Last night, in an interview with Hot Air, Lt. Governor Dewhurst made the following
“We have reports, and I have my staff taking a look at the video,” Dewhurst explained, “and if I find, as I’ve been told, examples of the media waving and trying to inflame the crowd, incite them in the direction of a riot, I’m going to take action against them.” Dewhurst continued, “We take a democratic policy seriously.” I asked whether Dewhurst could confirm whether members of the media took part in pushing the demonstration forward. “We have reports that members of the media on the floor, on the floor of the Senate, were looking up at the people in the gallery, waving their hands, trying to motivate them to yell more,” he replied. “If I find examples of that, proof certain on our video,” Dewhurst warned, “I’m going to address this firmly.”Which, predictably, the media used to portray Dewhurst as some sort of tyrant.
Austin Chronicle: Dewhurst versus the First Amendment:
In the collective mind of the GOP, who were the people who shouted down the backdoor abortion ban in Senate Bill 5? First, it was feminazis. Then it was communists. Then Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst blamed (for a few brief hours) the Texas legislative press corps.Dallas Morning News: Will Dewhurst have Texas Press Corps arrested?!?
This gem came about yesterday when the Dew called in to the Ed Morrissey Show: He's one of the talking heads on Hot Air, the right wing noise machine founded by Michelle Malkin.
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This would all seem vaguely farcical, if the right wasn't already trying to target the press. For example, conservative think tank Empower Texans was taking baseless pot shots at Erica Grieder of Texas Monthly for alleged bias when she Tweeted "If asked to choose between decorum and my fellow Texans, I will choose Texans every time, on ANY issue."
Lt. Gov David Dewhurst says his office is reviewing video of the Senate filibuster and protest that doomed an abortion bill to see if the media should be arrested. Dewhurst told a conservative web site that he suspects reporters were complicit in inciting a riot. He offered no evidence, but said his staff is looking over the tapes of the final, chaotic night last Tuesday.This was a sloppy, unforced error on the part of Team Dewhurst. It's not a secret that the pro-abortion forces are trying to portray themselves standing against some alleged abuse of power. Team Dewhurst shouldn't make their job easier.
