Politicians frequently claim they’ve been misquoted or misunderstood by reporters. See Scott Walker’s spokeswoman’s response to a Wall Street Journal report about his position on amnesty. But there’s a sure way to avoid that: Keep reporters out of the room.
The Phoenix Business Journal reports that’s what Gov. Walker did when he spoke this week to the Arizona Chamber of Commerce. It was part of a series featuring presidential contenders.
“I’d love to tell you what he had to say that was important enough for him to travel thousands of miles from home, but I can’t,” Travis Arbon writes. “The event was closed to the media.”
However, Arbon adds, “although ‘traditional’ media outlets were denied access, that didn’t stop the chamber from encouraging attendees to share the day’s events on social media through #AZLeadership on Twitter.”
Of course, the real expert at holding meetings behind closed doors is President Obama.
Just this week he huddled with Hillary Clinton without letting reporters know, and his spokesman says he’ll likely do so again. The president also hosted a meeting with Muslim leaders in February and held back a list of attendees for days, despite repeated press inquiries. Expect more such gatherings during the final months of the administration.
Poster Comment:
I don't like closed doors. There is way too much of this in government. If you have something to say, why can't the public hear it? Are you hiding something, Scott? That is the impression you are giving.
