C-SPAN Barred From Covering RNC Candidate Meeting

We have news of some activity at today's meeting of the Republican National Committee at the Capitol Hill Club, part of a continuing effort to determine who will be the next RNC chair. For reasons unknown at this time, a decision was made to impose a media blackout. A brief press release from John Cardarelli of C-SPAN, who were covering the event, gives word:

FYI: RNC voted to close today's discussion with the candidates vying to be their new chairman. No cameras allowed, so C-SPAN will not be able to cover.

According to a source from C-SPAN, word came in at approximately 11:10 A.M. that the cable network would be restricted from covering the meeting. With Congress in session, the move by the RNC did not result in any programming being cut off. It merely means that C-SPAN will not be able to air their coverage of the session later today, as planned.

Today's activity is described thusly by PRNewswire/USNewswire:

The Republican National Committee (RNC) today announced that a RNC Special Meeting will take place on Wednesday, January 7, 2009. All potential candidates for RNC Chairman, Co-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer have been invited to participate in a candidate forum, which will take place at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington, DC. During the meeting, candidates for each office will have an opportunity to deliver remarks and answer questions from Members of the RNC.

Comments

[ObjectiveRealist]

This is the same RNC who gives the rest of us candidates who order illegal wiretaps, then claim that if *we* don't have anything to hide we should like having the NSA spy on us without legal cause and without a warrant.

End telecomm immunity. Everybody knows the Bush wiretap orders were just abusive and never had anything to do with catching real terrorists. No judge would ever refuse a legitimate order to wiretap a terrorist, and none ever has.

[unite4change]

They don't want the public to hear the derogatory thing they are saying about Obama.

[ObjectiveRealist]

I think that has a lot to do with it. I just heard some GOP windbag on MSNBC, claiming their strategy will involve "superior ideas" to "the Democrat Party" and all the Repubes these days are saying similar things, reminiscent of their glory days as the so-called party of ideas.

Really, what they need to do is start representing the people and stop representing the corporations. The "ideas" they've been looking for, and what they really mean when they say "ideas" now, are more Lee Atwater gimmicks to appeal to fear of cultural differences which disserve all the people, and using the power that divisiveness secures them, to redistribute wealth to unproductive, uncompetitive, incompetent corporations. The GOP "strategists" are not serious about the changes they really need to make in order to win in the future because they still haven't admitted that they have lost, not just two in a row, but the youth and the educated and therefore the future, until and unless they fundamentally change their character. Their strategists personally have none, and as far as I can see, nobody with the potential to revive that party has any interest in doing so.

[lisakaz2]

Exactly. And when they didn't actively agree, they stood by and enabled.

[honeydiva]

no transparency there.

[motoGpifupleez]

What the "Consenting Adults" who make up the GOP do behind closed doors is no ones business but their own.

[mommadona]

"Ha!"

http://dfa.meetup.com/boards/thread/2075382

[unite4change]

Remember what you are saying when Obama and Dems do the same thing.

[amistad]

What are you on?

[jigisup]

Repubs....­Do as I say not as I do.

[quindy]

Let's hope the bathroom stalls are wide enough.

[PoliticalAmazon]

Oh, I didn't know Senator Tappy McWidestance would be attending.

[newsmctado]

The GOP doesn't want the public to know that they are discussing a revival of the "Southern Strategy" (ie. overt appeals to racism) to challenge Obama in 2012. At least thats the reasoning I'm gonna assume.

[Hank10303]

CSPAN is probably thought to be anti-american and therefore they didn't want their cameras in the room while they discuss the systematic defeat of all liberals and anti-americans as per the Ann Coulter doctrine

[AnonymousDissenter]

Weasels. No courage whatsoever.

[Speakchic]

Typical Republican BS!

[PRODEMO]

If they let the press in ,the headlines would be large....r­epublician­s hold contest to see who is the whitest,most conservative,most religious.­..the prize..RNC chair!

[nikky]

i don't know why everyone even fools with those repubs they are strange people (i would use other words but they would kick me off the site)

[BeasleysMom]

"For reasons unknown at this time, a decision was made to impose a media blackout."

For reasons unknown? The gops don't want anone to know anything about their business. That just gummies up the lies later.

[Changeizgood]

They don't want it public. Backroom dealers!

Who cares, but yourselves what you do.

[SonofKemet]

Fourteen Defining Characteristics of Fascism

#6. A controlled mass media. Under some of the regimes, the mass media were under strict direct control and could be relied upon never to stray from the party line. Other regimes exercised more subtle power to ensure media orthodoxy. Methods included the control of licensing and access to resources, economic pressure, appeals to patriotism, and implied threats. The leaders of the mass media were often politically compatible with the power elite. The result was usually success in keeping the general public unaware of the regimes’ excesses.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVVa1IvHdKc