Please don't make me spend more of my time deleting the expanding 9/11 debate here today -- just please voluntarily refrain from using the comment thread here for that, as I've asked many times.

I left the first set of comments up so the debate is framed and everyone gets to have their views expressed. But the post isn't a 9/11 theory debate and I'd appreciate the discussion not being consumed by that.

"bernbart, you simply cannot be serious!"

Oh yes I can be serious. There are people form other professionals who certainly have the ability to write articles or opinions for the news papers and online news, that does not qualify them as professional journalist.

Barging into an event uninvited or using your twiter on cell when you agreed not to is not only rude, it's unprofessional. If you don't understand that you've got a lot to learn in life.

Let me be one of those American citizens who would like to apologize on behalf of our government for the pain and suffering inflicted upon you and your family by this illegal activity.

I would send this in the mail but feel fairly certain you would not receive it and I would not care for the NSA to see that I am sending "aid" to some Muslim guy in Afghanistan.

Pretty sad situation we've created for ourselves.

Peace.

Sorry. I got hooked into the 9/11 and did not see your earlier request. I will cease.

Who -

What -

When -

Where -

Why -

Those I still remember from a journalism class so long ago... I wonder why the ones getting paid to be journalists seem to forget.

Yes, it's a rhetorical question.

I sometimes can't tell the difference, but maybe bernbart is really a spy. An agent provocateur. An idiot savant, if you will. Perhaps she's being paid for this. It's genius, really.

She's deliberately ignoring facts and evidence that dispute her statements, she repeats the same shabby arguments over and over, and she often completely misses the point of the discussion; for example, the idea that the journalists invited to the Obama BBQ would perhaps be taking notes rather than using cell phones or laptops between shucking and jiving.

And she manages to comandeer the comment section by instigating reasonable people to argue with her. I think Glenn lets her post for comic relief, because he enjoys the response by other posters. I have to admit to laughing out loud at some of the refutations as well.

Incidentally, there are several agents provocateur that show up on this site, especially whenever YKW is mentioned. They post disinformation, debunked theories and other claptrap to dilute and discredit the real problems with the "official story." I don't even bother to correct them. Most people who have researched YKW are aware of the cultural implications of eating with the left hand. That's not the problem with the Bin Laden video.

It's a way for journalist to build relationships too, so they can get the real inside scoop in the future.

There's some validity to that, but unfortunately there's been a much bigger problem with "journalist" being fed unreal inside scoop than with a paucity of warm friendly relationships with the great and good.

I'd like to see more rudeness, quite frankly, among the Fourth Estate.

And, once again, bernbart is half-right: for a "guest" to blog or tweet or Facebook an "event" is terribly rude and déclassé.

For a journalist, it's their job.

These people are courtiers, nothing more nor less.

-- Paul Daniel Ash

Oh but the GUESTs were journalist who were invited under the condition that they not blog or twit. So therefore it was RUDE and unethical for the journalists to blog or tweet at this event.

to reward good journalism and the willingness to speak truth to power.

It is only a symbolic act, I know, but if a huge number of us did the same thing, would/could it in some way benefit McClatchy?

Yes, there has always been journalist who don't do a good job check out the facts and substantiate their sources, and sometimes it take rouges to get a good story. However an event such as the one described at the white house is different. I doubt a carefully crafted event such will present any good news worthy stories, but it is a chance to build a relationship and trust with the white house and other news outlets. There's always that job to think of in the future.

Bernbart writes:

Oh but the GUESTs were journalist who were invited under the condition that they not blog or twit. So therefore it was RUDE and unethical for the journalists to blog or tweet at this event.

God, I feel like I'm in a Monty Python skit.

Bernbart, this whole 'twitter' thing is not the point. The point is that the press should not be invited to a WH event under the condition that the event is "off the record." The WH and the Press should not have off the record parties. They should not socialize. There are 250 million other people Obama could have invited to his shindig, and he invites the press. Why does he need to pal around with them? Shouldn't our press be an adversary? Shouldn't our press be in his face about his decisions? Aren't you sick of this? Don't you see what's going on?

Did you ever see the musical "Oklahoma" where there's a song "The Cowboy and the Farmer Should be Friends?" Well, the Press and the WH should NOT be friends, they should be more like the farmer and the cowboy.

Mr Greenwald,

On the front page of Salon, the following title is linked to this article:

More proof of the danger of accepting government "truths"

You might want to have this changed to clear up the confusion about which government "truths" you feel are appropriate to be discussed here.

I left the first set of comments up so the debate is framed and everyone gets to have their views expressed. But the post isn't a 9/11 theory debate and I'd appreciate the discussion not being consumed by that.

Sorry Guv. There was a bit of slippage on my part by my having to repeat myself. And I didn't instigate anything. I just had to jump in though and correct a gross distortion that bernbart was labouring under viz some vids she once saw and swallowed whole without first chewing to test for authenticity.