WH censored "pro-gay" video for two days while deciding whether to issue permanent gag order

[kpete]

White House censored "pro-gay" video for two days while deciding whether to issue permanent gag order to college
Posted by John Aravosis (DC) at 1:04 PM

I just spoke with Nate Kenyon, the director of Marketing and Communications at the Boston College Law School, and he told me quite a bombshell for an administration in Washington that claims it isn't embarrassed of its gay supporters, and claims to believe in transparency.

According to Kenyon, the White House agreed to be the final arbiter of whether or not Boston College (BC) should censor a video of a talk that senior Obama domestic policy adviser Melody Barnes gave at Boston College's law school this past Monday. In the talk, Barnes was asked by BC law student Paul Sousa about gay marriage. Sousa claims that Barnes allegedly expressed sympathy for the position that gay couples should be permitted to marry. Monday evening, the White House vehemently denied to Sam Stein at Huffington Post (see link above) that Barnes said anything other than the White House official position, opposing marriage equality for gay couples.

That's when things get interesting. BC took a video of Barnes' talk. Sousa says that he has spent the past four days trying to get the college administration to release the video, to clear up once and for all what Barnes actually told the students at the public meeting. The video is only now reportedly to be released tomorrow, Friday afternoon (the traditional time in Washington for embarrassing documents to be dumped publicly). Sousa claims that numerous employees of Boston College told him that the video couldn't be released because the White House wouldn't let the college release it, at least until the administration could get a copy and see what in fact Barnes said about gay civil rights. Joe Sudbay and I were informed of this on Tuesday, but we waited until today, in order to get all the facts.

I spoke this morning to Nate Kenyon, a spokesman for Boston College Law School, and Kenyon, while trying to downplay the controversy, suggesting that these kind of delays for publishing video are the norm at the school, and suggesting that Sousa misquoted what Barnes actually said in the video, confirmed that the White House received the video on Tuesday, and Kenyon confirmed that the White House called BC this morning, two days later, and gave its permission for the video to finally be released. And he confirmed that the video was not going to be released until and unless the White House gave its permission.

more:
http://gay.americablog.com/2009/11/white-house-temporarily-censored-pro.html

[niyad]

1. "transparency"?? "fierce advocate"? oh yeah

[Hello_Kitty]

2. Why can't Barnes take a personal position that differs from the official WH one?

What, she has to walk in lockstep and pretend to agree?

[BR_Parkway]

6. have you seen the postings around here when we disagree about something

here? Lockstep seems to be a desired thing with many in the Democratic party lately

[Toasterlad]

12. The LAST Thing Obama Wants Is To Give Those Uppity Gays Any More Ammo.

This lady will be lucky to keep her job.

[mitchtv]

3. all I can say is...

What is this BULLSHIT?

[Zodiak]

4. At this point, the Obama administration has discredited its "fierce advocate" line

And it is going to take more than silencing their internal dissenters and giving cursory lip service to the LGBT community to get the support of the gay community.

And they had BETTER get it back, because without the gay community, Obama is not going to be re-elected. Gays were a very large part of his ground game in Columbus, OH, and every one of them believed the "fierce advocate" line. Not so much any more.

[struggle4progress]

5. It's more bullshit from Aravosis. The White House has no power to censor videos from Boston College

Law: Melody Barnes gave a public lecture there; if the law school videotaped it, it's their videotape to use. The law school faculty know that. And Aravosis, who has a law degree, knows it, too

Here are two links to Eagleonline posts:

What Melody Barnes Said
by AuthorBen DateWednesday, November 11, 2009 at 09:07AM
http://www.eagleionline.com/news/2009/11/11/what-melody-barnes-said.html

Melody Barnes and the Marriage Equality Question
by AuthorPaul DateTuesday, November 10, 2009 at 10:28AM
http://www.eagleionline.com/news/2009/11/10/melody-barnes-and-the-marriage-equality-question.html

[FreeState]

7. The school gives that power to whom ever is speaking - in this case the White House

The school lets who ever was in charge of the speech decide. The White House has been holding on to the tape rather than releasing it immediately.

You might not call that censorship - I would. Not allowing people to see something until you see it and approve of it is called censorship in my book.

Sousa claims that numerous employees of Boston College told him that the video couldn't be released because the White House wouldn't let the college release it, at least until the administration could get a copy and see what in fact Barnes said about gay civil rights.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/CENSOR

Main Entry: 1cen·sor
Pronunciation: \ˈsen(t)-sər\
Function: noun
Etymology: Latin, Roman magistrate, from censēre to give as one's opinion, assess; perhaps akin to Sanskrit śaṁsati he praises
Date: 1526

1 : a person who supervises conduct and morals: as a : an official who examines materials (as publications or films) for objectionable matter b : an official (as in time of war) who reads communications (as letters) and deletes material considered sensitive or harmful

2 : one of two magistrates of early Rome acting as census takers, assessors, and inspectors of morals and conduct

3 : a hypothetical psychic agency that represses unacceptable notions before they reach consciousness

[struggle4progress]

8. As I understand you, you are saying: Boston College Law routinely and by policy

grants to its videotaped speakers the courtesy of deciding whether or not to grant permission to release the videotape -- and thus shipped off a copy of the tape to the Administration with boilerplate "We'd like to release this, with your permission"

If that's the case (and I have no reason to suspect otherwise), then Administration, before granting permission, had to review the tape for infelicities: Is the tape what it claims to be? Did some jackass in AV photoshop or dub the production? Was the speaker correctly identified? Did the speaker accurately state Administration policy? Did the speaker misspeak or claim something insane (like "extraterrestrials have invaded earth")?

That such a review might take several days to schedule and conduct isn't odd: White House received .. video .. Tuesday, .. called BC .. two days later, and gave .. permission scarcely resembles "censorship" or an impending "gag order." Such descriptions are asinine -- though not unexpected from Aravosis

[FreeState]

9. So you dont think the White House had a copy of her remarks before she gave them?

That is how things usually work. Its not like they need to protect the comments - because they already know what she said along with everyone that was there - if the school or someone there did something dubious with the tape it would bring more harm to the school than the White House.

I dont buy your excuses sorry.

[struggle4progress]

10. Enjoy your march through the swamps and lowlands eom

[FreeState]

15. Hu? n/t

[donco6]

17. He'd rather you smell roses instead of horseshit.

But when you're standing in horseshit . . . why pretend?

[Toasterlad]

11. So...First the Concept Was Ludicrous, Now It's Routine.

I haven't seen this much failed spin since the last Bush press conference.

You know, you'd save a lot of time if you just responded to every post: "President Obama is working incredibly hard for gay people and I will not hear a word to the contrary!"

That pretty much sums you up.

[struggle4progress]

13. Keep it up, and people will stop listening

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[TheWraith]

18. How about we just refrain from the outright bullshit from known liars?

Aravosis has a record of simply making things up to suit an anti-Obama agenda, like turning the comment from a White House staffer about liberal bloggers into something about the gay community. He should have zero credibility.

[Toasterlad]

19. And You Have a Record of Ignoring Anti-Obama Truth When It Doesn't Fit Your Pro-Obama Agenda.

I trust Aravois far more than I do your judgment.

[Jamastiene]

16. Geez, at least Bush just hated us openly instead of pretending

in a half assed way. I'd rather be hated openly than put up with this wishy washy shit.