Protest at the L.A. Times: Free the tape! Updated
Photo credit: Omri Ceren at Mere Rhetoric
Scroll for updates…link to more photos and video below…
Several southern California readers send word that there will be a protest at the L.A. Times building today at 10am Pacific/1pm Eastern over the suppressed Obama/Khalidi tape.
Here’s the info:
I just got word that there is a planned protest to try and force the LATimes to release the video of Obama/Rashid Khalidi. If people cannot physically attend the protest at the LATimes Headquarters building in downtown Los Angeles, they are encouraged to call the offices at (213) 237-5000, fax a request to release the video or complaint against their current stance to (213) 237-7679.
Your participation in this is of the highest priority to provide information to the voters in time to present a clear picture of the Democratic candidate’s coziness with individuals possessing extreme views in direct opposition to US foreign policies.
For more information, please go to the website of the organization leading the protest effort -
www.freedommarch.orgLA Times Headquarters
202 W. First St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
main phone 213-237-5000
fax 213-237-7679
There’s also a petition here.
From Jeffrey Goldberg at the left-leaning Atlantic:
I understand that the tape was leaked to the Times by a source or sources unknown, and that an agreement was struck with that source to keep the tape hidden, but the tape has been described in a Times story already, and it quite obviously contains no state secrets. I also suspect that the tape could be posted in such a way as to obscure its origins. The Times, however, won’t discuss in detail why it’s keeping the tape from its readers, and the newspaper’s “readers’ representative,” Jamie Gold, has lined up against the readers, and argued against the release of the tape.
There is another reason why the tape should be posted: It might actually create interest in the L.A. Times. From what I understand, the mainstream media is in a bit of trouble these days. Perhaps — this is just a thought here — the L.A. Times could better its position in the world by drawing readers to its website.
***
Inspired by commentators on the Internet and cable television, thousands of people e-mailed and phoned The Times to demand the release of the tape. Hundreds of others expressed support for the paper’s decision.
The controversy stems from an article by Times staff writer Peter Wallsten that the newspaper published on April 10, exploring Obama’s relationships with Palestinian Americans and Jews in Chicago. The article explained how Obama had managed to be held in high esteem by both groups. It described a party in 2003 for Khalidi, a renowned scholar on the Palestinians who in the 1970s had acted as a spokesman for Yasser Arafat’s Palestine Liberation Organization.
Some participants at the event spoke sharply against Israel. One young woman accused the Israeli government of terrorism in its treatment of the Palestinians. Obama “adopted a different tone,” according to the article, “and called for finding common ground.”
The reporter and his editors said they found it ironic to be criticized now for allegedly trying to protect Obama, noting that the story had drawn strong rebukes from Obama supporters. Commentators at two websites — the Nation and Talking Points Memo — charged that the newspaper had unfairly suggested that the Democrat could not have allies in both communities.
Wallsten said he had worked on and off for several weeks to gather information on Obama’s relationships in the Palestinian American community, with sources speaking only on condition of anonymity, including one who had the video.
The reporter’s editor said the paper would have preferred to be able to post the video on its website but could not get the source to agree.
“If we had not reached this agreement, we would not have had access to this tape at all. Then no one would ever have known Obama attended this event and spoke at it,” said the editor, Aaron Zitner. “We were pushing to say the most we could and to present the most we could to readers about what happened. And we did that.”
Update: Omri Ceren has photos and video.
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Remember:
It was the LA Times who sued for the release of the Ryans’ divorce record during Obama’s senate campaign. They said the public had a compelling interest so their excuses about “agreements” don’t wash. The Ryans’ both wanted the divorce records kept closed, but the Times said otherwise.
I called and left my message basically, ” You are the same newspaper who petitioned the court to release the sealed divorce papers of Rack and Jeri Ryan without their permission pleading that it was a matter of ‘national interest’ to do so but here you are sitting on this Khalidi tape that is most certainly a matter of ‘national interest’ as it concerns the background of the potential next leader of the free world. You are a bunch of hypocrites.”
CBS swings to $12.46B 3Q loss after hefty charge
LMAO
Down, Down, Down, Down goes the MSM!
1. When, exactly, did this car accident occur?
2. Did anyone die?
3. Was anyone ticketed or charged?
4. Was National Security compromised?
5. Are you the same guy who for the past eight years has been running around saying, “Laura Bush killed her ex-boyfriend by running a stop sign!”?
ECS
Time for the plumbers to go to work… get G.Gorden Liddy on the case.
important story you might have missed…
Australia to implement mandatory internet censorship
Coming soon to an american conservative website near you.
I’d like the tape to be released, too. The LA Times should find a way to do so.
The question is, how does the LA Times continue to earn the trust of individuals who speak to them expecting not to be revealed? Revealing sources is a delicate matter. I do not envy them.
They have already written an article on what was on the tape after having veiwed it, which was the original agreement. I wonder if the original agreement precludes publishing a transcript of the tape? Or, stills? Yep, it is not the same and it is more like cutting the baby in half. But, it is more than we have now.
(NOTE: I stopped reading NEWSWEEK because they revealed a source sometime ago, because it served their purposes. Lt Col Oliver North was a source on a story and later because he was bashing NEWSWEEK, they outed him. Saying that he had no right to do what he was doing because he did it, too.)
Our press is, has been, and hopefully will continue to be a strength of our democracy.
LA Times find a better way to handle this.
Liars.
catch a fire… the table is turning…
catch a fire… so you can get burning.
So the LA Times suddenly got an attack of conscience?
Why then, do all the polls say the Jews are supporting Obama?
This might be plausible considering the frenzy it is causing, and the other things that are being ignored while discussing this tape.
It may or may not have anything on it.
I believe it does. How do you gather people like that in a room, and not have something said or done that might look bad?
As for the suggestion it was leaked from Hillary’s camp, that too is plausible considering the timing of when it was first given to them, and who in her camp might be identified as the source.
Hey boys and girls ! can you say advertisers boycott?
Obama was a member of The New Party?
What is disgusting about that is the “parents” who put this boy up to that, then had the arrogance to yell at the young daughter about it.
What is telling though is the BBC left out describing the most powerful part of that video.
…but not surprising.
The LA Times is the same newspaper that recently published an oped by the infamous team of Walt and Mersheimer devoted to their boring screed that American Jews are too powerful and are subverting American foreign policy. When I wrote to the Times about it, I got a silly answer saying that although the LA Times does not agree with Walt and Mersheimer, it was published because of the LA Times’ commitment to “freedom of information” and “the public’s right to know”. But now that the LA Times has spiked the Obama-Khalidi singalong, we know that the LA Times was being a hypocrite all along. Freedom of Information and the public’s right to know does not apply when the LA Times needs to protect liberal politicians.
Wow.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/30/191824/52/556/647291
Who knew the Cheneys had morals?
As a registered Democrat, I get regular emails from the Democrat party. Today I get one from Michelle O begging for more money.
Here is my response:
There is no way you need more money. Haven’t you bled the public enough?
They need to change the name of the Slimes to L.A.bama.
All these in the tank media outlets are shameful, who ever heard of Not Vetting a Presidential candidate?
what a bunch of worthles pieces of trash, a disgrace to journalism.
Who knew the KOS could sink any lower and misquote a story just to attempt to make a funny… yeah, about what I told you yesterday….
Pretty much everybody who isn’t a Kosak POS.
WOW That was my 1st trip to KOS….shocking.
I was getting them too. They stopped after I told them I was donating to McCain everytime they sent me one.
LA Times = Zombie newspaper
insert undead monster gurgling noises here
This wouldn’t be the same L.A. Times that defended the N.Y. Times’ decision to publish details of a secret government program to identify terrorist finance channels would it? We learned about that on these very pages a mere 2 years ago: NYTimes blabbermouths strike again. I guess it depends on who is placed at risk by divulging confidential information.
I sent them a fax an email but i know theu will not release it. This is not freedom of the press. The newsmedia is not suppose to surpress the news. Didn’t they surpress news in dictatorships and communist countries ?
Look what we have to look forward to if B. Hussien Obama is elected.
First exit poll of Actual American Voters Shows BIG McCain/Palin Win!
The Lying Media Could Have Blood on Their Hands
On October 30th, 2008 at 8:11 pm, nyk said:
Is it me, or do the comments on that site seem short? One or two sentences at most.
Is it an attention span problem?
Is it a lack of thoughts that require paragraphs?
Or maybe they are experiencing a shortage of letters at the Daily Kos like the Soviets had to conserve toilet paper?
Perhaps they should enact a five year plan with their dear leader to get their communal farms to grow more alphanumeric characters…
Here in the capitalist section of the Internet, there is no shortage of letters, keystrokes, and punctuation marks… proving once again that the free market works and is bountiful.
But we should not punish the users of the Daily Kos for the evil of their leaders. Let’s all donate some of our surplus alphanumeric characters to them.
Please leave your canned letters and punctuation marks at your local post office. (Western or Arabic characters only please, do NOT submit Hebrew…)
Obviously there is damning video on that tape or they would have released it. Also, just as telling, is how hard the left is saying there is nothing on that tape that is damning (then why not release it?). What this has done may actually be better than having the tape. Holding the tape hostage is getting a great deal of press. The public is not stupid and they will use their imagination as to what may be on that tape. Most will conclude that, indeed, nothing good on tape; Obama,media, Dems hiding it; will think again before pulling lever for the massaiah.
High taxes, spread the wealth, no more freedom to ask questions, no more freedom of the press, speech, no guns. What’s next?
I don’t buy newspapers anymore; haven’t in years. Nor, do I watch MSM news on tv. Same reason. It’s never “news”; it’s indoctrination. It’s nothing new though. Newspapers have always shown their biases from the time of the colonies. Back then, though, it was far worse. It was so bad, Congress passed and Adams approved, the Sedition Act.
The worst yet…specifically Hate Speech Legislation
Is anyone in the conservative media encouraging conservatives to cancel their subscriptions LA TImes?
The “rebukes” led to the tape being put on ice. No quarter given. Sorry.
Count on the LA Times … giving aid and comfort to the enemy at every turn.
Oh wait … they ARE The enemy … must have forgot …
RWR
http://www.rightwingrocker.com
“If we had not reached this agreement, we would not have had access to this tape at all. Then no one would ever have known Obama attended this event and spoke at it,”
Consider this…
How many OTHER events was Obama at that we should know about?
And how many OTHER associations does he have that he doesn’t want the American people to know about.
Obama hides his background, hides his relationships to anti-american groups and individuals, lies about those associations if they become known.
How in the name of God does ANYONE want to vote for this guy?
There may very well be a bunch out there just like him (ie: Farakan, Jackson, Sharpton, Iminajihad, MSM, etc.).
I just convinced an undecided to vote for McCain/Palin. I cited all the unknowns about BHO and his past. It’s only one vote in Blue NJ, so it probably doesn’t mean much but if word spreads, so does opinion and ultimately votes
On October 30th, 2008 at 6:59 pm, SoCal said:
Because they haven’t seen this tape (and haven’t been exposed to any of the other bits of information indicating that Obama has strong anti-semitic tendencies).
They are just as susceptible to a manufactured reality portrayed by a corrupt media as any other people of any other religion.
“All people prefer…” or “the polls show that…” does not provide final say on what the true fabric of reality is.
600 years ago “all people thought” that bleeding with leeches was an acceptable cure for the common cold.
Is Barack Hussein Obama a Jihadist Muslim?
Ugly Rumor?
Or Serious, Valid, and Important Question?
If I messed up, 30 pieces, I apologize.
This is a must read:
http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/10/31/obama-plane-pitches-reporters-mccain-endorsing-papers/
and another:
http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/10/31/obama-lays-plans-kill-expectations-election-victory/
Conservatives don’t have subscriptions to rags like LAT. Unless, like Michelle, they do for their jobs.
Misscheryl, that is par for the course as far as Obama is concerned.
Dissent is neither desired nor permitted in an Obama world.
And get ready… anything that Obama thinks he can get away with.. will be attempted. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
nlebou, me, too. Juvenile, gutter. I should have known better than to take the bait.
The L A Times can’t hide this tape forever. It will come out.