J.K. Trotter at Gawker.com continues to show how flacks to Hillary Clinton were able to dictate to big-name journalists exactly how they would write their stories.
The latest reveal deals with Marc Ambinder, then of The Atlantic, who wrote Clinton spokeshole Phillippe Reines to ask for a copy of Hillary Clinton’s upcoming speech.
Mr. Reines told Mr. Ambinder he could provide a copy on two conditions, to which Ambinder replied “ok.” Reines then wrote:
From: [Philippe Reines]
Sent: Wednesday, July 15 2009 10:06 AM
To: Ambinder, Marc
Subject: Re: Do you have a copy of HRC’s speech to share?
3 [conditions] actually
1) You in your own voice describe them as “muscular”
2) You note that a look at the CFR seating plan shows that all the envoys — from Holbrooke to Mitchell to Ross — will be arrayed in front of her, which in your own clever way you can say certainly not a coincidence and meant to convey something.
3) You don’t say you were blackmailed!
Mr. Ambinder replied: “got it” — and like a dutiful little scribe, he complied with every request:
“When you think of President Obama’s foreign policy, think of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. That’s the message behind a muscular speech that Clinton is set to deliver today to the Council on Foreign Relations. The staging gives a clue to its purpose: seated in front of Clinton, subordinate to Clinton, in the first row, will be three potentially rival power centers: envoys Richard Holbrooke and George Mitchell, and National Security Council senior director Dennis Ross.”
Mr. Ambinder has taken a lot of criticism for this, and deservedly so. But lost in the shuffle has been Mike Allen of Politico. There are no emails showing a similar demand being made of Mr. Allen. But check out the opening of Mr. Allen’s piece about the same speech:
“In a muscular first major address as secretary of state, Hillary Clinton warns adversaries on Wednesday that they should never see America’s willingness to talk as a sign of weakness to be exploited.”
The seating! Don’t forget the seating, Mike!
“A look at the CFR’s guest seating chart shows that arrayed in the front row will be top members of her team — the envoys she has called her “force multipliers”: Richard Holbrooke, George Mitchell, Dennis Ross, Philip Goldberg and Stephen Bosworth.
We told you to say “a look at the CFR’s guest seating plan,” Mike, not “chart.” It’s a minor quibble. Otherwise, we’re pleased. Messrs. Holbrooke, Mitchell, Ross. You even got the order right, Mike! Well done!
On Friday, Mr. Trotter explained how Mr. Reines had once secretly ghostwritten an item on Allen’s blog. In November, Mr. Trotter showed that Mr. Allen promised positive coverage to Chelsea Clinton and promised to provide his interview questions in advance. “No one besides me would ask her a question, and you and I would agree on them precisely in advance.” The “no surprises” promise he made to Chelsea was common practice for Mr. Allen in dealing with Democrats, emails obtained by Trotter have revealed. So the chances that Mr. Reines dictated Mr. Allen’s coverage of Ms. Clinton’s speech are approximately yes, it happened . . . give or take.
The fact that these guys still work and don’t get disciplined in any way tells you all you need to know.
Excellent work by J.K. Trotter.
