Posted by
Chad MacINNES on Sunday, October 26, 2008 5:36:27 PM
She just might be. On Thursday, Oct 23, Barabara West, an anchor at WFTV in Orlando interviewed Senator Joe Biden for just over 4 minutes. It was prbably the most uncomfortable 4 minutes and 42 seconds of Joe Biden's entire career.
Barabra began the interview with Biden this this zinger: "Aren't you enbarrassed by the blatant attempts to register phoney voters by ACORN, an organization that Barack Obama has been tied to in the past?" Needless to say Biden LIED outright, say that Barack Obama has never been affiliated with ACORN and that the campaign has never paid them a dime to register any voters.
Barbara then asked a question about Obama's plans to redistribute people's wealth, which Biden of course denied and then claimed that McCain and Bush are the ones who redistribute wealth. But, the best was yet to come when this brave anchor woman posed the her next question and the following exchange took place:
West: "Senator Biden, you may recognize this famous quote: 'From each according to their ability, to each according to their need." That was a quote form Karl Marx. How is Barack Obama not being a Marxist if he intends to spread the wealth around?"
Biden: "Are you joking? Is... is this a joke?"
West: "No."
Biden: "Is this a real question?"
West: "That's a question."
Biden: [laughing] "He is not sperading the wealth around..."
Of course we all know that Joe Biden lied his way through this "answer" as well.
I do not know what was more shocking to observe: the fact that a journalist was actually doing their job and asking tough questions or the fact that Biden was visibly perturbed at actually being held accountable to answer for the policies that he is trying to sell the American people. What was more distrbing still was that immediately following the interview the Obama campaign sent a notice to WFTV admonishing the station for their treatment of Biden and canceling an upcoming interview with Biden's wife. the letter read, in part:
Jill Biden's interview is as of this notice immediately canceled as "a result of her husband's experience yesterday during the satellite interview with Barbara West. This cancellation is non-negotiable, and further opportunities for your station to interview with this campaign are unlikely, at best for the duration of the remaining days until the election." The notice was written and sent by Laura K. McGinnis, Central Florida communications director for the Obama campaign.
Thankfully and refreshingly the WFTV newd director Bob Jordan is standing by West and stated that candidates generally like to choose the stations that will only ask softball questions. "We choose not to ask softball questions. I'm crying foul on this one."
Hopefully Jordan will continue to stand by a reporter who dared to ask the questions that not even FOX News will ask. But it will be interesting to see if West and Jordan are still employed come January 21, 2009 should Obama-Biden be elected, now won't it?
In the meantime, it is crucial to show support to honest journalists who dare to ask the tough questions of candidates who hide behind lies, innuendo and lofty rhetoric. Email Barabara West at barbara.west@wftv.com and show your support for a woman who has just risked her career by holding corrupt and morally bankrupt politicians accountable. For my part, as a resident of Orlando, I will now always be watching thr local news on WFTV.