I just read in a blog at TampaBay.com that the McCain/Palin campaign is now blocking media access (at least yesterday in Clearwater, FL, but I doubt that will be the only place they pull this stunt), not only to the candidate herself, but now also to her supporters as well!
This is just too over the top to ignore any longer! Check below the fold for a quote from one of the "media escorts" as to why this was not being allowed:
According to this blogger, the media was being kept in a secured area, away from the supporters. Ok, no big deal there as many like to keep the press close for photo ops and such, but this went far further than that.
Constantly under the watchful eyes of security, the media wasn't permitted to wander around inside Coachman Park to talk to Sarah Palin supporters.
Then it starts getting more dictatorial:
When reporters tried to leave the designated press area and head toward the bleachers where the crowd was seated, an escort would dart out of nowhere and confront him or her and say, "Can I help you?'' and turn the person around.
Then the coup-de-grace as to the reason behind these tactics becomes clear: (emphasis added)
When one reporter asked an escort, who would not give her name, why the press wasn't allowed to mingle, she said that in the past, negative things had been written. The campaign wanted to avoid that possibility Monday.
With the McCain/Palin campaign now going into heavy mud-slinging mode, I find it disgusting their obvious lack of concern for constitutional rights. The last time I checked, this country espoused Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press, yet they seem to believe that they are above that pesky little piece of paper called The U.S. Constitution!
We've had almost 8 long years of an administration that valued the Constitution as nothing more than a doormat and if this doesn't clearly show that a McCain/Palin administration would be more of the same or worse, I don't know what will.
What do you think?
Update #1: This is now being Digg'ed at Digg It! Digg this up so the MSM cannot ignore it!