GOP CAUGHT TOSSING JOURNALIST

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Minnesota's Republican Party seems very camera-shy. Over the past several months Republicans have prevented journalists from recording their candidates at events. The latest incident was rather dramatic as Gavin Sullivan was tossed out of the Republican convention for district 42B for shooting video. The UpTake's Mike McIntee shows us Gavin Sullivan's video and talks to another journalist who has been tossed out twice from Republican events. Here's Gavin Sullivan, a citizen journalist, trying to cover the Minnesota Republican Convention for District 42 B. Watch what happens. Unfortunately it's not an isolated incident. Over the past several months, Minnesota Republicans have repeated booted video journalists from their events. This is Republican Congresswoman Michele Bachmann at a recent tax rally. You can see and hear her here because the rally was at the state capital. But you can't see or hear what she said when shewas endorsed last month.That's because the sixth district GOP banned all cameras and audio recording devices, including The Saint Cloud Times and Minnesota Public Radio. The UpTake's video volunteers have been booted from the party's state convention in Blaine and a debate between Republican First Congressional candidates in Jackson, and the Republican First Congressional convention in Albert Lea. Kyle Potter, a Volunteer Journalist for The UpTake describes what happened to him. "A few weeks ago, I got the assignment to go there and I emailed and called the person who was in charge of the event, the chair person for the first congressional district, and I got no response. So I figured, OK I'll just go down there. I'll talk to someone at the press credential table and we'll see what happens. "I went down. I didn't see any press credential table so I walked in and I set up my camera. I filmed for awhile and I was told by the Sergeant-At-Arms that I have to register my camera. I asked him who to do that with, and he said that he would talk to the person who I emailed originally. "The Sergeant-At-Arms comes back and says that I was denied access. And I asked why and he said there wasn't any reason given. So I had to leave. That's kind of similar to another time when I was up in Blaine. I was doing pretty much the same thing. Before the event started I talked to the communications director at the Minnesota GOP and told him what I was doing there and said everything. And then later a guy aggressively approached me. That time it was aggressively approached me and said that I had to leave. And gave no reason. He didn't identify who he was. He didn't say why he could tell me to leave. I eventually asked him to go talk to the communications director and he came back and just said I have to leave." The DFL makes it a policy to allow press, including videobloggers to attend all of its conventions and debates. Republican Blogger Michael Brodkorb says it's a policy "the Republicans should look at mirroring".

Channel: News & Politics
Uploaded: May 1, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Author: Veracifier

Length: 0:04:55
Rating: 4.88
Views: 4,063

Tags: minnesota gop republican press freedom journalist 42b brodkorb sullivan gavin

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Video Comments:
rbenne (Thursday 11th of September 2008 09:53:09 PM)
Dan Rather wanna be wouldst be let in without credentials? Neither would I or anyone else. He thinks he is special :)
bananasketch (Friday 5th of September 2008 10:10:56 AM)
Seems every person with a camera is claiming to be a "journalist" thinking that gives them unfettered access to anyone and anything. When they don't get their way, then they start in with words and phrases like "nazi", "fascist", "hate" and "my rights". Give me a break.
wantwit (Tuesday 29th of July 2008 08:44:08 PM)
Because this is a private meeting. Its purpose is not to listen to your whining but to discuss party matters. The Republicans, just like the Democrats have a right to gather in peace and not be harassed which was the intent of these "bloggers".
wantwit (Tuesday 29th of July 2008 08:41:07 PM)
Both these imbeciles were justifiably ejected. The first guy admitted to harassing people with emails and the second admitted to not getting a proper press pass. They went in intending to start shit and got the reaction they wanted. Even IF these guys were legitimate journalists, which they certainly are not, who cares? Is there a lower form of life than journalist? Talk about a profession which produces nothing...
wickedsunshine25 (Wednesday 16th of July 2008 02:59:05 PM)
Why do they need to be so secretive? I think it makes me suspicious that they are telling them to stop recording. I think it shows they are hiding something!
jumpwedge (Wednesday 16th of July 2008 12:08:53 AM)
You are ignorant and you're proving my point. THESE ARE PRIVATE EVENTS. It is trespassing. Same as sneaking into a movie theater or a rock concert.
davehshs (Friday 6th of June 2008 09:52:59 PM)
You can always tell the closet cases, the ones who don't have a clue about how much they're in denial. They make everything into a "gay" issue, even when it's totally irrelevant. And they get hot talking about sticking things up asses.
4Shadow115 (Thursday 5th of June 2008 03:47:57 PM)
Don't these stupid people have something better to do? Save trees, or something besides harassing the smart people? Vote Republican!
philfan4evr (Tuesday 3rd of June 2008 05:55:30 PM)
Maybe they knew Gavin & the rest of the UpTake ladies are nothing but liberal SCUM trouble makers! I'm sure gay lil Gavin isn't telling the whole story! He's to worried about posting a video of a little old lady pushing him around and being mean to him on youtube. What they should of done was take him outback, beat him with a pipe and then shoved that camera so far up his ass he choked to death. Here's some advice for Gavin and those like him: Man up & go REPUBLICAN! You don't have to stay GAY!
tyzabeau (Wednesday 18th of June 2008 07:11:39 AM)
Gotta love what the REPUBLICAN leader is doing to the GLOBAL economy... I will be sure to ask all my American friends to reconsider voting for the republic ... the left'er the better I say. We are however, all just PLEBS, so meh... what can we do? Anyway speaking of sexuality and politics will only annoy ppl.