As we have seen many times in the past, CNBC Chief Washington correspondent John Harwood has been reliably liberal. In fact just a few hours ago, Newsbusters ran a story featuring Harwood once again spinning for Hillary Clinton. Therefore it is notable when even a team player such as Harwood gets so upset with the content free Hillary "briefing" that he breaks out in one snarky paragraph after another.
Perhaps the Hillary campaign thinks it is a cute idea to cut reporters off from any meaningful information but when it causes someone like Harwood to go full out snark, perhaps someone there might dare to suggest another press strategy to Hillary. In the meantime let us enjoy a few chuckles from the Harwood snark attack before he relapses back to liberal team player mode:
I've talked with "senior officials" about her bid for the White House. They sat in these chairs.
And we see a photo of a table with empty chairs as Harwood zeros in with his snark:
Wish I could tell you more. But they said very little.
Notice that I typed very little and not "very little," because under the ground rules of Thursday's briefing reporters were not allowed to quote their words directly.
You're not missing much.
How humiliating is it for a reporter to be given these ground rules? So humiliating that even John Harwood reacts with heavy duty snark.
The former secretary of state plans to kick off the heavy-rhetoric stage of her campaign on June 13. I can't say where or what time because the senior officials wouldn't say.
Will she be breathing air? Give us the scoop on that.
She plans to lay out some policy proposals after that. Can't say which ones.
She'll take questions from reporters. Can't say how often.
She'll start having rallies. Not too many, because the election's a long way away. But some.
She might take a summer vacation, which means reporters covering her can, too. Don't know when, but one senior official observed that summer vacations traditionally occur in mid-August.
You'll be getting about as much information from Hillary sheltered away on vacation as you're getting now.
Her husband, Bill, and daughter, Chelsea, will play roles in her campaign. Can't say exactly what, or when.She's feeling more in control of her campaign effort this time around, unlike 2008 when she sometimes felt the campaign was controlling her.
Translation: Hillary won't be answering substantive questions from the press peons anytime soon.
She might even be able to expand the roster of battleground states beyond those Obama targeted. Can't say which ones.
I'd show you pictures of the office and desks where campaign officials do their jobs, but the post-briefing tour was deemed off-the-record.
There will be more briefings, however. Stay tuned.
I'll stay tuned to see if the Hillary campaign throws Harwood a tiny bone of almost no information to placate him so he can return to being a happy loyal puppy again at the Clinton Obedience School.
