Tea Party Convention Featuring Palin Will Lock Out Media

The Tea Party Nation doesn't want you to know what they're up to at the big convention they're hosting next month in Nashville. Media are even closed out of the speeches by their two big keynoters, Sarah Palin and Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., neither of whom are known to be particularly publicity-shy.

Several journalists I know have received rejection e-mails to their requests for press credentials, and I'm awaiting my own.

Here's one received by a colleague:

Thank you for your inquiry about media coverage of the First National

Tea Party Convention in Nashville.

           This is a working convention and the sessions will not be

open to the press.   We are planning two events that the media could

have access to.  Neither has been finalized.  One would be on Friday

and the other would be on Saturday.

           We have a very limited number of press passes and they

have been accounted for.  Press without a pass will not be allowed

into the convention area.

           If you want to interview any of our speakers, please let

me know and we will try to work that out.  Governor Palin will not be

available for interviews.

           If you wish to interview someone about the convention,

please email me...and I will try to work out

arrangements for that.

Even the Minneapolis Star-Tribune was turned down for credentials to cover Bachmann, for better or worse, one of their state's best-know politicians. At the Star-Trib's Hot Dish Politics blog, Kevin Diaz writes: