What if a candidate for office called a press conference, and then refused to talk to the press?  California candidate for governor Meg Whitman invited the press to cover a meeting with the state’s railroad commissioner, but then surprised the press by refusing to talk to them.  Instead, the nonplussed reporters got shooed out of the event by Whitman’s aide, but not before beclowning themselves, too:

She put up a screen to keep from having her picture taken? Doesn’t a candidate usually want face time on TV and pictures in the papers? The press may not be a friend to Republicans, as the local CBS station proves by interviewing only Democrats for reaction, but Whitman invited them to attend the event in the first place. Of course, it doesn’t help that the first question asked of Whitman was whether she had a reaction to a “Wiki-Meg” website, which is of course the most pressing issue facing Californians in 2010. I’d be tempted to roll my eyes and move on to another event, too.

Whitman at least apologized for the mess. Maybe the press might think about apologizing for their performance in this instance as well.