Fishbowl5 With the Ambusher

Human Events Editor Jason Mattera says no one has ever tried to assault him for the way he conducts his reporting, which is largely one big ambush. Today the right-wing journalist continues his trend by releasing a video (complete with sinister music) in which he chases down the controversial Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Donald Berwick. It would be hard to call this an "interview" in that Berwick doesn't answer any questions. "It's pretty good," Mattera tells FishbowlDC. "He wimps out and hides behind a security detail. To this day, he still hasn’t been held accountable for any of his radical statements over the years." Some may recall Mattera's previous antics when he ambushed Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) or the late Rep. Jack Murtha (D-Pa.). The scribe reports that he has never hid in a closet and jumped out to scare anyone, but he's not ruling it out. "The day is young," he says. Who is his next ambush - is there a plan or does he tell no one? "I have plenty of targets scoped out," he says. "But, unlike MSNBC, people pay attention to what is said on FishbowlDC, so I can't reveal who is next on the list." 1. Ambushing has become your trademark. You ever get afraid of getting punched in the nose? Never. I grew up in Brooklyn, New York. The last thing I’m afraid of is some pantywaist liberal. 2. What were you trying to accomplish with this story? You're reporting seems to be all about the chase - do you agree? The story turned into the “chase” in this instance because Berwick refuses to talk to any journalist, not just me. Heck, he’s refused to testify before Congress and explain his past support for health care rationing. And that’s the story: There is no public accountability in the age of Obama. Berwick is just one symptom of a much larger White House disease. 3. Where did you find that scary background music for the video? On Barney Frank’s workout mix tape. [Frank is a Massachusetts Democrat in Congress and Chairman of the Financial Services Committee.] 4. How did you know that Donald Berwick, the controversial Medicare Administrator, would be at that specific location? Ah, trade secrets. Let’s just say that I have multiple sources in town who like watching leftist politicians squirm like cockroaches. Eh, that comparison is so unfair… to the cockroaches. 5. You’re known for your ambushing journalism methods. What do you have to say to your critics about your methods? Critics? I don’t care about what they have to say. I’m doing what most journalists in Washington and New York don’t do: Hold politicians accountable. Our free-enterprise system is under an unprecedented assault, and yet our current media Pooh-Bahs are worried about if they’ve been invited to the latest cocktail party. I don’t care about that stuff. We don’t have a mainstream media in this country anymore. We have a knee pad media. They’d rather slobber over Obama than investigate his corruption. Chuck Todd must've gone through 35 pairs of knee pads by now, no?

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Fishbowl5 With the Ambusher

Betsy Rothstein

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Betsy Rothstein