Washington Compost Offers Access for Quarter Mil

[cwo_ghwebb]

Washington Post publisher Katharine Weymouth said today she was canceling plans for an exclusive "salon" at her home where for as much as $250,000, the Post offered lobbyists and association executives off-the-record access to "those powerful few" — Obama administration officials, members of Congress, and even the paper’s own reporters and editors. The astonishing offer was detailed in a flier circulated Wednesday to a health care lobbyist, who provided it to a reporter because the lobbyist said he felt it was a conflict for the paper to charge for access to, as the flier says, its “health care reporting and editorial staff."

Washington Post cancels lobbyist event amid uproar - Mike Allen and Michael Calderone - POLITICO.com




For those grasshoppers that believe we have an independent press.

[cwo_ghwebb]

Update IV: The escort service has been canceled, as Kurtz reports in an update:

Washington Post Publisher Katharine Weymouth today canceled plans for a series of policy dinners at her home after learning that marketing fliers offered lobbyists access to Obama administration officials, members of Congress and Post journalists in exchange for payments as high as $250,000.

“Absolutely, I’m disappointed,” Weymouth, the chief executive of Washington Post Media, said in an interview. “This should never have happened. The fliers got out and weren’t vetted. They didn’t represent at all what we were attempting to do. We’re not going to do any dinners that would impugn the integrity of the newsroom.”

Moments earlier, Executive Editor Marcus Brauchli said in a separate interview that he was “appalled” by the plan and had insisted before the cancellation that the newsroom would not participate.

“It suggests that access to Washington Post journalists was available for purchase,” Brauchli said. The proposal “promises we would suspend our usual skeptical questioning because it appears to offer, in exchange for sponsorships, the good name of The Washington Post.”

It certainly “suggested” that, and much more.

Hot Air » Blog Archive » WaPo a WaPimp?; Update: WaPo’s Spitzer moment? Update: WaPo confirms; Update: Hard out here for a pimp

They really thought they wouldn't get caught?

[Larry Gude (Premo)]

This is just OUTRAGEOUS.

[vraiblonde]

They should just stamp a FOR SALE sign on the forehead of every "reporter" and politician and be done with the pretense.

[ImnoMensa]

Originally Posted by Larry Gude

This is just OUTRAGEOUS.

Outrageous= Yes

Surprising= No.

[Larry Gude (Premo)]

Originally Posted by ImnoMensa

Outrageous= Yes

Surprising= No.

I was surprised. Pretty damn blatant.

[Bann (Premo)]

Well, darn it all to heck! :

Now I won't be able to use the WP as one of my properly vetted sources from a viable news organization when I post.

[ImnoMensa]

Originally Posted by Larry Gude

I was surprised. Pretty damn blatant.

Do you really believe that because it has been reported ,that it will stop? Or will it just go underground.

My bet is underground.

[Lenny]

Originally Posted by ImnoMensa

Do you really believe that because it has been reported ,that it will stop? Or will it just go underground.

My bet is underground.

Why would the WaPo or this White House bother taking it underground? They are immune from any accountability and have no pride anyhow. It'll just become more prominent now it's out in the open.

Unless and until the American public votes the idiots out in 2010, this will continue to slide into the abyss.

[cwo_ghwebb]

Originally Posted by Lenny

Why would the WaPo or this White House bother taking it underground? They are immune from any accountability and have no pride anyhow. It'll just become more prominent now it's out in the open.

Unless and until the American public votes the idiots out in 2010, this will continue to slide into the abyss.

The nation for the most part seems to have accepted the rotating door from Democrat Administrations to 'so-called' journalists. Two right off the top of my head are Chris "Tingly Leg" Matthews and Georgie SteppedAlotOnMyPuss.