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PA-08: GOP Aide Hijacks Phone Conference
GOP Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick's chief of staff infiltrates a conference call between Dem challenger Patrick Murphy, John Kerry and reporters and bloggers, then harangues Murphy about some upcoming debates.
After Kerry and Murphy get off the call, bloggers pounced on the chief of staff, Mike Conallen. First he says he isn't Fitzpatrick's Chief of Staff. Then he admits that he is. Then he claims he's ... on vacation. The Democratic Daily has a transcript and audio.
Fitzpatrick, reached later by the Inquirer, says he didn't tell Conallen to make the call, but was "proud" of him for "pinning Murphy down." "That's what press conferences are for," Fitzpatrick says.
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Under what pretenses did this political operative gain access to a conference call for reporters?
And if Fitzpatrick wanted to pin Murphy down (as opposed to merely disrupt his press conference), wouldn't the proper procedure be to lean on a reporter to ask the questions that needed asking?
Will the media complain about bullying tactics that interfere with a) their doing their jobs? and b) civilized discourse involving the press?
Just asking.
August 15, 2006 1:22 PM | Reply | Permalink