A Democratic A-list conference call: Emanuel, Carville, Stephanopoulos and little Paulie

Thanks to John Harris over at Politico for his fascinating window into how the incestuous political/media world of Washington really operates and how careful TV viewers of American politics need to be these days.

His piece today is about a morning conference call among four Democratic operatives that has been going on most workdays for 17 years now, since the end of the Clinton campaign and the start of the Clinton administration that brought them all together.

They are George Stephanopoulos, James Carville, Rahm Emanuel and Paul Begala.

You see them all on TV regularly commenting  -- Stephanopoulos as an alleged newsman on ABC, Carville and Begala as Democratic strategists, and Emanuel in recent years as a Democratic congressman from Chicago and now as the new White House chief of staff for President Obama.

We'll let Harris' fine piece speak for itself. Basically, the calls are quick consultations among friends who've endured countless political days and struggles together driving Bill Clinton to the White House and, most recently, Obama. These battles are bonding experiences, and the lasting camaraderie is not surprising.

Many political operatives of both parties participate in such daily or weekly calls to ensure they're all on the same talking points page and to exchange gossip and tips and anticipate what the opposition is going to say that day.

What's different in the revelation about this group, however, is that one of them (Emanuel) is a key operative in the current administration with a huge political stake in getting its message out its way, and the other three can go on TV as alleged observers and pass along the talking point line that best benefits their pal Rahm. All free, until now, of any apparent conflict or caveats.

Something to keep in mind the next time you watch George "reporting" on ABC or Carville and Begala "commenting" on CNN or somewhere.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Photo credit: Associated Press (James Carville giving a speech).

Comments

[freedom eagle]

Uh, Karl Rove?

How is this different than any other administration, especially the last one where insiders would set the message and everyone would parrot the talking points?

Retired military "experts" on the Pentagon payroll talking up points for their bosses?

McCain to Drudge to FOX news?

I mean you're not surprised by these chains of getting the propoganda out right?

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and say if this blog were around in 2004, you woul d have been saying the same thing about Bush, right?

[Don DeVan]

Wonder if we can get transcripts of the conversations with a Freedom of Information Request?

[michael loehrer]

Freedom Eagle: First, what an oxymoron for a moniker. The Clintonistas are directly involved in making policy all the while telling their viewer they are objective journalists. George Stephy. What a joke.

[Kat]

I'll tell you how it's different. Karl Rove always says who he is a Republican Strategist. So does Carville say he's a democratic strategist - so that is okay and well, we know that Rahm Emanuel works for Obama. Stephanopoulos is an 'alleged' reporter and is SUPPOSED TO NOT HAVE ANY BIAS. Although we all know that is crap because he worked for the Clinton's. Media has died because of it's liberal bias. There is a double standard and if you want fed want only Obama wants you to hear then you are a moron. I guess if they told you to go jump in a lake you would do it too. Who do I blame? The employer of Stephanopoulos. I have no problem with him being a 'democratic strategist'. But an objective reporter he is absolutely not.

[ed-bernays]

Despite the two wrongs make a right defenses, I think Stephanopolous is a different case. Admittedly, the myth of an objective press fully disintegrated during the campaign, but George could at least pretend to see an ethical issue here.