Howard Kurtz asks a relevant question this morning (I'm tempted to add, "for a change..."):
What are the ethics, by the way, of being an Obama donor--which is how Fowler got into the closed event--and surreptitiously taping the speaker? Fowler did not respond to a request for comment. That doesn't let Obama off the hook, of course, since speaking to an audience, even a paying audience, is not exactly a secret event. Good question. To review, Ms. Fowler is the HuffPo blogger who broke the "bittergate" story by secretly taping Barack at that now infamous San Francisco fundraiser, and then releasing the audio, plus a long, rambling story about Barack, on her Huffblog.
Well ... I've been to closed door campaign events -- I went to one for Barack not too long ago. And even though I work in (and out) of journalism, I would never for a second dream of taping one of these events. In fact, I scrupulously keep names, dates and places out of my posts on this blog regarding those events (in favor of the vague ("a high level campaign operative addressed supporters...")
This is not to say I'm such great shakes. But it is to say that Ms. Fowler (appropriately surnamed) is either 1) not really an Obama supporter, but rather a Hillary girl who infiltrated the event hoping to get some news out of it (shades of the way Macaca was caught on tape); 2) an online journalist who went to the event for the same reason, or 3) just a schmuck. Either way, her goal was clearly to attend the event for purposes not favorable to the candidate, and that raises other questions, including, was she reimbursed by either the Huffington Post, or worse, by someone in the Clinton campaign, for the Obama donation she had to make in order to get in the door in San Fran? Just sayin...
I suppose all's fair in Hillary love and blogging, but for Obama's team, it's a cautionary tale when attending "closed to the media events": don't say anything you wouldn't want to read on the Huffpo, or in HRC's campaign literature.Labels: 2008 election, Barack Obama, bittergate, Mayhill Fowler, presidential candidates, The Huffpo |
