“In a week in which Silicon Valley is the focus of intense news coverage, the White House that promised the ‘most open administration in history’ has made an unusual move — barring local reporters from covering a pair of high priced presidential fundraisers in the tech region Sunday,” Carla Marinucci reports for The San Francisco Chronicle.
“The President will star at two big Silicon Valley fundraisers Sunday, attending a $38,500 per person dinner at the Atherton home of COO Sheryl Sandberg [Facebook], and starring at $2,500 and up fundraiser starring Bruce Hornsby at the Woodside home of Sandi and John Thompson [Symantec CEO],” Marinucci reports. “But in a rare move — and a departure from the President’s previous trips to California – local media have been informed that the White House will not allow any of their representatives to act as a ‘pool’ reporter and file reports from those events.”
Marinucci reports, “Peter Scheer, who heads the First Amendment Coalition, said that ‘it’s their party and they can design that party list the way they want – but it shows, in my judgement, poor judgement for them to exclude the press. What goes on in a meeting where people pay this much to see the president is not trivial.’ And by barring local reporters specifically, he adds, that means the journalists most likely to know personalities — and donors — present will be outside the doors.”
“Carmen Balber, the Washington director of Consumer Watchdog, said that her organization has been ‘expressing concern about the president (meeting with) the CEOs of companies that are under investigation by the Dept. of Justice,’ a reference to Google’s top executive Eric Schmidt, who has also been a major donor to Democratic causes,” Marinucci reports. “‘We don’t think it’s appropriate.’ But with the latest move by the White House, she said, the question now “what is the president doing behind closed doors that he doesn’t want the public to see?”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews readers too numerous to mention individually for the heads up.]
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towertone is kinda right, the repubs never met a slave they didn’t like. Color is irrelevant.
Of course that want stop them from trotting out their token black candidate.
TT: talk to me when your electorate actually picks him to run, which ain’t gonna happen.
You have been brained washed by the socialist democat party. Black is white and white is black, 2+2=5 in your world. Their play book is Orwells’ “1984”. It was a republican President that freed the slaves and republicans who voted against the raciest democrats to pass the civil rights bill. Democrats see people as white or colored, Republicans see Americans only.
Well mr samrty pants, you clearly know nothing of history and once again trot out your fed talking points.
1. The republicans that were for freeing the slaves, broke awy from “conservative” republicans. They were quite Liberal.
2. These same Republican liberals (see reconstruction era) Immediately RAISED TAXES to pay for infrastructure.
3. These same Republicans established the first PUBLIC schools in the south. They also created many charitable organizations.
So yeah, you can claim it, however if you have to go back to 40 acres and a mule to prove your party is not rascist, I ask you. What have you done since then?
I’ll also ask why you hate public schools, workers rights, taxes to build our country, and ask that you admit “conservatives” were very much racist in the time of Lincoln.
It is interesting that you bring up orwell given the rapid eroding of our rights and buildup of the police/spy state under the watch of republicans.
Elect Herman Cain or Michele Bachmann for President. They are the true conservatives that are running. Perry is a closet liberal and Romney is another Obama. Lets not let the socialist media pick our candidate again. Remember McCain, to heck with lib biased media!
Fight to get rid of Obama. He is destroying the Country.
Are you are writer for Colbert? 😆
if Cheney did not have to reveal the content of his meetings with the oil companies then that sets the precedent for Obama not having to invitethe press to fundraisers. Corporations are now citizens, according to the Supreme Court. Meetings between the Presidentband citizens can be private. BTW, you don’t vote AGAINST someone you vote FOR someone. In 2004, Conservatives argued that we shouldn’t change CIC during a war. If that’s a real value, they MUST vote for Obama!
Lets give this at least something that is at least more contextual for MDN – If Steve Jobs had to reinvent either or both political parties, given what you know about him, what would change, what would he get rid of?
Not wanting to stop at Jobs, what about Balmer and Gates?
If Jobs regained his health somehow and started his own political party and ran for president, whom would he pick from either party as running mate, cabinet, etc.
Lots of possible Apple-centric spins on this …