Press: Obama Campaign Disses Reporters, Plane Smells Terrible

In a recent post From The Road, CBS reporter Dean Reynolds notes the cavernous gap between the way the press corps assigned to cover the Obama Campaign is treated versus the way the McCain camp treats traveling members of the fourth estate.

Obama's campaign schedule is fuller, more hectic and seemingly improvisational. The Obama aides who deal with the national reporters on the campaign plane are often overwhelmed, overworked and un-informed about where, when, why or how the candidate is moving about. Baggage calls are preposterously early with the explanation that it's all for security reasons.

The national headquarters in Chicago airily dismisses complaints from journalists wondering why a schedule cannot be printed up or at least e-mailed in time to make coverage plans. Nor is there much sympathy for those of us who report for a newscast that airs in the early evening hours.

The McCain folks are more helpful and generally friendly. The schedules are printed on actual books you can hold in your hand, read, and then plan accordingly. The press aides are more knowledgeable and useful to us in the news media. The events are designed with a better eye, and for the simple needs of the press corps. When he is available, John McCain is friendly and loquacious. Obama holds news conferences, but seldom banters with the reporters who've been following him for thousands of miles around the country.

The other day in Albuquerque, N.M., the reporters were given almost no time to file their reports after McCain spoke. It was an important, aggressive speech, lambasting Obama's past associations. When we asked for more time to write up his remarks and prepare our reports, the campaign readily agreed to it. They understood.

Similar requests are often denied or ignored by the Obama campaign aides, apparently terrified that the candidate may have to wait 20 minutes to allow reporters to chronicle what he's just said.

Imagine that. Behind the scenes, the messiah is cold, aloof, unavailable and dismissive of those he deems unimportant, while McCain is folksy, considerate of others needs and enjoys chatting with people.

I wonder who else found him cold, aloof and insensitive?

Gee, for all the pious musings Obama made at Saddleback Church about how America's greatest moral failure is not having compassion for the least of these my brethern you'd think he'd want to show some compassion and consideration for people he can see on his plane who have been covering his campaign while traveling all over the country with him. It kinda' leaves you with the impression that the guy is an Arrogant, Hypocrite!