washington post offer to host lobbyist and congress/white house staff to talk policy

[Pandora]

A whistle blower at the Washington Post leaked that The Washington Post planned a party paid for by lobbyists and hosted at the home of editor of The Washington Post. Invited were members of Congress and White House Staff to talk policy and get to know and build relationships with the lobbyists.

The whistle blower said they were not comfortable with the meeting/party because it did not seem ethical.


The Post is doing damage control now by saying the flyers were not vetted correctly and oh they would never do that! exc. blah blah.


Partial story here






http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/02/iwashington-posti-plans-s_n_225086.html

 

[TruthAboveAll]

Re: washington post offer to host lobbyist and congress/white house staff to talk pol

A whistle blower at the Washington Post leaked that The Washington Post planned a party paid for by lobbyists and hosted at the home of editor of The Washington Post. Invited were members of Congress and White House Staff to talk policy and get to know and build relationships with the lobbyists.

The whistle blower said they were not comfortable with the meeting/party because it did not seem ethical.

The Post is doing damage control now by saying the flyers were not vetted correctly and oh they would never do that! exc. blah blah.


Partial story here


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/02/iwashington-posti-plans-s_n_225086.html

I'd heard about this. So glad I wasn't drinking any beverage with sugar at the time - it might have damaged my keyboard when it came out my nose.

One mild correction: it was a LOBBYIST who blew the whistle on this one, citing being very uncomfortable with the conflict of interest. Isn't that ironic? PresBO is going to instill 'change' and get the lobbyists out - yet it is a lobbyist who blows the whistle on this sordid, unethical practice. Geez! $25,000 - $250,000??? What the heck! Gimme a $250m special!

It was apparently broken by POLITICO, and here's the link to the whole story there.

One excerpt from their article that tickled me:

She [WaPo publisher Katherine Weymouth] made it clear however, that The Post, which lost $19.5 million in the first quarter, sees bringing together Washington figures as a future revenue source. “We do believe that there is a viable way to expand our expertise into live conferences and events that simply enhances what we do - cover Washington for Washingtonians and those interested in Washington,” she said. “ And we will begin to do live events in ways that enhance our reputation and in no way call into question our integrity.”

I guess that's feasible, with the qualification of their integrity...

 

[Pandora]

Re: washington post offer to host lobbyist and congress/white house staff to talk pol

I'd heard about this. So glad I wasn't drinking any beverage with sugar at the time - it might have damaged my keyboard when it came out my nose.

One mild correction: it was a LOBBYIST who blew the whistle on this one, citing being very uncomfortable with the conflict of interest. Isn't that ironic? PresBO is going to instill 'change' and get the lobbyists out - yet it is a lobbyist who blows the whistle on this sordid, unethical practice. Geez! $25,000 - $250,000??? What the heck! Gimme a $250m special!

It was apparently broken by POLITICO, and here's the link to the whole story there.

One excerpt from their article that tickled me:



I guess that's feasible, with the qualification of their integrity...

Thank you for the correction, and I am really glad you did not get nose damage from sugar...

It really has been a good week for news. I liked the Helen Thomas smack down best of all though.

 

[TruthAboveAll]

Re: washington post offer to host lobbyist and congress/white house staff to talk pol

Thank you for the correction, and I am really glad you did not get nose damage from sugar...

It really has been a good week for news. I liked the Helen Thomas smack down best of all though.

No problem. Really not so much a correction as clarification. I'm glad my nose is intact, too. There are far too many around here with nose problems as it is...

Helen Thomas! Loved it, so glad the old(er) gal has still got that fire! Smack down is right, even if Gibbs is too dense to realize it. I loved the studiously ignoring posture of some of the other reporters, too... Another of those "to be a fly on the wall" moments!