Obama to media: pony up for election night access
Chicago Business
The best-funded political campaign in American history says news organizations will have to pay — in some cases almost $2,000 each — if they want to cover Barack Obama’s election-night celebration in Chicago.
A memo sent to news organizations on Tuesday by the Obama campaign says credentials will cost $715 to $1,815, depending on whether electrical and phone lines are needed and whether an indoor or outdoor seat is requested for the event, which is expected to be held outside the evening of Nov. 4 in Grant Park.
The only free admissions are for a “general media” area. But, the memo says, “Please note that the general media area is outdoors, unassigned and may have obstructed views . . . standing room only.”
The area also does not include access to top Obama campaign officials, whose statements likely are to be in hot demand on Election Night. They apparently will be available only in the “press file” tent, to which an additional admission fee of $935 per person is being imposed.
Obama aides declined to answer questions about why a campaign that raised $150 million in the month of September is demanding such payments. But the memo already is drawing some protest.
In her blog on the Chicago Sun-Times’ Web site, Lynn Sweet, the paper’s veteran Washington bureau chief, termed the memo “an outrageous pay-to-play plan that caters to national elite (media) outlets.”
While many reporters can do without the electricity, Internet access, food and other items that come with some event prices, they must “crave” access, and for that they will have to pay, Ms. Sweet wrote.
One Obama spokesman privately likened the Chicago event to how coverage is arranged at national political conventions. But at both the Democratic and GOP conventions this summer, news organizations had to pay extra only if they wanted a dedicated phone line. Most credentials came with assigned seats, all were indoors with views of the stage and all were free.
A spokesman later said that the fees will only pay the costs of, for instance, building risers with a view of the stage. He also said that since the file tent will be located in the middle of the general media area, reporters will be able to stop and question any senior aides who are traveling to the file tent. The tent will include no “spin room” for briefings, the spokesman added.
Media traditionally are charged for out-of-pocket costs in traveling with campaigns. For instance, those accompanying Mr. Obama and GOP nominee John McCain around the country pay their own hotel bills and a fee for air fare. But a fee rarely if ever is charged for the coverage itself.
Wild Thing’s comment……….
Unbelievable. Obama’s charging the media to cover his concession speech. These dopes will pay too.
So it looks like front row seats for the freak show are expensive.
This is how this Barack Hussein Obama will run the country: Pay for play. A sitting US Senator and would-be president CHARGING the media for access.
The only good news out of this is that the lap-dog media that has done its level best to turn this from an election to a coronation is now seeing exactly what is about to happen: You have all the access you want as log as the money changes hands at the time and in he amounts we demand.
Obama campaign is almost flaunting their election-night celebration planning process.
He is actually doing this to the media that has done their best to give the election to him. LMAO
Does this mean that Chris Mathews will have to pay to get that warm tingle up his leg???
wish he would start his own country and get the heck out of ours. This gets more unbelievable every day.
Waterboarded or pay to see Obama up close and personal……..
I would pick to be WATERBOARDED, THANK YOU EVER SO!
And now he’s even hitting up his lap dogs? When will this foolishness stop? Only when the obammymammymessiah has his power. His power to destroy the nation.
Straight up, Barack Obama is a THREAT to the security and sovereignty of this country. That is not an opinion, that is fact. All one has to do is listen and watch.
The best thing that can happen is that Obama loose. I’m still betting that people will wake up once they get into the privacy of the voting booth.
Can you imagine, a pay for access President? The man is driven by money and lust of power, nothing else.
Oh, you can bet the Asskissers of Media have VIP up front seats for free, including lobster, Iranian caviar without preconditions (thank you Sean…lol) and champagne.
That’s why the non-bootlicker media has to pay so much. Lobster pie is spensive!
What a farce!! Obama is a money hungry fool – why didn’t he make it more- like $50000 ?? or 10,000??? The MSM loves him so much – they would fork it over-! Michelle must need a new outfit- I am getting tired of seeing her only three dresses !! And God knows she dresses like a homeless woman!! Big Amazon ugg!! Must need to spread the wealth to Michelles’ wardrobe!!
I can’t wait for him to lose and be gone– although he will probably cry for six months or more– I hate this whole election– the worst political disaster- worse than the nightmare with Kerry!!!– I am so tired of hearing how desperate the Republicans are-ha ha — we ‘ll see!!
Taking what commercial advertising and private subscriptions pay for then charging a user fee, what’s un-Democrat about that? Psst!! Obama, how about a poll tax? Does “Change” include corvée or chattel fees?
All these polls all say that obama is ahead. Who have they polled. How sure are they, media, that everybody is telling the truth. Then they say, well who would lie to a pollster. I ask who wouldn’t lie to a pollster. The first thing they say if you are voting for McCain is you must be a redneck, according to Murtha, aka a dirty cracker racist.
With that in mind, I bet, that the margin of error is much higher than the +/- 2%( I’d guess +/- 10-15 %. i.e., if the polls are even fairly polled) they are so willing to pass out with their polls. It is quite obvious who the Press wants to win and who they want to defeat. Once again we have to show these morons who’s in charge and it sure as hell aint the press.
Our job is to stay positive and make sure we vote to make sure our country stays as free as it is now and throw the socialist out with the bath water. Then cover it/him with lime so he never comes back. That should be our motto, pour Lime on the Slime.
Vote and we will win.
There is no limit to Obama’s arrogance. I wonder if he is letting the MSM know that he is in charge. This man is so very much in love with himself that his handlers may not be able to control him. Michelle Obama is even worse. If these people get in the White House, we have years of misery ahead of us. I never thought anyone could be more arrogant than the Clintons or socialist than Carter.
I agree about the polls. I’ve seen enough convincing proof to know they are heavily weighted towards The Fraud.
This is interesting:
OBAMA interview with Charlie Gibson, June 2008
How does it feel to break a glass ceiling?
How does it feel to “win”?
How does your family feel about your “winning” breaking a glass ceiling?
Who will be your VP?
Should you choose Hillary Clinton as VP?
Will you accept public finance?
What issues is your campaign about?
Will you visit Iraq?
Will you debate McCain at a town hall?
What did you think of your competitor’s [Clinton] speech?
http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=5000184
PALIN interview with Charlie Gibson, Sept. 2008
Do you have enough qualifications for the job you’re seeking? Specifically have you visited foreign countries and met foreign leaders?
Aren’t you conceited to be seeking this high level job?
Questions about foreign policy
-territorial integrity of Georgia
-allowing Georgia and Ukraine to be members of NATO
-NATO treaty
-Iranian nuclear threat
-what to do if Israel attacks Iran
-Al Qaeda motivations
-the Bush Doctrine
-attacking terrorists harbored by Pakistan
Is America fighting a holy war? [misquoted Palin]
http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000002950353
Ahhhhhhhhh…..so the news media is getting a little taste of what is to come and they don’t like it huh?!?!?!?! Tough Shit!!!!!!!! They are all getting exactly what they deserve!!!! Puts true meaning to the old expression…”Be careful what you wish for…You may just get it”!!!!!!
Thanks for the contrast Eden…..it has been this way ever since this lame idiot appeared on the scene. Even Hillary wasn’t strong enough to overcome Obama and the news media “Tag Team”!!!!
I am staying optomistic like Mark that McCain can still win the election. It won’t be easy but I think he and Sarah can do it!!!! We all just need to stick together and get out and vote!!!!!!!
Everyone is missing the point. Obama is “TAXING” the news media to cover him. The messiah will come up with all sorts of diversionary names and explanations but he will have more new taxes for corporate, small business, and middle America to pay for all of his spending plans and projected current tax revenue shortfall.
Starting with the news media is a lesson of Obama arrogance and a megalomaniac and his totalitarian socialist state in action.
GM Cassel AMH1(AW) USN RETIRED, yes he is a threat and we will stop him with our vote.
I pray that happens and then we can know that the majority of Americans do love this country and realized how horrible Obama would be for a President.
BobF, me too, I just keep thinking people will do a double take mentally when they vote and realize the hey wait a minute what am I nuts to vote for Obama.
Eden, LOL…”Lobster pie is spensive”.
Cheryl, hahahahaa yes he should be asking for money. What a jerk he is and maybe this might give a few of the media a clue how it might be in the future.
Jack, hahahaa good one.
Mark, I agree, polls can’t rule anything because not everyone gets called.
I am excited and plan on staying excited till we know the final outcome. Every day when I am out and about I am talking up McCain and Palin to people when I get the chance.
Tom I agree I think Obama wins among all the dems on being the most socialist and arrogant.
Eden that is GREAT thank you so much. What a good comparison in the two interviews.
John DITTO all you said……
“I am staying optomistic like Mark that McCain can still win the election. It won’t be easy but I think he and Sarah can do it!!!! We all just need to stick together and get out and vote!!!!!!!”
Les see my Wild Thing comment with the post. I mention how this is an example of how Obama will run the country.
You are right too Les, …..”Starting with the news media is a lesson of Obama arrogance and a megalomaniac and his totalitarian socialist state in action.”
We have till Nov.4th to stay positive though and work hard to tell others about why Obama is wrong and what the truth is about him. It is a big fight and uphill one because most people seem to be not that bright from what I see in those responding to this socialist jerk.And Obama having the media working over time for him. But I won’t give up, not until we know we lost and America too will have lost.
We just might win, and we need to pray hard too.
They say that the polls say O’Vomit is way ahead but I do not know of one single person who has been contacted for their opinion. That means they’re just calling loyalist card holding libturd party members. WE WIN!
… And wait until the BET cable station bids on hip hop festivities in the FORMER Lincoln Bedroom!
The Obamas are giving new meaning to “The Mean Party.” Obama has the MSM people at the “degradation” phase of their relationship (cf. the movie Door in the Floor with Kim Basinger and Jeff Bridges.) He is even more arrogant than I thought (or ever more arrogant with time.) I thought he’d wait until elected to humiliate his boot licking followers. Wonder if Chris Matthews, the Court Jester, is going to have to pay.
This is certainly the kind of thing that his wife would come up with. Pay for more Lobster Dainties and Champers.
Darth, can you imagine the Rose Garden turned into a water melon patch or the smell of fried chitlins coming from the WH kitchen? How about Ludicrous, 50 cent or Snoop the Dog the turd sniffer entertaining foreign dignitaries?
I heard Oprah is offering her studio for his 30 minute commercial. But she ain’t no racist. Yeah, in a pigs eye she ain’t.
She made her money, but none of us can have any. Greedy witch.
I tell all my “dummy” friends, “Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.” sarcastically.
Barack Obama got out of the shower and was drying off when he looked in the mirror and noticed he was white from the neck up to the top of his head.
In sheer panic and fearing he was turning white and might have to start working for a living, he called his doctor and told him of his problem.
The doctor advised him to come to his office immediately.
After an examination, the doctor mixed a concoction of brown liquid, gave it to Barack, and told him to drink it all.
Barack drank the concoction and replied, ‘That tasted like bullshit!’
The doctor replied: “It was – you were a quart low”
Air Force One’s call sign will be SNOOP DOG ONE…
‘Hail To The Chief’ replaced by Otis Day & Nights Animal House classic ‘Shama lama ding dong’?
This baby ain’t over… My NY Giants were supposed to LOSE the Super Bowl 10 months ago, eh?
cuchieddie , I agree, they never call us and I don’t like to do them online much because if it is at CNN or something they are always fixed.
Darth, “Air Force One’s call sign will be SNOOP DOG ONE”….oh my gawd, help us.
haha That is funny though. But what a nightmare if he wins oh I feel sick again.
Horace…..”Obamas are giving new meaning to “The Mean Party.”
Yes that sure is true, they are very mean. The Democrats scare me now more then the terrorists.
Lynn, that is best thing to say to them, maybe it will make them wonder what you mean by it. I think I will say it at the gym tomorrow. Thank you. I still keep thinking a few might listen…..deep sigh.
“I tell all my “dummy” friends, “Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.”
Texas Fred…….LMAO good one.
Texas Fred’s post above may be this week’s most forwarded email item. I sent it to some of my friends and got it sent back to me almost immediately, meaning I am on their group mailing list. They went wild. Never happened before. Let’s keep him around.
Texas Fred’s post above may be this week’s most forwarded email item. I sent it to some of my friends and got it sent back to me almost immediately, meaning I am on their group mailing list. They went wild. Never happened before. Let’s keep him around.
Dell laptop for sale-cheap.