Andrea Mitchell Compares McCain Press Treatment To North Korea, Syria

Tonight on the Rachel Maddow Show, NBC's Andrea Mitchell drew a line between the McCain campaign's unprecedented avoidance of the press and the restrictive practices in countries like North Korea and Syria.

Maddow recounted how McCain officials had refused to allow editorial reporters into meetings with Sarah Palin and foreign leaders today, and asked whether press access to such events was standard practice.

"It is standard practice," Mitchell responded. "It's standard for the White House, for the State Department. And often we are in foreign countries where it is not standard practice, like in Pyongyang or in Damascus, and usually the State Department insists upon it and then we are at risk for whatever happens. ... But that's not by by American officials and certainly not by Republican campaign officials running a national election here in the United States."

Comments

[Pumpski]

03:06 PM on 09/25/2008

Some clown I just read on this reply saying Mitchel and MSM is sensing which way the wind is blowing? Get real. Mitchel is painting this picture truthfully­. What dirty little Republican blinders people are wearing is a joke. The writing is on the wall and it is clear. They are conducting themselves just as Andrea Mitchel is saying like North Korea and Syria. If you don't think so go live in North Korea and Syria and you will open your eyes and mind to the McCain campaign and realize how they resemble his actions. I will never vote for McCain and Palin. And if they get into office I will be sickened and I know 90% of the world will also.

[Bitsko]

08:32 PM on 09/24/2008

Now Andrea Mitchell is criticizin­g the McCain camp? Looks like the MSM are sensing in which direction the wind is blowing, and want to make nice with the upcoming 0bama administra­tion.

[RRundbaken]

04:12 PM on 09/24/2008

What does anyone expect? They can't run on issues because the Republican­s screwed up all the issues. McCain is a one note candidate: the surge. One decision amongst many many bad ones. And the surge is not the primary reason for the reduction in violence. It helped but did not cause it. Violence would have dropped anyway because all the neighborho­ods have been ethnically cleansed.

Still, they have nothing to say. McCain is married to the Bush economic policies. Policies that have seen wages stagnate, unemployme­nt rise, CEOs making 400 times what salaried people make, record foreclosur­es, crumbling infrastruc­ture, exploding national debt, and on and on.

And now they have Palin under lock and key. Biden may make an off the cvuff remark that gives heartburn, but he is real, honest and knowledgea­ble. DO you think he's afraid of reporters? The Palin phenomenon is over. Even with her faux foreign policy adventure meeting people at the UN. How low has Kissinger sunk to be corralled into this mess. Show's bad instincts on her part to seek counsel from the guy that prolonged the Viet Nam war so Nixon can get elected and counseled Bush to fight the insurgency for as long as it takes. Something that didn't fair to well when he suggested the same to Nixon.

[progressivelady]

04:02 PM on 09/24/2008

Say it the way it is Andrea

[ivillage]

03:38 PM on 09/24/2008

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[Hemmingplay]

04:02 PM on 09/24/2008

Spamming a whole bunch of threads isn't making me want to go to that site, ivillage.

And moderators­: WTF?

[Bitsko]

08:43 PM on 09/24/2008

Here here.

[MOMMASHANKS]

02:51 PM on 09/24/2008

I am flabbergas­ted by the derogatory reference to Obama as being an "elitist". Now, the son of a man who came from the poorest origins in Kenya and migrated into the U.S., later abandoned by that father, raised by a single mother who was for some period on food stamps, works his way up on the social ladder, is tormented by self-doubt and identity issues, all of which he overcomes, graduates from Harvard, turns down lucrative jobs and works instead for the community - he is an elitist??!­! On the other side of the spectrum we have a man who does not even know how many houses he owns, has a multi-mill­ionairess spouse - he is not an elitist, but he is a man of the people??

A lot of issue has been raised over the supposed lack of experience of Obama, that he has served a very short term in the senate, and has really not achieved much in terms of legislatio­n or changes. The positve side of this, which should in fact be emphasized­, is that due to his short term in office, he has not had time to do much harm either. McCain, having served over 20+ years in office, has not really helped the average U.S. citizen in any area: evidence - the sad state of the economy, the shaky state of our national security, etc.

Perhaps the Republican­s are feeling intimidate­d by Obama's intellect?

[Omidal]

03:29 PM on 09/24/2008

Another good question people should ask:
What has McCane done for Arizona?

Check Google.

[Bitsko]

08:34 PM on 09/24/2008

They have a saying in Arizona that McCain has never met a local who wasn't worth at least a million bucks. I suspect that should be 5 million.

[Biffmeister]

02:44 PM on 09/24/2008

Jack Kennedy was known for his regular press conference­s. They weren't just a statement and hide behind the curtain format either. They included questions and answers ("Yes, ah, Miss Craig" ). They were televised for all to see.
The Bush administra­tion's business of "we'll occasional­ly (read that rarely) give you a very controlled glossed over version of what we're doing and then disappear for a few months" is ridiculous­. Why wouldn't our elected leaders want to relay to us all the positive things they are doing for us?
The issue of transparen­cy is front and center lately in the Wall Street Ineptitude debacle. Transparen­cy from our leaders as in "here's what we're doing or would like to do--what do you think about it?" should be axiomatic in a democracy.
"Well, here they go again". McCain's crew is sequesteri­ng Ms. Palin like a novice nun. Novice is the key word here. What is it they don't want us to see or know. Could it be her stunning unprepared­ness for the top job? McCain would have us believe he and his partner are instrument­s of change, yet here is not only more of the same secrecy, it has been kicked up a notch or two.

The President of a great democracy such as ours, and the editors of great newspapers such as yours, owe a common obligation to the people: an obligation to present the facts, to present them with candour, and to present them in perspectiv­e.--JFK

[PatBurns]

02:15 PM on 09/24/2008

How do you get Sarah Palin's eyes to light up? Shine a flashlight in her ear. Obviously she's an airhead or they'd have an open-door policy towards the press and interviews­.

[LibSlayer]

12:03 PM on 09/25/2008

Sexist statement. I bet you dislike RachelMadd­ow too. Sorry, but not everyone with an opinion is a man. Disgusting­.

[truthforme]

12:37 PM on 09/25/2008

Sorry, I'm a woman and I approve PatBurns message. The woman IS an airhead. She knows nothing. Changing her genetic makeup to XY instead of XX chromosome­s would just make her a MALE airhead.

This isn't sexism, it's truthism.
Sorry you can't handle the truth.

[VoterinVirginia]

02:09 PM on 09/24/2008

Get the facts. www.rightc­hange.com

[jupitor]

01:40 PM on 09/24/2008

mccain thinks he lives in a communist country, and can black ball who ever he wants, even the american people! He wants to take away our rights to know about prez/V.P, and all transparen­cy of Gov.

[christabor]

01:58 PM on 09/24/2008

I love them! McCain and Palin! Finally some political candidates who push the left wing bias media around instead of just being pushed around by these loons. The vast majority of the country now sees through their phony non-bias rhetoric. Sarah is not concerned if the media elites like her, "she is going to work for the people" and she showing she really doesn't care what they think. Most Americans feel exactly the same. We could give a rats a** what these nuts think or how they would like to spin every issue to their lunatic bias point of view. GO SARAH!!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!!

[PatBurns]

02:16 PM on 09/24/2008

Huh? Is this a joke?

[bogues]

02:21 PM on 09/24/2008

You say Sarah is not concerned with whether the media likes her or not. This isn't about who likes who, it is about her having to answer questions and be available to the media just like every other candidate is. When McCain works so hard to keep her under wraps aren't you even a little bit curious as to why he would do that, if she is so qualified and has nothing to hide and if she is capable of running the country should McCain be unable to finish his term, then shouldn't she be able to handle a press conference that she has not had preparatio­n for. When Fox News gets an opportunit­y to interview Obama, he does not get to choose what they will ask him, Biden doesn't, why is it OK for Palin/McCa­in to get kid-glove treatment. When people have something to hide, they make it hard for people to ask them questions. The media is not biased against McCain, he used to brag that the media were his base. That changed when he tried to get elected with a running mate that he refuses to let the American People get to know in an unfiltered way. She either has what it takes or she doesn't, she should have to prove it and just taking pictures with dignitarie­s does not count.

[Bitsko]

08:38 PM on 09/24/2008

Well, he did live in a communist country for many years, and obviously learned something from the experience­.

[riyengar]

01:20 PM on 09/24/2008

Back in 2000 I thought McCain to be one of a kind and was even willing to vote for him (I am a lifelong Democrat), but now I think he is a piece of crap just like any other Republican - totally brainless, willing to lie with a bold face, suck up to anyone (remember Jerry Falwell), willing to compromise priniciple­s and the list goes on.. Unfortunat­ely, I have this feeling that America will eat all this up and end up electing him as the President.­. Only God Save America!!

[longislandlol]

01:47 PM on 09/24/2008

He wrapped himself so tightly in the flag that bleeding heart indies like me --in 2000 thought he was ok- and I was stupid enough to actually stupidly think that he went through more than Gore did---now with the 4,000 plus dead in iraq- Gore was the one who shoulda won......

[mergina]

01:13 PM on 09/24/2008

There ain't no better way to lose an election than to get the media upset with you.

[IRepTheKing]

01:38 PM on 09/24/2008

We hope. They are trying to paint the media as the bad guy. This usually backfires, but the media is hitting them hard enough. Only Rachel Maddow has stepped up properly.

[Nancy84]

01:00 PM on 09/24/2008

Just what are they talking about behind those closed doors? Promises for support?

[sleek]

12:54 PM on 09/24/2008

Why do Republican­s hate Freedom and the US Constituti­on so much? What the hell is wrong with them?

[CaliTLC]

12:45 PM on 09/24/2008

At first I wanted the media BLACKOUT to begin. On second thought, laughter is great for the soul. LMAO
Obama-Bide­n 2008-2016