Horserace
October 26, 2008 4:41 PM

Paper: Obama Campaign Payback At TV Station

The Orlando Sentinel is reporting that the Obama campaign has told station WFTV-Channel 9 not to expect any more interviews until after the election.

According to a blog on the paper's Web site, this stems from a satellite interview the Orlando station's Barbara West conducted with Joe Biden on Thursday.

West asked the Democratic vice presidential nominee to defend whether the ticket's policies were "Marxist" and whether Biden's comments about Obama being "tested" early in his presidency were saying "America's days as the world's leading power are over."

During the interview, Biden reacted with surprise to the questions.

"Are you joking?" he asked at one point. "No," the anchor responded. Later, Biden said: "I don't know who's writing your questions."

The paper reports that the campaign then cancelled a planned interview the station had scheduled with Jill Biden.

"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," wrote Laura K. McGinnis, central Florida communications director for the campaign, according to the paper.

Read more from the newspaper here.
Watch the interview with Biden.
Tags:
joe biden ,
WFTV ,
orlando sentinel
Topics:
Joe Biden
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by sallievoter October 28, 2008 7:16 PM EDT
Listen to the interview before you comment. West was unprofessional and shallow. Her questions were those of a high school journalism class....or worse. She bagan with an erroneous or slanderous premise and then attached a question to the end of it. It was purely AX GRINDING ON HER PART. No matter what party anyone is.....see the tape....rude, arrogant confrontational and really stupid. it was embarrassing fro her and for her employer and she should be reprimanded for trying to make score points for HER party rather than for her employer. It was pure HACK and SHALLOW LAZY ego talk, NOT REPORTING AND NOT JOURNALISM. AND I dont'' care what party you are, see the tape and how she was seething and vicious to Biden. he did just fine, but SHE GOT HER EMPLOYER CUT OUT FROM FUTURE INTERVIEWS .....THAT IS PIZZPOOR WORK PERFORMANCE.

What an incompetent to BLOW AN INTERVIEW CHANCE LIKE SHE DID. EVEN BILL O''REILLY DID NOT TAKE THIS SNOTTY KNOW-IT-ALL APPROACH THAT WEST DID.
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by jszawronski October 28, 2008 3:09 PM EDT
Bravo for your reporter on asking Biden the questions. His response and that of Obamas campaign should show us all what it will be like if he gets elected. If we question anything we will be silenced. Looks like he''s certainly trying to intimidate your station. Is it working?
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by chainsawted October 28, 2008 12:39 PM EDT
This interview was the campaign in a microcosm. THe wise-guy interview thinks she''s putting it to Biden but is made to look like a fool because there is no foundation for her attack. Oh, and by the way, like President Bush, baldrad does not understand the difference between something that is tough and something that is stupid - as in Bush has a tough foreign policy. This was not a tough set of questions it was just stupid. Invading Iraq wasn''t ough it was just stupid. If you need more examples I will be glad to provide.
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by proallpeople October 27, 2008 11:49 PM EDT
The interviewers husband is a Republican strategist, clearly a conflict of interest and explains why the interviewer could barely justify her questions. The questions weren''t hard...they were just ridiculous. It''s difficult explaining this to people that think Palin is really a qualified candidate, though. For some reason, even with Biden answering the silly questions, Republicans just cannot accept what they hear because they are so caught up in what they want to hear. It''s amazing the negative energy coming across in the Republican rallies, blogs, FOX news, etc...relax, lay down on the couch, or whatever it is you need to do, but....let it go, people.
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by baldrad October 27, 2008 11:22 PM EDT
Brucie,
Who could deny Obama''s brilliance when you see him in action. Like on June 5, when he told a Jewish audience that Israel would have an undivided Jerusalem if HE''S President. Jerusalem and the Jerusalem question arguably is ground zero in the whole #$%& world, any leader of consequence would not let his mouth run like that. Even a Fifth-grader knows better. And you want to turn it all over to this car salesman.
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by fran91416 October 27, 2008 4:36 PM EDT
The unfortunate outcome of this entire scenerio is that the truth is being overshadowed AGAIN by the media bias to PROTECT Obama/Biden from having to give the TRUTH of their plan/thought/principles to the American people. This is democrat policitcs as usual to NOT focus on the question, but on the questioner. Biden lied in his responses - ACORN etc. - and that will never be brought out. We have only to fear what is to come, control of the press is next - if it hasn''t happened already.

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by sue_donym October 27, 2008 3:32 PM EDT
Barbara West neglected to mention the origin of Marx''s comments:

"And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need." (Acts 2:44-45)
...
"Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles'' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need". (Acts 4:34-35)
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by wallydawg6 October 27, 2008 1:44 PM EDT
The liberal non-media and the Democratic party along with some republican are afraid of Palin. They know their golden goose will be cooked. The Washington elite are scare the people will finally see who they are for. Themselves.
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by wallydawg6 October 27, 2008 1:35 PM EDT
Obama/Biden can"t stand up to ridicule because they have no substance.
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by wallydawg6 October 27, 2008 1:32 PM EDT
cbs wont publish if you attack their Messiah Obama.
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by gradbird October 27, 2008 1:25 PM EDT
WATCH SPLITSCREEN COMPARE: BIDEN INTERVIEW V. MCCAIN INTERVIEW QUESTIONS ON YOUTUBE. HER HUSBAND IS A GOP MEDIA STRATEGIST, AND HER QUESTIONS FOR MCCAIN ARE REPUBLICAN TALKING POINTS AND AT ONE POINT, SHE ASKS MCCAIN WHY HE DOESN''T GO HARDER ON OBAMA. Then watch how she poses questions for Biden-a clear bias to smear Biden/Obama, and give McCain a free pass to attack Obama-under the gloss of journalistic detachment.
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by er1067 October 27, 2008 1:10 PM EDT
The media has never asked that campaign a tough question, so of course Joe the Senator didn''t know how to handle it. Thanks to the media I now know more about Joe the Plumer than I do about Barak Obama. As proof of how biased the media is: On the main political page of this website there are 2 headlined stories about Sara Palin''s clothes and makeup. I had to dig deep into the blogs to find this story though.
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by razrback44 October 27, 2008 1:00 PM EDT
Brucie 2006. Hey, I''m with you. Am all for locking up anyone and everyone who got some sort of kickback. Dem or Repub. Now, when you get down to the bottom line, that''s a lot of folks and DC may have a bunch of houses for sale. So be it. I''ll back you 100%. Let the chips fall where they may. If it is 80% Repub and 20% Dem, then there will be more Repubs in jail than there will be Dems. If you are corrupt, you need to go to jail. No mercy from me.
Still does not answer the question, when do we get to hear from Barney re Fan/Fred? Also, is Barney correct when he said on Friday that we will have to raise taxes? Sort of smacks OB''s message right in the teeth.
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by rudy654-2009 October 27, 2008 12:49 PM EDT
Yep, Barbara West was using the interview for her Republican party accusations. Her husband serves as a media consultant for the republican party. In an interview with McCain is only hard question was to ask him why he doesn''t go after Obama like he should. She''s a joke.
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by brucie2006 October 27, 2008 12:47 PM EDT
Sarah Palin was asked by a 5th grader what is "her job description" and for the "second" time that idiot Palin answered wrong...

Just watch Palin''s interviews and you its understandable how much of an idiot she is!!!!
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by brucie2006 October 27, 2008 12:43 PM EDT
Rick Davis, economic advisor (and idiot that said McShame invented the "Blackberry"), receives a monthly check from both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; named as one of the dirty CEOs and board member. Rick Davis needs to be investigated for his corruption in the economic failures.

Carly Fiorini, got fired for economically trashing the company and spying on board member, by Hewlett Packard and got a $40 million severance package; then 25,000 HP employees loss their jobs.

more corrupt repigs...that is whay McShame is loosing.
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by razrback44 October 27, 2008 12:39 PM EDT
Yes, indeed. A reporter is to simply garner info. Just like the CNN reporter the other day interviewing Palin and quoting about 10% of a Natl Review article. Of course, he was only trying to garner info. He would never try to humiliate Palin. Not CNN. Everyone is fair and above board except for the mean conservatives.
Someone on this blog wrote earlier that Dems made more money and were more intelligent than Repubs. Heck, might be true. Did not mention the fact sheet from whence came this revelation. Anyway, if it is true, good. You have more wealth to be spread around. Be happy. As far as the intelligence bit, does Joe fit in the median of your survey or is he within at least 3 standard deviations?
I don''t get it. The VP of the most powerful nation in the world and is humiliated by a question to the point that all of his apologists have to come to his rescue. Good grief!
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by raad1234 October 27, 2008 12:38 PM EDT
I feel the majority of news reporting in America has failed the American people through the ''08 campaign. They would rather ask about Palin''s clothing (which RNC purchased) rather than ask what should be asked. They are not covering Obama''s ties to Frank Davis (a role model/mentor to him growing up that was Communist/radical), Ayers, Tony Rezko, Jeremiah Wright, Farakkhan and others. I want to know how his involvement with them influenced him and what his true world view is (because I don''t believe we have the truth on that yet). After in office if elected would be too late. But by the media ignoring these affiliations as what he says "distractions" I think they have made a grave mistake and injustice to the public.
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by shamrock1865 October 27, 2008 12:34 PM EDT
So all you liberals, what happened to the 1st amendments guarantee of a free press? Biden gets a tough question and all the liberals and leftist get their knickers in a twist? Just answer the question Joe, I for one would like to know what your answer is. They were all over Palin, and still are, about her experience to be V.P., but you never hear similiar questions to Obama about his experiance. For all you independents and undecided voters out there, I think one of the questions you need to ask yourself is... if Obama was white would he today be the Democratic Presidential nominee? If the answer is no, then I would suggest a closer look at both the man and his policies.
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by brucie2006 October 27, 2008 12:32 PM EDT
The reporter West actually embarassed herself for asking that ridiculas maxist question. I would have asked her, how many more republicon''s are going to be indicted for corruption after Stevens?"...or what was the Republicon''s egress plans for Iraq after "6 years."

good on Biden..
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