
Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, a candidate for the Republican nomination for governor of California, had an awkward encounter with the press Tuesday: Inviting reporters to an appearance she was making at a railroad facility, then not letting them ask any questions, and finally having security escort the media out after they persisted.
After the press were sent out, Whitman's security then put up shades to block the view of the room, so that pictures could not be taken.
Here is a video from the San Francisco Chronicle, of Whitman press secretary Sarah Pompei telling reporters that Whitman would not be taking questions. She did, however, offer to help the reporters gather B-roll video of Whitman's visit.
A news report from the CBS station in San Francisco was reposted on YouTube by Whitman's opponent in the Republican primary, state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, whose campaign obviously looks at this as a bad moment for Whitman:
gayinmt
March 10, 2010 12:21 PM
Sailormarlowe: She such a pretty, fine looking woman with such a good head on her shoulders. Keep talking that common sense you talk. There, I beat him to it.
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Jack of All Tirades
March 10, 2010 12:26 PM in reply to gayinmt
"And the Sailor said 'Sarah, you're a fine girl, what a good Veep you'd be, yeah, your legs could steal a sailor from Huckabee...'"
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lousgirl84
March 11, 2010 9:15 AM in reply to Jack of All Tirades
Too funny. You both have sailormarlowe down pat.....
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Cal Gal
March 10, 2010 1:04 PM in reply to gayinmt
THAT's your taste in women?
Wow.
Just ... wow.
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Cal Gal
March 10, 2010 1:05 PM in reply to Cal Gal
Oh. Sorry. I misread your post. She's a dog. I mean, all those billions and she can't get a decent hair cut?
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Joe Buck
March 10, 2010 1:43 PM in reply to Cal Gal
While I hate her politics, it's just loathsome to call a middle-aged woman a "dog". She isn't running in a beauty pageant.
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BrianSkuse
March 10, 2010 1:51 PM in reply to Joe Buck
True, and I agree. However ...
Q. Who is going to play Meg Whitman in the movie ?
A. Christopher Walken
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Riesz Fischer
March 10, 2010 2:02 PM in reply to BrianSkuse
I'm just glad these comments are on a centrist blog. If liberals talked about women this way it would be an embarrassment to the left. As it is it's just an embarrassment to the soggy center, which is just fine with me.
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Riesz Fischer
March 10, 2010 2:11 PM in reply to Riesz Fischer
BTW, there's another post up called "Sebelius And Health Care Exec Clash At AHIP Conference" where there are pictures of two middle aged women. Just thought some of you centrists would like to drop over there and make some nasty comments about their looks.
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BrianSkuse
March 10, 2010 2:18 PM in reply to Riesz Fischer
My silly joke is a reference to a joke many enjoyed in the late nineties :
Q. Who is going to play Linda Tripp in the movie ?
A. Gerard Depardieu
it was funny at the time
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lousgirl84
March 11, 2010 9:13 AM in reply to BrianSkuse
I thought it was very funny.......
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lousgirl84
March 10, 2010 3:13 PM in reply to Riesz Fischer
Actually, we'd rather just make fun of you......
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Cornelius
March 10, 2010 2:27 PM in reply to Cal Gal
What is it with a woman with big money that looks like that? You're right, spend a few bucks, get "done up" right. Christ, you're running for PUBLIC office!
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BrianSkuse
March 10, 2010 2:33 PM in reply to Cornelius
Also true.
I would add that what she has said about down-and-out people indicates that she may be ugly on the inside, where it matters.
I recommend she learn Empathy, which is a wonderful human feeling.
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dustbunny44
March 10, 2010 6:14 PM in reply to Cornelius
I gotta believe that 95% of Silly Sarah's appeal lies in (Tina Fey's words) her "pageant quality" appearance. Sadly Meg ain't got that goin' for her (either). Then there's her politics, her desperate attempt to craft some.
Carly too - what is it with bored female ex-CEOs who can't find a decent company to worship them and seek fealty from Californians?
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lousgirl84
March 11, 2010 9:17 AM in reply to Cornelius
Now if I had made a comment like that, you'd be accusing me of starting trouble, right sista???
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LarryMo
March 10, 2010 5:25 PM in reply to Cal Gal
Wow. You just made me realize that this IS NOT about Carly Fiorina, who has been undergoing chemo for cancer.
I swear, I saw the photo and assumed it was the "cancer sick Californian hack wannabe politician".
Wrong Californian hack wannabe politician.
Must be too many of the species hovering around the garage light.
Yours is a spot on comment.
I wonder how much THAT haircut cost?
She's doing a great job working the media. Kicking them out of an event for trying to, uh, do journalism will have a major return on investment, I am sure.
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Jack of All Tirades
March 10, 2010 12:22 PM
"And you'd like to think the person running for office is the one in charge"... Oh, snap!
To paraphrase Moe Howard "you may have been the toast of the town at eBay, but down here you're just a crumb".
I'm glad the press actually called her on this. Too bad we didn't have this when Palin ran.
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LegalCat
March 10, 2010 1:49 PM in reply to Jack of All Tirades
I'm not quite ready to give the press a gold star over this one. All they demonstrated is that they get pissed off when they're denied access -- that is, when their steady stream of pre-digested talking points, sound bites, and blurbs is cut off. When a reporter asks a substantive question, and the candidate responds "I'm glad you asked that, Bill. My campaign is about putting the state on a sound financial footing, respecting motherhood, and restoring and preserving the values that make our state the greatest ever," and the reporter says "That didn't even begin to address my question; can I ask you to respond to what I actually asked rather than making a speech" -- then, but not until then, I'll be ready to congratulate the press for doing its job. All this little incident demonstrates is that reporters get cranky when they're not given anything to transcribe.
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slb
March 10, 2010 2:43 PM in reply to LegalCat
You are, unfortunately, too right about that.
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ETSpoon
March 10, 2010 12:35 PM
lol...This is how you run government like a business. Being a CEO means you never have to say you're sorry...
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IMNOTBITTER
March 10, 2010 1:10 PM in reply to ETSpoon
Yeah you never have to say your sorry until you take taxpayer money to keep from going bankrupt. Then your all grateful to the taxpayer like Citibank. There was their CEO in front of congress saying how much they appreciate what the taxpayer did for them (HUGE BAILOUT)at the same time they are instituting a new fee $60 per year on almost all credit card holders. "Privatise the profits socialise the losses". That is the new motto of corporate America!
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eve
March 10, 2010 5:04 PM in reply to ETSpoon
Right along with my thoughts. This tells us a lot about how she dealt with people as as CEO. Apparently she is used to everyone jumping when she snaps her fingers. Wouldn't you just love to work for her.
Meggo hasn't figured out she can't fire the press so they aren't her lackeys shaking in their boots in fear of her anger.
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dustbunny44
March 10, 2010 6:18 PM in reply to ETSpoon
Damn right. The unaccountability of corporations, even "public" ones, is a major reason we are the America we happen to be today.
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FlownOver
March 11, 2010 12:26 AM in reply to ETSpoon
I'm guessing the reporters failed to meet the minimum bid.
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FlownOver
March 11, 2010 12:38 AM in reply to ETSpoon
I'm guessing the reporters failed to meet the minimum bid.
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darkrhyme
March 10, 2010 12:36 PM
She looks like (the corpse of) William F. Buckley with extensions.
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Cornelius
March 10, 2010 12:40 PM in reply to darkrhyme
Nice.
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Marinus van der Lubbe
March 10, 2010 12:49 PM in reply to darkrhyme
That is a fucking classic! (doffing hat)
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kenga
March 10, 2010 12:53 PM in reply to darkrhyme
Well, Buckley with an overbite, but yeah ...
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EastWest
March 10, 2010 1:14 PM in reply to darkrhyme
Good lord. She does.
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skitzo
March 10, 2010 1:28 PM in reply to darkrhyme
nailed it.
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CityGuy
March 10, 2010 1:58 PM in reply to skitzo
And in both cases, the money was there to improve the product for the cameras.
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billpaustin
March 10, 2010 12:36 PM
Why the nerve of the press, the unmitigated gall! How dare they try to ask any questions! Don't they know that the press in a Republican world is there to copy down the talking points and take pictures?
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mcrose68
March 10, 2010 4:40 PM in reply to billpaustin
Circa 2002
Sterwart - Isn't it your job to find answers, and check the veracity of statements made by politicians.
Colbert - As a reporter, it is my job to faithfully report what the politicians tell me to say.
Stewart - What about journalistic integrity?
Colbert - That's why I have this Altoids box. Just put my integrity in here for safe keeping. In case I ever need it again.
I paraphrased heavily. Does anyone know where I can find video of this skit.
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Joshua the Teacher
March 10, 2010 12:40 PM
If she wants to be governor, she's going to have to be able to answer questions from the press, especially when she tries to further dismantle public education. You can't throw a shade around that.
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DF
March 10, 2010 2:03 PM in reply to Joshua the Teacher
I saw one of her campaign ads last night. Her three planks:
1. Create Jobs (whoopee!)
2. Cut Spending (just generally)
3. Fix Education
My girlfriend was watching with me. She doesn't follow politics as closely as I do, but she immediately asked, "How are you going to fix education by cutting spending?" I think we can venture a guess as to how that will work. I hope all the kids will like vocational training in lieu of a real education!
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TBender
March 10, 2010 2:19 PM in reply to Joshua the Teacher
You haven't seen Rick Perry in action, have you?
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darkrhyme
March 10, 2010 12:40 PM
Why is it that campaign workers always look so frumpy and disheveled? Well, except for Plouffe. He always looked dapper.
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GayIthacan
March 10, 2010 12:44 PM in reply to darkrhyme
"Why is it that campaign workers always look so frumpy and disheveled? "
Because they reflect the mind of their employer?
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Richardxx
March 10, 2010 4:48 PM in reply to GayIthacan
Because standards of modern female beauty are set by the photos of carefully groomed women with a great deal of makeup, professionally coiffed hair and the most flattering of lighting. Then the picture is often photo shopped to bring out the best and conceal the flaws.
This is a working woman at the end of a long day photographed at the moment by a journalist photographer. No one would look like this in a scripted TV show or movie unless they were the villain or a victim. The Director would demand a retake or cut the picture from the final version.
Sarah Palin plays into that socially expected image of a modern woman, but she trained for years in beauty pageants to learn those skills - and clearly, not much else.
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bluesplashy
March 10, 2010 7:59 PM in reply to Richardxx
Thank you.
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ohyeathatsright
March 10, 2010 12:49 PM in reply to darkrhyme
Because they've got to deal with primadonnas like Meg Whitman.
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Minnesotan
March 10, 2010 12:48 PM
Par for the course for Whitman - she's refused to do live campaign events ever since she entered the race. Only one live press conference, which was to answer for her lack of voting (which she handled poorly), no town halls, and refusal to debate her opponents. They're trying to mask that she's an unelected dilettante who doesn't understand government - in other words, Arnie without the muscles.
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Pete Bilderback
March 10, 2010 12:49 PM
CEO types often run into this kind of problem when running for office. CEOs are not used to having to take questions from the little people. Anyway, if she thinks reporters are a pain, wait until she gets to Washington (ha, ha) and gets to deal with being a Junior member of the "the world's greatest deliberative body."
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Water
March 10, 2010 12:54 PM in reply to Pete Bilderback
Sorry but you know she is running for governor and not the senate? That fact renders your comment somewhat nulled and does not speak well to your reading comprehension.
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Cal Gal
March 10, 2010 1:14 PM in reply to Water
Give him a break. It's hard to tell our right-wing women CEO candidates apart.
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EastWest
March 10, 2010 1:18 PM in reply to Cal Gal
And his basic premise is 100% on target.
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Pete Bilderback
March 10, 2010 2:09 PM in reply to Water
Sorry, I got mixed up with the other Republican CEO who is running for Senate in CA (Carly Fiorina). But, point taken on my reading comprehension. My bad.
As to the larger point: My state, RI, currently has a former CEO as Governor. He made a lot of big promises about cleaning up the State and running it like a corporation when he ran for office. The problem is once he became Governor, he never seemed to understand that you can't treat the legislature like employees. He couldn't just fire them when they did something he didn't like. He never seemed to have the inclination to use political persuasion (carrots and sticks) to get his way. So not much has gotten accomplished over the last 8 years, which is a shame because RI's problems are just as deep--if not as BIG--as CA's.
If Whitman does manage to get elected Governor of CA, she will find it very difficult to get anything done, and will find that the autocratic style that probably served her well as CEO of eBay doesn't work in State politics. Legislators don't take orders well. CA is probably even more difficult to govern than RI because of its size and reliance on direct ballot votes. Maybe she can adapt her style, but looking at this video I would not hold out much hope of that.
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lousgirl84
March 10, 2010 3:14 PM in reply to Pete Bilderback
It's okay - they are both ugly and both liars. I can understand how you confused them
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Water
March 10, 2010 3:21 PM in reply to Pete Bilderback
i wasn't trying to be a douche. sorry if it came off that way. just, it is good to be accurate and if lobbying up an insult (even if well deserved and intended) it is important to have it be accurate.
cheers
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Pete Bilderback
March 10, 2010 3:35 PM in reply to Water
No worries. I wasn't actually trying to insult Meg Whitman (although I suppose my tone was a bit snarky) so much as point out that it is common for CEOs to not be temperamentally suited for the world of politics. She is obviously an intelligent woman who has accomplished a lot, and I have respect for that. It's just that--on the evidence of what I see here--her skills may not translate very well to the political arena. This is a common affliction among people who are successful in the world of business and think their skills will translate into success in politics. Perhaps if I had put it like that in the first place, my mistake would not have provoked a negative response from you. Cheers!
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expat46
March 10, 2010 10:19 PM in reply to Water
Lobbying or lobbing?
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rb6
March 10, 2010 1:52 PM in reply to Pete Bilderback
Yep. Every CEO who tries to run for election -- and then once elected -- has to figure out that they no longer get to say jump and expect "how high?" for a response. Some never get it.
I was once told that the reason why Robert Rubin was so effective in government was because he had been the managing partner of Goldman Sachs, and learned how to corral the world's biggest egos, and that he deemed congressmen by comparison were relatively simple to outfox.
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Hey Obama - Get in the Fight!!
March 10, 2010 1:05 PM
Why is Miss Piggy holding a Press Conference anyway?
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Cal Gal
March 10, 2010 1:12 PM
Ah, but she DID grant an interview to a right-wing columnist for the SF Chronicle, Deborah Saunders. I guess the RIGHT kind of press is OK with her.
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concerned parent
March 10, 2010 2:03 PM in reply to Cal Gal
This whole confusion about the media being there is just the medias' fault.
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JohnMcCSF
March 10, 2010 1:12 PM
SMegma sure is saturating the airwaves with very slick, very costly "Intro Meg" ads
What's she shelled out ..$46 million to date??
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twirling fartknocker
March 10, 2010 1:22 PM
she'll never win. maybe we have a chance at a sensible governor for once, but then who knows, we can certainly be a foolish state
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datglster
March 10, 2010 1:25 PM
Meg obviously loves transparency.
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Given Up
March 10, 2010 1:43 PM
Will someone enlighten me to the purpose of holding a press event and then kicking out all the reporters? Is she seriously that stupid...nevermind, i think i can answer that myself.
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Steaming Pile
March 10, 2010 1:48 PM in reply to Given Up
It's straight out of the Karen Hughes playbook.
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Jack of All Tirades
March 10, 2010 2:04 PM in reply to Given Up
She could be playing the victim card ala Palin - "They were mean to me!" Yeah, that worked out well...
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Steaming Pile
March 10, 2010 1:46 PM
Somebody please tell me she has no chance of being elected governor of California. One would think a single mention of what she did to Hewlett-Packard, the voters there would want somebody with a little less executive experience, if you know what I mean.
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Ted T.
March 10, 2010 2:00 PM in reply to Steaming Pile
You can blame Meg Whitman for a lot of stuff -- like paying billions for Skype without actually buying the underlying technology, but she has had nothing to do with HP -- that was all Carly Fiorina's doing.
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cletus
March 10, 2010 1:52 PM
I'm with Governor Moonbeam all the way.
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Duncan Hines
March 10, 2010 2:13 PM
The Whitman Corp has a right to express itself, but taking questions, now that's another story altogether.
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stayyoungmyfriends
March 10, 2010 2:36 PM
This has elicited a funny response from Sean Clegg of Level The Playing Field 2010
"Queen Meg, who over the last fifteen days, has made clear that she is Sarah Palin without the brains...."
Really?! I hope they were being sarcastic. I thought she would be Sarah Palin WITH brains"
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Michael A
March 10, 2010 3:14 PM
This fool is very dangerous, like all repukes. Her ads are absolutely ridiculous and false and she is flooding the airwaves with them. I am praying that she loses the primary to the winger who is running.
Then we will get governor moonbeam. He is ten times better than the rest of the field and I hope he wins. Kind of scary when you think about it. Decades ago he was a joke and now he is the best? Amazing.
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JZ
March 10, 2010 3:52 PM
This is a major meh in California. Until she approaches Mike Huffington territory, where he basically disappeared from the press entirely in the weeks leading up to the 94 election, she's got nothing to worry about. Huffington made Palin look downright media friendly (it got so bad the media made it THE issue in the closing days) and he lost the Senate race by a whisker. So I doubt this will have any effect at all on the electorate.
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Turnaround
March 10, 2010 3:54 PM
Game over, Meg. Dismantle your campaign. Sell the leftover parts on eBay.
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ejg3
March 10, 2010 4:00 PM
I think she needs to change her last name to Witless.
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JorgeOrwell
March 10, 2010 4:03 PM
This lady is cooked! How amateur!
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labman57
March 10, 2010 5:44 PM
Whitman sells herself as a political outsider, not a member of the GOP political machine.
She shouldn't sell herself so short. So far, she has demonstrated that she knows all the tricks of the Republican trade, spending millions of dollars to sling mud and smear her opponents, cozying up to corporate and anti-environmental interests, and avoiding the press at press conferences.
Next stop, a softball interview on FOX News. Wait for it...
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TJF
March 10, 2010 8:48 PM
Looks like the last days of (Sarah) Pompei.
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Nancy Irving
March 10, 2010 11:23 PM
"Whitman press secretary Sarah Pompei"-
You ought to know something's wrong when your chief flak is named for the epicenter of one of the world's greatest disasters...
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SqueakyRat
March 13, 2010 10:49 PM in reply to Nancy Irving
Strictly speaking, a volcanic eruption doesn't have an "epicenter," you know.
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