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

[IForgotMyName]

Well, Bush did a great job turning the economy into a North-Korean style socialist economy. Four more years of Bush-McCain policies and the Mexicans will start putting that fence up to stop Americans from emigrating to Mexico.

[saron123]

Welcome to the dictatorship in progress.

It is much easier to interview the world leaders that met Sarah Palin than interview her.

So, we can get an idea of what went on. Why don't MSNBC the others doing that.... talk to the other country leaders instead.

People of America, let's save our country !!!! Vote for Obama/Binden .... please please please....I am really getting scared by the idea of the McSame/PaLiar dictatorship!

For the Sake of Our Children .... Vote for Obama/Binden!!!!!

[jackt51]

um, it's B-I-D-E-N, not Binden!

Obama/Biden 08

[stella801]

John Stewart said tonight her trip was like Take your Daughter to Work Day. LOL! That works for me. To me it was more like a high school field trip supervised by the teachers. What a joke. I am so amazed I just can't believe it. I think this is my 4th post on this subject. Where is freedom of speech? Palin must be feeling quite muzzled and confined. The press and the American public are being denied the "end user" part of freedom of speech.

[RaderBarbarian]

What has happened to all the Repugnicant trolls who used to frequent these boards, throwing in their drivel every few posts or so? They have become conspicuous in their absence. You don't suppose they are demoralized, do you? Mwaaaaah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!

[EvSmith]

The extremist conservative movement is falling apart. For real this time. This whole press availability black out has, by now, completely undone whatever the Rep Convention did to help them bullsh!+ America and re-brand their image. The circus of lies that followed has created major blowback, as it should.

I think J. Mac has lost the Independants in areas that truly matter this election year. This black out strategy can't possibly be convincing anyone to join the dark side.

How limp.

[TheHandyman]

They are still here, just go check out some of the other stories and they are out there spreading the "gospel!"

[Cogs]

Did Sarah Palin wow 'em today at the U.N.? Were the world leaders she met impressed by her understanding of the issues? Nobody's talkin'.

[TakLoufer]

Notice she didn't 'talk' to the likes of Sarkozy and Merkel, just the second-stringers whose English (and intellect) isn't so good. While Karzai and Uribe have a certain state-of-the-moment buzz to them, they're not the kind of potentates I want to hear from. It's a pity Maggie Thatcher is losing it, I'd love to hear her unabridged spin on a lightweight like Palin.

[cbates]

Well this is starting out as a bad week for McMock. The other thought is that this will not be covered in a debate. Also, the McMock campaign has secured the base and are now trying to catch a few swing voters who can look pass media access. Unfortunately if the media has a memory or carry's a grudge/grievance then McMock has cut off his nose to spite his face.

[robXdion]

Now only if Biden can shut up and let McCain implode without distraction, everything will be fine.

[zaffar786]

Like we needed another reason NOT to vote for Republicans this year!~

[riveted]

You know why they don't want her talking. You saw the clip on CNN when she was asked about oil export quotas. She went pentecostal and started talking gibberish. This is the person that knows more about energy than anyone. Complete gibberish.

[bling]

a blizzard of words

[UnderdogSRD]

Grow a pair, and turn off the cameras. Don't broadcast Sarah giving the same convention speech at different locations, saying the same lies. Refuse to play their false ads. Demand a freakin' interview. If they don't comply, expose them, and stop being their bitch. Didn't you learn from Bush and Cheney? Stop being an accomplice to their illegal, immoral, unethical acts. Call them out, hold them accountable. That's your freakin' job, do it!!!

[sleek]

Yes, the MSM forget all too frequently that they are protected by the First Amendment. Use it or lose it!

[Lupin77]

So much for transparency in government. Here we are involved in an election season and the repub candidates are not talking to the press. Sounds like we're living in a third world country and not the US. Whenever this happens it means they are hiding something.

[AndrewInToronto]

As a former regular listener to Radio Pyongyang, Andrea Mitchell is more correct that she realizes. The McCain camp acts like the Korean Central News Agency in its reporting of the late Kim Il Sung and now Kim Jong Il: every broadcast would begin with tributes to the "Great Leader" and the "Dear Leader Comrade," typically from foreign dignitaries either verbally through unsubstantiated statements on their great insight into any aspect of society and revolutionary process (educational, science, military strategy, economy....); followed by a piece of revolutionary music; and finally the reading of some theoretical work which could easily form the basis of a work by Shostakovich. Only recently have actual news items been included in the first segment.

McCain's treatment of Sarah Palin is no different, at times bleating out triumph after triumph with as little examination of that record permitted as possible.

[stella801]

Does anyone think the McCain supporters are seeing through this? I visited a few conservative MBs and there is no outrage. Only a few comments few and far between. What is up with these people. Are they blind???

[Clarabell]

The Republicans are so very loyal. They will follow the leader over the cliff -- as they have done for the last 8 years, and then go back for more. Unfortunately, they take the rest of us with them, and that's the real shame.

[athenasword]

They only care about winning an election. Everything else be damned.

[123dee]

Andrea, you're well respected, intelligent and you know the ropes.
This election is too important, so happy your standing up for the
rights of the free press, which is the same as standing up for us.

[Sadie1976]

People are abandoning all common sense by supporting McCain! Can't they SEE how truly dangerous it could be to elect a president & VP who give themselves permission to take on this mode of "secrecy" BEFORE they even take office? Wake up people...this is crazy!

[athenasword]

Note to press: Please give them exactly what they seem to want. NO COVERAGE.

Seriously, the media is being played for fools. Covering only the propoganda they are spoon-fed by this dishonest campaign, caving to the pressure not to be "hard" on poor miss Palin. Give me a break.

[stella801]

I think you might be on to something. The more the press makes a big deal of this the more the press looks like the bully. If only people could just see this for what it is. If McCain's VP pick were a man and this was going on, there would be no boundaries or limits for the press to raise these questions. This is sexist on John McCain's part. All women (and men for that matter) should be offended by how he is manipulating the sex of his vp pick.