Not all acts of patriotism take place on the battlefield. Sometimes they can happen in a Philadelphia hoagie shop, when a college student uses his free speech rights to ask an important question of our would-be leaders.
Check out the inspiring saga of Temple student Michael Rovito, and also the sad reaction:
Since then, many reporters have asked why I engaged Palin at Tony Luke's, why I asked those questions, whether I thought Palin understood them, if the exchange was authentic, and whether I participated in "gotcha journalism."
Students have asked me about being a voice for voters who can't interact authentically with candidates. Friends have warned me about the backlash I might face as a Democrat who questioned a Republican. My professors, meanwhile, are concerned that "gotcha-journalist" accusations could harm my academic career.
I have made it clear in interviews that I am not a journalist, have no training in journalism, and have no plans to become a journalist. I did not aim to stump Sarah Palin, and she did not seem to take offense at my questions; actually, I thought she responded openly.
I questioned Palin because I am a voter with profound concerns about the ramifications of this election for the future of our country. I don't think that makes me an unusual voter, but rather a typical one. I genuinely wanted to know her thoughts on conducting the war on terror, because a lot of my friends and former students are fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq.
You see, Rovito unknowingly placed himself on the front line of the war that Sarah Palin, John McCain, and the Republican Party have declared on not only the media but on free speech and the First Amendment. Rovito is "the enemy" -- a citizen seeking information about something of substance.
What used to be called "the public's right to know" is now called "a gotcha question." And it raises a question that voters need to ask themselves on Nov. 4.
Why do they hate our freedoms?
Posted by Will Bunch @ 11:14 AM
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42 comments
This kid not only has balls but he has a general concern for the future of our country. Guys like him, and our generation are going to decide this election. Not the old farts, not the dwindling relighior right, not the value voters. It's going to come down to the college aged Americans. This I am thankful for.
Hey Will. So what the hell. The kid asked Sarah some questions and she answered them. What am I missing here?
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Inspiring saga? Please... You make him out to be MK Ghandi. Talk about blowing it out of whack. Get a clue.
Or, even worse, ask about Barack's association with domestic terrorists and it's called...yes, you guessed it. Racism.
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Have you formally nominated Rovito for the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize? On second thought, give the kid a free subscription to the paper.
Ask McPhallin about anything and it's played as disrespect to "the hero" or disrespect to a small time local politican who's out of her league!
It's been blown out of proportions by both sides. First by the McCain campaign, for claiming that a citizen's question is "gotcha journalism". Then by Obama supporters, for claiming that the guy is some kind of hero.
What am I missing here?...Palin's whining. lol. Now the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Palin refused to pay $25,000 in taxes. Not only is she unintelligent, she's a tax cheat too! Why does Sarah and Todd Palin feel they are above the law in refusing to pay income taxes that all hard working Americans have to? McCain's impuslive and reckless pick of a tax cheat deomonstyrates his poor judgment and lack of leadership. Read more here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122334021713509963.html
"Ask Obama about Ayers it's called 'sliming' or 'hitting rock bottom'...what a fraud." . . . . . Nothing wrong with asking, and Obama's been asked many times. You just can't accept the answers. Why? That's something you need to ask yourself.
Will, you seem to skip over the fact that she answered the questions. Who cares about the McCain campaigns spin after the fact? they are down and desperate, no need to go into bunker mentality with them.
"Ask Obama about Ayers it's called 'sliming' or 'hitting rock bottom'...what a fraud."
Ask Palin's staffers to testify about Troopergate and its a partisan witchhunt. Ask Palin to conduct a news conference and its a liberal MSM trap.
"You make him out to be MK Ghandi." . . . . . Nice elitism, SSB. It's one thing to talk about Joe Six Pack, the myth, but the one thing repugs can't handle is meeting him in person, heh!
This is laughable, Will. Obama is hiring prosecutors and police in Missouri to intimidate his critics and you are accusing McCain of attacking the first amendment? Please. (http://www.kmov.com/video/index.html?nvid=285793&shu=1)
Conspiracy theory??? I think this kid is just trying to extend his 15 minutes.
The Palin/McCain ticket depends on the voters' ignorance. They really think they can run out the clock to the election shielding Palin from questions. Jones, what you were missing was that when Palin answered the question, she contradicted her own campaign. Later, when both did a joint interview, McCain had to intervene and answer a question for Palin.
Why does Sarah Palin not cooperate with her abuse of power investigation? Why does she refuses to pay income taxes on state reimbursements? Why does Palin believe she is above the law? She's laughing at all honest, hard working Americans.
So, the Mccain capaign labeling Rovito's question as "gotcha journalism" is somehow a full blown war against the media and free speech, and evidence that McCain hates our freedoms? I'm also supposed to believe this guy who goes to TEMPLE has friends and professors worried he may face backlash for being a Democrat questioning a Republican. If I go to Temple wearing a McCain t-shirt, will everyone be extra nice to me because they fear a backlash? Another fantasy minute presented by Attytood.
The whole point of Bunch's post is NOT that the question was asked and answered, but what the McCain campaign did AFTERWARD to attack the student as a "gotcha" journalist. McCain and Palin will stop at nothing to try and win the election. However, the skeletons in both their closets are much more damaging to them than anything the GOP can try and pin on Obama/Biden. If you disagree, you should take a look at this: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/vp/27015517#27057346or this: http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/make_believe_maverick_the_real_john_mccain
It looks like H&R Block's going to get the treatment from the GOP over this one. They'll try to blame the "error" on the preparer for not classifying the family's reimbursed travel expenses properly and Todd's business loss. I can't wait to see how that shakes out.
Yo Gibba, maybe you better re-read the article. It mentions nothing about Sarah not paying $25,000. It states, and I quote "Several tax experts said they believe Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin is required to pay federal taxes on $25,000 in reimbursements from the state of Alaska for her children's travel expenses."
Notice the word "on". Big difference from "refused to pay $25,000 in taxes" to not paying taxes "on" $25,000. Come on dude, can't you get your facts straight? Did you actually read the article or just look at the title?
Well, KG it does depend on whether the Palins thought they were entitled to that money and thought they didn't have to pay taxes on it. From what I remember, she tried to charge the state per diem for the kids when she took them with her on state business. I don't know what documentation she provided to the preparer, but she should have done what Al Franken did (after all, she had over a month to do it). Have an independent auditor go over them first and find mistakes before you release them. He found that his preparer made mistakes and filed corrected returns and paid his back taxes. From what I remember, he owed taxes to various states over income from appearances. The important thing is that he took the initiative and got it straightened out. Palin had time to do that too, but she decided either that she couldn't have made a mistake, or that she would just blame it on H&R Block.
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TOTAL HYPERBOLE!
"If I go to Temple wearing a McCain t-shirt, will everyone be extra nice to me because they fear a backlash?" . . . . . What would be your preference, a few insults behind your back as a McCain supporter, or an FBI dossier as an Obama supporter? The radical left wing has always been a threat to the establishment, giving rise to COINTELPRO and Operation CHAOS (and who knows what else since 9/11), but I doubt your Mccain t-shirt will mark you as anything but "harmless" to the undercover ops at Temple.
Undercover ops? FBI dossier? Huh?
Politburo, sorry, I'd forgotten the name - the new incarnation of the American KGB is TALON.
TALON was shutdown. While there are concerns about domestic spying, I think you're being a bit paranoid.
will another obvious attempt by you to take a shot at the republicans ... this is a non event... alright already I know you hate republicans
Yes, Will, you seem genuinely interested in getting to the bottom of Obama's relationship with Bill Ayers and the "Rev" Wright. You, sir, are blind.
Politburo, TALON was shut down once it began getting scrutiny, and you'd be foolish to think it hasn't been replaced. As for being paranoid, that was my whole point. Why would Rovito's buds be paranoid? Because history gives them the right to be.
Bud, what do you suppose needs to be done to get to the bottom of Obama's relationships to Ayers and Wright, that hasn't been done already? Give Will some concrete suggestions if you're serious.
Sorry Bunch, but it was only last week that a mosque was sprayed with an eye irritant, and you called for the First Amendment to be banned. You have to wait one full month before you can pretend to care about Freedom of Speech again.
On the original topic, I didn't think he was off-base to ask the question. Why would anyone call it gotcha journalism? She went "off the reservation" on the answer.
Looks like we've got predators going in as it is. Hopefully a well-placed hellfire missile will take care of the issue before the next President's inauguration anyway.
That's what scares anyone with half a brain: when this broad is left to her own devices, without handlers writing her responses or selecting her questions, her brain has as a tendecy to take a rest while her tongue wags. Why else would she essentially contradict McLame's positions on just about EVERYTHING? No wonder this campaign is going down faster than a Frankford hooker at a GOP convention.....
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Rovito has been asked to write the foreword for the next Bunch pamphlet.. oops, I mean book. Also Rovito was given a "complimentary" copy of the jukebox book. Somehow they managed to "find him" one.
Posted by b.atkinson 11:55 AM, 10/07/2008
The dope could have gone anywhere, he chose...wait, he probably couldn't have gone anywhere, could he?
Yet batboy will call Obama an elitist! What a clown!
Lucky Kenya doesn't have to worry about the First Ammendment but I guess Bunch and the boys have no problem with Corsi being arrested and deported simply for writing an anti-Obama book. Don't worry if the left gets their way every written word will be run thru the PC police first.
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montani semper liberi- what needs to be done? well, for starters, we need to understand the exact nature of their relationship. obama has been fuzzy on this for a long time. Ayers is, after all, an ACTUAL terrorist. I'd like to know how much our future president interacts/interacted with him. I also still haven't heard a good explanation for why Obama continued to sit in church and listen to Wright's hatred of the US for all those years, then went on to be married by him, and write a book based on his sermon. besides that, nothing at all.
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About Will Bunch
Will's book: Learn about it here and purchase it here.
Will Bunch, a senior writer at the Philadelphia Daily News, blogs about his obsessions, including national and local politics and world affairs, the media, pop music, the Philadelphia Phillies, soccer and other sports, not necessarily in that order.
Will Bunch, a senior writer at the Philadelphia Daily News, blogs about his obsessions, including national and local politics and world affairs, the media, pop music, the Philadelphia Phillies, soccer and other sports, not necessarily in that order.
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