More leaked documents from the latest WikiLeaks dump show just how much the press are deeply enamored of, and obedient to, Hillary Clinton.
When it comes to placing stories, there was no one more in bed than, of course, Politico and the New York Times.
(h/t to The Intercept):
One January 2015 strategy document — designed to plant stories on Clinton’s decision-making process about whether to run for president — singled out reporter Maggie Haberman, then of Politico, now covering the election for the New York Times, as a “friendly journalist” who has “teed up” stories for them in the past and “never disappointed” them. Nick Merrill, the campaign press secretary, produced the memo, according to the document metadata:
“We have had her tee up stories for us before and have never been disappointed.”
“We can do the most shaping by going to Maggie.”
Placing stories is absolutely critical to creating a particular impression in the American public. It’s like inception, but instead of an idea, you’re planting garbage. And the Clinton campaign had a very docile garbage farmer in Maggie Haberman.
That strategy document plotted how Clinton aides could induce Haberman to write a story on the thoroughness and profound introspection involved in Clinton’s decision-making process. The following month, when she was at the Times, Haberman published two stories on Clinton’s vetting process; in this instance, Haberman’s stories were more sophisticated, nuanced, and even somewhat more critical than what the Clinton memo envisioned.
But they nonetheless accomplished the goal Clinton campaign aides wanted to fulfill of casting the appearance of transparency on Clinton’s vetting process in a way that made clear she was moving carefully but inexorably toward a presidential run.
But this was by no means the only guilty part. In fact, The Daily Caller has a great list of guilty parties.
Amazingly, nearly all of these reporters, especially Haberman, have been exactly in line with the Clinton campaign narrative throughout the weekend, ignoring Bill Clinton’s past, and Hillary’s enabling, while attacking Donald Trump for his Clinton-like, unfaithful, gross old man behavior.
“But Fred, didn’t you criticize Trump?” Why yes, Timmy. They are both gross. But you wouldn’t know it from reading the New York Times. I tell you about all three rings of the circus, not just the one Hillary is okay with talking about.