Judge hands CNN a victory in its bid to restore Jim Acosta’s White House press pass

Judge hands CNN a victory in its bid to restore Jim Acosta’s White House press pass
https://www.washingtonpost.com/life...edd08a-e920-11e8-a939-9469f1166f9d_story.html
Washington Post -By Paul Farhi - November 16 at 4:37 PM

A federal judge on Friday ruled in favor of CNN and reporter Jim Acosta in a dispute with President Trump, ordering the White House to temporarily restore the press credentials that the administration had taken away from Acosta last week.

In a victory for the cable network and for press access generally, U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly granted CNN’s motion for a temporary restraining order that will prevent the administration from keeping Acosta off the White House grounds.​

Yeh that's right Trump. Give him back his press pass.

Oh and while tantrum Trump is taking the orders, not giving them, he should take a long winter holiday to Florida, inviting the real leader of the Free World, Condoleezza Rice to take up residence in the White House.

• Condi, the de facto President working out of the White House, coordinating with VP Pence to run the U.S. and the Free World
• Trump, the de jure President, playing golf in Florida. (Don't call us Donald, we will call you.)

Sorted!

 

Pure fantasy.

Perhaps it would help if you gathered some facts.

Acosta's days are numbered if he doesn't control himself.

It was no victory for CNN, it was a temporary stay of execution for Acosta.

 

Reporters are much too timid in confronting politicians with tough questions and refusing to accept empty spin, rhetoric or demonstrable lies. Doesn't mater to me what the party is or the news organization, few reporters will push hard when politicians are bloviating instead of answering direct questions with on topic, truthful and direct responses.

Acosta was doing his job in a situation that cries out for a lot more pressure on the people in charge. This is clear as evidenced by a Trump appointed Federal judge being so impressed by CNN's case, so unimpressed by the White House's response, that he issued a temporary order to return the press pass before the full case is heard.

That's a win, unclouded and clear as can be,

 

It was a win for the Constitution and the first amendment on the grounds of "due process". The result is rules of decorum are being drawn up as we speak so the next time Acosta or any other reporter starts grandstanding and bullying interns and debating instead of asking questions there will be a due process to revoke their press pass in place.

 

I have heard a few suggestions on how to deal with the Judges dictat (until it gets to a more serious court).

1. Stop ALL press events in the White House
2. Never, ever call on the fellow for questions
3. Call on no one else but Acosta. Every question. No one else gets to ask anything. Perhaps the rest of the press might be less enthralled with the good fellow if no one but the rascal gets any questions.
4. Create a template of rules for the white house press corp and remove any who violate the new procedures.
5. Stop all video coverage of press events so as to stop hack grandstanding. Audio only.

And on a related issue. Ask Congress to pass a simple act that limits the scope of a federal district judge's ruling to...wait for it...His District. If that is not possible, perhaps a simple renaming of the least federal court to, perhaps something like 'The Global Court'.​

 

I can't understand this. For decades I knew that reporters were at the mercy of Presidents, and could be barred if they offended them. Frankly, I always thought they were invited, otherwise why aren't there more from the smaller news outlets?

I also knew that stations feared of having their licenses revoked by the government under some trumped up charge if they didn't tow the line. If this existed, as I'm sure it did for almost all the Presidents, then why not for Trump?

 

Reporters are not invited to cover the White House, that's not how it works.

First the "Standing Committee of Correspondents" must approve a reporter's request. This is the association of reporters that approves press passes for Congress. As such, it is the gatekeeper for news organizations of any size, right down to individual freelancers. There are about 1500 news organizations represented in the committee, with a five member board.

Second, the Secret Service does a background check to approve White House access. This is what is known as the "hard pass", good for a year and renewable. About 2000 have a hard pass at any given time.

The White House has the authority to revoke a hard pass. This is extremely rare and has only been done in security matters (Secret Service action) or other unusual circumstance. Such as a reporter who in 2001 was found digging about in a White House press aide's desk drawer. For this the White House suspended Trude Feldman for 90 days but did not revoke her hard pass.

A few Presidents have had fights with specific reporters or organizations.None have previously revoked a hard pass to the briefing room. Nixon did unofficially bar the Washington Post entry to the White House, but did not revoke press passes, and look what happened to that guy.

By the way, the current briefing room construction was paid for about 30% by the news organizations themselves, the rest by taxpayers.It is kind of a shame it covered up an indoor swimming pool, but that was Nixon's doing.

 

There is a simpler solution - never give Acosta the mic. If cnn wants its questions asked they’ll remove him on their own.
Another option - if Acosta does get the mic and asks more than one question trump can just thank everyone for coming and walk out. Other journalists will get pissed.

 

Acosta was completely in the right. At some point of being lied to, of questions being dodged, the news media must press politicians harder. Doesn't matter the political party or the office, it is the duty of the free press to get answers out to the people.