Arkansas Blog

How is defending your daughter's honor "playing the gender card." Shuster in effect called Chelsea Clinton a whore. If a male candidate protested a statement, would that be "playing the gender card" as well?

NBC needs to be more careful about their hires. They need to be sure that these blowhards can filter their comments, given that they are operating in a toxic, reactionary, misogynist corporate culture.

Or maybe, they should change their corporate culture. What a thought!

If MSNBC is so sorry for Shuster's use of this phrase, shouldn't they be suspending Keith Olbermann for a similar comment he made about President Bush and Gen. David Petraeus on September 20, 2007.

NoZe, this matter is obviously being aggrandized by the Clinton campaign because of the current election. Many wrong things have been said about Chelsea in main stream media--why seize on this particular slander at this particular moment? It's being used, rather tactfully, as a rallying point for Clinton supporters--particularly women.

You might have a point with the your counterfactual about a male candidate protesting the same statements on his daughter, but that simply hasn't happened--so we don't know if even to begin with a male candidate would seize on this issue as Clinton is. It shouldn't be assumed that a male and female candidate would respond in kind to slander of his or her daughter. We simply don't know...

Why didn't Bill Clinton sign that letter posted in the link?

What's so disappointing to me about this situation is Schuster is one of the best reporters around these days. He's is smart when it comes to getting details correct on a story and he is very articulate compared to most. He was one of the best on air reporters during the convoluted Libby trial. And lord knows we need a whole lot more professionals of his ilk.

If one reads or listens to the whole ordeal.. it's bad but not that bad.. Considering how truly slimy Tucker Carlson and Tweety are, even when their mouths are closed.

Chelsea is an adult and she is working professionally, one would assume by her own choosing, for her mothers campaign.. She should be more than willing and capable of standing up for herself here.. if she sees fit.

I don't have a problem with any mother standing up for a daughter when she wants too.. but the irony is just to thick to slice with a butter knife.. Hillary wants someone fired for using a slang word.. btw it was "pimp' not "whore" or some truly misogynist expletive..

Why doesn't Hillary stand up in the Senate and Demand Bush and Cheney step down (or be fired..you know via Impeachment) for lying to her and the country and driving tens of thousands of our children/brothers/sisters/husbands and wives to kill, torture, slaughter, or be slaughtered needlessly? Give me a break!

Earlier this week we learned the Clintons loaned their own campaign 5 million bucks..at a surprising time and a time of serious weakness in comparison to Obamas campaign war chest.. Hillary immediately (on Let Down Wed. Morning) proposed four debates, even on FOX..which has long been a thorn in the side of mainstream Dems..and a dagger in the heart of common decency on American airwaves.. Yet Hillary, days ago.. suggested the top Dems subject themselves to the very worst of the worst reporters on American television with a debate on FOX. Point being .. she was more than ready to sell her soul to the nasty FOX machine just three days ago. Much to the chagrin of many fighting Dems who have successfully kept their parties debates off FOX this year..All in order to up her air time exposure on the cheap.

SO far Obama has accepted two debates..but not on FOX.

Here's hoping he maintains this stand..and that MSNBC keeps Schuster.. Hillary forgave Tweety a short while back for much more egregious language..and Tweetys apology was far less convincing.

All the while her triangulating helps avoid discussion of issues past and future..which is fine since the American public seems to love discussing this years campaign like it were a football playoff instead of life and death of people and our Democracy.

Not to mention the actual language of the letter:
"However, I became Chelsea's mother long before I ran for any office and I will always be a mom first and a public official second."

MSNBC has been my network of choice mainly due to Keith Olbermann, but I've been shocked by the mean turn they made a few weeks before the New Hampshire primary. I've been trying all this time to figure out if it's that they started roasting my folks over the grill or if they're that way all the time.

Honestly, it's hard to gauge when people are being too hard on Cheney and Bush. Come on, when you got junior criminals in the mold of Adolph Hitler, can one be too hard on them? I'm in favor of calling a spade a spade and with Cheney-Bush you don't have to make up bad stuff about them....they're the worst Americans to ever trod on our soil.

But this mean turn by MSNBC has really upset me. I'd be as upset if they had turned on Barack Obama....this isn't a Clinton thing with me. But notice a few months ago when some crazy Republican woman asked McCain, "How do we stop the bitch?" The MSN played that line hundreds of times per day for at least 2 weeks. It still pops up now and then. What would have happened if someone had said, "How do we stop the nigger?" There would have been riots in the streets and I'd be out there with a pitchfork amongst them

So what is the difference between a Talking Head calling someone a bitch if they're female or the N word if they're black or implying your daughter is a whore? I can't say I see a whole lot of difference. And it shouldn't be done and we should all raise bloody hell when the MSN does it. Blogs are a little different, though I've noticed about the only way to get banned from the AT blog is by calling someone a fag or a N word....I guess it's only proper I say the F word and the N word. I am in general opposed to censorship, but I am all for stopping hate words though. It gains us nothing.

I happened to like David Shuster before all this, but he cut his own throat, let him suffer the consequences. Maybe all this pimp stuff will have a good effect on the news coverage in the future. I want every crook caught. I want every hypocrite exposed. I like Barack Obama, I have not liked the news slanted in his favor. I am mad Hillary took Murdock money and is willing to debate on Fox. I'm happy Barack refuses because Fox used racial slurs against him last year. I want Tom DeLay punished for his sins, but I don't want the MSN to make up stuff on him......there's plenty of rope to hang him with as it is.

This kind of crappy news reporting infects the voters of lesser minds. Last week a friend told me Hillary was gay. I asked how she knew and she said "Everyone knows." I've said before another friend has a book that puts forth the theory that George W. Bush is a flesh-eating giant lizard that changes shapes when no one is looking. Uh huh....I personally think George W. Bush is a war criminal and a sorry bastard, but even I don't think he's any species of giant lizard, flesh-eating or not.

Hate Hillary for the facts that displease you, be my guest, but don't fall for playground lies and don't put much faith in TV. The blessed Internet tubes have all the facts. Dig them out for yourself.

Hillary turns up the heat on David Shuster. Yeah, she's playing the gender card -- overplaying it, probably,<< Max

And what if one of the talking heads would have said Mike Huckabee is "pimiping out" his daughter, Sarah? FIXED News would have been incensed for days. Every Rightwingnut broadcast across the nation would have come down on the commentator. How fast would a FCC license been lost if anyone had made a near similar comment about V-P Dick Cheney's homosexual daughter Mary Cheney, who actively worked on the BushChen gang's re election?

Tell me there's not a double standard going on.
.

But notice a few months ago when some crazy Republican woman asked McCain, "How do we stop the bitch?"<<<

And last week Shawn Hannity (radio) played a broadcast from a Hillary rally with a large black fellow shouting from the back "Shut up you white bitch." Handy commented on it, then played it again, commented, then opened his last segment with the same shout. Three times in 20 minutes.

I, too, lean toward MSNBC, and have great respect for Shuster, I've found he was not
afraid to take a stand against the wingnuts (didn't he used to be with Fox Comedy?)
I think his mouth just outran his brain on the pimp comment, who can say that never
happened to them???? Not me. Lordy, I've heard sooooo much worse.
I think he's a good guy, feeling very bad tonight, and, I believe in second chances, Lord
knows I've needed second, thirds......................
BIG NIGHT FOR OBAMA..... : )

Remember that McCain told the "joke" about Chelsea Clinton:
"You want to know why Clelsea Clinton is so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno."

The thing I find the most troubling about this whole episode is not Shuster's choice of words, stupid and tasteless as they were, but the idea that he would question the fact that Hillary's daughter was working for her campaign. I can't fathom that even being an issue for any other candidate. I don't know if this is a case of misogyny or if he was just that desperate to attempt to stir up controversy without doing any actual reporting. Either way, it's quite disconcerting.

"Why doesn't Hillary stand up in the Senate and Demand Bush and Cheney step down (or be fired..you know via Impeachment) for lying to her and the country and driving tens of thousands of our children/brothers/sisters/husbands and wives to kill, torture, slaughter, or be slaughtered needlessly? Give me a break!"
------

Ah, but friend DBI, Mr. Obama has a seat in that august body as well. Haven't seen him offer any Articles of Impeachment.

To his credit he opposed the war from the begining. But when it comes to drawing a line in the sand for the fundamental things I believe in, over the next four years, I do worry about Mr. Obama (merely because he is unknown to me). If she could be elected, I wouldn't worry about Ms. Clinton in that regard.

"One America" is so pretty a vision that it raises goose bumps. Or maybe it's just chills -- at the fear that it's not just campaign rhetoric, and our next leader might *really* think us One with those who would imprison citizens without charges, embrace torture, subvert the law . . . well, you know.

Far as I'm concerned the Clinton reaction was a clear - "don't even think about it".

You start your swift boating, you ain't dealing with a whimp like John Kerry - you play, you're going to pay - and frankly, I love it...

The worst part, Schuster whom I've watched over the last year become a pretty fair guy made a stupid mistake and because the press and everyone else that are laying in wait to "swift boat" Clinton, somene had to be the example of what may happen if you go that way...to bad it's Schuster...shoulda been Tweety months ago.

You all need to stop rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. You are all worried about MCNBC and you are missing the margins that Obama won by today.

Come on people. Put your Hillcrest eyes back on the ball. Do you see what is happening? Obama is crushing your girl. He is pulling black votes in unprecedented numbers and he is also winning in states like Nebraska. This thing is over. He's raising four million a day and she's borrowing from the family savings account that Bill built giving speeches. (Ooops, sorry.....sorry...I forgot..it's only unethical when Huckabee makes money giving a speech, when Bill fuels the broke Hillary campaign with speech checks that's just dandy.) Anyway....I see a lag time between this blog and the real world. You are missing what Obama is doing right now.

There is a word for this...it's denial. If Little Rock is the heart of Hillary fanaticism....then this blog is the eipicenter of the heart.

Pour a cup of coffee in the mroning and take a long hard look at Obamas demographics.

As Dandy Don used to say on Monday Night...turn out the lights the party's over.

Looks like Clinton might drop MSNBC debates b/c of what they said about her daughter.

But Fox News is Ok. They just lied us into war with Bush, lied about Obama's supposed "Muslim" roots, etc. Link in my name.

I agree, ST: it was a blowout. He's still slightly behind in delegate counts, but he should be by the most conservative estimates even with her by the end of the month. At his most favorable estimates, he's leading by around 75.

This whole thing is just like Imus's "nappy-headed hos" - hip-hop/pop-culture infusing the lofty perch of the talking head. Rush says worse than this on a daily basis, it's just coming from a different pie hole. It's all fluff over actual news, positions, etc. AND as someone has pointed out, she CANNOT ignore it, else be accused of following the Kerry "slow response" to a slight. She's just sent Schuster (an otherwise decent/competent reporter - as Jazzy points out) to his room, after washing his mouth out with soap.

Moving on: "Yes we can!" indeed; I too think she's toast. Phi-slamma Obama-rama is sweeping the nation...

Strange, you're a few days behind. The day after Hillary said she loaned herself money, she raised 7 million online. And besides speeches, you're forgetting that both Hillary and Bill wrote best selling books....that sold a few million more copies than How to Be Eating with Fork and Spoon.

You're also missing the point that 99% of us Hillary supporters on this blog will joyously vote for Obama for President this fall if he becomes the chosen one. Your side still sucks the bottom. The fact is Hillary and Barack are still tied and the R's are stuck with McCain and Huckabee......you lucky bastards!

For the record and because my eyes are crossing, the passage quoted by TAP and attributed to me was actually part of Eureka's post. Maybe after some sleep I'll find that pointing that out isn't at all important.

Considering how the gender card has been overplayed for centuries by men, I don't think it's overplayed at all in this case.

Look at how much crap has been flung because she is a woman, for many many years now. Eventually a person has to take a stand and say ENOUGH. Her line was when they tried to say Chelsea was a whore. I don't blame her at all! She has shown remarkable restraint up till now with all the BS.

In fact, I like that she is really making a big deal out of this. Those of us that have dealt with this kind of thing for years feel like she is standing up for many of us.

David Shuster's on-air comment about "pimpin' out" Chelsea ranks up there with people over fifteen who still use the word, "Awesome," as if that 30-year old pre-teen cliché makes adults appear "cool." Just makes them appear pathetic.

"Pimpin' out" is another catch-phrase like "awesome." Black slang for "commercial exploitation" in white slang. Same shiz.

And SO 1996.

In this case, pimping or commercially exploiting a Presidential Candidate's grown daughter. Shuster's point is as stupid as a Presidential candidates's wife saying, "I love and support my husband." Chelsea loves and respects both her parents, obviously.

Shuster simultaneously tries to sound young, hip, black and "cool" whilst slamming a young woman (Chelsea) and her (Presidential Candidate Hillary) mother.

Awesome!

In fact, Shuster's none of the above. He's old, square, white, misogynist and the perfect face for TV conglomerates' talk shows. A condescending bigot who, in a parallel universe, would have been permanently expunged yesterday.

But no.

There's a lot more at stake in this election than aging Botoxed newscasters like Shuster straining to be "young" and "street" and, uh, hang onto their lucrative jobs as long as they can.

Truth? David Shuster pimped himself out with that comment. What a stupid son of a bitch. You've got about three years left in this career, David, if you put your nose to the grindstone and squeeze your sphincter really, really tight.

Then? Buh-bye.

What do we have? A year? Year and a half? Before Dave and Rush and O'Reilly and Ann and the rest of them awaken from their dream and confront the reality that they're dead?

These zombie$ have million$ at $take!

Oh, God! Another decade of "Night of the Living Dead?"

Just asking.

No! Toto. Bad dog!

Nobel Prize winning author Doris Lessing (88) predicts Barack Obama will be assassinated if he's elected President.

This is a Nobel Prize winner. I mean, she's older than McCain, but still.

Note to self: renew meds.

Posted by: eLwood --
And what if one of the talking heads would have said Mike Huckabee is "pimiping out" his daughter, Sarah? FIXED News would have been incensed for days. Every Rightwingnut broadcast across the nation would have come down on the commentator. How fast would a FCC license been lost if anyone had made a near similar comment about V-P Dick Cheney's homosexual daughter Mary Cheney, who actively worked on the BushChen gang's re election?

Couldn't agree more after all "pimping" is "pimping"

This household learned some time ago that MSNBC was trying to become the second FIX news media and have almost stopped watching -- especially the morning show.

Here's another example;

Feminist Leaders Speak Out Against Sexism in the Media
Feminist Daily News Wire
January 18, 2008

Leading feminists spoke out yesterday against the sexist comments of MSNBC's Chris Matthews about Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. Women's rights groups, including the National Organization for Women, the Feminist Majority, the National Women's Political Caucus, and the Women's Media Center, sent a joint letter of protest to NBC News President Steve Capus. Gloria Steinem and many other feminist activists also signed the letter.

Chris Matthews, the host of MSNBC's Hardball, apologized last night for his comments regarding Senator Clinton. Specifically, Matthews addressed his remark attributing Clinton's political success to the fact that her husband had been unfaithful, saying: "was it fair to imply that Hillary's whole career depended on being a victim of an unfaithful husband? No. And that's what it sounded like I was saying." He said that he would be "clearer," "smarter" and more respectful when talking about women in the future.

Kim Gandy, NOW's president, told the Washington Post that "Chris Matthews is a repeat offender when it comes to sexist attitudes toward women politicians...I wasn't really looking for an apology. I was looking for a behavior change, and for him to treat female politicians the same way as male politicians."

Media Resources:Washington Post 1/18/08; Media Matters 1/17/08; Feminist Majority
Copyright 2007 Feminist Majority Foundation | Search | Subscribe to Weekly Feminist News Digest | RSS

>btw it was "pimp' not "whore" or some truly misogynist expletive..

A "pimp" manages a "whore." If the Clinton campaign was "pimping out" Chelsea, then by inference they're calling her a whore...

I wonder what the reaction would be if someone accused the Bush White House of "pimping out" his daughters? I wonder what any of us with daughters would do? But wait...that's right, the Clintons don't have normal human emotions, least of all about their daughter!

Maybe this point has not been made: What if Schuster, instead of being "pitched to" conversationally, had merely been introduced by an anchor and required to stand and deliver a straight news report? It's the format of these "news-esque" channels that create the opportunity for a news reporter (Schuster) to morph into a commentator and then offer opinion or characterization. All networks giving 24-hours news are the same in this regard. It's as if you've dropped into a big pool hall where everyone hangs out to shoot the breeze. That's why I missed the Schuster remark: I DON'T WATCH TV NEWS. Period.

The hub and I turn on Keith Olbermann (for commentary and wry comedy, not news because he's not a reporter) and then watch Daily Show and Colbert for comedy based on the news. During that time we read (online) up to 5 newspapers, the wire services and visit blogs - and we know the difference between the two. While reading the newspaper, we know the difference between opinion columnists and news reporters. Further, we select for some news reporters over others. After a political debate, hit mute or change channels! Stop relying on anyone else to tell you what your reaction to "the news" should be. Starve "infotainment" of its ratings and maybe someday we'll see a change in this ridiculous format and the infill blather that produces a stupid remark like Schuster's.

Shuster should have substituted the word "using" which is synonymous in the vernacular of those under 25 or so. Unfortunately for Shuster, those who the Clinton's wanted to get riled up are unfamiliar with the common modern definition, or they chose to ignore it.

The candidate's screams of "unfair, unfair" are din ingenious considering she accepted fundraising help from Rupert Murdoch at his home and advocates a debate on Fox News. The victimization card only plays well among the converted at this point.

Who benefits when one of the best reporters on the air is silenced over an absurdity?

"Not to mention the actual language of the letter:
"However, I became Chelsea's mother long before I ran for any office and I will always be a mom first and a public official second.""--JD

It's amazing how people often see what they want to see, hear what they want to hear. There's NOTHING sexist about Hillary's comment. It was a 'human' comment that could've (and has in varying ways) come from any man/father, any woman/mother. And a unique, all-consuming love and protectiveness for our children over EVERYTHING else is the most common tie that unites all of us, regardless of where we live and what Truths we believe.

This is one more example of Hillary/Bill being damned if they do/damned if they don't. Good grief...what kind of mom/dad, regardless of wealth/status/blah blah, would tolerate such a blatantly nasty attack on her/his child? And I can hear the right-wing hater's spin on Hillary's obvious lack of motherly instincts if Hillary hadn't stepped up to bitch slap her babe's attackers. 'Some' of you Hillary haters are incapable of the slightest acknowledgment that Hillary is a human, much less a loving mom/wife/daughter/sister. You make it hard to see the merit of some of your anti-Hillary stuff (and there is plenty)...primarily because of crap like this.

Then there's Bill... whose failure to defend Chelsea 'obviously' means Hillary's prostituting her gender creds for political office. Never mind Bill's recent public spanking for daring to get irate over attacks on his wife...for sullying his almighty presidential reputation. (Never mind that it's HIS reputation to do with what he sees fit.) OK...should he or shouldn't he be allowed the humanness of wanting to kick the ass of those who'd dare to throw hurtful arrows at our beloved spouses/children. I say 'Hell ya'...I lose all reason when my loved ones are made the targets of hatefulness (and anyway you cut it, the 'prostituting' crap was below the belt); and I count on the authorities/the law to draw the boundaries. But I also expect and appreciate others who feel thusly about their beloved children...and other loved ones.

*** "Why doesn't Hillary stand up in the Senate and Demand Bush and Cheney step down (or be fired..you know via Impeachment) for lying to her and the country and driving tens of thousands of our children/brothers/sisters/husbands and wives to kill, torture, slaughter, or be slaughtered needlessly? Give me a break!"
------
Ah, but friend DBI, Mr. Obama has a seat in that august body as well. Haven't seen him offer any Articles of Impeachment. ***

Posted by: TAP

Uh, could it be because the impeachment process has to begin in the house? Just asking.

Right on,,,,impeachment has to pass in the house first then sent on to the senate.
Remember Bill was impeached in the house but the senate failed to pass it.

Posted by: Polecat

"Uh, could it be because the impeachment process has to begin in the house? Just asking."
________

Sounds like the answer to me! Thanks for the enlightenment.

DBI, sorry for the misattribution.

Yes.. it was i who raised the impeachment question.. though I knew quite well the House must initiate investigations/hearings first.. I stand by my question poised as a comparison to show the ridiculousness of her pouting letter.. Every elected official who took an oath to protect and defend the constitution should be yelling for impeachment, imo.. Hillary is the one on the campaign trail..claiming Bush lied to her..and this is far more important than one of the best journalists around making a mistake and already under suspension..suffering her campaigns ploys for points..

Go Mainers!