Sigh. Yesterday, Politico’s Dylan Byers seemed to take offense to DNC communication director Brad Woodhouse’s contemptible tweet about the off-the-record Holder meeting. Mr. Woodhouse basically said that journalists should suck it up or shaddup.
Today, Mr. Byers is whining about “comfy” media who are boycotting the ludicrous summons for an off-the-record meeting with Attorney General Holder. Oh, guess what? Politico is attending, natch.
Reporters and editors and bureau chiefs attend off-the-record meetings *all the time.* They also talk to people off-record *all the time*
— Dylan Byers (@DylanByers) May 30, 2013
Everyone is doing it, guys. You know you want to!
Twitter users, including National Journal’s Ron Fournier, rightly call out Mr. Byers.
https://twitter.com/redsteeze/status/340198866207002625
.@DylanByers on assignment. Can a WH reporter address the premise of the question for Dylan. "Comfy" — really? Assumption on frequency …
— Ron Fournier (@ron_fournier) May 30, 2013
.@ron_fournier How many off-the-record meetings did you attend as Washington bureau chief of the Associated Press?
— Dylan Byers (@DylanByers) May 30, 2013
.@DylanByers After DOJ seized AP records and labeled journalism a conspiracy? None. Link here does not rule out OTR: http://t.co/eoL7gikEBo
— Ron Fournier (@ron_fournier) May 30, 2013
Bam!
https://twitter.com/amish1979/status/340204278998261760
https://twitter.com/mrussRSF/status/340197249114046464
@mrussRSF @ron_fournier wrong. i was and remain conflicted.
— Dylan Byers (@DylanByers) May 30, 2013
Oh well. He’s conflicted. And “comfy,” evidently. What a combination.
Ace of Spades then gave Politico’s Byers the business.
.@DylanByers can I ask what the purpose of the meeting might be if you are forbidden to report what Holder tells you?
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) May 30, 2013
.@DylanByers Holder may charm you and induce people to give him a pass… But this serves the public or newsgathering of the media how?
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) May 30, 2013
OTR turns this explicitly into merely a political/politicking effort. @DylanByers
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) May 30, 2013
one other thing: usually OTR is done so you can get an understanding of a situation without the ability to publish, right? @DylanByers
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) May 30, 2013
what exactly would your goal be here? So you can gain an understanding of why Holder seems to have misbehaved? @DylanByers
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) May 30, 2013
without the ability to report his claims, what is the goal? Just to be informed of a more sympathetic side of Holder? @DylanByers
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) May 30, 2013
honestly that's what it seems like. A stroke session. @anthmichcara @DylanByers
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) May 30, 2013
Ding, ding, ding! Make Holder a sammich, “comfy” media!
Ace then slams the ridiculous off-the-record meeting itself and offers up some questions for “real journalists” like Mr. Byers.
If Eric Holder throws underlings under the bus, is the media going to start doing stories on those underlings w/o reporting Holder's "tip"?
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) May 30, 2013
If Holder makes promises that this won't happen again, and then later, it does, what does the media do? The promise was OTR.
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) May 30, 2013
I don't exactly understand the purpose of a guy making promises in a situation where he's explicitly announced "You can't hold me to this."
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) May 30, 2013
Why must The Truth (which Holder will ostensibly be offering) be kept as secrets?
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) May 30, 2013
People usually don't insist on privacy and secrecy when they're giving you the truth.
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) May 30, 2013
In addition: Holder is not a "leaker" or "whistlblower" who may fear retaliation. He's head of the DOJ, and he'll be speaking about himself
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) May 30, 2013
Why would he want or need secrecy about his statements *about himself?*
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) May 30, 2013
Let me tell you in complete candor: I'm innocent and I did nothing wrong. But please — keep it low. I don't want this to get out.
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) May 30, 2013
Bingo.
Fellow happy warriors offer up some other great points.
https://twitter.com/Matthops82/status/340200100347396096
@AceofSpadesHQ The idea that only the media is entitled to hear his explanations of misconduct is quite elitist.
— American Journalists Publish Chinese Propaganda (@JohnEkdahl) May 30, 2013
Yep. Special Snowflakes!
@JohnEkdahl @AceofSpadesHQ He's basically asking for a JournOList huddle to put the best spin on this & hope they run with it.
— Brian Cates //Flynn & Breitbart's Army! (@drawandstrike) May 30, 2013
Precisely.
And an excellent exit question:
https://twitter.com/WarUnicorn/status/340199661606412289
We won’t hold our breath for an answer from Politico. They are too busy preparing for the stroke-fest off-the-record meeting and all.
Related:
Fox News refuses to play Eric Holder’s game, won’t attend off-the-record DOJ meeting
Off the record: Washington Post, Politico accept Eric Holder’s golden ticket
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