Legal Commentary

Today's Republican News, Complete With Paris Hilton

By TChris

At the Republican Convention, President Bush will speak on Labor Day, with the hope that backyard barbequers will be too busy to notice he was there. Dick Cheney might skip the event entirely, for equally obvious reasons. Also absent will the indicted Ted Stevens and the toe-tapping Larry Craig.

"Gordon Smith of Oregon, Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina and Susan Collins of Maine all face tough re-election campaigns" so they'll also take a pass. They may be hoping that voters don't realize they're Republicans.

In other Republican news:

A newspaper is asking John McCain's campaign why a black reporter assigned to cover a rally was singled out by security and told to leave a backstage area.

[more ...]

Stephen Price, a reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat, was among four Florida capital press corps reporters behind the scenes at a Panama City rally Friday when a Secret Service agent approached and asked if he was part of the national media traveling with McCain. Price said no, and the agent told him he had to leave. Price said he then pointed out that there were other state reporters in the same area, but was still told to leave. The other reporters were white. ...

Price said he could think of no other reason why he was approached other than his race. He said he had to show his media credentials to get into the area, and that he was there for several minutes before being removed.

"It was just a really crazy situation. We were being carted out of there and everyone was looking," Price said, adding that he felt upset and humiliated. He said he hasn't received an apology from the McCain campaign.

The newspaper's executive editor, Bob Gabordi, said he has sought an explanation from the McCain campaign and hasn't received one.

"I'm upset because my reporter was singled out for whatever reason. That bothers me. We're just trying to figure out what that reason was," Gabordi said.

But he added that he keeps going over the facts and he hasn't found a reason except that Price is black.

Now that this story is out, you can bet Price will get an apology.

Finally, for those of you seeking an alternative to the two major candidates, Paris Hilton, responding to John McCain's ad comparing her to Barack Obama, announced that she's also a worthy presidential candidate. Video here.

Update: This is the Tallahassee Democrat story on the Stephen Price incident.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on August 05, 2008 (boomark / email).