BAGnewsNotes

McCain's Ear For The Lobbyists

There is certainly a lot more tension now between McCain and his traveling press entourage.  If you're tracking the pictures, in fact, it seems like the two sides (true to Mac's short fuse and oppositional nature) are locked in something of a cold war.

If you missed it, here's the Newsweek account from the day the NYT story came out:

John McCain’s campaign plane is usually a pretty jovial place to be. The senator, his family and aides sit in the first few rows, while the press is stationed in the back of the plane. On most days, the two sides openly mingle, with reporters sometimes able to sit close so close to the front that they can hear McCain and his aides talking strategy.

But in the aftermath of today’s New York Times story looking at McCain’s dealings with a Washington lobbyist, the mood is decidedly different. Before McCain boarded his plane, reporters were asked to sit farther back than usual on the plane. And when McCain finally boarded the plane, he failed to offer his usual wave at reporters and opted to quickly take his seat. During the flight, the cabin was unusually quiet, save a few quick discussions McCain had with top aides Steve Schmidt and Mark Salter.

The first shot above, taken the next day, features Mac with senior advisor, Steve Schmidt.  With the media relegated to sitting in their seats and behaving, I think this is an enormously clever dig.

Bill Richardson, Would-Be King Maker

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I was a little disgusted reading this morning's article on Bill Richardson, would-be king maker.

After playing the "also ran" throughout the Dem campaign, the Gov of New Mexico now seems to be taking an almost sadistic pleasure in playing Clinton and Obama off each other -- especially as each continues to court him for his endorsement in advance of the Hispanic-rich Texas primary.

It's hard to see how this guy ends up Secretary of anything (like he's pining for) for spilling, almost verbatim, the contents of phone calls between himself, Hillary, Bill and Barack.

Heightening the tease is the accompanying shot of Bill x 2 during the recent Super Bowl.  If Clinton hasn't been beaten down enough the past month, he seems to know he's the couch ornament as the smug Richardson -- anchoring the foreground with his new, cute little beard -- poses for the camera.

I'm not sure what that blanket really says, but "GOD" wouldn't surprise me.

No Longer in Race, Richardson Is a Man Pursued (NYT)

(Rebecca Craig/The Santa Fe New Mexican, via Associated Press. Santa Fe.  February 3, 2008. nytimes.com)

UnWeavering Love For McCain

   
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In spite of the fire McCain is taking right now on the ethics front, the "baseline" in the campaign -- in response to generous access -- is that the press has either been blowing kisses or looking the other way.

In light of this tendency, coupled with the backlash to this week's NYT story on Mac's supposed affair with a lobbyist, an obvious question to ask is how much the press will now be (however unwittingly) running interference for the campaign.  The day after the NYT  McCain/Iseman/Paxon story broke, it was curious how YahooNews, the popular purveyor of newswire imagery, broke McCain's way on a key dimension of the story.

As Marc Ambinder at the Atlantic pointed out, the obvious "fall guy" in the dust up with The Times is McCain's former chief strategist, John Weaver.  Dumped last July with the campaign DOA, Weaver was one of the only named sources in the NYT story.  And, although he kept the campaign informed of exactly what he told The Times, Weaver's comments -- addressing the campaign's escalating concern over Iseman, and his subsequent banishment of her -- seemed to offer the paper enough of a sense that something illicit was going on.

In doing a search for "McCain Weaver" on YahooNews between Thursday and Friday (one and two days after the sloppy bombshell from The Times), four images were offered.  Let's just say, knowing how many photos of Weaver and McCain the newswires have on file, that this group wasn't the most flattering for one of them.

Kick In The Ash

A little Friday comic relief ... or more than that?

Some Q's:

Is the (remarkable) tone here a way to rip on (or, even send a signal to) second- and third-world players that refuse to play along with the corporate/globalization model?  (...Or, is a cigar just a cigar?)

Any thoughts on the specific elements and composition -- the label, the height, the angle, the smoke...?

Could you just fantasize what Bush would deserve?

(photoillustration: unattributed. Economist Cover, February 23, 2008. economist.com)

White House Syndrome

[The bombings prove al-Qaida is] "the most brutal and bankrupt of movements...."

--Condoleezza Rice

"There is nothing they won't do if they think it will work in creating carnage and the political fallout that comes from that."

--Ryan Crocker

Three weeks ago, Iraqi and American military officials offered a dramatic announcement.  They reported that the two women suicide bombers who had hit separate Baghdad pet markets within half-an-hour both had Down syndrome, and had likely been recruited and detonated by al Qaeda.

I had my suspicions, but it didn't stop a wide swath of media from jumping on the story, producing headlines and visuals like these.

Once again, those nameless, faceless evil-doers the White House compulsively talks about had demonstrated what barbarians they are.  Imagine, using mentally handicapped women to kill the father of these now emotionally shattered boys, or to cause blood to flow freely in the streets, leading shell-shocked Iraqi's to simply look down and wonder why.

... If there is anything even slightly redeeming about the whole scenario, and I mean slight, it is that the American military (without the pictures this time, and with much less fanfare, as well) admitted that the Down syndrome claim was false, and that no link to al Qaeda could be demonstrated, either.

Mentally Retarded Pair Used in Bombing  (AOL)
Down’s syndrome bombers kill 91  (Times Online)
Some Witnesses Descriptions, Picture Disagree on Least One Iraqi Market Bomber (DotCommonSense)
Files for Suicide Bombers Show No Down Syndrome (NYT)

(image 1& 2: Ali Yussef, Getty Images. Baghdad.  February 1, 2008. Times Online and AOL.com)

It's Not About Sex, It's About Power

First off, I owe a hearty thanks to everyone who took part in the conversation while I was away.  I was in Mexico City for five days taking a complete break from news, technology, the internet, U.S. culture and American gastronomy.

One thing I'd like to figure out, though, is why the news always goes crazy when I take a few days off.  I mean, I knew I was missing a few primaries and Bush in Rwanda, but Kosovo? Castro? Afghanistan bombings? the al Sadr rumors?  And then, I somehow completely blanked on the Pakistani election.  Anyway, I might be working forward and back a little bit to catch up.

At this point, however, how could I overlook the visage of one Vicki Iseman?

As this story builds over the next few days, just keep in mind the power of a photograph.

Given where the mind goes -- when money and power (and unreported free rides with beautiful lobbyists) are concerned -- these images can't help but pull for carnal knowledge.  Of course, the image with Bush looks pretty standard.  But, check out this diptych the Huffington Post constructed.  With McCain fresh off somebody's private jet, they have him leering to his left like he's looking at Iseman (or her chest, more specifically) through a window.

Fidel: The Poster

With all the Castro imagery flooding the net, I was most interested in this collage circulated by AFP.

As much as the White House and the presidential candidates want to infuse the retirement with political weight, this story is mostly about  mortality and the exit of a political rock star.

Why else would four whole rows here be devoted to emphasizing his very early days, with the last row framing Fidel as such a historical artifact that he barely made it to the "color era?"

Castro (Notes On Politics, Theory and Photography)
Castro retires (Chris Bertram/Crooked Timber)
Castro and the Colossus (Robert Sheer/HuffPost)

(images: AFP)

Your BAG/World Press Wednesday: PKK

World Press '08 - People in the News: 1st prize stories

Philippe Dudouit, Switzerland, for Time magazine.

PKK fighters, Northern Iraq

The rest of the series

http://www.phild.ch/

Your BAG/World Press Tuesday: Last Combat Injury?

World Press '08 - Spot News: 3rd prize stories

Michael Kamber, USA, The New York Times.

Searching for missing soldiers, Latafiya, Iraq, 18 May

The rest of the series.

 

different dimension: Have We Just Seen The Last Combat Injury In Iraq? (Michael Kamber + The BAG: Huffington Post)

kamberphoto.com

Your BAG/World Press Monday: Putin

World Press '08 - Portraits: 1st prize singles

Platon, UK, for Time magazine.

President Putin of Russia

platonphoto.com