Most Transparent Administration Ever Stuffs Reporter in a Closet For Over an Hour
Posted by Jim Hoft on Saturday, March 26, 2011, 7:32 PM
VP Joe Biden’s Staff Stuffs Reporter in a Closet–
The most transparent administration in history stuffed a pool reporter in a closet for over an hour at a fundraiser this week.
Breaking from the Drudge Report:
Staffers with Vice President Joe Biden confined an Orlando Sentinel reporter in a closet this week to keep him from mingling with high-powered guests gathered for a Democratic fundraiser.
Reporter Scott Powers was the designated “pool reporter” for the vice president’s Wednesday visit to the massive Winter Park, Fla., home of developer and philanthropist Alan Ginsburg. The veep hadn’t arrived yet but most of the 150 guests (minimum $500 donation) had. They were busy noshing on caprese crostini with oven-dried mozzarella and basil, rosemary flatbread with grapes honey and gorgonzola cheese and bacon deviled eggs, before a lunch of grilled chicken Caesar and garden vegetable wraps.
Not so for Powers. A “low-level staffer” put Powers in a storage closet and then stood guard outside the door, Powers told the DRUDGE REPORT. “When I’d stick my head out, they’d say, ‘Not yet. We’ll let you know when you can come out.’”
And no crustini for Powers, either. He made do with a bottle of water to sip as he sat at a tiny makeshift desk, right next to a bag marked “consignment.” Powers was closeted at about 11:30 a.m., held for about an hour and 15 minutes, came out for 35 minutes of remarks by Biden and Sen. Bill Nelson, Florida Democrat, and then returned to his jail for the remainder of the event.
Powers’ phone didn’t work in the closet, but his Blackberry did, so he fired a picture of his impromptu prison to his editors, who posted a short blog item on the lack of freedom of the press under the veep’s control.
Free Republic has more on the reporter’s detention.
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Published May 22, 2012 at 5:04 am - 44 Comments
AuntieMadder commented:
Is that kidnapping, which is a federal offense? If so, and I’m sure it is, Biden now has committed an impeachable offense. How does 18 months or so of President Boehner sound?
kay commented:
I’d be laughing until my tummy hurt with this story, if I weren’t crying over how it shows the deep sh&t we’re in.
CNL commented:
Like Beethoven’s 9th.
dwd commented:
So this administration wanted to close Gitmo, but willingly imprisons reporters against their will?
american patriot commented:
Isn’t sticking any MSM “reporter” (cough) in any available closet a worthwhile thing to do in any event?
I mean, what’s different from being in a closet from sticking your head in the sand?
Sally commented:
Good point, #5..
..and it does sound like kidnapping to me, as well.
Joe College commented:
Anyone who accepts an answer like “We’ll let you know when you can come out” is not a reporter. He is e a stenographer for the ruling class, a servant.
tommy mc donnell commented:
the most transparent administration ever. another lie from american tass. no one in american tass ever complained that the most transparent president ever sealed all his personal records.
Ronin commented:
No, they weren’t holding him against his will– they were simply segregating him from the “real” people who got to enjoy the party. They didn’t want him to be privy to any conversations the regress– er, the progressives were having, and they didn’t want him to annoy the guests.
I’m sure he could’ve left at any time, but if he wanted to stay and get the (pre-packaged) “story”, he had to wait in the closet until they deigned to let him come out and listen to the Great Ones speak.
This is a Free Press? They willingly go along with whatever this administration wants, just for the chance to spread propoganda for them later.
jimg commented:
Go read the comments at the Orlando Sentinel … especially where the reporter himself weighs in.
He’s shrugging it off. No big deal. Happens all the time.
I suspect he’d be singing a much different tune if, say, Dick Cheney’s staff had done the same thing.
pagar commented:
“, but willingly imprisons reporters against their will?”
Just another step down to 3rd word status from the Obama Administration. I do not understand why there are not a lot of people charged with crimes over this incident?
pj commented:
This is just way to funny,I guess we want be hearing about this in media anytime soon……….
Oh Noes! commented:
Ha ha, say it ain’t so Joe!
jim m commented:
It’s called false imprisonment and Biden should be forced to resign if he does fire a whole fleet of staff members for committing what is a federal crime.
jim m commented:
Sorry…If he doesn’t fire them
Bogdan from Australia commented:
Speaking about fundrising; Great number of billionares and millionares have given their support and money to Obama knowing very well that the commie was for the BIG STEAL that they call “wealth redistribution”.
Kenian was very open about that.
When conservatives win election let’s hope that the appropriate the wealth of those Obama’s supporters to help, at least symbolically, with America’s financial recovery.
Wouldn’t it be an act of a social justice?
Unfortunately it won’t happen in Aussie as we don’t have a leader as courageous as Sarah Palin.
I’m sure she shall address that issue as she herself has told at one rally in 2010 that “…one cannot abuse the Constitution without being held accountable for that…”
Bogdan from Australia commented:
P.S: …fundraising… Sorry…
Militant Conservative commented:
This is why I carry a gun and the MSM is such wussies.
Hard to put a man in a closet (kidnap) lest you have wounds.
Powder is dry.
ahem commented:
Fascists.
Greta commented:
This of course will be a non story because the offending party is the presses own. Imagine this story if Cheney staff had done the same thing? I suspect the reason he was held was because they were going over the cover story about someone’s birth certificate or the tens of millions coming in from foreign sources.
Laurie Grooman commented:
This is outrageous! I hope this reporter presses charges. The house that obozo has ineptly built could come crashing down.
Rock commented:
Sounds like something Ron Lloyd, FCC Diversity Czar, a fan of Chavez control of his media, could appreciate. Or maybe the late past Anita Dunn who bragged about controlling the media and a Mao fan. The truth is maybe some reporters would like to report the real news, but the media is owned by the Liberals and their jobs and careers would be over if they crossed the line.
As noted above where was the Secret Service, I suspect just has their cohorts in Wisconsin they have picked their side and the American people are on their own. FBI is big Sis’s errand boys, the CIA are nothing more than whipping dogs, and the border patrol have been relegated to targets for the Mexican Cartels.
jimstl commented:
What are the chances that a member of the White House press corp will ask about this? ZERO
Those who have access to high level officials don’t ask these kinds of questions for fear of loosing their access, which is why the MSM and WH press corp is WORTHLESS!
Ozark Lee commented:
Did he at least get cocktails?
…Lee
befuddled commented:
the story is so laughable it reminds me of a movie line: “Bring Out the Gimp.”
what sort of treatment did these reporters expect when they have been whoring themselves out on a daily basis to this administration? didn’t Charlie Sheen’s whore also find herself cowering in a closet? Next time, come with a stack of stuffed envelopes or don’t bother coming to a democrat fundraiser. let’s call this a teachable moment.
Estragon commented:
The way newspaper – and news media in general – fortunes have been declining, there are literally thousands of qualified reporters out there. Why the Sentinel would send a little lap dog like this guy defies imagination.
It’s one thing if the Secret Service tells you to stay put but by Powers’ own description he obeyed “low-level” Biden staffers. And stayed in the dang closet.
Good boy! Now, roll over – again!
Rose commented:
And the Band plays on…. [Titanic goes glub glub glub...]
Zilla of the Resistance commented:
In a sane world, people would be getting arrested for unlawful imprisonment.
Highlander commented:
This government has nothing to fear from the press – and it shows. This incident is symbolic of a prison that, in a very real sense, is of the press’ own making.
Carlos commented:
#18 MC: Right on! I’d like to see the scum trying to confine Carlos. A .45ACP speaks loud and clear!
greenfairie commented:
The editors, producers, publishers, network presidents, and conglomerate CEOs are all so much in the tank for Obama, I’m surprised this was reported at all and it won’t change their fawning support. They’re propagandists.
uncle monkey commented:
Hell, they could have told this clown to put on a pink dress and eat dog kibbles and he’d have happily done it without so much as a squeak.
Unless they told him to squeak.
Like a mouse. Squeak like a mouse, boy!
“Squeak! Nothing to report here. Unless you want me to sir!”
rhumba commented:
Is this photo the only proof of this reporter’s “imprisonment”? Anyone can take a picture of a storage closet and email it. Did he take pictures of the guys who shoved him in the closet? Did he name names? All those guys know one another. If this happened he’d know at least a couple of names. Just another fabricated situation designed to destroy the current administration. Shame on all of you who believe this tripe.
daryl commented:
“Shame on all of you who believe this tripe.”
And p*$$ on all of you who don’t!
Chisum commented:
rhumba,
Seriously, are you this thickheaded?
The reporter contacted the editor of his newspaper while he was confined in the closet and forwarded a picture where he was being held.
They posted this article:
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_politics/2011/03/waiting-for-joe-and-bill.html
In the comments the reporter explains that he received apologies from both the homeowner and the Biden camp.
Why would they apologize if this is a lie? Why rhumba? Use your brain.
SHAME ON YOU!
CrackerMike commented:
The reporter in question was quoted as saying; “oh yeah, lock me up, lock me up good”. Other reporters were scrambling for the coveted position of pool reporter for the following session.
donh commented:
Didn’t I see this on a few episodes of 24…You know when they had a really really BAD criminal president.
Carolyn commented:
Excuse me, but was he muscle manned into the closet, and if so, how come he kept asking when he could come out? This sounds pretty childish to me. Why allow himself to be put into the closet to begin with? Something sounds fishy here, UNLESS he was purely spineless and not willing to stand up for himself…