Really?: AP White House Photographer Refuses to Discuss FLOTUS Target Run

What a phony-baloney plastic banana good-time rock-and-roll optic photo-op that was. — Rush Limbaugh

In an article titled “Michelle Obama’s Target Trip,” Politico palace guards for Obama and buries the lead:

Never has a Target dash caused such a ruckus. Jennifer Lopez could probably shop at Target without creating a stir equal to that caused by the first lady after she made an unannounced, midafternoon trip Thursday to the mega-retailer in Alexandria, Va. …

A matter causing some suspicion about the trip is how an Associated Press photographer happened to be in position to catch the first lady — in baseball hat, sunglasses, flowered top, with tan purse and shopping bags — leaving the store.

“Good source work,” said Paul Colford, a spokesman for the wire service in New York.

The pictures were taken by Charles Dharapak, a veteran White House photographer for The Associated Press. The well-regarded Dharapak cheerfully declined to give POLITICO an exclusive on his exclusive.

“We have been besieged with interview requests, but Charlie has done not a single one,” Colford said.

Oh, it was just “good source work.”

Then why isn’t the photographer talking? Why no interviews? What we have here is a member of the media refusing to report. Are you suspicious, because I’m suspicious. But do you want to know who isn’t suspicious? Politico.

Later in the story we’re told the media was only allowed in the store if they received permission.

So there was other media there? Who were they and how did they find out about this unscripted shopping trip? Are they talking?

If the First Lady wants to make a Target run for a photo-op, that’s fine. But to see Michelle Antoinette take a break from her lavish vacationing to pretend she’s just another member of the proletariat is something one only attempts to get away with if they know the MSM will cover for them.

A serious, unbiased media would laugh out loud at this incident. To see Politico only report on the skepticism but otherwise accept the incident at face value and close with this…

But the first lady told Oprah Winfrey in a May interview that sometimes she just misses feeling normal.

“I think one of the greatest sacrifices for people like us — who like being with people — is that it’s the bubble,” Obama said. “We talked about it. I can’t go to Target and walk around. I guess I could, but it would mess up everyone else’s shopping experience.”

…is almost as illuminating as the AP photographer refusing to report.

Obama’s palace guards, the whole lot of them.

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