Geithner stages press conference, censors real questions

Aaron Dykes
Infowars.com
February 23, 2010

Thanks to fellow patriot David Barrow for the photo and second video. See more photos of the event here.

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner made an appearance alongside IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman at the Joe Stack crash site in Austin, Texas. Their purpose was straightforward– to grandstand over an attack on a government agency and to set the scene for demonizing “anti-government beliefs.”

The event was tightly controlled. Despite Geithner’s being a public figure, and setting the location along a public roadway, real media outlets were kept away on the premise that is was a private event by “invitation” only. This meant that only trusted network news stations were welcomed through. The Treasury Department, who ran the event, placed further restrictions on media access by setting a registration deadline:

Due to security concerns surrounding the site, media wishing to attend must RSVP to Clay Sanford at 214-914-2037 by 12:00 p.m. CST.

This message was sent only to major stations, and did not come in time for Infowars to register.

The first wave of the Infowars team showed up more than two hours early to the press conference only to be denied access and told to move to a “public viewing area” more than 100 yards away from the scene of action. Other Infowars reporters avoided detection and found entrance. However, Geithner’s appearance was destined to be little more than a glorified photo-op. Treasury Dept. handlers prepared the press crowd for the fact that only two questions would be allowed. What’s more, the fix was already in. Event gatekeepers appeared to have selected two reporters (seen in the video) to field the only questions. Phony TV reporters can be relied on to ask only softball questions.

The reason for such control is obvious– Tim Geithner knows that everything he represents is hated by the general public, and that the less light shed on the bailout operation or his personal activities, the better. Though the public was told the bailout cost only $700 Billion, the real cost has now surpassed $23.7 Trillion (and beyond). Even Congress has been refused information about where that money has gone. Questions abound about what really happened on Wall Street during the financial crisis, and Secretary Geithner has been at the heart of it.

After the press waited for hours and the press time was moved back once, then again, the Treasury Secretary finally arrived. Geithner, Shulman and their entourage pulled up in a motorcade and spent perhaps five minutes looking at the damage to the Echelon building where one IRS employee was killed. Geithner nodded as parts of the burned out building were shown to him. Finally, he approached the press for a conference that would also last only minutes.

Despite a careful attempt to plan the event and maximize its political impact, Infowarriors and real journalists everywhere cannot be stopped. Geithner and Shulman had a surprise when I blurted out a real question. “The real bailout cost is $23 Trillion…,” I started, before Geithner cut me off. “Just a minute,” he said, restarting on his canned statement of sympathy for the deceased.

• A d v e r t i s e m e n t

While Geithner spoke, Shulman showed his annoyance. Only a few feet away, the IRS Commissioner stared hatefully into my eyes. Everything was supposed to be controlled. Had other rogue journalists infiltrated the crowd as well? Shulman began scanning the press corp with his eyes, looking for other deviant behavior. It was like a scene in ‘They Live‘ where they realize they have ‘one that can see.’

As soon as Geithner’s brief statements were concluded, they cut quickly to the pre-arranged reporter, ignoring my repeated attempt to ask a question. The softball question put them safely back on script. A simple answer, then one more question (and a quick follow-up) to the second pre-arranged reporter. Others in the crowd started asking about the real bailout numbers as well. Someone else asked about whether holds had been placed on the banks. There were dozens of other important and intriguing questions to raise, but they would fall on deaf ears this time.

The Treasury Dept. handler whisked away Geithner and Shulman while questions were still being put forward. As quickly as they appeared, two top money men were gone back into the shadows where questions are hardly ever raised about the real looting of the country. Tim Geithner hardly ever makes press appearances, and he did little to expose himself to inquiry here either.

Tim Geithner Tours Damage to Echelon Bldg. in Austin After Joe Stack’s Airplane Attack (Video by David Barrow)

This article was posted: Tuesday, February 23, 2010 at 2:02 pm

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