McCain camp tries to keep reporters out of Palin meetings
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/09/23/art.palinkarzai1.ap.jpg caption="The media was allowed to observe Palin and Karzai for less than 30 seconds."](CNN) - McCain-Palin campaign officials shifted course Tuesday after being informed by television news organizations that they would not broadcast footage of Sarah Palin’s meeting with Afghan leader Hamid Karzai Tuesday in New York - the Republican VP nominee’s first with a foreign leader - if a reporter was not allowed in to observe the pair.
CNN, which was the pool network for the event, informed the campaign of its decision. The network was then told a CNN producer would be allowed in the room to act as a media representative, just minutes before the photo op was scheduled to take place. However, print reporters and wire services were not allowed to observe the meeting, as they have been able to do at similar McCain events in the past.
The press only caught a brief glimpse of the vice presidential nominee. Palin was seated in a large chair a few feet from Karzai, with a table in between them. Seated slightly behind Palin were campaign foreign policy advisers Steve Biegun and Randy Scheunemann, who are accompanying the governor in her motorcade today.
As the pool entered, the Afghan president appeared to be telling Palin about his young son, who was born in January 2007.
Palin, her legs crossed and at one point patting her heart, was leaning in eagerly and smiling. Karzai, wearing his traditional clothes but without his trademark karakul hat, was also grinning while discussing the child. His remarks were mostly unintelligible as the noise from the clicking cameras drowned them out.
“What is his name?,” Palin asked.
“Mirwais,” Karzai responded. “Mirwais, which means, ‘The Light of the House.’”
“Oh nice,” Palin responded.
“He is the only one we have,” remarked Karzai.
After 29 seconds observing the meeting, CNN and other photographers covering the meeting were escorted out of the room.
Later, McCain-Palin press representatives chalked up the restrictions to a “mix-up, a miscommunication among staff.” The full pool — a print and wires reporter, along with a television producer — was then allowed in to observe Palin’s meeting with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe for 15-20 seconds.
What a joke, one meeting will not make up for the fact that she is no where near qualified to be VP. I wonder if she brought photos of Russia that she took from her house to the meeting!!
Obama/Biden '08
SURE, JUST MORE OF THE SAME HOW STUPID DOES MCCAIN AND PALIN THINK WE ARE – WHAT A SET UP
she can only be trusted for up to 15 seconds without showing how weak she truly is...
What a joke. They shouldn't publish the visuals.
Alaska Daily News – 09/22/2008
"John Harris, the Republican speaker of the Alaska House, said he had never been called by the spouse of a governor before the two calls he got from Todd Palin. One was to argue for moving the state capital to Anchorage. The other was to ask Harris to "keep an eye" on a key aide who had an affair with the wife of one of Todd"s best friends."
1. Sarah Palin has promised she has no intention of moving the Capital to Anchorage. The above quote proves she is a liar. Moving the Capital from Juneau to Anchorage would destroy thousands of Juneau families financially. Destroying Juneau families for a frivolous, self serving and greedy Capital move is apparently fine with Palin.
2. The fact that Palin"s husband (who is an illegal proxy for the Governor) wants the legislature to "keep an eye" on one of the Palin"s personal enemies speaks for itself!
What a joke....
All she can say is "Oh Nice?"...This cannot be happening..Help!!!!!!Someone wake me up. I must be dreaming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SHE DOESN'T WANT ANYONE TO SEE HOW UNQUALIFIED SHE IS WITH FOREIGN AFFAIRS!
A mix up. Sure. They really think CNN, the media in general, and the American people are dumb, don't they? What an insult to our collective intelligence.
And McCain/Palin calls for "transparency". Yeah, right.
This Republican ticket is an absolute mess. Why expose this to other world leaders? This election is truly out of control.
OBAMA, the SANE choice.
Waht a joke just for pictures wow what a egotistical jerk.
The empress has no clothes... Luckily she can field dress a moose – because after all that is so useful for running the country.
???? WHAT IN THE WORLD..................I MEAN WHY CAN'T ANYONE TALK TO HER...............IS SHE THAT EMBARRASING....... I MEAN REALLY PEOPLE.........THIS IS A STORY IN ITSELF....VP CANDIDATE ON RESTRICTION CAN'T TALK TO THE PRESS............. I HOPE SHE'S SMART ENOUGH TO BE INSULTED.... OH WELL
BARACK THE VOTE PEOPLE.......................
Sarah Palin- in the words of Gertrude Stein "There is no there there."
A total creation of the Rove Propaganda Machine. Unable to campaign alone. Unwilling to speak with reporters.
NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME! UNVETTED AND UNFIT TO LEAD!
WHEN WILL THE MEDIA DO IT’S JOB ABOUT PALIN? IF YOU CAN’T SPEAK WITH HER THEN STOP DOING ANY COVERAGE ABOUT HER!!!!!
She may not be qualified to be VP. Obama is not qualified to be President. At least the lesser qualified is #2 on the Gop ticket.
Sounds similar to the time she had a photo op with the dog catcher in Wasilla.
What is the big deal with the media having to be there geez us. She isn't a media hog like Obama so they should get use to it.
This meeting was scripted and staged. Palin couldn't do it any other way.
What a show!
GO OBAMA!
that campaign is ridiculous. they pick a vp and then give the people and press no access. they are hiding her for a reason. are they afraid she'll start speaking in tongues?
This is a joke, right?? Please tell me it is.
She will have some nice pics to put in her office, but 1 meeting with several dignataries does not make for foriegn policy experience.
What a joke. I'm sure they don't want it out because it was far worse than the Gibson interview.
Palin doesn't want the world to see how stupid she really is. She will insult these leaders by being out of touch with the world and different cultures!!! She isn't ready for this and should in no way shape form or fashion be able to deny the press access to these meetings. If she isn't ready for "Prime Time" she needs to sit her butt down and shut up!
are you kidding me? that is pathetic. why is the GOP hiding sarah palin from the media and the public?
stop being sexist, republicans. she's a grown up and can defend herself. stop shielding her and make her face scrutiny