Back in 2008 when he was a blogger, Michael Brodkorb told The UpTake how pleased he was that the DFL was giving him access and said that GOP conventions should give all bloggers and members of the opposition parties access.
Brodkorb told The UpTake in 2008 "I do believe, and I've said this before on my blog that I do believe that conventions should be open to the opposition and political parties. I think Republicans should let Democrat bloggers in and vice versa. From an openness standpoint that's important to do"
But now that Brodkorb is GOP State Deputy Chair, his party has taken just the opposite stance. DFL officials report that they are being refused admission to the GOP party convention scheduled to begin tomorrow in Minneapolis. GOP Communications Director Mark Drake has even refused press credentials to The UpTake calling the non-partisan nonprofit that has streamed debates, thousands of hours of the legislature and every moment of the Norm Coleman/Al Franken Election Contest trial a "partisan DFL organization".
DFL Communications Director Kristen Sosanie says all media that requested credentials for last week's DFL convention in Duluth were given them. That includes the FOX News Network. However FOX News was asked to share video with one of the local TV stations instead of setting up its own camera and then decided not to attend the convention. She says "We did not turn anyone away and in fact did everything we could to accommodate even those TV and print journalists who did not RSVP but showed up the day of the convention."
Sosanie points out that the DFL allowed Brodkorb and Drake to attend the DFL convention, a courtesy the DFL has offered to other Republicans in the past. But the DFL has not had equal treatment in return.
"They have said repeatedly that DFL staff will not be allowed into the GOP convention, and they kicked every one of our staff or volunteers out of all the local unit conventions as well. So it's not just media they are keeping out, which leads to the question: what are they hiding?"
The UpTake will be covering the convention the best we can considering the circumstances. (UpTake.org)
I'll be at the GOP Convention today; whether or not the GOP offers me media credentials remains to be seen.
