about Obama's initiatives, or the troop surge in Afghanistan. It's called a FREE PRESS for a reason you idiot of a politician. They report on what they want to and what they think people will want to read. There job is NOT to support your agenda and the president. If anything, it should always be the opposite.
You tell them Patrick!
I'll bet if Kennedy had been discussing former rep. Massa or some other insignificant dribble, they would be all ears.
To call the national press corps "despicable" is perfectly worded. They seem to only be interested in fires, and wrecks.
good for you Congressman Kennedy! it is so important what you did to tell it like it is...we care about the soldiers and what the heck we are doing over there and the press ignores this day after day...thank you...
As opposed to painting Rep. Kennedy as unknowing to the fact that "floor debates are televised," a more critical exploration into the nature of modern news and their relationship with war, politics, and the public would be significantly more beneficial.
He is right, the media solely focuses on what brings in revenues. They are to lazy to go out and do the field work necessary to provide the truth.
My dear young Patrick, allow me to enlighten you:
The media is not concerned about Afghanistan because harping on it would be a bad thing for Dear Leader. If it were President Bush in office, then of course we would be getting daily body counts and hearing of the "unwinable" situation we are in. But when your agenda is to ensure popular support for your man in the office, then certain adjustments must be made.
There...now do you understand?
I totally agree with Kennedy. It's all this fluff and garbage that gets National attention, while we seem to forget about our Women and Men in the military. I noticed this at press conferences at the Pentagon. Hardly anybody shows up. But ooooh, Tiger Woods talks, now that's news! Horse-hockey!
He's as bad as Schumer looking for the cameras.
By and large, Kennedy is absolutely correct–"the press" fails us and has been failing for some time. Hyperbole, hysteria-mongering, and a "National Enquirer" mentality seem to have displaced completely the idea of unbiased reportage. Even the national and cable news networks seem more interested in editorializing and the "blame game" than reporting facts. ABC's Prime Time Primadonna (Sawyer) is at the national peak of such garbage...every word dripping with personal opinion and bias, at the expense of information. Part of the reason for the failure of the newspaper is that at least on line one can surf around looking for reason amongst the hype, while trying to piece together fact from fiction. It gets harder every day!
Step 4: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
The help you need is out there waiting for you....grasp it.
I grew up on Cape Cod and was a Kenedy kid. I do have to say, though, that it is time for that name to go away. Patrick is one of the reasosn why- name does not make the person...even if it invokes fond misplaced memories.
Was Patrick hyped up on drugs...or just clueless? Hopefully he can find something meaningful to do with his life instead of using the Kennedy coattails to be elected to Congress.
Good for you, sir. Sad that it takes a man giving up on Congress to be able to have the stones to say such things, but such is Washington nowadays.
Obama thinks so too... but I think he called them the National Press "Corpse".
He's just upset because no one was there to hear him flap his gums.
PS...tell the man to get a haircut! (Or a better rug).
Everyone in the New England area knows this man needs help...he has been arrested multiple times for DUI and you have to worry about his thought process as he moves toward leaving Congress.
For his sake and the sake of those around him, I hope people find him the help he needs.
I couldn't agree more! The media has become a disgusting morass of instigators who's sole objective – day in and day out – is to try to instigate fights and stir up anger between people, companies on opposite sides. It is beyond despicable.
I wholeheartedly agree with Kennedy. During the historic Health Care summit, CNN, MSNBC and FOX kept interrupting the exchange with banal comments about who was "winning" the debate, who had the best one-liner and trivial things like that. The news media, especially TV news, heightens differences and conflict, because they assume that's what we want–politics as blood sport. When you go to C-Span and actually listen to what our politicians argue, most of the time they are making well-crafted points. No wonder "we" view politicians in a negative light! If you want to really understand TV news, watch The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.