The most dangerous place in Washington is between Jim Acosta and a microphone
SAN DIEGO -- As I winced my way through an uncomfortable confrontation at a televised White House news conference between President Trump and Jim Acosta, which resulted in CNN's chief White House correspondent having his press credentials yanked, all I could think about was a 3x5 slip of scratch paper.
About 15 years ago, while I was an editorial writer and columnist for the Dallas Morning News, I was on the phone with the county district attorney when the conversation got heated. I'd been pounding on the D.A. for months over scandals involving his office. It had even gotten back to me -- through sources -- that the top prosecutor considered me his "nemesis."
On the call, the D.A. tried to rattle me by taking a personal shot. I was all set to fire back with a snarky comment of my own that was loaded and in the chamber. My boss -- the editorial page editor -- must have sensed what was coming. So, she hurried over to my desk and slid me a short note.
It read: "Be professional."
I was. I took a deep breath, ignored the insult, and pressed ahead with the interview. It made for a good column.
My boss didn't want me to get in the mud with an elected official who was at home there. Even if he considered me his nemesis, I wasn't supposed to view him the same way. My boss also wanted to remind me that I was on the job, and I had a duty not to hurt the newspaper's reputation.
It wasn't the first time someone tried to get my goat, nor the last. Once, the campaign manager for a Democratic candidate for Texas governor got angry that I had special access to another Democrat -- and fellow Mexican-American -- vying for the same job. The campaign manager thought I was showing favoritism to the Latino -- which, by the way, as an opinion writer, was my prerogative. Yet, clearly intoxicated by white privilege, he threatened to drive to Dallas to have a talk with my publisher in the hopes of getting me fired.
What could I do? I offered to pay for his gas.
I've never forgiven my old boss for slipping me that note. But now, I understand why she did it.
Since then, I've had a few run-ins with public officials -- a George W. Bush Cabinet member, a Democratic congresswoman, etc. -- where, during questioning about immigration, folks complained that I was being overly combative or argumentative.
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