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  Army to Block Media at Palin Book Signing
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ContributorBrandonius Maximus 
Last EditedBrandonius Maximus  Nov 19, 2009 05:28pm
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MediaTV News - Columbia Broadcasting System CBS News
News DateThursday, November 19, 2009 11:00:00 PM UTC0:0
Description(CBS/ AP) The U.S. Army plans to prevent media from covering Sarah Palin's appearance at Fort Bragg, fearing the event will turn into political grandstanding against President Barack Obama, officials said Thursday.

Fort Bragg spokesman Tom McCollum told The Associated Press that Bragg's garrison commander and other Army officials had decided to keep media away from Palin's book promotion. He said the Army did not want the Monday event to become a platform to express political opinions "directed against the commander in chief."

"The main reason is to stop this from turning into a political platform," he said. "There are Army regulations that basically prohibit military reservations from becoming political platforms by politicians."

He said only one politician can use that platform, "and that person does it as our commander in chief."

Palin, the former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, has already agreed not to give a speech at Bragg, McCollum said. However, since other members of the public would be permitted to attend, the spokesman worried that Palin's supporters might make the event political and use the media to express opinions from the base.

"Criticism of our commander in chief could be expressed by anyone there," McCollum told CBS News producer Mary Walsh. He also said that reports of such statements taking place on the grounds of Fort Bragg would be counter to Department of Defense regulations.

A spokeswoman for Palin's publisher, HarperCollins, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
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