leave Chelsea alone - Kent Ninomiya

Kent Ninomiya - The media is making a big deal about Chelsea Clinton refusing to grant an interview to a 9 year old girl. I find this completely irresponsible. Chelsea Clinton is not running for President. She has every right to refuse interviews. In fact she never gives interviews and makes that clear to everyone. Granting an interview to this girl would only invite more requests. None of us know what it is like to have a father who was president and a mother running for president. None of us except Chelsea. She has done her best to have a normal life under the most abnormal circumstances. Part of that is denying interviews. There are those who will say she is fair game because she is campaigning for her mother. I would agree if she spoke to other journalists. Chelsea has been consistent in her refusal to talk. She was also very considerate to this little girl and even smiled for this picture. So why demonize her? It is far more tabloid than journalism to suggest Chelsea did anything wrong. Despite what many journalist think it is every one's right to say "no comment." Kent NinomiyaFrom Maggie Haberman at the NY Post:Chelsea Clinton doesn't do interviews, no exceptions - including for a 9-year-old reporter.Fourth-grader and Scholastic News "kid reporter" Sydney Rieckhoff learned that lesson when she walked up to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's daughter after an campaign event in Iowa."Do you think your dad would be a good 'first man' in the White House?" the kid queried over the weekend.But 27-year-old Chelsea, whose refusal to answer questions has drawn attention on political blogs in recent days, declined to answer."I'm sorry, I don't talk to the press and that applies to you, unfortunately. Even though I think you're cute," Chelsea said.Chelsea has been stumping hard for her mom - but she is adamant about not answering questions.Sydney's mother, Robyn Rieckhoff, didn't seem dismayed by the brush-off."I like [Hillary's] position on family values and health care. And I think it's time we have a female president," she said.And Sydney, who has interviewed a range of different presidential candidates this election cycle - and even posed for pictures with Bill Clinton - told Fox News she wasn't offended by Chelsea."She was extremely nice," she said.