Obama campaign cuts off WFTV after interview with Joe Biden

WFTV-Channel 9's Barbara West conducted a satellite interview with Sen. Joe Biden on Thursday. A friend says it's some of the best entertainment he's seen recently. What do you think?

West wondered about Sen. Barack Obama's comment, to Joe the Plumber, about spreading the wealth. She quoted Karl Marx and asked how Obama isn't being a Marxist with the "spreading the wealth" comment.

"Are you joking?" said Biden, who is Obama's running mate. "No," West said.

West later asked Biden about his comments that Obama could be tested early on as president. She wondered if the Delaware senator was saying America's days as the world's leading power were over.

"I don't know who's writing your questions," Biden shot back.

Biden so disliked West's line of questioning that the Obama campaign canceled a WFTV interview with Jill Biden, the candidate's wife.

Okay...the interview was on this site according to the article

www.wftv.com...

But, when I chose to view it, the website indicated that "The stream for this video is currently unavailable."...

The video can be found here, though www.youtube.com...

Her interview with McCain on October 14th is listed and accessible on the WFTV site, but the Biden interview is not listed, nor is it available for viewing...Except for Youtube...

I guess the term "cuts off WFTV" is an understatement...Freedom of speech out the window?

I'm sure some will say that "As it is recent news, too many people were attempting to access the video on WFTV's site, thus the "streaming" error...

Well, let's see....


[edit on 10/25/2008 by swdecord]

[edit on 10/25/2008 by swdecord]

[edit on 10/25/2008 by swdecord]

reply to post by swdecord


I saw it earlier. I can't help but laugh. Welcome to Sarah Palin's world, Joe.

That said, I don't really blame them anymore than I do McCain/Palin when they cut off CNN for a few days. I think they need to be asked some tough questions on those topics for a change, but the manner in which these were phrased generally wasn't effective and seemed intended to embarass him.



[edit on 25-10-2008 by vor78]

I am sorry...this apparently is a BS video and story which I didn't research ot verify prior to posting....

Please ignore...

Here's a link to the www.youtube.com...

Apparently it is not a joke. The reporter is old school and obviously didn't get the memo that Obama and Biden are not to be questioned seriously; that honor is left only to Sarah Palin.

I bet she will be fired immediately.

Originally posted by Seeker Mom
Here's a link to the www.youtube.com...

Apparently it is not a joke. The reporter is old school and obviously didn't get the memo that Obama and Biden are not to be questioned seriously; that honor is left only to Sarah Palin.

I bet she will be fired immediately.

And look at that, Biden answers the tough questions without making a fool of himself.

I think the video is unavailable due to current high demand. No doubt their currently being slammed with requests. Their site probably isn't set up to handle national attention. The don't expect to get over 100,000 views.

This is headline on Drudge Report right now. I don't think it's a farce.

WFTV Blog discusses the interview.

The video is available below Barbara West's comments

according to a YouTube Video's comments,

The Obama campaign whined about WFTV being "unprofessional" when it dared to dish out some tough questions to Vice President hopeful, Joe Biden.

The Obama spokesperson issued this statement about the interview:

"There's nothing wrong with tough questions, but reporters have the very important job of sharing the truth with the public -- not misleading the American people with false information. Senator Biden handled the interview well; however, the anchor was completely unprofessional. Senator Biden's wife is not running for elected office, and there are many other stations in the Orlando television market that would gladly conduct a respectful and factual interview with her."

"This cancellation is non-negotiable, and further opportunities for your station to interview with this campaign are unlikely, at best for the duration of the remaining days until the election."

Looks like this is no hoax

"There's nothing wrong with tough questions, but reporters have the very important job of sharing the truth with the public -- not misleading the American people with false information" from the Obama campagin statement

Isn't that the MSM media does day in and day out? Mislead people with what they're told they can and can't say?

I give this reporter props for asking Biden some tough questions. I hope Obama and Biden get used to it, cause once (An Obama/Biden victory is looking more and more likely) they take office the gloves are off. The way things are going with the the economy the questions they'll have to face will make this look like a first date.

The reason I retracted this thread is because when I clicked on the "original Youtube" link, from Drudge, it went to an edited version that included "bubble" written remarks next to Biden's mouth...That angered me, as my reputation is on the line...

But, Drudge (BTW, all he does is link to OTHER sources...he makes no opinion)...

Now, I am concerned as I am still unable to view the "actual" interview on WFTV because of the "streaming" problem...

But, the link I provided above appeared to bash Obama, but this link clears that up...

www.youtube.com...

Yet, I am still concerned that this video is NOT available, "originally," at the WFTV site...

I am now sorry that I retracted my post...

Thanks y'all for clearing this up for me!

Here is a link to an interesting "soft ball" interview where Barbara West Interviews John McCain ten days ago.

www.wftv.com...

I believe this shows significant bias and agenda on the part of the "interviewer."

reply to post by swdecord


saw the video & noted that all the comments were hostile to Biden
i posted a comment somewhat critical of the interviewer, but it was not accepted.it appears that only fawning commenys towards the interviewer will get trough ??

I saw the McCain interview as well...and, quite frankly, he was civil toward Barbara...yes, she may be biased, but Biden could have been more civil and just go along with the questions...

I thought he was condescending (as he has been in the past) and could have shifted her agenda to a more valuable discussion of how he and Obama would make things better in the U.S. (just like during the debates when hit with tough questions)...

I do not endorse either candidate, but do expect them, and their campaign staff, to show an air of civility toward each other...

By cutting off Barbara Woods from any future interviews indicates a lack of maturity and an air of hiding something, IMO...

Originally posted by Seeker Mom
Here's a link to the www.youtube.com...

Apparently it is not a joke. The reporter is old school and obviously didn't get the memo that Obama and Biden are not to be questioned seriously; that honor is left only to Sarah Palin.

I bet she will be fired immediately.

to be questioned seriously, you need serious questions. calling obama a marxist is not serious, just like calling mccain/palin nazis is not serious either. the republicans have been using derogatory name-calling for so long, they cannot even recognize, let alone admit that they use it. and finally, finally the MSM is not letting it get by without calling them on it.

yup, republican pundits actually have to explain what they mean and if they know what they are talking about. remember these are the same people that went on for months about "what is is"

Originally posted by jimmyx

to be questioned seriously, you need serious questions. calling obama a marxist is not serious

It most certainly is serious. If the man has marxist policies, what's so silly about calling him out on it?

Originally posted by LogicalExplanation
It most certainly is serious. If the man has marxist policies, what's so silly about calling him out on it?

How is Obama's plan to cut taxes for the middle class and give a tax increase to the upper class communist/Marxist/Satanic?

That's what I'd like to know.

Joe Biden will cuase the USA a lot communication problems if he becomes VP. He is an accomplished politician but his mouth cannot be relied on for international communications or internal USA discussions. I am an independant voter and the way the mdeia fails to investigate the Dem ticket is very obvious. Based on my observations of how the media has candy coated the coverage of the Dem ticket makes my trust of the Dem ticket credentials very low.

The Rep ticket has gone thru a grinder with the media and they are handling the tough questions pretty well. Althoug many people do not like the ansers they get. Can you imagine if Sara Palin reacted with a "are you kidding" reponse to her interviews? They would try to slam her down and this would be on everyTV set in the nation. Biden says it and tey Dem leadership gets the interview deleted! I believe the Rep ticket seems more trustworthy.

I have not yet made my choice yet, but I think I will decide on the morning of Nov 4.

The Obama/Biden campaign "banned" a TV news station because they don't like pointed questions? That is ominous....foreboding....

reply to post by Anonymous ATS




[edit on 10/27/2008 by Hal9000]

There is nothing wrong with tough questions but the whole Karl Marx thing was totally asinine it isn't funny.

Socialism and Marxism share some fundamental ideas but they diverged in the late 19th century...

... Marxism more than anything is a critique of capitalist society as opposed to a specific political agenda:

While there are many theoretical and practical differences among the various forms of Marxism, most forms of Marxism share these principles:

* a belief that capitalism is based on the exploitation[3] of workers by the owners of the means of production
* a belief that people's consciousness of the conditions of their lives reflects the dominant ideology which is in turn shaped by material conditions and relations of production
* an understanding of class in terms of differing relations of production, and as a particular position within such relations
* an understanding of material conditions and social relations as historically malleable
* a view of history according to which class struggle, the evolving conflict between classes with opposing interests, structures each historical period and drives historical change
* a belief that this dialectical historical process will ultimately result in a replacement of the current class structure of society with a system that manages society for the good of all, resulting in the dissolution of the class structure and its support (more often than not including the nation state)

The main points of contention among Marxists are the degree to which they are committed to a workers' revolution as the means of achieving human emancipation and enlightenment, and the actual mechanism through which such a revolution might occur and succeed. Marxism is correctly but not exhaustively described as a variety of Socialism. Some Marxists, however, argue that no actual state has ever fully realized Marxist principles; other Marxists, such as Autonomists claim Marxist principles cannot be realized in any state construct seen through the 20th Century, and would necessitate a reconceptualization of the notion of state itself.

en.wikipedia.org...

Most of the capitalist countries of Europe function under a style of socialism that was worked out in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by such groups as the Fabian Society, whose most famous members were George Bernard Shaw and Havelock Ellis. Britain's Labor party grew out of the Fabian's. Their goal was to work out a way to merge socialist ideals with a capitalist society.

It also highlights the fact that the whole socialist ploy plays to people who really have no idea what socialism is and Barack Obama nor his policies are socialist.

Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods, and the creation of an egalitarian society.

en.wikipedia.org...

Obama's policies advocate none of that... and for the person who is simply clueless paying taxes redistributes the wealth.

bush minor's tax cuts to the wealthest at the expense of the middle class also redistributes the wealth... upwards consequently the middle classes have less money instead of more... in short trickle down economics is a bald faced lie... in short it is little more than legal theft.

[edit on 27-10-2008 by grover]