WTF

[brak666]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/08/AR2008020803756.html

This really pisses me off. For one thing, Shuster's comments were right on target. They are pimping Chelsea out. For another, threatening to boycot debates after he's apologized on-air twice and been suspended just makes the Clintons seem really petty. It's a staggering overreaction to a comment that wasn't particularly offensive to begin with (except of course that it was true and they got called on it).

And you know that only reason he was suspended was because the network was caving to pressure from the Clinton campaign anyway, which makes me none too pleased with MSNBC right now.

Comments

[jgesteve.livejournal.com]

Sorry... gotta disagree with you there. Independent of my position for or against HRC, it was dumb, and it WAS inappropriate for a national network correspondent. It was a crass attempt at sensationalism. The point could have been made without those particular words and not raised any sort of hue and cry from the Clinton campaign.

The problem is that nowadays we have "news" networks that are run by "news" bureaus that really aren't about "news" they are about commentary and punditry. And once you go onto the commentary portion you open yourself up for these kind of retaliatory actions. In that one comment Shuster basically called Chelsea a whore and her mom, her pimp. This is no different than when Don Imus called the Rutgers basketball teams "nappy headed hos." Neither of these statements are factual, and they are potentially libelous.

[brak666.livejournal.com]

I have to disagree. He didn't call Chelsea a whore. He said the campaign was treating her like a whore. And from a certain perspective he was right. It was certainly crass. I don't think it even approaches the offensiveness of the Imus comment. Imus was making fun of their race, and casting aspersions on their virtue because of it. Shuster was clearly speaking metaphorically. I'm not saying what he said wasn't a little inappropriate, but the reaction from both the Clinton camp and the network was entirely out of proportion.