Obama's Media Purge Begins

If you don't properly suck up to The Messiah, don't expect any access.

The Obama campaign has decided to heave out three newspapers from its plane for the final days of its blitz across battleground states -- and all three endorsed Sen. John McCain for president!

The NY POST, WASHINGTON TIMES and DALLAS MORNING NEWS have all been told to move out by Sunday to make room for network bigwigs -- and possibly for the inclusion of reporters from two black magazines, ESSENCE and JET, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

Despite pleas from top editors of the three newspapers that have covered the campaign for months at extraordinary cost, the Obama campaign says their reporters -- and possibly others -- will have to vacate their coveted seats so more power players can document the final days of Sen. Barack Obama's historic campaign to become the first black American president.

Some told the DRUDGE REPORT that the reporters are being ousted to bring on documentary film-makers to record the final days; others expect to see on board more sympathetic members of the media, including the NY TIMES' Maureen Dowd, who once complained that she was barred from McCain's Straight Talk Express airplane.

When Obama sniffles and whines about unfair coverage, he can look back at this moment and blame himself. Of course, accepting responsibility and being a grow-up aren't exactly his strong points.

It would be refreshing to see the rest of the media on that plane walk off in protest, but they'd rather have access than self-respect. The proper response by these news organizations to this breathtaking arrogance is to stop covering Obama entirely.

Update: The Washington Times reacts.

"This feels like the journalistic equivalent of redistributing the wealth, we spent hundreds of thousands of dollars covering Senator Obama's campaign, traveling on his plane, and taking our turn in the reporter's pool, only to have our seat given away to someone else in the last days of the campaign," said Washington Times Executive Editor John Solomon.

"I hope the candidate that promises to unite America isn't using a litmus test to determine who gets to cover his campaign."

This is some astonishing gall:

"Unfortunately, demand for seats on the plane during this final weekend has far exceeded supply, and because of logistical issues we made the decision not to add a second plane. This means we've had to make hard and unpleasant for all concerned decisions about limiting some news organizations and in some cases not being in a position to offer space to news organizations altogether," wrote Obama campaign Senior Advisor and Chief Communications Officer Anita Dunn in an email.

"There are simply no more seats on Senator Obamas plane," she added. "There are press seats available on Senator Bidens plane for travel this final weekend and the Washington Times is encouraged to include our Vice Presidential nominee in your coverage plans for this final stretch."

In other words, we're not allowing you access to Obama, so go cover Biden.

Again, the Washington Times and the others purged should stop covering Obama.