Inside the AP: Fear, determination

Reporters across The Associated Press are outraged over the Justice Department’s sweeping seizure of staff phone records — and they say such an intrusion could chill their relationships with confidential sources.

The behind-the-scenes anger — and heads-down determination of the AP staff members to keep doing their jobs amid the extraordinary public flap — comes as top executives from the wire service have mounted an aggressive public pushback against DOJ, calling its snooping a “massive and unprecedented intrusion” in a letter fired off to Attorney General Eric Holder. And yet something of a bunkerlike atmosphere has taken hold at the AP in Washington with no bureau-wide meetings or announcements about the DOJ’s action, AP sources told POLITICO.

Early Tuesday afternoon, an individual at the AP Washington bureau who identified himself as the facilities manager told POLITICO to stop questioning reporters outside the office and address questions to corporate communications. “You have to understand our position,” he said. “We have to have a clear and consistent message.”

Source

Ah POLITICO. The group that brought us such great story as “Hunting Group Wants Background Checks” among other such great stories (a known hit piece,) is even starting to turn.

What say ya'll? You think they are all going to turn like Chuck Todd of NBC did today? Or do you think (like I do) that Obama is indeed half white and half teflon?

Obama has a history of threatening the media. Just ask Bob Woodward.

ETA: Considering the amount of crimes piling up against this administration I think Obama deserves whatever he gets. This has moved beyond partisan politics in to the realm of organized crime.

reply to post by thesungod


Seems like the AP is all cool when everyone else has the government sniffing up their backsides but now it is their turn. Heaven forbid! Outrage!

I still do not like it. Not right. Has there been any word on a warrant for this? This is the Department of Justice we are talking about though.