MRC Director of Media Analysis and NewsBusters Senior Editor Tim Graham appeared on Fox News at 5:50 p.m. EDT to discuss the ABC News producer arrested in Denver as he was photographing Democratic donors from a public sidewalk.
TIM GRAHAM: Here's one of these times where ABC is actually trying to get a story that's not all puffy happy, and they're getting shoved into the street.
[...]
GRAHAM: There were media there the day before. All over that sidewalk, blocking the doors of the hotel. But somehow I think they felt that because there was not 18 reporters there but one reporter that they could be rough on the one guy. I mean you got to give ABC some credit here that they are trying to do some stories here about campaign finances.
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I'll come down firmly on both sides of this
August 29, 2008 - 17:06 ET by wizardjrWhile I believe that media folks can be a major pain in the ass to everyone in the area and often need a hardwood shampoo, this was a real Gestapo operation, not true policing.
Those cops did wrong. Period. And, it's on film. I hope the reporter goes for wrongful arrest, police brutality, etc., and goes for $100 million in damages - and gets it.
I Fight Authority
August 29, 2008 - 17:13 ET by Copperhead RidgeMarxists hate authority until it can serve them.
I watched the video and
August 29, 2008 - 17:17 ET by Dan The Man 2I watched the video and read 2 articles on this incident. I would like to see all the video not just 10 seconds. The arrest looked kosher, I would have to question the validity of manhandling the suspect unless the suspect resited (a reason for looking at the longer version) The confrotation at the hotel looked a bit more brownshirt and another reason to look at the video.
In any city, town or burg you will find connected people getting favors done for them by the local gendarme types. The police officer pushing was most likely working as a private cop at the time. He seemed to go overboard by pushing the perp into teh street and beyond.
In a more practical vien, there are basically a couple of ways to look at this. One to see it as a public hazard issue of the man standing in front of teh hotel blocking engress and egress. Just like a bum loitering and causing trouble. Then you can see it as a public rights issue. The reporter has a right to be on teh public sidewalk and photograph anyone going in and out. But, at the same time you cant just stay in one spot without moving and blocking progress. Also, remotely, there is a terrorist angle.
So from teh video it looks as if his rights were trampled on.
Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark.
From what I saw
August 29, 2008 - 17:41 ET by kdoliverFrom what I saw it was more strong arm tactics than this guy doing anything wrong. I will not swear I saw the entire tape, but I did see more than just a 10 second clip. I do find it funny it was an ABC producer at the Democratic Convention.
http://travailofages.blogspot.com/
Beat on teh Brat
August 30, 2008 - 08:40 ET by VonuPolice procedure is well established in this country. The officers would have been well within their rights to take a couple of swings of the club to the perp's head. Should this cause the perp to fall in the street, officers would have no choice but to go Space Odyssey on said perp.
Government officials need to protect their secret dealings, afterall, weren't they elected in secret?
my thoughts
August 29, 2008 - 17:57 ET by candanceI find it strange that the police decide on this particular moment to crack down on journalists. For years now various celebrities have been asking for the law to intervene when paparazzi won't let them go to the bathroom in safety.
Then it strangely becomes a problem when a journalist for a major company is "tresspassing" on a wide open sidewalk. He wasn't shouting obscenities, walking around naked, or skateboarding into peoples' cars - he was there to take pictures.
IMO the police over-reacted, especially when they pushed him into the street.
Now, if he had just
August 29, 2008 - 19:12 ET by Cape Conservativebeen smoking a joint, they would have overlooked that ;-) I believe that was the mayor's statement - no marijuana arrests this week.
" I mean you got to give
August 29, 2008 - 18:28 ET by Chris Norman" I mean you got to give ABC some credit here that they are trying to do some stories here about campaign finances."
The question is, has ABC got the message to not attempt that against "Barack Obeyme"?
McNotObama '08
I want to hear the rest of the story.
August 29, 2008 - 18:38 ET by CTStay on it NewsBusters
I bet all the police
August 30, 2008 - 13:31 ET by liberal_bug_zapperI bet all the police officers were democrats. We all know that Democrats are Fascists, so their brownshirt tactics are clearly warranted. You can't have freedom of the press if you're a Fascist Democrat.
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"A society that puts equality...ahead of freedom will end up with neither equality nor freedom." ~ Milton Friedman
He was chasing an Edwards' story I heard
August 30, 2008 - 15:41 ET by timrfrench61I would like to see more on this... more detail and investigation.
Someone said elseweher that ABC was following Edwards' campaign director. I wonder if someone got the police out there to squash anybody who thought they might get something for the Enquirer story...