More Tactics

Since I didn't see the SOTU last night, I won't really have a lot to say about it. Rather, I would like to bring you this anecdotal article from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Smirking Chimp) that discusses the security for the Innauguration parties and, more significantly, the 'minders' hired to watch over the members of the press covering the events.

But it's not what you think. The minders aren't there to watch over the reporters. Rather, their purpose is a little more insidious.

Their real purpose only occurred to me after I had gone home for the night, when I remembered a brief conversation with a woman I was interviewing. During the middle of our otherwise innocuous encounter, she suddenly noticed the presence of my minder. She stopped talking for a moment, glanced past me and then resumed talking.

It seems to be a fairly strong-arm tactic, even for an administration that controls its message with such precision (see the various permutations of terminology surrounding the SS debate).

Given that the administration has also been paying off journalists to tout their programs, The Ministry of Truth is just around the corner.

And if you've had enough of the righty "pundits" of the SCLM bitching about the Dems responding negatively to the President during the SOTU last night, I offer you this rebuttal, from the Rude Pundit. (via atrios)

Update: more on the history of booing at the SOTU can be found at DailyKos.