By Debbie Schlussel
Remember the women who disrupted John McCain’s speech at the Republican National Convention, last week? Everyone wondered from whom they got their media passes, which allowed them access to the convention floor. Now a new story out suggests it might have been my hometown newspaper, the Detroit Free Press.
Several readers sent me a FOX News article about how members of Code Pink managed to infiltrate a Detroit Free Press focus group of “independent” voters rating speeches of the Presidential and Vice Presidential nominees at both major parties’ conventions.
For the unfamiliar, Code Pink is the far-left, anti-war, anti-American, anti-Israel feminist group with which Cindy Sheehan was associated. I’ve written about this vile group many times over the last several years. They’ve even raised money and given it to groups affiliated with Islamic terrorists, because they want the money to go to those who kill innocent Americans and Israelis and our troops. For a refresher on the kinds of things Code Pink is involved with, check out my past post on Code Pinko Desiree Anita Ali-Fairooz.

Code Pink @ RNC: Did Detroit Free Press Give Them Media Passes?
And while Free Press editors are sorta “apologizing”, they really aren’t, saying that Code Pinkos could actually be “independent.” Uh-huh.

[Detroit Free Press Assistant Managing Editor Randy Essex] said he didn’t see the harm in having a “radical leftist or two” in the group. . . .
“If there is a radical leftist or two in the group, I don’t care,” Essex told FOXNews.com. “I want a robust conversation, a complete range of political viewpoints.” The four activists were part of a group of seven self-described “independents.”

“Complete” minus right-wing groups as “independents”, of course.
Tell me, do you think these people sound like “independents”?:

* Ilene Beninson, who once joined anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan in a hunger strike;
* Joellen Gilchrist, who runs a chapter of CodePink
* George Lentz, has publicly opposed the war in Iraq and run a petition drive to help defeat Michigan anti-gay marriage legislation;
* Jan Wheelock, a member and donor to the East Michigan Environmental Action Council, along with Gilchrist.

And what’s also telling–and shouldn’t shock us–is that these Code Pink women didn’t have to infiltrate the focus group, they were specifically selected and recommended by Detroit Free Press editors:

A newsroom administrator at the Free Press formed the focus group by using a list of people who were willing to be contacted by a reporter after a poll is conducted, Essex explained. He said he’s pretty sure a newsroom employee suggested the CodePink members.

Confirms a lot about what we already knew regarding the uber-left bias of major newspaper editors. Do you think they’d select members of the Federalist Society or Young Americans For Freedom as “independent voters” for their focus group?
And here’s more about how the Free Press views this far left group:

Essex said the Free Press will continue to refine the voter panel, but he added, “I don’t think it’s wildly out of balance now.”
Asked if a correction would be published, Essex said not until he found evidence that the CodePink members were not political independents. He noted that political independents can have agendas just like members of either political party.

Like I said, don’t expect the Freep–which is actually the fairer and more accurate of Detroit’s two major newspapers–to view mainstream conservatives groups in the same way as this far-left one.
And finally, there’s the accusation that some readers are leveling that it’s the Free Press that gave Code Pink members their media passes, which enabled them to disrupt the Republican National Convention during John McCain’s speech.
Is that true?
The Detroit Free Press’ masthead bears the saying, “On Guard for 177 Years.” Looks like they really aren’t “On Guard”. At least, not for you.
The Detroit Free Press’ Version of “Independent Voters” . . .

Bottom Pic: Code Pink’s Desiree Anita Ali-Fairooz