Rally to Restore Sanity/March to Keep Fear Alive, 10/30/10!

[glatt]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

I went. Wow. It was huge. I got fairly close, but not quite close enough to reliably hear. I've been to several events on the mall, and this was the biggest.

Cool. Did you have fun? I only saw 45 minutes of it streamed online. It was amazing how many people were there.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Now if all those people will bother to vote.

[footfootfoot]

“Rally to Restore Sanity” pledges to “strictly prohibit filming” at National Mall
By: J.P. Freire
Associate Commentary Editor
10/29/10 10:35 PM EDT
Irony reaches new heights as Comedy Central is going to “strictly prohibit filming” of the Rally to Restore Sanity/March to Keep Fear Alive. PJTV’s Washington Bureau chief Richard Pollock inquired with the Comedy Central’s senior vice president of corporate communications Steve Albani about receiving credentials. Albani claimed that Pollock would not be given credentials because of limited supply, and as such there would be no room on the “press riser” for PJTV’s camera and crew. When Pollock said that he’d be fine with filming not on the press riser, Albani said that filming would be “strictly prohibited” between 3rd and 7th streets on the National Mall (ground zero for the event). The email exchange is further down.

The claim that Comedy Central can prohibit filming on federal property during an event open to the public is completely wrong. I know this because I co-organized the first D.C. Tea Party event with John O’Hara (again, prior to my employment at The Examiner, yadda yadda), meaning I’ve gone through the process of getting a permit on federal property run by the National Park Service, which is precisely what Comedy Central had to do. And under the special events guidelines, which Albani may not have taken time to look at, is this:
News coverage of the event is allowed without additional permits unless significant additional equipment set-up, which is not depicted on the Permittees site plan, is involved. Arrangements for press and broadcast media coverage of the event must be made at least seven (7) days before the opening day of the event.

Here’s another resource, too. If PJTV’s crew walks around with handheld cameras, they’re well within their rights, particularly as a media organization — especially considering the number of camera phones, Flipcams, and personal camcorders that will be used during the event. But wait — it looks like somebody at Comedy Central read the rules because there’s a list on the Rally’s Frequently Asked Questions page about what is not permitted, and cameras are unlisted. In fact, the FAQ even says that the event is open to the media and to contact about credentials.
You don’t need credentials to film an event open to the public on federal land that has already permitted other media outlets. Comedy Central has not leased the National Mall, nor could it. In other words, quit it. Either this is a fun publicity stunt steeped in irony or it’s an exercise in corporate control. And last I checked, it’s not “Comedy Central Planning.”

In fact, the Tea Party movement has done a bang-up job allowing as many kooky reporters and camera-toting people into their rallies, and simply found ways to deal with it without clamping down on free press. (The most innovative is using signs to expose Tea Party imposters.) In fact, as Lachlan Markay notes, the press is going wild for this event, but Glenn Beck’s Rally to Restore Hope was willing to provide more credentials (though it’s uncertain who, if any, were ever denied):
For some perspective, consider that the September 12, 2010 Tea Party on the Mall received roughly 150 requests for press credentials, according to FreedomWorks, which sponsored the event.

Glenn Beck’s “Restoring Honor” rally granted 450 such credentials to journalists, but in the brief contact NewsBusters had with Beck’s staff there was no indication that any reporter who had requested credentials had been turned down.
There’s the real irony: While this rally seeks to make fun of Tea Party activists who advocate for freedom, Comedy Central is looking to tightly control the event as much as possible. Lame.

Be sure and read Pollock’s fantastic rejoinder at the end of the email thread.
From: “Albani, Steve”
Date: Fri, 29 Oct 2010 14:59:27 -0400
To: Richard Pollock
Subject: RE: DC Rally Update
Richard – you should have received notification yesterday. Unfortunately, due to extremely limited riser locations, we are not able to accommodate your request for credentials. However, the event is free and open to public so we encourage you to attend with the general audience.
Please note, taping for television or any other filming is strictly prohibited between 3rd and 7th Street without a media credential. The event will be broadcast live on Comedy Central and comedycentral.com and a clean feed will also be available by satellite – coordinates will be released when they are available. Please contact Renata Luczak to receive the satellite coordinates.

From: Richard Pollock
Sent: Friday, October 29, 2010 3:14 PM
To: Albani, Steve
Subject: Re: DC Rally Update
Dear Steve,
Thanks for your reply. Can we get media credentials without a riser position?
Yours,
Richard

From: Albani, Steve
Sent: Friday, October 29, 2010 3:15 PM
To: Richard Pollock
Subject: RE: DC Rally Update
The only camera crews that will receive credentials are those for the riser. We are not issuing any other TV credentials.
Sorry.
Steve

From: “Richard Pollock”
Date: Oct 29, 2010 6:33 PM
Subject: RE: DC Rally Update
To: “Albani, Steve”
Hi Steve,
Well your risers, you own. As Comedy Central, you have property rights and complete control over that. No one will deny you that. We are content, though disappointed with your decision to withhold media credentials to us.
However, the last I heard the First Amendment still does apply to America. It not only applies to TV hosts, show producers and to networks, but extends to the public and to events held on federal land. Yes, public lands! Although it may not make any sense to you at this moment, the National Mall is not a TV set, although it may look like one.
As the former chief Washington producer for ABC’s “Good Morning America” for nine years, let me assure you that you cannot bar cameras from public walkways on the Mall. It has never happened.
And so we will be there crew and all.
It does seem a bit incredulous that a rally for “reasonableness” should exclude freely based camera crews exercising their First Amendment rights to cover your attendees walking on public property. Unless this is Prague in 1968. And unless Comedy Central own tanks. Or unless it deploys a Comedy Police with enforcement powers.
On the other hand maybe I got this all wrong…I thought you were merely trying to be clever when you said it was a rally for fear. If is that, then I certainly understand your attitudes and rules.
See you tomorrow!
All the best,
Richard


Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op...#ixzz13tF6MPad

[Happy Monkey]

It was fun, but mostly from reading the signs. The audio system wasn't set up for the number who showed up, and I couldn't always hear.

[xoxoxoBruce]

You lie,Foot, there's no more at the link, it's all here.

It would appear Pollock's disdain for Albani, has caused him to commit ashattery.
I wonder if anyone else has been denied?

[footfootfoot]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

You lie,Foot, there's no more at the link, it's all here.

It would appear Pollock's disdain for Albani, has caused him to commit ashattery.
I wonder if anyone else has been denied?

HaHa they snuck that in at the end. But it's true, you can read more at the link, just not more about that particular subject...

[xoxoxoBruce]

Another view.

[spudcon]

I checked Fox about it, and apparently they were able to have a crew there. No mention of restrictions.

[smoothmoniker]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Now if all those people will bother to vote.

Ah, but they're all moderates, so who would they vote for?

[Juniper]

But nobody's mentioned the most important part of the Rally . . .

Ozzy and Yusuf!!!! Whoohoo!

[Happy Monkey]

The reason there's nobody on those grassy squares is that it was fenced off.

The reason there are people on those other grassy squares is that some felt it reasonable to open the fence and relieve some congestion.

[xoxoxoBruce]

HM, what you couldn't hear...

"And now I thought we might have a moment, however brief, for some sincerity, if that’s ok; I know there are boundaries for a comedian, pundit, talker guy, and I’m sure I’ll find out tomorrow how I have violated them.

I’m really happy you guys are here, even if none of us are really quite sure why we are here. Some of you may have seen today as a clarion call for action, or some of the hipper, more ironic cats as a clarion call for ‘action.’ Clearly, some of you just wanted to see the Air and Space Museum and got royally screwed. And I’m sure a lot of you are here to have a nice time, and I hope you did. I know that many of you made a great effort to be here today, and I want you to know that everyone involved with this project worked incredibly hard to make sure that we honor the effort that you put in and gave you the best show we could possibly do. We know your time is valuable, and we didn’t want to waste it. And we are all extremely honored to have had a chance to perform for you on this beautiful space, on The Mall in Washington, D.C.

So, uh, what exactly was this? I can’t control what people think this was, I can only tell you my intentions. This was not a rally to ridicule people of faith, or people of activism, or to look down our noses at the heartland, or passionate argument, or to suggest that times are not difficult and that we have nothing to fear. They are and we do. But we live now in hard times, not end times. And we can have animus and not be enemies. But, unfortunately, one of our main tools in delineating the two broke. The country’s 24-hour, politico, pundit, perpetual, panic conflictanator did not cause our problems, but its existence makes solving them that much harder. The press can hold its magnifying glass up to our problems, bringing them into focus, illuminating issues heretofore unseen. Or they can use that magnifying glass to light ants on fire, and then perhaps host a week of shows on the sudden, unexpected, dangerous flaming ant epidemic. If we amplify everything, we hear nothing.

There are terrorists and racists and Stalinists and theocrats, but those titles that must earned; you must have the resume. Not being able to be able to distinguish between real racists and Tea Partiers, or real bigots and Juan Williams or Rick Sanchez is an insult, not only to those people, but to the racists themselves, who have put in the exhausting effort it takes to hate. Just as the inability to distinguish terrorists from Muslims makes us less safe, not more. The press is our immune system. If it overreacts to everything, we actually get sicker, and perhaps eczema. And yet, with that being said, I feel good: strangely, calmly good. Because the image of Americans that is reflected back to us by our political and media process is false. It is us through a fun-house mirror, and not the good kind that makes you look slim in the waist and maybe taller, but the kind where you have a giant forehead and an ass shaped like a month-old pumpkin with one eyeball.

So why would we work together? Why would you reach across the aisle to a pumpkin-assed, forehead, eyeball monster? If the picture of us were true, of course our inabilities to solve problems would actually be quite sane and reasonable. Why would you work with Marxists actively subverting our Constitution, or racists and homophobes who see no one’s humanity but their own? We hear every damn day about how fragile our country is, on the brink of catastrophe torn by polarizing hate. And how it’s a shame that we can’t work together to get things done. But the truth is, we do. We work together to get things done every damn day. The only place we don’t is here or on cable TV. But Americans don’t live here or on cable TV. Where we live, our values and principles form the foundation that sustains us while we get things done, not the barriers that prevent us from getting things done.

Most Americans don’t live their lives solely as Democrats, Republicans, Liberals, or Conservatives. Americans live their lives more as people that are just a little bit late for something they have to do. Often, something they do not want to do, but they do it. Impossible things every day, that are only made possible through the little reasonable compromises we all make.

Look. Look on the screen. This is where we are; this is who we are: these cars. That’s a schoolteacher who probably thinks his taxes are too high. He’s going to work. There’s another car. A woman with two small kids, can’t really think about anything else right now. There’s another car, swaying, I don’t even know if you can see it. The lady’s in the NRA and loves Oprah. There’s another car. An investment banker: gay, also likes Oprah. Another car’s a Latino carpenter. Another car a fundamentalist vacuum salesman. Atheist obstetrician. Mormon Jay-Z fan. But this is us. Every one of the cars you see is filled with individuals of strong beliefs and principles they hold dear. Often, principles and beliefs in direct opposition to their fellow travelers. And yet these millions of cars must somehow find a way to squeeze one by one into a mile-long, thirty-foot wide tunnel carved underneath a mighty river. Carved by people who by the way I’m sure had their differences. And they do it. Concession by concession. You go, then I’ll go. You go, then I’ll go. You go, then I’ll go. Oh my God, is that an NRA sticker on your car? Is that an Obama sticker on your car? Ah, well that’s okay, you go, then I’ll go. And sure, at some point there will be a selfish jerk who zips up the shoulder and cuts in at the last minute. But that individual is rare, and he is scorned not hired as an analyst.

Because we know instinctively as a people that if we are to get through the darkness and back into the light, we have to work together. And the truth is, there will always be darkness. And sometimes, the light at the end of the tunnel isn’t the promised land. Sometimes, it’s just New Jersey. But we do it anyway, together. If you want to know why I’m here and what I want from you, I can only assure you this: you have already given it to me. Your presence was what I wanted. Sanity will always be and has always been in the eye of the beholder. And to see you here today and the kind of people that you are has restored mine. Thank you.”

•Jon Stewart at The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear, October 30, 2010

[smoothmoniker]

That's good eats.

[Scriveyn]

just in case no one has posted this link before: 100 best signs a the rally


... and my

[classicman]