Kudos to Tom Brokaw for showing pseudo-journalist Joe Scarborough how an old pro does it.
On today’s edition of “Morning Joke,” MSNBC’s Scarborough was busy dissing the Clintons when Brokaw did what any good journalist would do – interject reason.
As Scarborough guffawed over his clever remarks about Bill Clinton on the campaign trail for Hillary, Brokaw in his calm voice said, “On the other hand,” and I paraphrase here, if the former president were sitting at home reading, people would claim he didn’t care about his wife’s candidacy.
Scarborough took another tack, saying Obama really got Hillary with his “Walmart remark” during the S.C. debate.
“What she should have said,” Brokaw calmly suggested (again paraphrasing) is the reason she was on the Walmart board of directors as first lady of Arkansas was that Walmart owner Sam Walton was the largest contributor to Bill Clinton’s successful overhaul of the state’s education system.
Ethical journalism. Ah, Tom, those were the days, my friend.
“I See My Dreams” today: “Dum de dum dum, driftwood!”
1.23.2008
1.18.2008
Chris Matthews' mea culpa
SOURCE: The Associated Press
Chris Matthews apologizes for comment on Hillary Clinton
January 17, 2008
By DAVID BAUDER
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — With protests rumbling, MSNBC's Chris Matthews said today that he was wrong to say last week that the reason Hillary Clinton is a senator and a candidate for president "is that her husband messed around."
Matthews discussed those remarks at the opening of his show "Hardball" today, the same day feminist leader Gloria Steinem and the heads of four prominent women's groups complained in a letter to his boss that Matthews had shown a pattern of sexism.
"Was it fair to imply that Hillary's whole career depended on being a victim of an unfaithful husband? No," Matthews said. "That's what it sounded like I was saying and it hurt people I'd like to think normally like what I say (and), in fact, like me."
He said that while he has not always taken the time to say things right or be appropriate, "I will try to be clearer, smarter, more obviously in support of the right of women, of all people, to full equality of respect and ambition."
Matthews made the remarks about Clinton on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program Jan. 9, the day after the New Hampshire primary. Clinton's surprise victory in the primary was ascribed, in small part, on women angry that the press corps seemed to write her off after losing in Iowa.
On the program, Matthews said: "Let's not forget, and I'll be brutal, the reason she's a U.S. senator, the reason she's a candidate for president, the reason she may be a front-runner, is that her husband messed around."
He explained in a later interview with the Associated Press that it was a reference to New York Democrats asking her to run for Senate when she showed dignity in the face of the Monica Lewinsky scandal. He called it an "unexceptional statement."
But now, Matthews said today, "I get it."
"If I'd said that the only reason John McCain has come so far is that he got shot down over North Vietnam and captured by the enemy, I'd be brutally ignoring the courage and guts he showed in bearing up under his captivity," he said. "Saying Sen. Clinton got where she's got simply because her husband did what he did to her is just as callous and, I can see now, came across just as nasty, worse yet just as dismissive."
Besides Steinem, the letter to NBC News President Steve Capus was signed by Kim Gandy, president of the National Organization for Women; Lulu Flores, president of the National Women's Political Caucus; Carol Jenkins, president of the Women's Media Center; and Eleanor Smeal, president of Feminist Majority.
Last week's Clinton comment was the trigger for their protest, but they said Matthews' comments over the years "demonstrate a larger pattern of overt sexism when discussing women."
Capus wasn't immediately available today, and a spokesman said NBC had not yet seen the letter.
Matthews was also in the crosshairs of the liberal media watchdog Media Matters, which wrote to Capus on Wednesday to express concerns about the fast-talking political analyst.
David Brock, president and CEO of Media Matters, called Matthews' statement a step in the right direction.
"Matthews said going forward he will try to be more supportive of the right of women
to full equality and respect for their ambitions," Brock said. "That is a pledge MSNBC has a responsibility to hold him to in the weeks and months ahead. Media Matters certainly will."
“I See My Dreams today: The South Carolina GOP primary
Chris Matthews apologizes for comment on Hillary Clinton
January 17, 2008
By DAVID BAUDER
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — With protests rumbling, MSNBC's Chris Matthews said today that he was wrong to say last week that the reason Hillary Clinton is a senator and a candidate for president "is that her husband messed around."
Matthews discussed those remarks at the opening of his show "Hardball" today, the same day feminist leader Gloria Steinem and the heads of four prominent women's groups complained in a letter to his boss that Matthews had shown a pattern of sexism.
"Was it fair to imply that Hillary's whole career depended on being a victim of an unfaithful husband? No," Matthews said. "That's what it sounded like I was saying and it hurt people I'd like to think normally like what I say (and), in fact, like me."
He said that while he has not always taken the time to say things right or be appropriate, "I will try to be clearer, smarter, more obviously in support of the right of women, of all people, to full equality of respect and ambition."
Matthews made the remarks about Clinton on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program Jan. 9, the day after the New Hampshire primary. Clinton's surprise victory in the primary was ascribed, in small part, on women angry that the press corps seemed to write her off after losing in Iowa.
On the program, Matthews said: "Let's not forget, and I'll be brutal, the reason she's a U.S. senator, the reason she's a candidate for president, the reason she may be a front-runner, is that her husband messed around."
He explained in a later interview with the Associated Press that it was a reference to New York Democrats asking her to run for Senate when she showed dignity in the face of the Monica Lewinsky scandal. He called it an "unexceptional statement."
But now, Matthews said today, "I get it."
"If I'd said that the only reason John McCain has come so far is that he got shot down over North Vietnam and captured by the enemy, I'd be brutally ignoring the courage and guts he showed in bearing up under his captivity," he said. "Saying Sen. Clinton got where she's got simply because her husband did what he did to her is just as callous and, I can see now, came across just as nasty, worse yet just as dismissive."
Besides Steinem, the letter to NBC News President Steve Capus was signed by Kim Gandy, president of the National Organization for Women; Lulu Flores, president of the National Women's Political Caucus; Carol Jenkins, president of the Women's Media Center; and Eleanor Smeal, president of Feminist Majority.
Last week's Clinton comment was the trigger for their protest, but they said Matthews' comments over the years "demonstrate a larger pattern of overt sexism when discussing women."
Capus wasn't immediately available today, and a spokesman said NBC had not yet seen the letter.
Matthews was also in the crosshairs of the liberal media watchdog Media Matters, which wrote to Capus on Wednesday to express concerns about the fast-talking political analyst.
David Brock, president and CEO of Media Matters, called Matthews' statement a step in the right direction.
"Matthews said going forward he will try to be more supportive of the right of women
to full equality and respect for their ambitions," Brock said. "That is a pledge MSNBC has a responsibility to hold him to in the weeks and months ahead. Media Matters certainly will."
“I See My Dreams today: The South Carolina GOP primary
1.08.2008
Shallow facade of sincerity
Right now, and this is harsh, there are two people I wouldn't spit on if they were on fire: Tim Russert and John Edwards.
Russert started Hillary's downward spiral with that debate question (the one Obama answered with the same answer), and he has been on Morning Joke ever since absolutely ga-ga over Obama. (Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have a problem with Obama; my problem is with blatant bias.) I am reminded of when he was on Imus hawking his book about his dad with syrupy anecdotes. Look what he did to Imus.
John Edwards is worth $54.7 million, and if I hear one more of his "I'm po’ folks like you" ads here in South Carolina, I am going to throw up! He made a dig at Hillary's emotional moment yesterday, then denied it was a dig on Morning Joke this morning. He knew he was lying, and they knew he was lying. As my mother used to say, "I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him."
“I See My Dreams” today: “Brave New World”
Russert started Hillary's downward spiral with that debate question (the one Obama answered with the same answer), and he has been on Morning Joke ever since absolutely ga-ga over Obama. (Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have a problem with Obama; my problem is with blatant bias.) I am reminded of when he was on Imus hawking his book about his dad with syrupy anecdotes. Look what he did to Imus.
John Edwards is worth $54.7 million, and if I hear one more of his "I'm po’ folks like you" ads here in South Carolina, I am going to throw up! He made a dig at Hillary's emotional moment yesterday, then denied it was a dig on Morning Joke this morning. He knew he was lying, and they knew he was lying. As my mother used to say, "I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him."
“I See My Dreams” today: “Brave New World”
1.04.2008
The Iowa Caucus
Please visit my blog "I See My Dreams" for my take on last night's caucus. Thanks, BJ
1.02.2008
Believe it or not!
People, people, people! How in the name of St. Swithin can you pay attention to what’s going on and still believe the reporting on Fox News? Murdoch’s minions might be “unafraid,” but there’s nothing fair or balance or, for that matter, accurate in their reporting. This business is tantamount to a state-run propaganda machine.
MSNBC, in its lust for ratings, is running a close second in this game of “news from nowhere” and “creating reality.”
CNN aired an excellent program last night, hosted by Campbell Brown, on dirty political ads.
In this new year, never has it been more important to keep yourself abreast of the news – real news.
Don’t pass around emails with unattributed and undocumented claims about any candidate.
And, bookmark and take advantage of these sites:
Factcheck.org – a genuinely non-partisan site aimed at correcting false information.
Snopes.com – dispelling Internet myths and hoaxes.
Newshounds.org – “We watch FOX so you don’t have to.”
NewsBusters.org – Exposing liberal media bias.
MediaMatters.org – Exposing right-wing media bias.
MSNBC, in its lust for ratings, is running a close second in this game of “news from nowhere” and “creating reality.”
CNN aired an excellent program last night, hosted by Campbell Brown, on dirty political ads.
In this new year, never has it been more important to keep yourself abreast of the news – real news.
Don’t pass around emails with unattributed and undocumented claims about any candidate.
And, bookmark and take advantage of these sites:
Factcheck.org – a genuinely non-partisan site aimed at correcting false information.
Snopes.com – dispelling Internet myths and hoaxes.
Newshounds.org – “We watch FOX so you don’t have to.”
NewsBusters.org – Exposing liberal media bias.
MediaMatters.org – Exposing right-wing media bias.
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