Watch Chicago Media Fiercely Shield Dick Durbin From One Reporter's Question

This is truly a stunning scene to behold. Watch a Washington Times writer, William Kelly, try ask Senator Dick Durbin a tough -- but not unusually tough -- question about his role and responsibility in the current debt crisis.

The reporter tried repeatedly to address Durbin directly, telling the senator: "You blamed everyone for the downgrade... You've blamed the Tea Party, you've called them terrorists. You've blamed everyone except yourself. What responsibility do you take? I'm simply asking a question."

But watch as fellow reporters -- who, above all, should have defended another reporter's right to ask a legitimate question -- try to block Kelly's access to Durbin. Then watch as security attempts to actually escort the Kelly out of the room, claiming he was "trespassing."

Kelly stood his ground, however, telling the security guards that he could not be trespassing on public property and telling Durbin and his fellow, hostile reporters that the "appropriate protocol" for Durbin would be to simply "answer the question."

In his Washington Times column, Kelly wrote of the incident:

This week U.S. Senator Dick Durbin held a press conference with members of the mainstream media to talk about the downgrade crisis. But the Senator’s scripted storyline veered off-course when a conservative reporter – me – showed up to ask an embarrassing question. Namely, “Senator, you’ve blamed the tea party…but do you bear any responsibility for this downgrade crisis?”

What, you didn’t hear about this incident in the media? For those of you that need more proof that journalism is dead, read on.

...

I went to Durbin’s press conference to set the record straight. My objective: some journalistic balance. Not only did Durbin refuse to answer the question but his cronies in the Chicago media went on the attack.

One of those crony journalists was Jim Anderson, news director for the Illinois Radio Network. You can hear him in the background telling Durbin, “He organizes tea party rallies."  In media terms, that’s called being fair and impartial. That’s what a real journalist does.

One wonders how the other journalists would feel if they're attempts to ask someone a tough question were blocked so ferociously.  Don't they care about freedom of the press? Apparently not when the press, in this instance, leans left:

(H/T: MRCTV)