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Why are the Police Protecting Big Money from Public Scrutiny in Denver?

Posted by Jane Hamsher, Firedoglake at 4:00 AM on August 28, 2008.


Police arrest journalists trying to get the skinny on Democratic senators and VIP donors.
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Hillary Rosen, who does commentary for CNN, told me yesterday that despite the fact that cable news has decided the war between Clinton and Obama supporters is the story of the convention, they're actually having trouble finding delegates who reflect that.


From here on the ground, the real story is the unhealthy relationship between Democratic politicians and their bigwig donors, but woe to anyone who wants to look into it:

Police in Denver arrested an ABC News producer today as he and a camera crew were attempting to take pictures on a public sidewalk of Democratic Senators and VIP donors leaving a private meeting at the Brown's Palace Hotel.
Police on the scene refused to tell ABC lawyers the charges against the producer, Asa Eslocker, who works with the ABC News investigative unit.

A police official later told lawyers for ABC News that Eslocker is being charged with trespass, interference, and failure to follow a lawful order. He also said the arrest followed a signed complaint from the Brown Palace Hotel.
Eslocker was put in handcuffs and loaded in the back of a police van which headed for a nearby police station.
... Eslocker and his ABC News colleagues are spending the week investigating the role of corporate lobbyists and wealthy donors at the convention for a series of Money Trail reports on ABC World News with Charles Gibson.
As Dan Rather noted the other day, if he was covering the convention, the relationship between Democrats and lobbyists would be the story he'd be investigating.


But what do you suppose Hillary supporters think about Michelle Obama's hair? Inquiring Fox News reporters want to know.

Digg!

Tagged as: police, corrupt politics, corporate interests

Jane Hamsher is the founder of FireDogLake. Her work has also appeared on the Huffington Post, Alternet and The American Prospect.


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corporate media routinely ignores influence peddling
[Report this comment]
Posted by: whealeydj on Aug 28, 2008 4:09 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
the surprise to me is that ABC may do a story; where is PBS and NPR? are they cowed too?

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

answers for all
[Report this comment]
Posted by: JoshuaLudd on Aug 28, 2008 6:21 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Firstly, they are protecting them because that is who they are there to protect in the first place.

Secondly, this sort of thing happens all the time with protesters. The producer was not told what charges were being filed because there were to be none and if there were they were not meant to stick. This was a niussance arrest to get the camera crew out of the area. Simple as that.

You progressive folks are starting to learn how this actually works, aren't you? You aren't quite willing to let the Democrats wag the dog when you are the dog... so you quickly and quietly become a threat and an enemy.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: answers for all Posted by: Xynyx
» RE: answers for all Posted by: JoshuaLudd
» that is also to seperate... Posted by: JoshuaLudd
Did hell freeze over?
[Report this comment]
Posted by: chaoslegs on Aug 28, 2008 7:20 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
ABC News is trying to do real journalism, and they are risking arrest in that attempt.

I think the world stopped spinning.

Dan Rather is right - that is the story of BOTH conventions. Maybe Bill Moyers could hire him as a reporter.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Harassing reporters is a function of law enforcement
[Report this comment]
Posted by: socrates2 on Aug 28, 2008 8:12 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
This reminds me of the variant of Jay Gould's theme, "hire half of the poor to kill the other half." In this case, Denver hired cops from the poor "half" to bust the working poor covering news of political corruption (or "harassing" the establishment).
Frantz Fanon predicted this oligarch-fostered, divide-and-conquer internecine bickering among the disempowered classes whose wrath and frustration were _turned on each other_ rather than the oligarchs/colonizers who ran the place.
Welcome to the big leagues, ABC...

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Police
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Archie1954 on Aug 28, 2008 8:54 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Does the Brown Hotel really own the sidewalk outside its building? Regardless, the ABC producer walked across the street to film and was arrested there. False arrest is actionable and should be followed up with a lawsuit. Sooner or later the police will stop their egregious behaviour simply because it gets too expensive.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: Police Posted by: Knot_Rich
It's called FASCISM
[Report this comment]
Posted by: perkywa on Aug 28, 2008 10:59 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Q: Why are the police in Denver protecting the rich?

A: Because we live in a Fascist Police State (the same reason the "media" protects the "owners").

Indeed when the "legitimate/mainstream" press starts to get shut down for exposing the corrupt marriage between Corporations and the State (politicians) we are at Step 8 on 10 Steps to a Fascist Dictatorship. In THIS case (the USA) ALL of the 10 steps are now complete. This reporter's arrest should be a real WAKE UP CALL...if the same thing happens in Minneapolis and keeps happening you will know that we (the US) has gone over the edge into the abyss of a Fascist-Totalitarian country.

America: Stick a Fork In It...It's DONE!!!

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: It's called FASCISM Posted by: marie.vorrath
BEYOND 'Embedded in Denver': **applause for Jane Hamsher!**
[Report this comment]
Posted by: BlueBerry PickN on Aug 28, 2008 12:47 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
now THAT is humanist activism & telling the TRUTH!

so the footage of police civil abuses outside the AT&T GreenZone in Denver: funny how the 'Progressive Left' embedded on-air talent seems to ignore events just beyond the PR perimeter?

Have they no idea they're EMBEDDED??

Police Trap Peaceful Protesters AT&T Democratic Convention in Denver
A calm political protest quickly turned chaotic as anxious police take out their toys

Shocking Video of Police Brutality Against Woman at DNC Protest - CodePink

FEAR THE PRETTY PACIFIST CHICK IN A PINK TUTU! Smack her in the throat with a baton! ...then haul her off as she testifies to Press"!

MEANWHILE THE MAINSTREAM PRESS CHARACTERIZES PROTESTERS AS 'futile', 'puny', 'pathetically disgruntled Utopianists' or VIOLENTLY ATTACKING 'anarchists'

Denver's "Secret" Denention Center & Caged Free Speech

"The Police Were Itching For A Fight" - DNC Protesters

The Streets of Denver, DNC

Stop SPP Protest! - Union Leader & Council of Canadians stop provocateurs: How police were caught in CANADA pretending to be 'violent anarchists'... but caught on film as 'agents provocateurs'
which didn't prevent the gassing, anyway

CBC coverage: Québec police admit going undercover (USArmy was ALSO THERE!) at Montebello protests
Police Tear Gas Non-Violent Protesters @ Montebello

Talking 'Anarchy' With Chomsky - The Nation
I suggest doing some homework on the REAL definition of 'anarchist' (i.e., per Chomsky), rather than the 'MSM definition' that cops use to justify rolling out IMMEDIATE pepperspray responses

Why do you think Woody Harrelson did the (Sept release) Battle in Seattle film on what happened in the 1999 Seattle beatdown? I suggest watching "This is What Democracy Looks Like" documentary to see what happens if YOU DARE SUGGEST FAIR TRADE agreements should be swapped for corporatized trade controls
WTO? GATT? IMF? SPP?

now that the US is going BROKE you'd better pay attention to the crap that used to roll over the "developing nations" who participated in those Free Trade or WTO trade 'negotiations'... the interesting thing about Seattle? was that pan-Americans & unionists were FIGHTING TO SUPPORT THE TRADE STRENGTH & NEGOTIATIONS FOR DEVELOPING NATIONS

DNC 2008 Protesters: Police pepper-sprayed *peaceful* gathering

Spread Love, not corporate dependence,

BlueBerry Pick'n
ThisCanadian
┄┄
" ... do no harm... "
"We, two, form a Multitude" ~ Ovid.

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Corporate Media actually investigating something important? Wow.
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Snowpuppy on Aug 28, 2008 12:57 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I hope ABC pursues this case with the same intensity they had in locking Kucinich out of the presidential debates, and omitting his name as a candidate on their lists.

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If this continues
[Report this comment]
Posted by: feduphoosier on Aug 29, 2008 1:59 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
...the corporate media reporters - the ones that will actually take on a story like this - may actually start to understand Kucinich. They might even... wake up.

Imagine.

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Stop the talk, Walk the Walk
[Report this comment]
Posted by: billslm on Aug 30, 2008 2:52 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Liberals are so outraged by examples of police brutality but all they do is whine. That is exactly what these people count on.

Liberal whiners who do nothing.

NOTHING!

Nobody got in that cops face about him brualizing that girl in pink. They just stood there like the victims that they are. Nobody sued. Nobody brought it to the Mayor's doorstep. If you don't make life miserable for these pigs, they feel empowered. No reprisals, no changes.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]