CHARLOTTE, N.C. — President Obama doesn’t really need to suck up to the media, but Democrats here are taking no chances.
The Fourth Estate’s finest, here to cover the Democratic National Convention, were treated to speeding-motorcade-style police escorts to a welcome bash hosted by the owners of the network Republicans love to hate: CNN.
About a half-dozen police motorcycles and cruisers, with flashing lights and sirens blaring, led the way for a convoy of buses carrying reporters, photographers and others to the North Carolina Music Factory, site of the bash sponsored by Time Warner. The escorts then took the media back to Charlotte’s convention center.
Police actually blocked traffic on several streets to let the buses speed by, as frustrated motorists probably thought a party bigwig was delaying them.
Even some in the Obama-friendly media appeared to be taken aback.
“Everyone was looking around, wondering what’s going on,” said one political operative who was riding in the bus convoy. [...]
So, who ordered the escorts and who paid for them?
A Charlotte police spokesman said he would look into who funded the escorts, but never got back to the Herald. The city is getting a $50 million federal grant to help pay for security costs, and the city manager has special powers to order police to secure an area for an “extraordinary event.” A Democratic National Convention official also said he couldn’t provide any information about the escort.
Republicans in Tampa did not throw a separate bash for the media, and reporters there definitely did not get speeding police escorts, which could explain some of the negative coverage coming out of the convention.
Police escorts are usually reserved for VIPs. Even the delegates at the Republican National Convention did not get the motorcade treatment for their long bus trips into Tampa.
The media reporter for The Charlotte Observer noted the conflict of media getting escorts, calling them
“a perk journalists usually write about rather than experience.” http://bostonherald.com/news/us_politics/view.bg?articleid=1061157566&format=comments#CommentsArea
Debbie Wassername was there...
"So, who ordered the escorts and who paid for them?"
"A Charlotte police spokesman said he would look into who funded the escorts, but never got back to the Herald. The city is getting a $50 million federal grant to help pay for security costs, and the city manager has special powers to order police to secure an area for an “extraordinary event.” A Democratic National Convention official also said he couldn’t provide any information about the escort." http://bostonherald.com/news/us_politics/view/20220903media_get_vip_treatment_in_nc
Did the people of NC pay for this one might wonder. I haven't read anything about it but could easily have missed for an obvious reason(s). I'd like to know more...
"A Charlotte police spokesman said he would look into who funded the escorts, but never got back to the Herald. The city is getting a $50 million federal grant to help pay for security costs, and the city manager has special powers to order police to secure an area for an “extraordinary event.” A Democratic National Convention official also said he couldn’t provide any information about the escort." http://bostonherald.com/news/us_politics/view/20220903media_get_vip_treatment_in_nc
Did the people of NC pay for this one might wonder. I haven't read anything about it but could easily have missed for an obvious reason(s). I'd like to know more...
Objective media using fake names to purchase Obama gear?
http://michellemalkin.com/2012/09/07/media-fake-names-obama-gear/
http://michellemalkin.com/2012/09/07/media-fake-names-obama-gear/
