Hotline After Dark -- Access Denied

Reporters were initially barred from Sarah Palin's first meetings with world leaders at the U.N. on 9/23.

CNN's Henry: "The [John] McCain campaign had tried to make the meetings no risk, at first refusing to allow reporters to join cameras in the Karzai meeting. Then, the five U.S. television networks, including CNN, said they would not air the video if a reporter could not be there. So, the McCain camp backed down. ... Most Americans probably couldn't care less if the media is going to get shut out. It would probably win Sarah Palin votes if they kept the media out, because we're not very popular. But she's running for vice president, and ultimately, she has to start answering questions" ("AC 360," 9/23).

More Henry: "What happened was sort of funny, because, with Henry Kissinger, you had him there in his very distinctive accent talking about the situation in Georgia with Russia and Sarah Palin said something like, I definitely want more insight on that from you. And then she met with President Karzai, and they talked about his son and how his son's name means light of the house. And, so, this was pretty light stuff. This was not exactly heavy-hitting stuff. And, so, you have got to wonder, why did the McCain campaign originally not want reporters in? It's not like it was heavy on substance" ("Election Center," 9/23).

Ex-UN Amb. John Bolton: "I think the purpose of these meetings in New York was to give her a chance to hear from significant foreign leaders, and that, obviously, was accomplished. And whether she talked to the press before, during, or after, I think is completely irrelevant" ("Hannity & Colmes," FNC, 9/23).

MSNBC's Maddow: "This isn't North Korea; we don't do just do pure photo-ops with no questions" ("Rachel Maddow Show," 9/23).

More after the jump, including McCain/Obama reveal favorite movies, Ahmadinejad talks WH '08 and Bill Clinton on role reversals.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN): "What they're doing is giving her time to kind of establish her credentials as in foreign policy and to prepare herself to be vice president."

FNC's O'Reilly, in response: "Six more weeks to the vote. And I mean, if you can't come out with Karzai or Uribe or these guys who she met with today, or even Kissinger, and answer a couple of questions. ... This is almost unprecedented that Governor Palin is being kept away from the press. ... She's got to at least come out a little bit" ("O'Reilly Factor," 9/23).

NBC's Mitchell: "If the cameras go in, without any editorial presence, what you don't see as good as our photo journalists are, you don't see what goes on beyond the camera view. ... What they would like to do, I am told, by people inside the campaign structure is keep her in a more or less controlled environment until after she has the big debate" ("Rachel Maddow Show," MSNBC, 9/23).

And during "Election Center," CNN's Campbell Brown took a moment out of the broadcast to discuss the "sexist treatment" of Palin.

Brown: "Bear with me for a short rant on another subject, because, frankly, I have had it. And I know a lot of other women out there are with me on this. I have had enough of the sexist treatment of Sarah Palin. It has to end. She was here in New York City today meeting with world leaders at the U.N. and what did the McCain campaign do? They tried to ban reporters from covering those meetings. And they did ban reporters from asking Governor Palin any questions."

More Brown: "Tonight, I call on the McCain campaign to stop treating Sarah Palin like she is a delicate flower that will wilt at any moment. This woman is from Alaska, for crying out loud. She is strong. She is tough. She is confident. And you claim she's ready to be one heartbeat away from the presidency. If that is the case, then end this chauvinistic treatment of her now. Allow her to show her stuff. Allow her to face down those pesky reporters, just like Barack Obama did today, just like John McCain did today, just like Joe Biden has done on numerous occasions. Let her have a real news conference with real questions. By treating Sarah Palin different from the other candidates in this race, you're not showing her the respect she deserves. Free Sarah Palin. Free her from the chauvinistic chains you're binding her with. Sexism in this campaign must come to an end. Sarah Palin has just as much a right to be a real candidate in this race as the men do. So, let her act like one" (CNN, 9/23).

INSIDE THE CANDIDATES STUDIO

In the series "Presidential Questions," McCain and Obama answered the same set of questions on the "Evening News."

CBS' Couric: "Describe a situation when you think it's appropriate to lie to the American people."

Obama: "I don't think it's appropriate to lie to the American people. I mean, you can put together a hypothetical where there is a national security emergency that is imminent and you don't want to provide, for example, the location of our troops. You don't have to lie in those situations; you simply say, 'We're not answering questions.' I don't think it's appropriate to lie, and I think that one of the things I want to change about the culture in Washington is not just the big lie, but also the soft lie, the fudging, the manipulation, the spin. If we can restore a sense of trust between the American people and their government, we're going to go a long way to changing the country for the better."

McCain: "I can't imagine it, to start with, because I just think that the one thing you have to have as president is your credibility. I guess you could draw a scenario where Americans were facing a threat to our very existence and you had to not have them panic or something. I'm thinking out loud here, you know. But frankly, I don't know of any really reasonable or logical scenario where you would feel compelled to lie to the American people."

Couric: "What about in a national security situation?"

McCain: "Yeah, I was trying to imagine that. But if you deceive the American people and you want their support and you want them to beat back this national security challenge and you don't tell them the truth about it, then I think they become disillusioned. That's happened in the past. ... The Vietnam War, 'The light's at the end of the tunnel.' Turned out to be a train. I think one of the reasons why America came out of the Great Depression is that Franklin Delano Roosevelt went on the radio all the time and had the, quote, 'fireside chats,' and said, 'Here's what we're facing, but here's what we're going to do.' And every time that great presidents, including some I really admire, have not told the American people a complete truth, then they've paid a price for it."

Couric: "What is your favorite movie of all time?"

McCain: ""'Viva Zapata!' It's a movie made by Elia Kazan, was one of the trilogy of 'Streetcar Named Desire' and 'On the Waterfront,' and 'Viva Zapata!' Marlon Brando stars in it. He plays Zapata. It's a heroic tale of a person who sacrificed everything for what he believed in, and there's some of the most moving scenes in that movie that I've ever seen."

Obama: "Oh, I think it would have to be 'The Godfather I' and 'II.' Three, not so much. But that saga, love that movie. Love those movies."

Couric: "Do you have a favorite scene?"

Obama: "You know, so many of them. I think my favorite has to be, you know, the opening scene of the first 'Godfather' where, you know, the caretaker comes in and, you know, Marlon Brando's sitting there and he's saying, 'You disrespected me,' you know, 'and now you want a favor.' ... Sets the tone for the whole movie. ... There's a combination of old world gentility and, you know, ritual with this savagery underneath it. It's all about family. It's a great movie. 'Lawrence of Arabia,' great film, one of my favorites. And then 'Casablanca.' You know, who doesn't like 'Casablanca'?"

Couric: "I asked for one."

Obama: "I'm a movie guy. I can rattle off a bunch of movies" (CBS, 9/23).

COFFEE TALK

During a 9/23 appearance on "LKL," Iranian Pres. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was asked if he has a preference among the American presidential candidates.

Ahmadinejad: "No. We do not [have] a preference of any sort because we believe that these are issues relating to the domestic affairs of the United States and decisions pertaining to that must be made by the American people. And it's not important to us either. What matters, essentially, is that the president that is chosen by the American people should adopt a path and a policy approach and for us to observe that policy approach. This is the campaign period. Anyone can say anything. So we disregard that. What matters is that once someone is in office, we have to watch and see if that person will bring about some changes in policy or continue the same old path. I think that's more important than who is actually voted into office."

Ahmadinejad, asked if he would like to meet with McCain or Obama: "I have said that -- in fact, on this very trip currently in New York -- that I am ready to speak with presidential candidates before the press, with the presence of the members of the press and the media, and discuss world issues and debate them together."

Ahmadinejad, asked if he would like to meet Palin: "I will await and see what evolves, what happens. Of course, we are interested in talking with one another. We believe that through talk and dialogue, things can be resolved much easier."

CNN's L. King: "You were both mayors, right? So you have something in common."

Ahmadinejad: "I wish that we would have talked together when we were both mayors" (CNN, 9/23).

TAKE IT FROM ME...

And Bill Clinton continued the TV rounds, appearing on "On the Record."

B. Clinton, asked why McCain would be bad for the country: "Well, I don't think we should talk like that. ... I don't think there's any question, if you look at the Obama energy plan, the education plan, and especially there's stark, stark differences in the health care plan, that those things would be better for America."

B. Clinton, asked how he can make those predictions: "Well, you can look at the record that was established when I was president and compare it to the next eight years or to the previous 12. ... Obama ... has gone out of his way to reach out to Gene Sperling and Bob Rubin and Laura Tyson, and you know, the whole range of economic advisers that I had. And they produced a pretty good economy with broadly shared benefits. ... In terms of this current financial crisis, it's hard to know, for anybody to say with certainty this is what you should do for the next six months because there are still events unfolding. But he certainly has shown a willingness to get together really smart people and listen to them and be open to new ideas and have what I consider to be the right values in ... how we're going to bring America's financial health back."

B. Clinton, asked if he has any advice for Todd Palin: "No. I mean, I think he's doing just fine on his own. I think, you know, when you break these gender roles, there are all these sort of almost subconscious expectations. ... I do think he's an interesting guy. I think anybody who finishes those long races he does, did 500 miles on a broken arm ... is worth our admiration. You know, I like people that don't quit and are tough in the face of adversity. So I admire that."

More B. Clinton: "But I think the trick is, if you're a husband and the woman is in the role, the political role, traditionally identified with men, the trick is to give support that is unambiguous and clear and to also be there with advice privately, but to do it in a way that doesn't, in a funny way, make her look weak. ... I think that whenever you start changing the deck chairs and gender roles and family roles, you have to be prepared for psychological, as well as political sparks to fly. And my advice to him is, Keep that smile. Don't get defensive. ... They obviously love each other, and it looks to me like they've got a pretty good relationship" (FNC, 9/23).

He was also on Comedy Central's "Daily Show." See today's Hotline for more.