I will say right off the bat that this is a repetitive diary. I can live with that, and will take any flames or donuts that come my way as a result: I'm a big girl.
SusanG has a brief blurb on it in the latest Open Thread.
Back Sassing has diared an Open Letter to the All the Members of the National Press Club.
And of course Fire Dog Lake is covering it and has a petition you can sign.
Hell, more could be being written even as I write mine.
But having just gotten off the phone with the NPC to register my complaint, I am even more pissed, so I'm hoping to piss off more Kossacks along with me, and generate an even larger Call to Action.
From the Nation Press Club website on its history:
The National Press Club has been a part of Washington life for nearly 100 years. Through its doors have come all of the Presidents of the United States since Theodore Roosevelt, as well as kings and queens, prime ministers, premiers, senators, congressmen, cabinet officials, ambassadors, scholars, entertainers, business leaders, and athletes. Its members have included all of the Presidents of the United States since Warren Harding and most have spoken from the Club's podium.
And on ethics:
"...clear thinking, clear statement, accuracy and fairness are fundamental to good journalism."
These two paragraphs are all the argument needed for why we must bring all possible pressure to bear on the NPC. It is not whether or not Sinclaire's claims are credible or would be believed so by the average person. It's the sheen of respectability that such a setting provides. We have already seen shockingly large sections of the electorate already believe the most ridiculous things about our candidate; it doesn't take much of a leap to imagine some folks saying:
"The Press Club has Presidents and kings and stuff speak there, so why would they let this guy in if what he's saying isn't true?"
To compound the matter, the NPC is disavowing any responsibility for this presentation. The woman who answered the phone knew exactly why I was calling as soon as I said I had a complaint, and she informed me that this entire thing was being arranged by "Montgomery Sibley" not them, that he had rented the space there, and gave me his number instead.
Once I got off the phone, I realized that Montgomery Sibley is Sinclaire's attorney. So of course he arranged the whole thing! That doesn't mean the NPC has to allow their forum as the setting for this kind of attack.
Apparently, they're still not getting enough pressure.
ENTER KOSSACKS.
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Montgomery Sibley: (202) 248-3973
National Press Club Front Desk: (202) 662-7500
NPC Membership Line (in case you're a member & want to quit!): (202) 662-7505
FDL petition