Trouble in the Bubble?
From CBS News Producer Mary Hood:
SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- A small mob of distressed journalists representing the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, CNN, ABC, CBS News and others stood outside a conference room today at the Spartanburg Marriott, to protest being denied access to Mike Huckabee's news conference for local press only.
The Huckabee campaign says they've been doing this for weeks, but this is a first for those of us who cover his every move.
While candidates often give exclusive interviews to local press in an attempt to target their message to the regional media, a "local only" press conference is a horse of a different color.
When an event site is small, it's not unusual for a national press representative to be allowed to sit in the back of the room silently and chronicle, or "pool," the event for the rest of the reporters who travel with the candidate. This time, requests by several reporters to allow "pool" coverage were firmly squashed, leaving his press corps to wonder whether this signifies a shift to a more cloistered, post-New Hampshire campaign. (Oh, how we hope not!)
"Would you mind if we sit in the back and listen, Governor?" one tenacious journalist inquired, in a last ditch effort for access as the media-darling candidate breezed past.
Huckabee had barely said yes, before he was cut off by one of his own senior advisors with a different reply: "No, it has already been decided," she interrupted, in a tone that indicated she was telling us for the last time.
For months Huckabee has built a reputation for openness with the media -- learning names and personal details, cracking jokes, and frequently making himself available for interviews. His media team shares these qualities and allow access that is almost unrivaled among presidential campaigns, except for perhaps John McCain's. Today's dustup was a suprising move, especially for a campaign that has gained so much steam from free media coverage.
An armed bicycle cop kept a watchful eye on us and the closed door. The campaign manager, John "Chip" Saltsman came out to try and settle us down, but in the end, the best reason he can give us for the exclusion is "because I said so".
When the small group of local reporters emerged, we asked them what they discussed with the Governor behind closed doors. "Immigration and stuff," replies one newspaper reporter, who assured us Huckabee made no major news at the press conference we weren't allowed to attend.