Rob Briley Continues His Needling Of The Press

By Kleinheider Posted on May 21, 2008 at 11:58 am

Rep. Rob Briley, who called out the press and the blogosphere yesterday for not taking practicing their craft responsibly, again made statements on the floor of the State House regarding his estimation of journalistic integrity.

Briley declared that the Tennessean’s headline this morning chronicling his tirade yesterday “proved his point” about the lack of responsibility amongst the press.

What wasn’t clear was whether Briley was speaking of his misidentification as “Sen. Briley” or whether he took issue with the phrasing of “takes shots at the media.”

If the latter, then the Gannett daily can hardly be faulted. Briley described his statements about the press as a “shot across the bow.”

What Briley should have faulted the Tennessean with, along with the misidentification in the headline, is various inaccuracies under said headline.

As you can see above, the Tennessean refers to Briley’s “resignation” and then refers you to some stories that supposedly happened after that.

First, while it is true that Briley resigned from his Judiciary Committee chairmanship, one might doubt that the same headline writers who misidentified in which body Briley serves in, would be referencing that.

What they likely are referencing is his decision to leave the legislature. That, of course, was not a “resignation.” Briley did not “resign” from the legislature, he merely elected not to run for reelection.

That said, whether the Gannett staffers were referring the decision not run or his resignation from his chairmanship is immaterial. The links that lie beneath are inaccurate either way.

Two of the links cited as after “Briley’s resignation” chronicle his dustup with Rep. Stacey Campfield over Campfield’s “babydaddy bill.” That, of course was last month well after both his chairmanship resignation and his decision to leave the legislature upon the expiration of his term.

Regardless of the lapses of the Tennessean headline department, one must wonder whether Briley’s real beef with the article was its subtle implication as to whom his “coded message” might have been directed to.

Briley, who listed a female lobbyist who is not his wife as his emergency contact when he was arrested, then issued an enigmatic “coded message” to someone out there listening to his speech.

“I’m going to say something in code now that none of you all are going to understand,” Briley said. “Poets and kings.”

When that message was met with blank stares, Briley elaborated. “There’s something out there that poets write verse about, and something out there that kings wage war about,” he said. “I’ve been lucky enough to experience that in my life, and I hope all of you do, too. So, poets and kings, everybody.”

Either way, Briley’s back and forth with the media was not done with his claim of vindication by the Tennessean.

During a portion of the morning’s session where retiring Representatives were being given the opportunity to handle the Speaker’s gavel, Briley turned to the press box and said, “[W]hile acting as speaker I have authority to have you removed from the chamber.”

Making it clear he was joking Briley then laughed and said that he appreciated the media’s “hard work.”

SEE ALSO: Peebles

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Tags: 1100 Broadway, blogger hating, DUI, First Amendment, Gannett, General Assembly, Media, Rob Briley, Tennessean