Greta schools the drive-bys about Todd Palin

"Setting the record straight," this is from Greta Van Susteren's Greta Wire blog:

On Saturday morning (before the night’s big dinner) I was at a social brunch (like everyone else in the media), and brought a guest like almost everyone in the media did. A Politico reporter came up to our Fox guest Todd Palin with a pad to take notes and interview Todd Palin (it says “started to chat” but that is not what happened or what was going on….no one is that stupid to believe that.) It was an attempt to interview him when he did not agree to it or ask for it — print paparazzi at a brunch /party!

If Todd Palin had said something about coming there for a social event (instead of me), you know what would have happened — he would have been trashed….which would have been unfair. The reporter may have been working – but he was not. He was at a social event and not looking to be ambushed by a surprise interview.

I did not bring a guest to be interviewed or grilled by the press but, like everyone else in the media, I brought the guest so the guest could meet people and have a good social time. And I certainly did not bring the guest so that Politico could interview him — I have enough friends in the business that I could do better if that were my motive….or I would have interviewed him myself. If you noticed, I did not interview him.

Here is another tidbit: our guest is NOT a candidate for office — and never has been a candidate for office. Our guest is a family member of a politician. Our guest was there to simply attend a social event.

So, when the Politico reporter started to interview my guest with pad and paper and I politely say this is a social event, off the record, I am suddenly a “handler?” a handler? Huh? Maybe I had just had good manners for a guest?

And let me get this straight, I am the only one in the media who brought a guest? Ah….I think not….in fact, EVERYONE in the media brought a guest to the weekend’s social events….so I guess EVERYONE in the media is now a handler? or just those who brought guests and tried to show good manners at a social event?

As for CNN’s comment, huh? Are they kidding? Maybe their anchors should have looked to see who the Washington CNN Bureau was bringing before they comment about Fox (which of course continues to get millions more viewers each night than CNN….even MS/NBC is beating CNN now…and remember, CNN started this with their sarcasm on air…)

Here are some of CNN’s guests: Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, Val Kilmer, Kyra Sedgwick, Brad Cooper, Tyra Banks…but Fox is the one with an “odd date?” Are they kidding?

The TV Newser piece is here. Politico's load of manure is here and here. Greta's full broadside with all port side guns blazing is here.

Update: Greta has to school the drive-bys a second time.

- JP