DNC Head Woodhouse: 'Media Forfeits Right To Gripe' by Not Attending Holder Meeting

Brad Woodhouse, head of the Democratic National Committee, has made himself a target for journalists who were infuriated by his tweet Wednesday that said reporters forfeit their right to gripe about the Justice Department leaks by refusing to attend an off-the-record meeting with Attorney General Eric Holder.

Holder reportedly met with the Washington bureau chiefs from various news organizations this week in an off-the-record session to discuss the Justice Department and the recent scandal with The Associated Press phone records.

But many bureau chiefs refused to attend the meeting unless it was on-the-record.

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"It isn't appropriate for us to attend an off-the-record meeting with the attorney general," Jill Abramson, Editor-in-Chief of The New York Times, said in a statement. "Our Washington bureau is aggressively covering the department's handling of leak investigations at this time."

The Associated Press also reportedly opted out of the meeting.

On Wednesday, Woodhouse took to Twitter to voice his opinion on the matter.

POTUS asked AG to review how leak investigations are done but some in the media refuse to meet with him. Kind of forfeits your right gripe.

— Brad Woodhouse (@woodhouseb) May 29, 2013

Journalists and Twitter users immediately took Woodhouse to task over his comment.

@bradwoodhouse, 1st Amend GRIPE RIGHTS are not "forfeited" 4 refusing 2 B spoon fed more Obama-Holder pablum! Sheesh. bit.ly/15jAKGf

— Trish Nelson (@Trishcuit) May 30, 2013

@woodhouseb Wait, the very people the AG bugged and followed and whose privacy was invaded refuse to meet w/ him? #Shocked

— Bob Hicks (@BobHicks_) May 29, 2013

I. Love. This. ow.ly/lwqKr if refuse to meet my mugger, does that mean I can't "gripe" about the mugging?

— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahNRO) May 29, 2013

"You have no 1st Amendment rights if you don't agree to our conditions." - @woodhouseb

— Miké (@ThePantau) May 29, 2013

Every time you think Republican operatives define aggressive stupidity, just remember two words: Brad Woodhouse.

— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) May 29, 2013

@woodhouseb Oh, and Brad Woodhouse, your rights come from God. You cannot forfeit them

— donsurber (@donsurber) May 29, 2013

Re Holder convening bureau chiefs on leak probes: He may ask that meeting be off record. Chiefs should decline, record and report.

— Ron Fournier (@ron_fournier) May 29, 2013

.@21law @macfarlanenews Journalists stand for govt transparency. Whatever Holder has to say to media, and media to him, should be public

— Ron Fournier (@ron_fournier) May 29, 2013

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