Clinton Aide: I Only Talk To Americans (Toby Harnden - Telegraph)

[VolcanoJen]

From The Telegraph's Toby Harnden. He's been covering the trail from a British perspective like a champ, and this entry isn't meant as a Clinton slam at all... it's just another fascinating glimpse at the media dealings and political machinations of this historical campaign. It would have been easier for her to just address his question quickly rather than let on to why she wouldn't speak to him, but you can hardly blame Mandy for wanting to get the campaign's message out to US outlets first.

Clinton aide: I only talk to Americans - Telegraph

In the hubbub of the spin room after last night’s Democratic debate in Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre, I introduced myself to Mandy Grunwald, Hillary Clinton’s media strategist, and prepared to ask a question. “Hi – you’re going to violate my I-only-speak-to-American-journalists…”, she said as I shook her hand.

I laughed. But it wasn’t a joke. “I just have this, like, you know, it’s my job to talk to people who print papers in states where we have voters - don’t take it personally but I’m going to answer his question first,” she said, pointing to Newsday’s Glen Thrush, standing behind me. I spluttered something about people clicking on internet stories. “Mmm, not so much – I’ll take his first,” Ms Grunwald responded.

When I continued to act dumbfounded, she grudgingly relented. “I knew you were going to take it personally and think it terribly rude,” she said. “Ask your question.” So I did.

Hillary Clinton’s foreign policy platform states that “cooperative relationships have to be deepened and strengthened” across the globe while our “increasingly interconnected world demands an interconnected strategy”. I guess that doesn’t include the media.

[BeyondGeography]

1. She's so appealing

[aquart]

2. That person was hired for an American campaign

not the Hillary Clinton administration. Does Obama's staff really spend their time with the foreign non-voting press?

[VolcanoJen]

3. I don't know that either camp spends much time with the foreign press.

But you know what? Maybe they should. Might be a good idea. Since I'm certain US reporters will wait patiently and diligently for any morsels thrown to them by the campaign spokespersons, I just can't see any downside in adressing members of the foreign press.