Freedom of Speech: Endangered

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2004
Freedom of Speech: Endangered
32
Sun, 10-26-2008 - 9:09am

Press Not Allowed To Ask Biden Tough Questions!

Obama campaign cuts off WFTV after interview with Joe Bidenposted by halboedeker on Oct 24, 2008 11:12:15 AM



WFTV-Channel 9's Barbara West conducted a satellite interview with Sen. Joe Biden on Thursday. A friend says it's some of the best entertainment he's seen recently. What do you think?


West wondered about Sen. Barack Obama's comment, to Joe the Plumber, about spreading the wealth. She quoted Karl Marx and asked how Obama isn't being a Marxist with the "spreading the wealth" comment.


"Are you joking?" said Biden, who is Obama's running mate. "No," West said.


West later asked Biden about his comments that Obama could be tested early on as president. She wondered if the Delaware senator was saying America's days as the world's leading power were over.


"I don't know who's writing your questions," Biden shot back.


Biden so disliked West's line of questioning that the Obama campaign canceled a WFTV interview with Jill Biden, the candidate's wife.



"This cancellation is non-negotiable, and further opportunities for your station to interview with this campaign are unlikely, at best for the duration of the remaining days until the election," wrote Laura K. McGinnis, Central Florida communications director for the Obama campaign.


McGinnis said the Biden cancellation was "a result of her husband's experience yesterday during the satellite interview with Barbara West."


Here's a link to the interview: http://www.wftv.com/video/17790025/index.html.


WFTV news director Bob Jordan said, "When you get a shot to ask these candidates, you want to make the most of it. They usually give you five minutes."


Jordan said political campaigns in general pick and choose the stations they like. And stations often pose softball questions during the satellite interviews.


"Mr. Biden didn't like the questions," Jordan said. "We choose not to ask softball questions."


Jordan added, "I'm crying foul on this one."


What did you think of the interview?



Filed under: WFTV
Obama campaign cuts off WFTV after interview with Joe Bidenposted by halboedeker on Oct 24, 2008 11:12:15 AM



WFTV-Channel 9's Barbara West conducted a satellite interview with Sen. Joe Biden on Thursday. A friend says it's some of the best entertainment he's seen recently. What do you think?


West wondered about Sen. Barack Obama's comment, to Joe the Plumber, about spreading the wealth. She quoted Karl Marx and asked how Obama isn't being a Marxist with the "spreading the wealth" comment.


"Are you joking?" said Biden, who is Obama's running mate. "No," West said.


West later asked Biden about his comments that Obama could be tested early on as president. She wondered if the Delaware senator was saying America's days as the world's leading power were over.


"I don't know who's writing your questions," Biden shot back.


Biden so disliked West's line of questioning that the Obama campaign canceled a WFTV interview with Jill Biden, the candidate's wife.



"This cancellation is non-negotiable, and further opportunities for your station to interview with this campaign are unlikely, at best for the duration of the remaining days until the election," wrote Laura K. McGinnis, Central Florida communications director for the Obama campaign.


McGinnis said the Biden cancellation was "a result of her husband's experience yesterday during the satellite interview with Barbara West."


Here's a link to the interview: http://www.wftv.com/video/17790025/index.html.


WFTV news director Bob Jordan said, "When you get a shot to ask these candidates, you want to make the most of it. They usually give you five minutes."


Jordan said political campaigns in general pick and choose the stations they like. And stations often pose softball questions during the satellite interviews.


"Mr. Biden didn't like the questions," Jordan said. "We choose not to ask softball questions."


Jordan added, "I'm crying foul on this one."


What did you think of the interview?



Filed under: WFTV
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-08-2008
Sun, 10-26-2008 - 6:11pm

CNN had an interview scheduled with Mr. Zubairi, but at the last minute the McCain campaign cancelled and won't let Mr. Zubaira speak.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-24-2008
Sun, 10-26-2008 - 6:27pm
Yes lol :)

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-10-2007
Sun, 10-26-2008 - 6:33pm

Sorry, this has nothing to do with freedom of speech...


I'm a McCain supporter, and I get upset when people post threads like this, because it makes all McCain supporters look uninformed!


Freedom of speech is when the government curtails speech. A candidate cancelling an appearance- on his behalf or on his wife's behalf- does not equal the government curtailing speech.


iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2004
Sun, 10-26-2008 - 7:05pm
Sarah Palin has been interviewed - TOUGH questions - numerous times during the campaign.
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-08-2008
Sun, 10-26-2008 - 7:10pm
So, when Joe Biden refuses questions, the radical right can see how OUTRAGEOUS it is for VP candidates to not speak to the press. How do you think that makes Sarah Palin look since she has not done one single major interview without supervision? lol. Yeah...thought so. lol.

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-20-2008
Sun, 10-26-2008 - 7:18pm
Are you serious???? Just this morning I was watching Fox and Chris Wallace said that the McCain campaign is refusing to allow Sarah Palin to appear on any of the Sunday morning news shows - a presidential campaign tradition. Perhaps you missed it? And here I thought Fox was republican friendly.
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-07-2008
Sun, 10-26-2008 - 7:48pm

Just another example.

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2004
Sun, 10-26-2008 - 7:54pm

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-20-2008
Sun, 10-26-2008 - 7:58pm
nt
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-26-2008
Sun, 10-26-2008 - 8:00pm
You mean scofflaw Joe the Plumber who probably billed his clients the rate at which a licensed plumber would charge?