The press is pouting because potential GOP presidential contender Sarah
Palin is apparently having a bit of fun with them, by refusing to let
them know in advance where she is headed on her bus tour. One of them,
CBS News producer Ryan Corsaro, even suggested the former Alaska
governor is a "dangerous" traffic hazard because she is forcing reporters to chase
her around like they were paparazzi.
This bit of griping led Rush Limbaugh, on his Tuesday radio show [1], to
amusingly point out Palin, "has rendered" the liberal media "totally
irrational," adding: "She's making utter fools of these people, as they
are plunging to new depths to come up with anything they think is
legitimate criticism of her. This biggest stretch yet."
In a May 31 CBS News.com article [2]headlined "Sarah Palin's bus tour treats reporters like paparazzi" Corsaro complained:
I just hope to God that one of these young producers with a camera whose bosses are making them follow Sarah Palin as a potential Republican candidate don't get in a car crash, because this is dangerous.
Before that quote, CBS News.com's Brian Montopoli detailed why Palin had the potential to cause traffic tie-ups or even worse:
Since Palin and her team won't share where the potential candidate is headed, reporters and producers have little choice but to simply stay close to Palin's bus. This has resulted in scenes of the Palin bus tooling down the highway followed by a caravan of 10 or 15 vehicles all trying to make sure they don't lose sight of the Palin bus.
The story did relay Palin's rationale for not releasing her tour stops,
as she said, "we don't want to disrupt people on their trips and their
vacations." However, Montopoli huffed that explanation was "somewhat
hard to fathom," adding: "An unannounced trip, which doesn't allow
vacationers to plan for the disruption created by the potential
candidate, her entourage and the press, would seem more disruptive than a
scheduled trip."
Continuing his hand-wringing Montopoli complained: "Palin's team isn't just ignoring the press; it's actively trying to misdirect reporters.
Tuesday morning, for example, Palin's bus was running out in front of
the hotel where she had stayed, prompting a gaggle of media to dutifully
gather outside. Palin had already slipped out a side door early in the
morning for a visit to the Gettysburg visitor center and battlefield."
Montopoli then protested: "She appears to be trying to show that she
doesn't need mainstream media outlets (other than Fox News, where she
remains a contributor) to connect with the American people."
Near the end of the article Corsaro was given one last opportunity to
vent as he whined: "It feels like she's baiting us and treating us like
paparazzi and make the 'lamestream media' appear that way."
- Geoffrey Dickens is the Deputy Research Director at the Media Research Center. Click here [3] to follow Geoffrey Dickens on Twitter.