July 24, 2008

Open and Shut

It looks like the media and political bloggers of Tennessee have all forgotten the distinction between "the government" and political parties, as they complain today that the Tennessee Republican Party is being hypocritical because it champions "open and transparent" government yet won't let the press into its annual Statesmen's Dinner fund-raiser.

So, a refresher course: The government is covered by the state's open meetings laws. Political parties are not. The Statesmen's Dinner is a ticketed event. It is closed to people who don't buy tickets. Just as most political fund-raisers are closed. Will the same Democrats caterwauling today about our event being closed also demand that Al Gore's fundraiser for Obama next month be opened to the media? Of course not.

And the suggestion that it should be open to the public because it is being held in a city convention center built with public funds is, frankly, silly. The Tennessee GOP rented the building - taxpayers aren't paying for the building that night, the TN GOP is. That gives us the right to control access. And there are countless events held every month at city-owned convention centers across the state that aren't open to the press. Weddings and business conventions, for example.

The Tennessee Republican Party from time to time holds events that are open to the media. In fact, we even invite the media to them.

They're called press conferences.

Update: Here's the transcript of my online chat via Gmail with Kleinheider at Post Politics regarding media access to the event:

Kleinheider: Is the Karl Rove speech closed to the press?
Sent at 8:27 PM on Wednesday

me: Like most political fundraisers, the Statesmen's Dinner is a private ticketed event. No one without a ticket gets in. It's standard operating procedure for most every political fundraiser.

Kleinheider: Was it that way last year?
Where will press be allowed to go?
Will they have to stand outside the event?
Sent at 8:31 PM on Wednesday

me: I was uninvolved last year so I don't know. The press can be anywhere they are allowed to be outside the point past which only ticket holders may go. As I understand it, the TN GOP has rented the whole convention center for the event.

Kleinheider: So the press will not be allowed inside the event at all?
Can I quote you on this?
Sent at 8:34 PM on Wednesday

me: The Statesmen's Dinner is a ticketed event. No one without a ticket gets in.
Sent at 8:37 PM on Wednesday