The operating procedures of media management, Clinton style, are being revealed, as the torrent of Wikileaks releases continues. Howard Kurtz of Fox News has gone through the recent tranches, and puts together a very interesting portrait of the Ruling Class Media in action. A brief example from “Clinton Leaks: A campaign at war with itself and the press (except those sucking up).”
In case you thought candidate humor was spontaneous—ha!—Merrill suggested a joke for comedian Larry Wilmore, who would say at an appearance with Clinton, “I just emailed HRC (I hear she’s a big emailer)…It would be just light-hearted enough while giving her the opportunity to address this seriously, be a little conciliatory as discussed, and then get back to a discussion about CGI etc.”
Key allies sometimes chimed in with support. After communications director Jennifer Palmieri wrote a letter blasting the New York Times for reporting that federal investigators were seeking a “criminal inquiry” into the email mess—the paper had to backtrack on that—she heard from Neera Tanden, head of the liberal Center for American Progress. “The letter… is great. F– these assholes,” Tanden wrote.
Palmieri asked other aides to arrange for Univision interviewer to ask “a few questions on emails…As you all know, I had hoped that we could use the ‘server moment’ as an opportunity for her to be viewed as having take a big step to deal with the email problem that would best position us for what is ahead. It is clear that she is not in same place.”
There is more to come, according to Assange.
