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Media Matters
Dispatches From the Alley
A report from Mrs. Kelley’s neighborhood, where a clearly pointless vigil continues.
TAMPA — Once again the mainstream media is doing what it does best, shining bright light on ephemera. In this case, multiple lights. To accomplish this, newsies are making bloody nuisances of themselves in my usually quiet neighborhood.
With several days of clear evidence that there is nothing of even minimal interest to film at the home of Jill Kelley, the media scrum in front, in back, and on the sides of the Kelley manse has grown larger. Wednesday morning there were about 15 poorly dressed idlers milling around in the alley behind the Kelley home, communing with the garbage cans and hoping to get a shot of, well, of what isn’t clear. This is up from about 10 on Tuesday. Is this any kind of work for a grownup?
A smaller number of dung beetles, with all manner of lights, cameras, and other expensive but seemingly pointless equipment was arrayed on city right-of-way in front of and around the side of the house. (Do the guys who drew the short straws have to stand in back by the garbage cans?) Trucks bearing the legends of various news organizations were parked nose to rear bumper for a block and a half into this residential neighborhood. From time to time a noisy and low-flying news helicopter chops its way across the otherwise unsullied Tampa sky in pursuit of God knows what.
One is entitled to wonder what these folks are expecting to get a shot of, or what exactly is the point of shouting questions at someone who isn’t going to answer them. So I approached a bored and bearded guy standing behind an expensive-looking camera. I got a blank look when I asked, “How can you stand the pace?” Maybe this is what this guy does every day — poor sod. Then I pointed out that TV viewers have already seen La Kelley making a short, silent walk from the door of her home to her car, so what was the prize he was looking for today? Without a smile or any other indication of interest or irony he replied, “Today’s walk to the car.”
Oh. Well, I guess that’s a lot easier than nailing down what went on in Benghazi and why. So for the short term, the Kelleys’ luckless neighbors will have to endure noisy newsies and their collateral clamor doing their 11 p.m. stand-ups in front of the Kelley house, which is bathed for the purpose in powerful lights that reach far beyond the Kelley’s property line.
Away from the Kelley site, other well-paid media gnomes are busy trying to pin down who was embedded and who was in-bedded with whom, in what is almost certainly a national security non-sequitur but flag-rank gossip. This sort of thing used to be the exclusive territory of publications with names like “The National Perspirer” or the “Weekly Ransacker.” The Brits used to be better than us at this, but I fear we have caught up with the Mother Country. Fleet Street is everywhere now.
There are at what should be heart of this matter some serious questions, not limited to: Why were Americans allowed to die in Benghazi when the option existed during the hours-long attack to defend them? And, if General Petraeus and his straying from his marriage vows made him too much of a risk to remain head Secret Squirrel three days after the election, why was he not just as much of a risk in September when Eric Holder knew about it?
TAS readers are advised not to hold their breath until any media organization save Fox News goes after these important questions. So much easier, more fun, and less dangerous to President Perfect to keep after whom was kanoodling with whom. Even though this is wearisome to the adult mind.
Surely this wasn’t what the Philadelphia founders had in mind when they composed the First Amendment.
About the Author
Larry Thornberry is a writer in Tampa.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (25) | Leave a comment
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Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 11.15.12 @ 6:39AM
Look at that dress, two lines descend and then material is flared to resemble a cloth nipple in the proximity of where nipples are usually located, assuming there has been no double mastectomy. Perhaps there was the opposite, i.e., a boob job done by expert hands.
It's amazing how public officials schmooze and canoodle with these types.
But it does give the MSM a distraction, to take away from other important issues. It's easier to spell sex than Benghazi.
Flatdog | 11.15.12 @ 12:59PM
Didn't think it got cold in Florida, but I'd say her nipples are trying to burst out of her boddice.
And why is she trying to unlock the car with the TV remote? Must be preoccupied, I suppose.
Woodrow| 11.15.12 @ 1:44PM
Preoccupied? Sure, but that's a purse, ya monkey.
JP| 11.15.12 @ 2:00PM
I think she has an ipad. There's an app for that.
Alan Brooks | 11.15.12 @ 5:46PM
Moral of the story: mix saltpeter in army chow.
Appleby| 11.15.12 @ 7:14AM
You'll always draw a crowd of men for anything remotely involving sex. Apparently when the end of the world is nigh, men will miss it, because men will be somewhere else desperately looking for sex.
Stick| 11.15.12 @ 12:56PM
Would there be something more productive to do given the nearing end times?
Drunken Sailor| 11.15.12 @ 2:34PM
And women will always be offering sex to someone in power or with money in their search for security.
Make generalizations much Appleby?
SUBVET| 11.15.12 @ 4:11PM
Ya......I am a lesbian trapped in a mans body so what's your problem queen of the apples.
WaffenSS| 11.15.12 @ 7:23AM
If Gen. was tapping into the woman in the photo my hats is off to him. That is nice. A far cry from the fat socialist pigs that dominate the media.
WaffenSS| 11.15.12 @ 7:25AM
Lick, lick, lick, lick, lick.
Von Mises Jr| 11.15.12 @ 8:20AM
This is how propaganda works. Liberal need a patterned response drilled into their heads so when they hear "Benghazi" they blurt "Be-Tray-Us" like sheep. Actually, liberals are only slightly smarter than parrots that only repeat the word. Liberals can associate one other word with virtually any utterance. Here are a few examples:
Recession - Bush policies
Housing Crisis - De-regulation
Fast and Furious - Wide Receiver
Marines - Baby Killer
Obama - Racist
Rosie - Homophobe
TEA Party -Right Wing Haters
Abortion - Pro-Choice
Benghazi - Petraeus
This gets very old and tiresome. That is why I do not talk to liberals except to annoy them.
SaraB| 11.15.12 @ 8:21AM
Remember when news crews used to camp out at the homes of the people accused of wrong doing (Petraeus) and not their mistresses? I miss those days.
Frank Drackman| 11.15.12 @ 8:27AM
OK, as big a perv as I am, this is the first time I've seen a pic of Mssssssssssss Kelley.
BOINNNGGGGGGG!!!!!!SCHWINNNGGGGG!!!! and SHAZAAAYUM(with apologies to Dean Martin, Michael Meyers, and Jim Neighbors)
are those Nipples I'm seeing?? On TAS??
I think I'm going to like this Naive New World Order..
Except for our Mulatto Overlord that is...
and as those Sleuths Woodhead and Fernstein said,
"Follow the Money"
Tell Me General,
WHO PAID FOR MIZZZZZZZZ KELLEY'S BOOBS???
got his money's worth whoever it was..
Now I've got a bannana to peel.
Frank "thats DOCTOR Cracker" Drackman
OregonBuzz| 11.15.12 @ 11:07AM
`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe
"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"
Frank Drackman| 11.15.12 @ 12:58PM
What Rough Breast,
it's hour come round at last,
slouches towards Bethlehem to be born..
She can slouch those Breasts towards me
anytime...
JimH| 11.15.12 @ 1:53PM
I don’t know if having moved down here I am just noticing it more, but Tampa seems to be a nexus of weirdness. Maybe there is some convergence of bizzaro Ley lines here.
Hardcard| 11.15.12 @ 1:56PM
Remember a few years ago a gaggle of russians were caught in an espionage ring in New York and immediately deported to russia and putin compained a bit a few and the issue was forgotten in time I recall a few of the deportees were semi-hotties. Now our 4 star generals and DCIA have their pants around their ankles see any hotties???
Frank Drackman| 11.15.12 @ 2:04PM
She was a black haired beauty with big dark eyes,
and points all her own, sittin' way up high...
JP| 11.15.12 @ 3:03PM
Me thinks Jill Kelly's money worries are finished.
Joe D.| 11.15.12 @ 2:15PM
Whin, Whin, Whin Larry, that is all you do. First the convention and then this.
Second the reason they are there is to come up with stuff to keep Benghazi and the Afgan murders off the TV.
Mike in N.C.| 11.15.12 @ 3:32PM
Yeah, Larry. We got it. You live in the same neighborhood as the Kelley's. Why do I get the impression that you were never on any of the guest lists?
Oldefarte| 11.15.12 @ 4:01PM
You'd think that these MSM cockroaches would instead camp out near the Pentagon or possibly the offices of the USJD, but ohhhh no, uncle Barry wouldn't kowtow to that. He might have Rahm the Magnificent possibly throw a dozen dead fish in the backseat of their vehicles, or Tony-the-tiger Reskivich send over some slum enhabitants to OWS the scene, etc. Really these MSM'er make manure almost eatable!!!!!!!!
Mike in N.C.| 11.15.12 @ 7:28PM
Hey, Oldfarte. Hear that Haley Barbour said the GOP needs an appointment with a proctologist or words to that effect? I think he was inviting you to get your head out of your ass.
WaffenSS| 11.16.12 @ 10:44AM
Dave and Jill
went up a hill
to fetch a life like story
Jill fell down
and Dave went down
and continued the life like story.