Video: Michelle smacks WaPo for big pimpin’
posted at 5:59 pm on July 2, 2009 by Allahpundit
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Like Stuart Varney says, the most amazing thing about this is that they actually put out a flier advertising the salons. No whispering about pay-for-play over brandy in smoke-filled rooms for WaPo; just hard print, for all the world to see. Either they somehow didn’t see the problem with a newspaper selling access to the government to lobbyists or they felt so secure in their media perch that they didn’t think they’d be called on it. Which is worse?
The million-dollar question: Was Team Barry onboard with this scheme? Gibbs was asked about it today; watch the clip here. He claims that he doesn’t know if anyone in the White House was invited — but admits that “I think some people in the administration, writ large, may have been invited,” although he doesn’t believe anyone accepted. Does “people in the administration” mean HHS, perchance for health-care lobbyists to discuss ObamaCare? Over to you, Krauthammer:
The real betrayal of this presidency, the premise of the campaign last year, which he talked about endlessly—and the audiences were swooning over this—was he was going to introduce a new politics. He was going to have a politics of the people.
He would take the lobbying and the lobbyists and the influence peddlers out of government, the money changers out of the temple. That is what he represented.
All that was rubbish last year, and now it’s all the more so. We have had, because of his ambitious government takeover—at least attempted—on stimulus, on health care, on cap and trade, which is the entire energy industry, with so much allocation of capital out of Washington, the frenzy of lobbying in Washington has been unprecedented.
It’s not business as usual as he promised. It’s worse. It’s the biggest frenzy of lobbying in American history.
I’ll be curious to see if our fearless press corps presses Gibbs for more specifics tomorrow.
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Oh man, are you saying that Ogabe lied? Great…anyone know the best way to remove an “I ♥ Ogabe” tattoo from someone’s forehead? Not MY forehead…noooo…it’s my, uh, cousin who got inked.
Bishop on July 2, 2009 at 6:07 PM
Boy if it’s not illegal it should be.
TheBigOldDog on July 2, 2009 at 6:09 PM
Good piece MM. Keep hounding on this. This is important. Seriously, focus on this instead of the insignificant Sanford.
ThackerAgency on July 2, 2009 at 6:14 PM
Journalistic Prostitution
Wade on July 2, 2009 at 6:16 PM
WaPo’s CEO and Publisher Katharine Weymouth says it’s
not vetted. . . Must be true . Right ?
This admin is making Clinton’s look like
Cub Scouts
Texyank on July 2, 2009 at 6:21 PM
I still do not get it.
How does the WP have the ability to decide who in the administration will spend their time with?
Is the White House so cozy with the WP that they will meet with people just because the WP says they should?
Very confused, sorry if I am just being thick.
Joe Caps on July 2, 2009 at 6:23 PM
it’s an opaque transparency
rjoco1 on July 2, 2009 at 6:29 PM
Obama Lied. Hope Died.
faraway on July 2, 2009 at 6:29 PM
Are California IOU’s accepted?
Rovin on July 2, 2009 at 6:30 PM
WOW! Thick you are. Just go back to the 1930’s and you can see it in everyday practice in Germany.
Rick007 on July 2, 2009 at 6:30 PM
It’s legal in Nevada. And Spitzer never fell in love with them.
the_nile on July 2, 2009 at 6:33 PM
But you’re repeating yourself.
the_nile on July 2, 2009 at 6:34 PM
Anybody thats supprised at this doesn;t know squat about Chiago Politics!!
Rick007 on July 2, 2009 at 6:35 PM
Not sure if you were responding to me, but if so I am now just more confused.
What authority does the Washington Post have over who the White House meets with and when they meet with them?
Joe Caps on July 2, 2009 at 6:36 PM
Big Pimpin’, spending G’s, we’re buying facetime with the whigs in DC.
portlandon on July 2, 2009 at 6:36 PM
Pimp My Column
faraway on July 2, 2009 at 6:39 PM
The MSM puppets will be all over this. Oh, that’s right. It’s that fine old media WaPo in potential cahoots with the Obama administration. HuffPo and DailyKos, be warned.
Terrie on July 2, 2009 at 6:42 PM
Yes on the million-dollar question. After all, how could the WaPo offer a “guarantee” of what the event would entail? The thing came to light after being distributed to a potential attendee and the date was two weeks off so one would think they had the featured VIPS nailed down.
From the Allen piece:
And by the by, what “Congress members” were also rsvp’d and ready to have their ample asses kissed?
Also notice how the Obama administration was planning to circumvent (more than they already have) their much bally-hooed dishonest pledge to eschew associating with lobbyists. No, they, thought, we won’t be dealing with them in the open…we’ll meet on the Q.T. away from dumb old Joe Public’s prying eyes. And the WaPo knowing full well this deceit would giggle to themselves as they write up columns lavishing praise on the administration for steering clear of corrupt lobbyists.
Make no mistake, if anything remotely like this had happened with Bush the spokesman (Gibbs’ counterpart) would have faced unrelenting snarling shouted questions demanding he justify the revelation that administration officials were set to participate in this cozy and intimate soiree.
KittyLowrey on July 2, 2009 at 6:43 PM
The missing headline:
- Politico in war with WashPo
faraway on July 2, 2009 at 6:50 PM
Hey Allah, youse want I should put a contract out on you? We does stuff different here in Chicago. You got a problem with dat?
GarandFan on July 2, 2009 at 6:52 PM
At 250K, wouldn’t WaPo already have to have this set up with Obamas people. Where’s the Justice Dept. Influence Peddling!
Jeff from WI on July 2, 2009 at 7:12 PM
I think we’re missing something here.
WaPo is the Pimp, yes.
Lobbyists are the Johns, yes.
But the politicians are the “Working Girls. I want names of those politicians and those in The Administration.
- The Cat
P.S. They didn’t think anyone would tell. But they failed to realize that some lobbyists are working for industries that Obama is trying to destroy. And in this case it’s the medical industry.
MirCat on July 2, 2009 at 7:20 PM
Washington Post = Volkischer Beobachter.
alwaysright43 on July 2, 2009 at 7:28 PM
I heard a man on O’Reilly saying that the media was getting embarassed to be so closely tied to the president. He thought that some of Obama’s remarks about their relationship were irritating to them.
He couldn’t have been more off the mark. Poor guy.
sherry on July 2, 2009 at 7:30 PM
“My Lobbyist betta’ have my money! Not some, not half, but ALL my cash!”
-Flyguy of the WaPo
rihar on July 2, 2009 at 7:31 PM
This IS change I can believe in.
These people must be stopped.
mmcnamer1 on July 2, 2009 at 7:39 PM
I will never understand why Michelle surrounds herself with people who talk so damn tough on the Internet, yet when a loud-mouthed bully chased her mercilessly through the streets of Denver, not one of her lackeys attempted to put a stop to it.
jay12 on July 2, 2009 at 8:00 PM
I’m just a gigolo, everywhere I go…
Mojave Mark on July 2, 2009 at 8:34 PM
Dude… your /sarc tag is missing…
At least I hope it’s missing cause there’s no way to remove the IDIOT stamp on your cousin’s forehead if that’s the case.
Chaz706 on July 2, 2009 at 8:41 PM
Yes, this is a clear case of influence-peddling, and if the FBI doesn’t investigate, then they are being reined in by the administration. If the DOJ doesn’t direct an investigation they are too. If the names of the politicians and Obama adminstration officials “guaranteed” to be present are not released there should be a boycott of the
WaPoWaPOS by any honest American, as this is blatant corruption.How were these politicians and officials able to be “guaranteed” unless they were getting something… maybe a “campaign contribution”?
This stinks, and not just at the newspaper, but in the Oval Office and the halls of Congress! Have we no invesigative reporters left in this counnty?
I am afraid the answer to that is “Yes, we have no reporters, we have no reporters today.”
drunyan8315 on July 2, 2009 at 8:42 PM
That’s an understatement.
Hope was thrown under the “yes we can” bus and run over repeatedly until all the twitching stopped and then run over a few more times for good measure.
highhopes on July 2, 2009 at 8:49 PM
The litmus test for the MSM is going to be when they start reminding us that Obama really isn’t black since his mother was white. They’ll never dump a black President but as for a multi-racial one? Not so much loyalty.
highhopes on July 2, 2009 at 8:52 PM
I can just see it now… Barney Frank, Rahm Emmanuel, Peggy Noonan, Maureen Dowd, Bob Beckel, and Kathleen Parker all sitting in the hot tub at the Washington Post “salon”. Then Barney says “Whose blowing all those bubbles“. The Roman Senate of days ago have nothing on the new Beltway crowd.
Dire Straits on July 2, 2009 at 9:07 PM
Prostitutes+politicians;politicians cost more,but with prostitutes you get a happy ending.Or so I’ve heard.
pistolpetestoys on July 2, 2009 at 9:09 PM
A little OT,why does is seem like so many Republican women are so smokin’HOT?
pistolpetestoys on July 2, 2009 at 9:12 PM
“Hope was thrown under the “yes we can” bus and run over repeatedly until all the twitching stopped and then run over a few more times for good measure.
highhopes on July 2, 2009 at 8:49 PM”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfL-Oj1rQ-c&feature=fvste2
!Under my bus!
Archimedes on July 2, 2009 at 9:55 PM
Looks like the “Free Press” actually has a price!
Star20 on July 2, 2009 at 10:40 PM
“Think of the press as a great keyboard on which the government can play.” Rahm Emanuel, er, ahem, Joseph Goebbels, Nazi Minister of Propaganda.
Goldy1 on July 2, 2009 at 11:12 PM
Who’s the new guy, I like him already. Reminiscent of Lou Dobbs, but with better politics.
misterpeasea on July 2, 2009 at 11:29 PM
The whole problem is the dictionary can’t keep up with the changes in definitions that Obama is making. He promised change… and he delivered, nothing makes sense anymore because the words describing things have different meanings.
petunia on July 2, 2009 at 11:29 PM
Someone says that everytime Michelle is on video.
petunia on July 2, 2009 at 11:30 PM
National news media corruption has allowed our current situation to happen. It’s going to take a little time to root out the corruption in the media.
Travis1 on July 3, 2009 at 1:24 AM
Messiah & Co….
Lies and fraud at every turn. Gross incompetence behind every decision. Boosting our enemies while stepping on our friends. Backing socialist dictators while turning their backs on democracy. Taking steps to destroy the economy.
2010 cannot come fast enough.
n0doz on July 3, 2009 at 2:01 AM
Allah, please give my regards to Michelle Malkin and Ed. You are not bad yourself. Thanks for the insight, threads and commentary. Have a great 4th.
Geochelone on July 3, 2009 at 4:25 AM
They are brainy too. Michelle Malkin has an analytical mind, can think on her feet and is a superb writer. I am counting on the females to save us. Liz Cheney, Sarah, Monica Crowley, Megyn Kelly, Laura Ingraham, Michelle Bachman, Malkin, etc.
Geochelone on July 3, 2009 at 4:32 AM
The million-dollar question: is how many OTHER times did this happen?
No one actually thinks this was the first time? Do you?
The multi-million-dollar question: How many other “news” organizations do the same thing?
Friendly21 on July 3, 2009 at 6:51 AM
I wonder what Stuart Varney would sound like saying “leaving you with champagne wishes and caviar dreams”, blah blah blah sign off.
ExpressoBold on July 3, 2009 at 7:51 AM
That would be a treat.
However, the alarm bells rang. The girls have buttoned up their overcoats – for now.
PaddyJ on July 3, 2009 at 9:30 AM
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