Media descends on Nashville for first national Tea Party Convention
At Nashville’s Gaylord Hotel, where grassroots activists paid more than $500 each to attend the first National Tea Party Convention, the national press has descended. This is despite initial reports that most media outlets would be barred from the Tennessee Ballroom.
“Unlike the promises of this administration, we actually have C-SPAN covering our convention,” convention spokesman Mark A. Skoda said.
“We desire transparency at this convention and have worked with media that are friendly to the Tea Party movement as well as those that have not been seen to be supportive of our efforts.”
Skoda said of the 120 media organizations that asked to cover the convention, the group credentialed 111 members of the press. A notable exception was the host city’s own paper, the Tennessean.
During a interview Thursday with reporters on the convention’s hallways, a reporter from the Nashville paper pressed Skoda on why the Tennessean was not allowed to cover the event. Skoda did not budge. Mark Silverman, editor of the Tennessean, did not return a request for comment.
A print reporter from Brazil, clutching a copy of Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s autobiography, said she’s been pitching a story to her editors on the Tea Party movement and the revival of the Republican Party for over a year.
“After the 2008 elections, we’ve proclaimed them dead,” Andrea Murta of the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper said. “But the tea party has very strong appeal, a populist appeal, that my newspaper is interested in,” she said. Murta said her paper is especially interested in knowing, “who are the people that are behind this.”
Other international media, Skoda said, are coming from Germany, Croatia and Japan.
Organizers say the delegates “will be able to speak with reporters, be interviewed and be given a voice in a way that has not happened during the genesis of the Tea Party movement.”
Organizers have also now arranged for 50 workstations and Wi-Fi for credentialed media and risers for cameramen.
The convention, headlined by Palin on Saturday, has been criticized for its high ticket prices, which some say are keeping grassroots activists from attending. The convention — billed as a way to bring together loosely aligned groups concerned with runaway government spending — has not been embraced by all Tea Party groups across the country, who fear the convention’s leaders are trying to take a leadership role in a movement defined by its lack of centralized leadership.
This afternoon’s activities include a meet and greet and an organized prayer session for activists. The event runs through Saturday night, when Palin is set address the attendees.
‘Unlike the promises of this administration, we actually have C-SPAN covering our convention’:
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The media should have something more important to cover than the National Tea Party convention. It should do well with ratings but such a joke.
‘High Times’, ‘Doper’s Digest’, and ‘Hydroponics Gazette’ were given on-stage booths and top priority scoops.
I watched all of the “unbiased” coverage being given our fellow American Patriots by CNN. They were portraying members as some far right wing fringe movement using character assassination in relation to anyone involved in the Tea Party movement. Also stating that 40% of Americans don’t even know who we are. I can guarantee you Coakley, Corzine and Deeds KNOWS who we are. I’ve gotta go talk to the other 40% the STORM is now intensifying.
More like a fart cloud.
With George Soros, Saul Alinsky and the like destroying the values of America, I am so proud of the patriots in Nashville!
I think John Adams, Ben Franklin, George Washington, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson and the rest of the patriots are smiling down on this group and saying, “It’s about time!” Go Tea Party!
The Tea Party is showing the world how to take out the trash in government and doing so peacefully I might add. I can remember the liberal left burning flags and causing huge riots, forming radical and violent grass roots organizations like Green peace and acorn, underground liberal radicals like Ayers, propaganda and politically indoctrinating our children. NONE of which the tea party has been involved in yet they are gaining more ground faster than any grassroots movement I have seen. As crazy as Glenn Beck might seem he is right about one thing..There are MORE of us than there are of THEM we just need to be proactive in getting things done right for America using our constitution and other American rights/freedoms afforded to us by our founding fathers.
If you can’t beat em, join em – ask Coakley, Corzine or Deeds.
If you support spending my children’s future, YOU are next.
Some CHANGE is for REAL. Can you hear me NOW? lol!
“Unlike the promises of this administration, we actually have C-SPAN covering our convention,” convention spokesman Mark A. Skoda said.”
*ouch*
Glad to see the Tea Party movement getting nat’l coverage on c-span. The media can make you or stick a political knife in your back. Time to bring the A Game for America to Nashville. Good Luck!
‘A slip of the foot you may soon recover, but a slip of the tongue you may never get over.’ — Benjamin Franklin
In spite of what you may hear from the left..this tea party movement is growing and upsetting the liberal attack on America. in spite of the nasty comments and outrages accusations they keep driving their message forward. I guess most of the world wants to hear their message and WILL hear them now.
Sounds like an interesting event. I’m not sure I would allow CNN, ABC News and NBC News to attend..they have been very critical of the Tea party.