pwning the press, British style

The British reporter who broke the story of Obama's advisor calling Hillary Clinton a "monster," Gerri Peev, gave an interview to MSNBC's overly gilded lily, Noron O'Donnell, and really ended up making a comment about the crippled "free press" our country now has. Noron asked Ms. Peev if she had second thoughts about printing the remark, which was knowingly made on the record as a tape recorder was running, and which Ms. Powers immediately attempted to walk back with a request to make it an "off the record" comment. Ms. Peev's response to our favorite ageing trophy newsreader?

"I don't know of any journalist worth his salt who would, would have pulled the, a remark, we're not in the business to self-censor or to censor ourselves, we're in the business to print the truth, and to print or to show at least a little bit of some of the tensions that are going on behind the campaign."



Just for fun, let's compare that to America's Most Important News Man, Tim Russert, and the limp and tepid explanation he gave when being questioned about his own policy of "on the record" vs. "off the record" as he was being questioned in the Scooter Libby trial:

"But when I talk to senior government officials on the phone, it's my own policy our conversations are confidential. If I want to use anything from that conversation, then I will ask permission."




Aaaaaah, just smell that freedom of the press!