Monday, August 8, 2022

Krasner Orders Reporter Evicted From Press Conference

Larry Krasner Orders Detective To Evict Reporter
By Ralph Cipriano
for BigTrial.net

At a press conference today, I tried to ask District Attorney Larry Krasner a question.

Actually, I tried to ask him a question three different times. 

The first time I spoke up, Krasner issued a stern warning.

"That is not how we proceed," Krasner admonished me. After four years of presiding over free-for-all press conferences, the D.A. now maintains that reporters no longer have the right to speak up and ask him a question. Instead, the D.A. says, like kindergarteners at show-and-tell, they have to be called on first before they can speak.

And the one reporter Krasner never calls on is me. 

"Anyone who cannot observe those rules can leave and can leave now or be escorted out," the D.A. warned the press corps. 

The second time today that I dared to ask the D.A. a question, Krasner gave me another warning. The next and last time I asked, Krasner hit the eject button.

"Sir, that is the third time," Krasner said, pointing his right index finger toward the exits. "Detective [Tom] Kolenkiewicz, will you please escort him out."

As the dictatorial Krasner  looked on, Detective Kolenkiewicz grabbed my arm. And then the detective and another member of the D.A.'s security team, Police Officer Chad Jeter, plus a third security officer from the church where Krasner was holding his press conference, surrounded me and escorted me out of the building. 

My crime: daring to ask the D.A. a question at a press conference.

A little background here. For three years, I wrote more than a hundred stories documenting the unprecedented incompetence and corruption of the District Attorney's office under "Let 'Em Loose" Larry Krasner. At a time when the city was and still is setting historic records for bloodshed in the form of murders, shootings and carjackings.

More than 70 of those stories are archived on my own website, ralphcipriano.com. If you check it out, you'll see that I frequently have the goods on Krasner. 

Each time I wrote one of these stories,  I would dutifully email Krasner and Jane Roh, his official spokesperson, and ask for comment.

And for more than a hundred straight times, Krasner and Roh stiffed me. They never responded to any of my questions.

So a month ago, I started attending Krasner's press conferences. And that's when Krasner started changing the rules of his press conferences, to no longer allow reporters to shout questions at him. 

The first time I went, Krasner told the reporters that they could only ask him questions about community swimming pools, which on that day he was bravely speaking out in favor of.

If a reporter had a question about another subject, Krasner said, they had to dutifully line up in the hallway, like Catholics at a Saturday night confessional, to have a private one-on-one conference behind closed doors with the D.A.

When the D.A. got through answering all the other reporters' questions in those private sessions, he literally hustled out of the building rather than talk to me.

The second time I went to a Krasner press conference, he again said that he didn't want any one shouting questions at him. Krasner then stated he would take questions from the reporters starting from his right, and working all the way to his left.

I was on his extreme left. And when he got to me, Krasner abruptly ended the press conference and on the way out the door, he wouldn't answer any of my questions. 

At the third press conference I attended, Krasner again insisted on calling on by name every other reporter the room, including a shy young intern at one of the local TV stations, so they could take turns lobbing him softballs, in English and Spanish.

And when they were finally done, the D.A. abruptly ended the press conference, and headed for the exits. He was protected by a couple of bodyguards who physically prevented your Big Trial correspondent from confronting him as he hustled out of the room.  

At today's press conference, held at the Emmanuel Christian Center Inc. at 5913 Chestnut Street, Krasner was speaking out about the convictions of two gang members indicted by a grand jury for their roles in a series of shootings that occurred in 2018 and 2019, in the Overbrook and Mantua sections of the city.

One of those gang members was Xavier Veney, who was already sentenced by the feds on Jan. 13th of this year to 30 months in jail after he pleaded guilty to being a felon in illegal possession of a firearm.

Veney was accused by the grand jury in the gang wars of Overbrook and Mantua of the non-fatal shootings of a 19 year old and a 21 year-old, plus the nonfatal shooting of a 54 year-old innocent bystander. 

On July 28th, Veney pleaded guilty to two charges of aggravated assault and one count of carrying unlicensed firearms. It was a negotiated plea bargain with the D.A.'s office that involved a prison sentence of 8 to 16 years, to be served concurrently with Veney's federal sentence.

So twice, I tried to ask Krasner about Veney's new sentence, which, when subtracted from his previous federal sentence, amounted to an extra five and a half years in prison for shooting three people!

To me, it seemed like a light sentence, especially compared with Krasner's tough talk at today's press conference about "people who are shooting other people."

According to Krasner, he wants to put those people "in fear that they're going to get caught."

"Make no mistake, we're coming for you," Krasner bragged. "We already know a lot more than you think. We're gonna get you. What ever you're doing; you better stop now."

So the first time I tried to ask Krasner about Veney's light sentence, he refused to answer.

Instead, he said, "I'm calling on Matt Petrillo" of CBS Philly. "Mr. Petrillo, do you have any questions?"

Petrillo, clearly a Krasner favorite among the press corps, proceeded to ask a series of innocuous questions about a shooting in Brewerytown. 

"Mr. Petrillo, does that conclude your questions," the solicitous D.A. asked.

When it did, I took that opportunity to pipe up again to ask about Veney's light sentence.

But Krasner wasn't going to answer my question. Instead, he threatened me with eviction. 

"Sir, that's your second warning," Krasner said. "You keep  it up, you're gonna have to leave," he said, before calling on Kristen Johanson of KYW. 

"You are not responding to my questions," I protested to Krasner. "What's my alternative? This is a press conference."

Johanson, much to Krasner's surprise, asked a series of tough questions that ended with asking Krasner if he was going to drop murder charges against former police officer Ryan Pownall.

"No," Krasner defiantly said. 

Since Johanson had opened the door, I decided to ask Krasner about a blistering opinion from Kevin Dougherty, a state Supreme Court justice no less, who had accused Krasner of abusing the grand jury process in indicting Pownall for murder. 

"What about Kevin Dougherty," I asked. 

"I am asking you to leave," Krasner said. "You have three times violated the rules of how we do this. Please exit."

That's when I found myself surrounded by three security officers, two from the D.A.'s office, and one from the church.

The detective from the D.A.'s office accused me of breaking the rules of a press conference by repeatedly interrupting Krasner, as well as being disrespectful to our reform D.A.

I tried to explain to him that this was nonsense, that Krasner changed the rules for his press conferences every week, and that I had no choice but to interrupt him since he wouldn't call on me. 

"I was 'respectful' for three weeks," I told the security guys, and it got me nowhere.

The security officer from the church advised me to leave voluntarily so the guys from the D.A.'s office "don't have to take you out physically."

While I was unsuccessfully arguing my case, Krasner was up at the podium telling the rest of the reporters, "I apologize for the fact that this press conference is being interrupted."

"I apologize for the fact that the legitimate media who are here to ask questions are being interrupted," he continued. "If you would just bear with me for a moment," he said, until the security officers guided me safely out of the building.

Outside the church's locked doors, I waited for Krasner. When he finally came out, I reminded him that he was formerly a civil rights lawyer, and that as D.A., he had just violated my civil rights by having me removed from a press conference. A press conference where I, as a reporter, had every First Amendment right to be there and ask him questions.

Krasner, of course, had his head down and didn't want to talk. Instead, he wanted to escape.

"What are you afraid of sir, what are you afraid of?" I asked as he drove off. 





37 comments

  1. At this point you’re just going to have to have someone else ask ur questions and if he continue i email every reporter in the city

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    Replies
    1. RC here. No chance of that. I am a lone wolf.

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  2. Ralph, this is an easy one, now that your civil rights as a journalist have been violated. Call David Rudovsky on the phone right away. This is his specialty suing the city for civil rights violations committed by their employees and representatives. By the way, Larry Boy has a bit of Trumpish quality to him.....it's either his way or the highway. He must have failed to enroll in the annual mandatory training in "public service" offered by the celebrities at the Office of the Inspector General and the Office of the Chief Integrity Officer. They adopt a similar cavalier approach to their duties and responsibilties to the citizens of Philadelphia.

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    Replies
    1. Rudovsky is Krasner's longtime pal/ally who recently defended the DA's office when they were called on the carpet by a federal judge for a "lack of candor."

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    2. I knew that, Ralph. That was my way of joking. PENN LAW David Rudovsky walked away from me as well when Senior Deputy Solicitor Daniel Cantu-Hertzler put in writing that the city would no longer receive, review or investigate any allegations of unethical and improper official conduct and decision making by city officials from this retired Police Captain. Fine example from the 2015 Integrity Award Winner, Cantu-Hertzler, of the City of Philadelphia. On the other hand, Rudovsky's conduct and decision making re his "selective" representation for civil rights violations by city employees and officials would be a great case study in one of his PENN LAW courses. Can I audit this class?

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  3. Chad Jeter. What a loser. Did zero in the 14th. Failed the swat test because he trained for it zero. Then tried to play the race card as the reason he was denied. When In fact several black officers who dedicated themselves were transferred there the same year. It’s like Krasner seeks out and recruits….losers.

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    1. ANY cop that works for Krapner is a loser!

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  4. He’s not going to need to withdraw charges against pownall. It’s going to get tossed with prejudice once Pownall
    files his motion to dismiss for prosecutorial misconduct for the way the grand jury was corruptly ran. As should every officer who had a corrupt grand jury against them.

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    Replies
    1. They have filed for a stay under Pa.R.A.P. 2572(c), which if i'm reading correctly means they will ask the US Supreme Court for review, presently in recess until October.

      They want to drag this out as long as possible, to appease a few SJW morons who think wokeness trumps everything else.

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    2. The stay was denied. He has until much sooner to make decision about scotus

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    3. Ralph…who were the judges that clearly didn’t go over the grand jury transcripts …OR ..read them
      And allowed them to continue…without (by law) telling the jury what they are voting on and the parameters needed to vote on what the officers were charged with along with everything else the pa Supreme Court has revealed to us.

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    4. It truly is mind boggling that they thought they would get away with not telling the jury the laws, overcharging these officers with first degree ( let alone at all) but first degree is premeditated, very curious to see how they explained to jury that these justified shootings were premeditated. And then made the officers deal away things they were entitled too to get out on bail when they should have never been held without bail in the first place. The civil rights violation lawsuits to follow are going to be tremendous and those officers deserve every single dollar.

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    5. This is by far NOT the first time an investigating grand jury wasn't given proper instruction on the law or procedure wasn't followed. This is the tip of the iceberg. It started at least as far back as Seth Williams, and it appears Krasner's DAO has copied their tactics word for word (including the bypass motion language - no matter what kind of case it is, its always too complicated and too inconvenient and some witness can't come to a preliminary hearing because they're on vacation on Mars or something).

      In many of the cases where Frank Fina was involved, the sheet that the grand jury foreperson signs is absent. This happened both at the DAO and the AG, but the original common denominator was usually Fina. At both agencies before or after Fina worked there, the sheet is available. I'm not talking about whether a signature is present or not - the signature can be redacted. I'm talking about the document that proves that the grand jury's findings were voted on and submitted to the judge by the foreperson. In some cases it sure looks like the GJ said F' that, voted to "no bill" it, but the prosecutor still submitted the case to the judge anyway without a vote and the judge didn't know any better.

      If it hasn't been made available in the Pownall case I'd question whether it even exists and whether the GJ ever even voted. Then I'd make sure all of this goes to Harrisburg for the impeachment hearings.

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    6. “ I'm talking about the document that proves that the grand jury's findings were voted on and submitted to the judge by the foreperson”

      Is this something that the defense is entitled to during the sharing of disco? Or is it a special document that needs to be requested by defense before they can see it?

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    7. How the heck would a judge “not know any better”

      Isn’t it their job to go over everything in the presentment before charges are actually filed and acted on?

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  5. When did it become part of a Philly Police Officer's responsibility and duty to interpret a reporters conduct at a press conference regarding whether the question fell within the proper rules? The Civil Affairs Unit of the Philly Police department provide security at a plethora of press conferences and cover numerous actual protests and I do not recall ever witnessing a police officer assigned to Civil Affairs ever infusing themselves into the minutia of a political debate. Aren't both of the above mentioned officers members of the Philly Police Department? Has the current under achieving Police Commissioner changed this policy along with her innovative and forward thinking nail polish edict? Are PPD officers now permitted to ingratiate themselves into the rhetoric of a political dispute between the free press and an elected official? It sure sounds fishy to me. Like a violation of the Free Press perhaps?

    Years ago, how would the media cover Mayor Rizzo if he instructed his security officers to remove an irritating reporter asking hard questions? I could envision a brash civil rights attorney like a younger Larry Krasner screaming from the rooftops about freedom of the press and demanding the badges and careers of the so called neutral police officers? Am I wrong? Hmmm?

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    Replies
    1. Are they civil affairs? I thought once they go there as dignitary protection…they are DAO employees… If wrong….and they are civil affairs. Outlaw needs to have them
      Removed and handpick who
      Goes there. And if Krasner doesn’t like it …find his own hired protection

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    2. ANY cops that work for Krapner are not real cops.

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    3. I don't know if "the rules" are written down anywhere in Krasner land. Regarding the cops, that's an interesting question that I don't know the answer to just yet.

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  6. I don't have any problems at all with asking Philly's District Attorney Krasner questions that Philly Citizens literally deserve and definitely need the Solid Answers to, ESPECIALLY Taxpaying Philly Homeowners who feel like they don't have any other choice but to sell their Philly Homes to relocate to Safer Cities, States and Communities because Philly has tragically become a Waiting Room for Cemeteries for literally every Citizen no matter what part of Philly we live in but especially for Philly Citizens and Young People who live in Kensington and Frankford Philly Neighborhoods because of Krasner's 2018 Fake Progressive, Coldhearted promise to Philly's Mayor Kenney to prevent, stop and literally block Philly's Taxpayer Dollars from receiving Funding for Social Service, Crime Prevention, Drug Treatment and Housing Solutions! ANOTHER Philly Victim of Domestic Violence who had a Valid PFA Restraining Order was Savagely Murdered while begging Philly Cops to arrest her Abuser for repeatedly violating the PFA Restraining order against him BUT AGAIN In True Krasner Sadistic, Victim Blaming, Krasner Style literally every Philly News Outlet Story especially Philadelphia Inquirer Newspaper, Krasner's Personal Paid Off Journalist Group, Falsely Claimed that the Victim was currently living with her Evil Hearted Murderous Abuser and father of her 6 young daughters when NOBODY ELSE who is related to or really knows the Victim Personally has Substantiated the Big Lie meant to protect The City, Philly Cops and Philly's District Attorney Krasner from Lawsuits that the family should definitely File against all of them for not protecting her and her 6 precious Little Princesses by locking her Killer up THE 1ST TIME his Long Criminal Rap Sheet having ass broke the PFA Restraining Order against him with Krasner's approval of him being jailed for a Minimum of 60 days but because they didn't follow PA State Domestic Violence Laws and followed Krasner's Hug A Thug Philly Law that absolutely forbids Philly Cops to make arrests when Abused Philly Women who have PFA Restraining Orders say that Philly Criminals Violate the Restraining Orders, ANOTHER Philly Mother is dead at the Violent Hands of her Abuer and 6 MORE Philly Children are NOW MOTHERLESS and will definitely need literally Decades of Grief Counseling and Mental Health Therapy for literally the next 2 Decades thanks to Krasner's Fake Progressive Philly Laws where Victims are ALWAYS less important than Philly Criminals!

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  7. I have no problem with asking Philly's District Attorney Krasner how a Philly Man who shot and killed a Philly Woman by shooting her in the back as she was literally running out of his front door is considered Self Defense just because his African Parents, Family Members or Close friends and because he used Krasner's Old Law Firm to represent him when he was questioned by Philly Cops and Detectives which was literally a Conflict of Interest where Krasner should have definitely had a different Pennsylvania Municipality Investigate the Criminal Investigation altogether! It's crazy how Philly's most Violent Criminals know that if they Retain and pay Attorneys from Krasner's Old Law Firm to represent them in any Philly Criminal Case that they'll literally get away with Murder, IF THAT'S NOT LAWLESSNESS IN PHILLY THEN I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS ESPECIALLY WHEN PHILLY CRIMINALS PROUDLY, LOUDLY, PUBLICLY AND UNAPOLOGETICALLY TALK ABOUT STASHING MONEY FROM THEIR CRIMINAL ENTERPRISES TO GUARANTEE THEIR FREEDOM BY RETAINING ATTORNEYS SPECIFICALLY FROM KRASNER'S OLD LAW FIRM! WHEN WILL U.S. DISTRICT ATTORNEY EASTERN DISTRICT JENNIFER ALBETTIER GOING TO STOP PHILLY'S DISTRICT ATTORNEY KRASNER FROM MAKING SURE THAT PHILLY IS A WAITING ROOM FOR CEMETERIES WITH HIS ILLEGALLY ORCHESTRATED DEALS WITH PHILLY CRIMINALS BY INVESTIGATING THE PHILLY MURDERS THAT KRASNER ABSOLUTELY REFUSES TO CHARGE PHILLY CRIMINALS FOR COMMITTING AGAINST UNARMED PHILLY PEOPLE???? ILL WAIT BUT I WON'T HOLD MY BREATH UNTIL IT HAPPENS! BAD THINGS HAPPEN IN PHILLY AND KRASNER IS DEFINITELY ONE OF THOSE BAD THINGS AND PHILLY CITIZENS ARE LITERALLY LOSING THEIR LIVES BECAUSE OF IT!

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  8. Is Chad Jeter related to Derek Jeter? Which means that Jeter and the Detective were performing a false arrest of Ralph
    as a pretext for frog marching him out of the conference room. Ralph could file criminal complaints against both men and the FOP could request that they be detained on prison until their fellow officer held in prison under a false murder charge for firing a bullet at a young perpetrator running away from firing an cartridge that nearly hit four officers sitting on an unmarked car.

    The deal by the FOP would require bail be granted to the affected officer in exchange for the release of Krasner's thugs from prison.

    Both Jeter and the Detective are viewed as being associated with Judas by the rest of the force.

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  9. Reporters with balls would have refused to ask their questions until yours were answered. I have been at news conferences where that happened. These events are supposed to provide information for citizens, not an opportunity for “leaders” to preen.
    Keep punching, Ralph.

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    Replies
    1. Agreed. In this town, it's reporter with balls. RC. No one else. Not that fraud Jeff Cole, who should be in his corner the way he barks on the tube. He ain't even a man. Nor is anyone at that POS Inquirer, who've spent the last three days trying to destroy what's left of Pete Rose. The Philadelphia Inquirer is nothing but an anti-American propaganda pamphlet financed by the same ass-hole who pays to elect that pussy Larry Krasner, and that'd be George Soros.

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  10. Please sue for rights violations !

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  11. Where are the other members of the press? They should protest your treatment, even if they don't agree with you.

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    Replies
    1. I wouldn't hold my breath on that one Paul.

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    2. I speculate that Krasner will follow the Merrick Garland DOJ Policy of establishing a Grand Jury and subpoenaing all Your Records, Communications, and Sources in an effort to Bring You Down.

      As an Independent Journalist who seeks out and attempts to expose the Systemic Corruption of Government and the Legal System, You are a threat and menace that the Demonrats will attempt to eliminate.

      The Shame is that You don't have the Platform and Financial and Publishing Support to take down a scum bag like the Shyster Krasner.

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  12. GET A BILLBOARD ON 95 with your website info! Small ads in the paper with QR codes. Let’s go Ralph! Like a previous commenter made…your reaching the “already in the know”. This stuff needs to get more visible!

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  13. Ralph, keep up the good reporting. You are obviously hitting a nerve. He is running scared. Leaving by a back door, car running. "Detective" Kolenkiewicz, yeah a real Dick Tracy. Love to see his "police background."

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  14. Ralph, are there certain rules, procedures and/or registration re press or journalist status/credentials that you must have in order to be legitimately and officially present at a Krasner press conference? Are there professional rules and standards that may have been violated when Krasner directed/ordered POLICE OFFICERS to remove you, by force if necessary, from the press conference? Does the District Attorney of the City of Philadelphia have the authority to order Philadelphia Police Officers to take such action? Looks like we need a legal opinion from the City Solicitor of Philadelphia, Diana Cortes, who is herself an experienced CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY.

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  15. We know Krasner lovers read this stuff…

    Hey nerds

    How does it feel to know the officers he charged are going to vindicated…sue and become rich…all because…Krasner simply couldn’t play by the rules and had to lie to get results he wanted. Ahhh what a sweet day it will be for those officers.

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    Replies
    1. It ALL comes out in the wash!!

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  16. Ralph, This proves Krasner has no idea who his people are. That guy is a Sgt. detailed from the PPD. His last name is Tom Kolenkiewicz from the 3rd District and was a bum there. Hey! anyone from the 24th reading? Apparently his daughter was locked up for narcotics last week. Larry are u gonna prosecute or do the right thing and send it elsewhere? As a retired dignitary protection guy what the hell was that Sgt. doing letting Krasner exit out a side door first? Inexperience prevails! Larry you better get your cucks some training, more importantly they better brush up on the 1st amendment before they find themselves in hot water!! Keep up the pressure Ralph!!

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  17. Hi Ralph - excellent reporting, as usual.

    For openers, I don't think that the detective had any rights to lay hands on you. You were not causing a disturbance (except in Krasner's brain) and - as a reporter - you had every right to be there. I always believed that pushing or even touching someone without their consent without a legitimate reason was tantamount to assault. Try pushing a cop and see what happens.

    As I mentioned a while back, an electronic billboard facing one of the major highways (like the Surekill Expressway or Route 95) might be just the ticket to inform both the city residents and commuters about this ongoing travesty. Maybe just a brief headline to your latest article with a website link might help. Sooner or later people will start picking up on it. Other vital information (like crime statistics) could also be flashed subliminally up there.

    There just might be a quiet benefactor somewhere - an individual who loathes what Krasner & Company are doing to Philadelphia - and who'd be willing to underwrite this venture.

    Perhaps other readers of this blog would care to comment?

    In the meantime - please watch your back!

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  18. Michael Shear, a reporter with The New York Times who has been covering the White House for more than a decade, said it is typical for press officials to use their personal discretion when selecting who to call on in the briefing room and for how long.

    “Often the people who don’t get called on are rightly annoyed,” Shear said. “In an ideal world, everybody would get to ask all of their questions. … Sometimes they [press officials] do a better job of spreading the opportunities more broadly around the room, and sometimes they don’t.”

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  19. You’re not a journalist. You just type out long form rants on a blog. Thats not journalism. You obviously have no training as a journalist nor real world experience. I’d imagine you must not have been a court room attorney either as you obviously have no self control and no reasonable judge would allow frequent outbursts or tirades in their courtroom.

    ReplyDelete

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