Friday, January 9th, 2009...12:24 pm
It Ain’t Quite a Woolworth’s Lunch Counter
I wrote a wee bit on the plans that new Marszałek Senatu Bob Burns has for the media, which includes not renewing their “leases” (which give credentialed access to the Senate) and not granting new ones. The folks at the Arizona Guardian feel particularly agrieved, they are not being given to chance to purchase leases, even though they have one of the largest presences at the capitol.
There was talk that Guardian reporter Paul Giblin was staging some sort of “sit in” in the press room at the Senate. Well, not quite. Giblin has been using one of the free desks in the room for his normal job duties. He’s not pulling a Julia Butterfly Hill routine.
An interesting tidbit I picked up here: it turns out that folks like the reporters with the Guardian that haven’t been able to get credentials for the Senate are also prevented from getting them from the House. House credentials are stamped on the back of Senate credentials, so no Senate credentials, no House credentials.
One frustrating part of this whole incident is the lack of any sort of response I’ve heard from Senate Democrats. You’d think that leadership limiting press access would be a chance for the sort of fists-pounding-the-table grandstanding that we have come to expect from a loyal opposition. I’ve been told that there was a response of some sort, but it didn’t make the papers.
2 Comments
January 9th, 2009 at 9:52 pm
I know some would do anything to get rid of Howie (Fischer) but he’s taking everyone else down with him.
January 10th, 2009 at 9:31 am
Once you get use to Howie personality he is a good reporter. He treats everyone the same and asks the tough questions. I may not always agree with him but I do believe he is a good reporter. Be prepared to be tape recorded.