White House press stranded in Istanbul

The White House press corps is stranded in Istanbul.
Originally scheduled to depart for home soon after President Obama and Air Force One took off Tuesday afternoon, the press corps stayed behind, first to file stories on Obama’s Turkey visit, then a little later to file stories on Obama’s secret trip to Baghdad.
But there also was a mechanical problem with the press corps’ chartered 777. And a flight bringing a needed part from London landed at Istanbul without the part.
Now, the White House says, another plane is being diverted from Dubai with the part _ needed for the captain’s seat _ and the press corps will spend an extra night in Istanbul.
Normally grumpy, reporters at first moaned at the thought of spending the night without a hotel room and without their luggage, already checked hours before and loaded aboard the disabled plane. But that eased with news of extra wine being brought in. And it turned to applause with a promise of double airline miles for the trip home.

Comments

[robinson]

Hi,

This is a wonderful opinion. The things mentioned are unanimous and needs to be appreciated by everyone.

robinson

Miami real estate

[robinson]

Hi,

This is a wonderful opinion. The things mentioned are unanimous and needs to be appreciated by everyone.

robinson

Miami real estate

[yeahyeah]

Yatin.....what???

If I understand you correctly, you're insinuating we must all be jealous and unemployed? First, I'm employed. Second, sure, being a *JOURNALIST* would be quite noble and interesting. But these guys? They are too involved in the Establishment to properly behave as the critics a journalistic duty requires.

By the way, they have a private charter which they use consistently. I also ride the MTA NYC Transit subway system consistently, yet never am I properly compensated when all hell breaks loose.

[AD]

Next time they should book their flight with the "Grace L. Ferguson Airline & Storm-door Co."!

[Joe]

Why is this a white house problem? Let the press corp fend for themselves like regular mortals.

[John_B]

For the past 20 years or so, the WH press corps has been paying full freight on these flights. As paying customers, they have the same rights to demand service. As people who literally buy ink by the barrel, it's not surprising that an airline might want to make nice with them. They also tend to charter the same planes, time after time, so a little 'customer loyalty' discount wouldn't be unheard of, either.

Sean: You don't? I always hold out for it when I get bumped from international flights....

[Al Reasin]

Yep, three days in Guam when our military's charter's engine caught fire. There was no damage but the air bottles for the emergency evac slides had to be flown in then the pilots had to have off time before we could fly out. Not too much sympathy for the newies here.

[Biff Hooper]

Could be worse. They could be in Constantinople.

[Insufficiently Sensitive]

Those are not mere 'reporters'. They are 'elite opinion leaders', according to John Nichols and Robert W. McChesney.

And who are John Nichols and Robert W. McChesney?

Oh, they just wrote a grotesque long op-ed in the Seattle Times, laboriously trying to justify subsidies for failing newspapers, so that they can continue to wallow in the perks which those poor dears in Istanbul had to miss for a few hours.

[dick]

If the Clintons had left the travel office alone this would never have happened. Poor babies to be stuck there away from The One. However will they survive. Who will tell them what to print if he is not there to show them the Way.

[Yatin]

wow, you people are jealous of journalists? i know several journalists and the only people i know that are jealous of them are the unemployed. actually the unemployed get paid more.

[Ssssh! don't tell]

Please don't tell everyone how easy it is to bribe the press. Those of us who work in public information slots have been bribing them food and booze to show up at news events for decades. They are such a hungry lazy bunch that it is very easy to lead them around by the nose. The WH press corps is especially addicted to the perks of its beat - and they'll say (or not say) and do (or not do) anything to protect that turf. Afterall - they must write a book someday, non?

[yeahyeah]

um...yeah these people have private planes, get to travel the world all expenses paid, eye witness incredible sites, and are in the front row to see the president everyday. not to mention they have incredibly high salaries. OH NOT THE PLANE!!! NOT ONE MORE NIGHT IN THE BEAUTIFUL AND CULTURALLY RICH CITY OF ISTANBUL!!! NOT FREE BOOZE AND DOUBLE MILE REWARDS!!! [FAINTS]

[George]

What airline is it? Charter?

[Stop Whining]

VF, why are you covering for those drunken, overpaid, elitist members of the Georgetown Cocktail Club known as the White House Press Corps?

Had the White House Press Corps done its job seven years ago, they would not be cooling their heels in Turkey today. The White House Press Corps is more interested in feeding itself and stoking its gargantuan ego that it is in obtaining the facts, doing the research, asking the difficult questions, and bringing the truth to light.

I will cry not a single tear for the White House Press Corps. Instead, send 'em Abdul and his 15 brothers with the Vice Grips concession in Ankara and let the good times roll. Put it on my tab.

[VF]

Commenters, chill out. Imagine if this happened to you on your job. Except the job of reporters is to report and write... so it comes naturally to this reporter to just file a light dispatch from the plane or airport or wherever.

[Stop Whining]

For all of your whining, one seriously hopes that some Turks show up with vice grips and slowly remove all of your fingernails and toenails.

[Sean]

Poor press corps. I wish I got booze and bonus miles when my flight got canceled...