Democracy Has Prevailed.

October 22, 2007

Here's The Story

Earlier this week, I received a "Press Advisory" e-mail from the DeSantis campaign (it was a blanket e-mail, I assume, sent out to their complete list of media types) announcing the mayoral debate tonight. In the e-mail was a sentence that said "All press are welcome" to attend.

On a lark, I e-mailed back and asked whether I, a lowly blogger, qualified as "press." I was hoping the answer was in the affirmative, but I wouldn't have been surprised if it was a stern and parental no. After all, they ("the press") get paid to write about this stuff. I don't.

After checking with WTAE, they got back to me saying the answer was yes, I could attend the debate. I'd be sitting in a room next to the studio with the other members of the press who weren't participating in the debate.

This, in fact, is that room.



That enormous grey door on the left side of the picture led into the studio. I got to sit next to Dan Majors (of the P-G) and David Browne (of the Trib).

To make a long story short, after the debate we "press" folks went through the big doors to ask the candidates any follow up questions we might have. A LOT of them were about the Mayor's charge that DeSantis had "sold the city down the river" for the FOP endorsement.

I had two questions for the candidates. They were:

  1. Is there anything that hadn't been raised in the debate that you wanted to mention?
  2. How do you think you did?

I know, they're not the greatest questions, but I thought they were fair and reasonable if a bit tepid. But I figured I was on someone else's turf (WTAE's) and I didn't want to do anything that would make the rest of us look bad.

I asked Mr DeSantis first. And to be honest, he gave a rather pat answer. There wasn't anything that wasn't in the debate that he needed to bring up, he said, and he thought he did OK, though it's the people who will be deciding on how well he did.

Then I made my way over to the Mayor. He was finishing a round of questions from (I think) David Highfield (of KDKA) on whether there was anything he's done as mayor that he regretted. As soon as Mayor gave his answer and Highfield moved away, I asked the mayor for a few seconds.

He asked who I was (a fair enough question, I thought, as I was a new face) and as we shook hands, I introduced myself as "David DeAngelo, 2 Political Junkies." I don't think I got to the end of the word "junkies" when he interrupted me with a quick, "I'm not interested, thanks." He turned and walked away, right out the door.

Wow, I thought. I just got dissed by the Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh.

As he had no idea what I was going to ask, he must have thought I had a doozy of a question picked out for him - one that he wasn't interested in answering.

23 comments:

Bram Reichbaum said...

This isn't an issue, and shouldn't be an issue and we shouldn't make it an issue ... but that's freaking rude.

Quite aside from being a blogger, you're a city resident and I a voter. NO CLASS.

Richmond K. Turner said...

As I recall, David, your first blog was called -- rather unambigously -- "Honzberger is a Liar". And yet, when you were on a panel with him a few months ago, he was pretty gracious about things. I think he called you "blog boy", and said that he had read your stuff. It's not like he invited you over to his place for dinner, but he certainly wasn't overtly rude to you either and enganged you as an relevant human being.

And it's not like your current blog is called "2 Political Junkies who like to make Luke's mom cry".

Not a huge issues, as Bram said. But very much like "school on Sunday... NO CLASS!"

Tim Murray said...

David, when he said, "I'm not interested," I think he misheard you. I think he thought you said, "Sir, would you like to obtain a measure of maturity, good judgment and humility?"

Mark Rauterkus said...

Game over. Walk off the field.

Luke does not need to make fuel for the fires on the net. He should have been guarded if he felt he did well. Otherwise, he'll be over-reaching.

But, we -- as bloggers -- need to take this snub personally.

Folks that are not modern and responsive are not worthy of being a mayor -- or holding any elected office -- in today's world. They just are not good enough for my neighbors.

Anonymous said...

Predictable that the bloggers would be outraged, but I don't blame Ravenstahl a bit. He can gain nothing from a conversation with you, so why waste the time? Welcome to politics, Junkie Man.

Ms. Monongahela, Ms. Chief Editor said...

But I said that to you the first time we met too, David. And look how far we've come! :-)

Anonymous said...

John K. says: You are running for Council in the City. Would not consider you press.

Dayvoe said...

First off, I have no idea what John K means.

About the Mayor, all I can say is that he probably thought I was going to ask about his altercation with a police officer at Heinz field or his stalking of Tiger Woods or his crashing the party at the Oakmont Country Club or his decision to install Dennis Regan in a job way above his qualifications or about his actions leading up to the McNeilly lawsuit or the thousands of dollars UPMC shelled out for him to play golf or the BBQ stains on the DHS van or the 300 miles put onto the van when he returned it.

The joke, of course, is that I was going to do none of those things.

And so faced with the possibility of having to answer an uncomfortable question or two in a public forum, The Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh punked out.

Anonymous said...

It is seldom possible to suss out the "meaning" in the the mess that the Laughing Chickenhawk leaves here. It would be nice if the same were true of his hero, Glenn Beck, whose stupidity is rivalled only by his hatefulness.

In the middle of a bit about how all Americans have to come together, Mr. Beck made a Pat Robertson-like statement. He declared that the California wildfires are actually of divine origin and patriotic. He said, "...there is a handful of people who hate America. Unfortunately for them, a lot of them are losing their homes in a forest fire today."

There you have it: Those people had it coming. Support the slaughter in Iraq and hate all Muslims or god will burn down your house. It's an interesting glimpse into whatever folks like Beck and John use in place of a mind, isn't it?

(Pardon me for hijacking your post, Davoe, but this was too good to ignore.)

CapitolMAN said...

Mayor Wunderkind has a persecution complex. Remember Luke. It's not paranoia if everyone's out to get you.

Anonymous said...

What's more, just because you ARE paranoid, that doesn't mean they're NOT out to get you.

Anonymous said...

You saw the real Luke there. "A nice young man," he is not.

Sherry Pasquarello said...

he's a spoiled child. it's sad. he didn't learn much about improving his people skills. to me, that says he just doesn't care because he thinks he's coated in teflon and can not lose because he's a democrat and because his people did a wonderful job of making it look as if he is being picked on.

he could be great for the city if he really made an effort. that says, spoiled and childish to me.

sad.

he is acting like a teenaged rock/movie star that let all the attention and "yes" men go to his head.

sort of like bush, don't you think?

Anonymous said...

When I see John K I think of this guy:

http://www.alleghenycounty.us/treasure/

Oh how fortunate we would all be to have the wisdom of John K Weinstein here on the Blogosphere....

Anonymous said...

Luke=Britney Spears as Mayor.

Anonymous said...

OOoooh, you think he was afraid of your probing questions? I'm guessing he just thought you were a dickhead.

Dayvoe said...

Shouldn't matter if he thinks I'm a dickhead. I'm not, by the way.

I was among the press covering the event and he should not have ducked out of answering a question.

I'm also a constituent (that means I live in Pittsburgh and I'm a voter). And as a constituent, I have a right to question my elected officials.

Whatever he thinks of me (or this blog) a mature and secure politician would have listened to my question and then act accordingly.

This one scurried away.

Dayvoe said...

Shouldn't matter if he thinks I'm a dickhead. I'm not, by the way.

I was among the press covering the event and he should not have ducked out of answering a question.

I'm also a constituent (that means I live in Pittsburgh and I'm a voter). And as a constituent, I have a right to question my elected officials.

Whatever he thinks of me (or this blog) a mature and secure politician would have listened to my question and then act accordingly.

This one scurried away.

Gary said...

Dude, he puffed you. It happens to everybody in media and it happens a lot. If someone doesn't think you can further their agenda, they don't have time. Talk to people in MSM about it. Whining that you're a constituent doesn't make it. Occupational hazard. You want to be a player, understand that sort of thing goes with the territory.

Maria said...

Dude,

The Post-Gazette's Early Returns thought it newsworthy enough to mention:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07296/827779-366.stm

(Under the sub-heading of Media Relations)

Anonymous said...

This may go down in the same annals with the Teresa Heinz-Colin McNickle "shove it" incident!

Anonymous said...

Er, uh, maybe not. :-)

But I do concur with Gary -- thick-skin is necessary when you're tangling with politicians. If every reporter wrote about how many times they were puffed by a politico or about the other occupational hazards ... I've been threatened with lawsuits, called at home and chewed out, *publicly* chewed out (sometimes even when the story wasn't *mine*)... and I've no doubt that most journalists can tell you the same.

Anonymous said...

ol lukey the, gay bigot, the jerk who thinks hacking into computer is just "all in good fun' has no moral compass.
Police/ SUVs? and someone wants to defend him? Get a life