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Subscribe to RSSLearning the lesson -- again -- how Breitbart and his protégés are more interested in liberal scalps than the truth… Why no one looks good in this story, especially the media… Liberals’ numerical disadvantage to conservatives… Obama signs yet another domestic achievement into law at 11:30 am ET… What happens when the GOP co-opts the Tea Party?... RNC having to deal with more damage control… In Georgia, it’s Handel vs. Deal in the GOP run-off for governor, while Roy Barnes cruises to victory in the Dem primary… Profiling AL-5… And Ellsworth out with his second TV ad.
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** Snookered: After conservative activist James O’Keefe pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for entering a federal building under false pretenses, you would have thought that all of us in the ACTUAL news business would have learned this lesson about Andrew Breitbart and his protégés: They’re not out for the truth; they’re out for scalps. So once again, we find out that Breitbart has distributed an EDITED video that gets wide play on Drudge and cable TV; that the target of the video is embarrassed, forced to resign, or stripped of federal funding; and that -- surprise, surprise -- the video didn’t tell the whole truth.
*** No one looks good here: The most recent example -- an Agriculture Department employee apparently giving a racist speech before the NAACP, the Obama administration firing this employee, but it turns out that the speech was actually a positive one -- doesn’t make anyone look good. The Ag Department (which dismissed the employee, but is now reexamining the matter), the White House (which is always quick to jettison anyone under conservative fire, especially when it comes to race), or the NAACP (which, after its spat with the Tea Party over race, condemned her speech but has taken it back). But those who look the worst here are the news media. Any credible journalist or journalistic organization given an edited video would want to see the full context, right? Especially if you know the source has an agenda, right? Yet the same questions could be asked of the White House. How did an administration that complains so much about the 24-7 media culture -- often correctly, we might add -- act without knowing all the facts?
*** Beware of the shiny metal object: Breitbart and other conservatives used race as the bait to guilt the so-called MSM and the Obama administration. Is this a story about race? Is it a story about the media? It's both, but let's not let race be the shiny metal object that distracts from the conversation about today's media culture and Washington's addiction to it.
*** Liberals’ numerical disadvantage: From the conservative blogosphere to the liberal one… When the liberal blogosphere confab, Netroots Nation, kicks off tomorrow in Las Vegas, it will inevitably further the "Why are progressives disappointed in Obama?" storyline. In the past few months, liberal commentators have bemoaned that the public option wasn’t included in the health care law, that the financial reform legislation -- which President Obama will sign into law today -- isn’t strong enough, and that Gitmo still isn't closed. The Nation's Eric Alterman even penned a widely discussed essay explaining these disappointments on a system that's stacked against progressives. But here is something to consider: It's the country -- not the system -- that's stacked against liberals and progressives.
*** For Democrats, it’s all about the center: From 1989 (after Reagan's presidency) to now, the most stable data in the NBC/WSJ poll has been that roughly one-fifth of the country identifies as being liberal, while one-third identifies being conservative. Even in 2008, when Obama decisively won the presidency, the average in the poll was 25% liberal, 36% conservative. And in 1996, when Bill Clinton easily won re-election, it was 22% liberal, 34% conservative. For Democrats, this means that if they want to win national elections, they need to win about 60% of the self-described moderate vote -- which Obama did in '08 and congressional Dems did in '06, per the exit polls. By comparison, however, John Kerry got 54% of the moderate vote in 2004.
*** Changing the trajectory: So the bigger question for Democrats and liberals shouldn't be: "Why isn't Obama's presidency more progressive?" Instead, it should be: "Why isn't the country more progressive?" During the '08 presidential campaign, Obama declared (controversially at the time): "Reagan changed the trajectory of America in a way that Richard Nixon did not and in a way that Bill Clinton did not." He was correct. And progressives -- as well as historians -- might better judge Obama 10 to 15 years from now, whether his administration was able to bend the trajectory of American politics like Reagan did after '88.
*** Another domestic achievement: Here’s one consequence of the USDA/race/NAACP/Breitbart story: The media is going to pay more attention to it than to President Obama’s second-biggest domestic achievement so far this year. At 11:30 am ET, President Obama signs the financial reform legislation into law. Obama also will sign the extension of unemployment benefits into law -- but he’ll have to wait. NBC’s Ken Strickland and Shawna Thomas reported yesterday that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Republicans are making him burn the 30 hours that is required, but often waived, after a filibuster is broken. "We just passed badly needed legislation to help two-and-a-half million unemployed," Reid said on the Senate floor. "To show the lack of understanding and feeling and compassion of the Republicans, they're making us waste 30 hours."
*** What happens when the GOP co-opts the Tea Party? Per NBC’s Luke Russert and Shawna Thomas, the brand-new Tea Party caucus will hold its first meeting today at 9:00 am ET, and then holds a press conference at 10:00 am. And here are those who have RSVPed to attend: Michele Bachmann (MN), Paul Broun (R-GA), Dan Burton (R-IN), John Carter (R-TX), John Culberson (R-TX), Louie Gohmert (R-TX), Pete Hoekstra (R-MI), Steve King (R-IA), Mike Pence (R-IN), Pete Sessions (R-TX), Cliff Stearns (R-FL), Todd Tiahrt (R-KS). Do note that at least two of these members -- Sessions and Pence -- are part of the GOP leadership. What’s more, as MSNBC.com Carrie Dann notes, all of these members come from VERY safe GOP districts. In fact, they won on average 62% of the vote in their 2008 elections. The decision by Sessions to join the Tea Party caucus might be comfortable to him as Congressman Sessions, but is it the right thing for NRCC Chairman Sessions, especially since there are moderates in places like New Hampshire or New York or Massachusetts who probably will NOT join the Tea Party caucus?
*** More damage control for the RNC: The Washington Times reports, “The Republican National Committee failed to report more than $7 million in debt to the Federal Election Commission in recent months - a move that made its bottom line appear healthier than it is heading into the midterm elections and that also raises the prospect of a hefty fine. In a memo to RNC budget committee members, RNC Treasurer Randy Pullen on Tuesday accused Chairman Michael S. Steele and his chief of staff, Michael Leavitt, of trying to conceal the information from him by ordering staff not to communicate with the treasurer - a charge RNC officials deny. Mr. Pullen told the members that he had discovered $3.3 million in debt from April and $3.8 million from May, which he said had led him to file erroneous reports with the FEC. He amended the FEC filings Tuesday.” The RNC denies to First Read that it has any debt, and says every invoice Pullen used was already paid for. But it can’t be dismissed: The RNC’s treasurer and chairman are at odds here, and this news only helps groups like Karl Rove’s that are trying to raise money outside the RNC.
*** The Georgia results: In Georgia last night, Karen Handel -- boosted by her Palin endorsement -- got a plurality (34%) in the GOP gubernatorial primary, and will compete in an Aug. 10 run-off against second-place finisher Nathan Deal, who got 23%. And in the Democratic primary, former Gov. Roy Barnes easily won his primary, getting 66% -- an impressive feat considering that he was competing against (among others) the state’s top African-American elected official (two-term Attorney General Thurbert Baker). It is worth noting how the Republican Governors Association, which wasn’t too fond of seeing onetime-frontrunner John Oxendine (who finished fourth) winning, has benefited from Palin’s endorsements. They were more than happy to see Nikki Haley win in South Carolina. Ditto Handel in Georgia… In many ways, the RGA has been clever about using Palin late to dispatch with problem potential nominees in New Mexico, South Carolina and, now, Georgia.
*** 75 House races to watch: Previewing AL-5: Today, we look at the race in AL-5, where incumbent Parker Griffith (R) lost his primary after switching from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party. The Democratic nominee is Steve Raby, who won his primary with 62%. And the GOP nominee is Mo Brooks, who won with 51%. John McCain won 61% of the vote in this district in ’08, and George W. Bush won 60% in ’04.
*** More midterm news: In June, the DSCC outraised the NRSC, Politico writes… In Arkansas, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows John Boozman (R) leading Blanche Lincoln (D) by 19 points… And in Indiana, Brad Ellsworth (D) has unveiled his second TV ad.
Countdown to OK primary: 6 days
Countdown to KS and MO primaries: 13 days
Countdown to CO and CT primaries: 20 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 104 days
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Sheila The NAACP came out against the teaparty calling them racists, the right came back on the NAACP accusing them of being hypocrites for not comming down on the panthers.
the NAACP had to find a sacrificial lamb to throw to the wolves, after all Shirley was no longer a racist, so she was despensable. They kept the bulk of their tape secret until Shirley came to her own defense now Breitbart has lots of fodder to throw at the race baiting NAACP
I read so much hate, bitterness, bigotry, tunnel vision, and lack of humanity in so many posts, it breaks my heart. Where is compassion and love of ourselves and our fellowman? Physician, heal thyself.
Well HARDY HAR HAR! I must be looking clairvoyant by now. Yesterday, when all the righties were going nuts over this, I tried to tell you all this was another GOP hit job. Now, we are hearing them crying about the so-called "new black panthers", when it was their beloved Bush's DOJ who decided there would be no criminal charges.
This is all because the Tea Party got called out by the NAACP. Yes, NAACP, no matter what, we know that the Tea Party only exists because the president is black. They'll deny, deny, deny, but everything they complain about was going on long before Obama.
Big government? Medicare part D, Homeland Security. The two biggest expansions on federal government in history. Not a peep.
Deficit? You already know this one. No need to beat a dead horse.
Gun control? This president actually EXPANDS gun rights to national parks! And what do they do? Go right to a national park with loaded weapons to protest the president!
Taxes? Tax cuts create jobs? Oh really? Well, we got some pretty good evidence to the contrary. We've lost 8.4 million jobs since the recession. Those Bush tax cuts seemed to COST jobs! They've been in effect for years! Where's the benefit? Working class wages have dropped or stopped. This is what happens when you give rich people more money. They put it in their pockets, they don't go hire somebody! People can't be that stupid. Half the rich people in this country don't employ anybody anyway!
We know why the tea party exists. They know why they exist. Let's stop dancing around it.
Well said, Sid. Any time someone scores a point on the right wing they try to respond with a kill shot. Sometimes they succeed, as with ACORN. Even if they can do some damage they consider it a win.
How about they let the public see that full tape, un-edited? Hmmmm?
The problem with stating such apparent truths as all-of-the-above is, will it be enough to break down the wall of resistance, the current inability of die hard GOP inclined supporters to see they-have-been scammed, snookered, had in such a bad way one cannot get too graphic about it on these pages. Tax cuts for the rich will never enliven the national economy, only the economy of Wall Street bankers and their clone twins of the Fortune 500. The general masses tend to think what they are told to think all the way up to the point when such a passive ideology causes them increasing personal economic harm. Once those whom are loyal to the bad masters have seem a glimmer of the truth they will proceed to make changes in their mind set and perchance to see the president is doing all he can to help them in every way he can.
The GOP is betting on this not to happen so the far right wing division enables their royal flush hand to deal a coup-de-grace, not only upon president Obama, but the American people as well. The grandmaster of deception and dirty tricks, professor Rove and associates--Fox Klan News Network, biggergovernment.com, composites of their multiple Tea Party double agents, as well as a comportment of enterprising radio talk show ring masters--moved into attack mode once everyone knew the, “Community organizer”--code for: unqualified Affinitive Action colored boy whom-we-don’t-want in the White House--would indeed become the President of the United States of America. An agent of this ground zero clan of manipulators is responsible for the doctored video of Mrs. Sherrod being presented to Fox, and long before that the video of the president’s former pastor making incendiary and stupid remarks about America materialized. Gasoline was thrown on the fire from statements the president made about the need for people to have guns when they have little else--unfortunately such is true. This machine tried to label the president a terrorist--one guy on the street of San Rafael grumbled that to me 18 months ago and I told him, “You-are-a-moron.” One does hope the Banner-types and crew of little quacking ducks will be shown for the Wall Street rear-end snuffers they truly are as the next phase of their continues: total open support of the hard right wing division of their so-called Tea Party; support of Arizona’s new Immigration law--though, as with the Democratic Party, the Republican Party have done little to safe guard the boarder, our primary language or our American culture. The party of the right oinks to the people at every turn using double speak whenever they open their snouts. One does believe they have over played their hand this time. We should endeavor to give them all the ropes we can steal from the secret basements where their rotten apples are hidden.
"Any credible journalist or journalistic organization given an edited video would want to see the full context, right? Especially if you know the source has an agenda, right? "
OMG! Truer words were never spoken. Can we please return to these time? Can we please have the media be the champions of the facts not the fact-twisters?!?!!?!? We need the fourth estate to be well...the fourth pillar of our democracy not an arm of the politicians and power hungry!!!!!
I was so disappointed to see Matt Lauer, who is not much of a journalist anyway, say that he was more suprised at every one except Fox (what seems to pass as) News and the conservative blogger. That's where this should have started. People should finally be clued in that Fox doesn't care about the facts, they only care about the slant they could put on them. This was just another nail in their journalistic coffin that it needs to be shouted LOUD AND CLEAR! WE NEED JOURNALIST THAT REPORT THE NEWS AND THE FACTS AND LET THE PEOPLE DRAW THEIR CONCLUSIONS! PLEASE Media, return to those principles that you learn in J-school! Research and confirm your stories before you throw them on the air! If you can't do that simple thing they you need to take the title "News" off your logo and out of your titles!
You in the traditional media look like fools for believing Breibart and Fox News, but the one group that looks good is the liberal blogosphere and people like HuffingtonPost.com -- who smelled a rat from the start. You guys need to get out of the beltway and start practicing journalism again. Burn your bridges to your "buddies" on the left and right and START DOING YOU JOBS!
Huffington Post are you kidding?
So you have a problem with Huffington Post. Doesn't change the fact that they're the ones who had it right from the start.
?
I believed the Breitbart hoax story NOT because it was on Fox News, but because it was reported by a source that I regarded as credible: MSNBC. That's probably why the Obama Administration people and the NAACP believed it, too. After Breitbart and Fox News, "responsible" media share the rest of the blame. ALL of it. Stop blaming Obama and the NAACP for your own lousy reporting, MSNBC.
I think it's disgusting that First Read is trying to put the blame of the Obama administration just like Fox News. Notice that First Read didn't dare to name Fox as one of the guiltiest parties in the hoax. Sadly, I'm beginning to think Fox IS the leader in news: Fox leads the rest of the media around by nose.
She admitted she was a Racist- CASE CLOSED. No more apologies from the media when a black racist gets busted. All she did was tell her racist story then add a tag line on the end saying "I learned my lession".
What if this was David Duke? Would the media be apologizing? Hell NO.
Or Governor George Wallace perhaps? An avowed rascist who learned the error of his ways, was forgiven and became a popular advocate for civil rights. The last time he ran for office he received a significant percentage of black votes.
What about redemption? Are we not to forgive the sinner who repents their sins and asks for our forgiveness.
I'm pretty sure that's what Jesus was all about wasn't it?
NAAAAH, stone-em and let God sort 'em out!
You're obviously not familiar with the same edition of the bible that I was taught from in sunday school. Did you pick your's up at the John Birch Society reading room?
I'd go out and get a new one if I were you.
PEACE
The naivete of this article is breathtaking. The ENTIRE media edits quotes, video you name it. Very few news stories publish entire speeches so the viewers get the entire context. It was alright when they did it to Republicans but now it is happening to Sherrod these guys are up in arms. Hypocrites all. The point of the story is less about what was said by the speaker but how the audience reacted. They actually applauded and cheered when Sherrod said she had avoided helping a white farmer. The point was the tea Party (whom I dislike) is being labelled by the NAACP for the actions of a few but the NAACP totally ignores racists in its own ranks. The people who cheered are racists, period. The problem is that the NAACP and race baiters like Jackson and Sharpton see the era of race favoritism coming to an end and they don't like it. Worse, they are no longer the largest minority and see their days of political pandering also coming to an end. Again, they don't like it. Their response is hysterical claims of further racism that can only be rectified by further favoritism. Those days are over people, time to move on and let the race baiters wallow in t heir hole.
I couldn't agree with you more! To Republicans is just a game. The war in Iraq was about about GWB's macho gamemanship.......not in defense of freedom for Americans. The only thing wrong with your post is that you (others and I ) could post dozens of examples of selfish the GOP has become
What ever you "meant to uncover" doesnt matter what u did uncover is our country is going backwards. We all know NAACP is a crock, and racist org. now we know our government is too.
I had thought maybe this president would be the change he wants to see in the world like gandhi said.
Stop the racism and let's function as "We the people" for our country. If our pres is black and our majority is white then white people elected him...your welcomed.
This column needs to renamed "The Liberal News Slant". The columnists claim that real reporters double checking their information before they release and they always include the context. What a joke. The liberal media publishes negative information about conservatives as soon as they get it. I wish I had a buck for every time the media published something negative about Palin and provided no context. Speaking of context, First Read only include Sen Reid's comments about the bill to extend unemployment benefits and failed to provide the context why the Republicans opposed it. The context is that the Republicans wanted the Obama Administration to pay for the bill out of waste in the federal budget. Obama just wants to print some more money to pay for it. Does First Read remember when candidate Obama said that he was going to focus like a laser beam on the federal budget and cut out the waste? I was laughing then and I'm still laughing now.
 To all of you who love to bad mouth FOX news, If I was a betting man I would say ya'll love CNN, more than once I have heard them completely misrepresent a story to outright lying. I was living in Honduras during the so called government takeover, CNN misrepresentd that story so badly it was a joke. even sadder was when our pres. tried to make them take back a man who had tried to eleminate thier constitution, and was corrupted beyound mention. I no longer even listen to them. I am not a liberal or a conservative. I believe in the constitution and bill of rights. It is not out dated or antiquidated. I do not give up on any of my rights it gives me, and it is about time people started paying attention to what they support. You do not have the right to take away mine. give up yours if you want. I vote for people by their actions not by race, religion, or male or Female. I think Condalisa Rice would have made a good President. (sorry for my bad spelling)Â
Well Junior you would lose your bet. I rarely watch cable news of any kind. I do read MSNBC and find the reporting pretty good although a bit repetitive.
PEACE, y'all (that's the singular, addressed to you Junior, if I were speaking in the plural it would be "all y'all".
Who made a big deal about this and made a news story....MSNBC....who reported half truths???? Who fired the lady???? The present administration, by her report. UGGGGGGGHHHHH......the only people who have a lick of sense are the ones who realize that MSNBC is an entertainment vine....they have a history of reporting with inuendo and half truths. Just look at the photoshop whale breach news.!!!!! Jeezz, these "news people" are completely unethical....stop getting your panties in a twist over a bunch of lousy reporters.....shame on them and shame on you folks for actually believing ANY thing you read on this ridiculous excuse for a news agency...they make their money from the number of people posting....I am asking every blogger to email atleast one advertiser, if you feel the same way....want REAL news....find me a non -bias reporter PLEASE!!!!
Isn't it amazing how everybody here today has taken the MSM to task for not getting the facts straight or telling the full story or slanting their coverage or outright lying to the public..................and yet none of you would ever believe that these same liars would ever lie to you about 9/11/2001.
Talk about seeing only what you want to see. You've all been hoodwinked for longer than you know.
Who cares. She was against the white guy but then did her job. What would you like for doing your job lady? Also the crowd was all uh huh, you go girl, and what have you. They were liking the fact she was keeping whitey down.
She wasn't keeping "whitey" down, she just wasn't going to be the one to help him. And then she changed her mind when she saw that even the white lawyer wasn't properly handling the case.
Admittedly fox should have vetted the tape before airing it. They were probably trying to one up the several thousand liberal Obama news outlets. Fox was wrong for that. Any piece of material provided by Breitbart should be scrutinized with a fine toothed comb. But Sherrod's bosses should have tried to uncover all the facts before terminating her. The WhiteHouse & NAACP- why would they react so quickly to excoriate this woman without investigating futher? That doesn't make sense. MSNBC is just as guilty for showing the edited version of the tape
Liberals shouldn't be so quick to criticize and condemn. No Obama news outlet (which is virtually all save FOX) showed the entire footage of the aftermath of the Gates/Crawley incident. Remember that folks? Olbermann and Matthews and Ed the talking head tried to make it seem like Crawley was racist cop on a mission to put down this prominent black professor. Anyone watching would have thought all blacks in the world despised this officer. What you didn't see was that there were 2 black police officers standing by Crawley's side during his statements to the press afterward. A black male cop and a black female cop supporting him and his version of events 100%. You think hateful Keith Blowhard would allow his worshippers to see that? Nah. That would would too objective. No spin to lather up the rabid liberal base. Only Fox displayed the ENTIRE footage.
As for Ms. Sherrod... Is a reformed racist not still a racist? Who knows what's in someon's heart? Besides, With the 13 million from her law suit, maybe she'll go into politics and became another rich liberal democrat taking advantage of the minorities in her community. Who am I to say this? No one really. Just a 40 year old middle class American black guy from the Bronx. So I know about liberal political corruption.
Congress always want to hold hearings about everything so maybe they should hold a congressional inquiry into this story. Who called Shirley Sherrod and said the WH wanted her resignation immediately? Who in the WH called the supervisor at USDA and when? (Robert Gibbs is denying that anyone "to my knowledge") Why was the tape that showed the full speech not released immediately by the NAACP? Why didn't Secretary Vilsack check out this story prior to acting? (Lousy leadership & over reaction.) When did Obama know it and why did he so quickly support the firing without checking the facts?
Yes let's have an inquiry, an inquiry into everything. Let's get all the truths out there for everyone to see, so we can stop arguing unprovable points over and over. Nah.......nevermind.
How was she "helping"?????????? It's called doing your job. Do your job and then you don't have a racial story 24 years later.
NAACP is a joke.
Some people's job is to help. Do you not understand that she altered her own way of thinking? She and the man , who she did more than JUST her job to HELP, are friends now. She did her job and then some, it's only a "racial" story now 24 years later because she admitted in her story to the NAACP that she had been reluctant, at first, to do everything that she could for this white farmer who was on the verge of losing his land and came in to speak to her with a superior attitude.
The saddest thing about this whole mess the fact that ALL of the media is biased. All of the media companies have political agendas and they only post news that fits "their" agendas. I am a conservative on some issues and a liberal on others, but I read Fox, CNN and MSNBC daily and comment according to my beliefs in what is right and wrong.
This is just another episode of the press trying to make news instead of reporting it like they should. unfortunately for the general public and all parties involved it is a little bit of tit-for-tat, does anyone remember Dan Rather playing the same games,,,, he retired in disgrace for them...
This story is just BS! She should be fired like anyone else in her position who gets caught discriminating.
The real issue that is being glossed over are the state of affairs under this administration. 10% unemployment, trillion $ deficits, a disaster in the Gulf, a failed foreign policy, and a President that does not know how to manage. And this is with a Democratic President and Democratic Congress.
The woman was rightly fired so let's ,ove on and look through the fog at our real problems.
Sorry the reality of right wing malfeasance got in the way of your preferred right wing talking points today.
Maybe tomorrow the facts won't have a Liberal bias.
Didn't you post this nonsense earlier?
It's apparently hard for most people to deal with the facts of the major problems this country faces. Instead they want to argue how a lady who was caught red handed being a biggot was wronged.
These are the same people that would complain about the neighbors when their house is on fire.
DJ, you only have one note that you keep playing over and over and over again. "BS" and your litany of 10% unemployment, gulf oil spill, failed foreign policy, yadda yadda yadda, all of which is more applicable to the Bush/Darth Cheney white house than to the Obama white house.
President Obama inherited ALL those ills from the previous administration and has spent his first 18 months in office trying to clean up the messes left by YOUR beloved president.
Another well know element of THE BIG LIE is the endless repetition of the same falsehood, over and over and over again until people actually begin to believe it. But it's not going to work this time because there is a new Sheriff in town cowboy and I'm going to string you up every time you try to pull the wool over our eyes.
You don't even post under your real name. I do, I'm not afraid to reveal my identify and face you and your lies in the bright sunlight. If you don't have the courage to identify yourself and own up to your ignorance you should probably keep your opinions to yourself.
Any time, anywhere, any weapon, any topic. It's time for all real Americans to take back their country from the ditto-headed fools who are ruining it and making us the laughing stock of the world.
PEACE
I think everyone has already acknowledged that the only person that looks good here is Ms. Sherrod. And I think before too long her pocket book will look even better. This is a woman whose reputation has been sullied worldwide as a result of a deliberate smear campaign. Breitbart can walk it back all he wants and claim that his main target was the NAACP but if, as it now appears, he or others working on his behalf, knowingly edited the tape with the intent to harm and injure, he should be seeking legal counsel to defend both the inevitable civil action and potential criminal action very soon. And, it would be a good thing too! Because, under certain circumstances, it will at least force these morons to think about the potential impact to their bottom line before placing their vitriolic, unsubstantiated crap into our national dialog. Even if she is ultimately unsuccessful, both Breitbart and the Gov't will be spending lots on legal defense costs. Are you TeaBecks getting the message?
This woman looks good? She's a biggot who's been caught. If this were a white male, do you think anyone would care if this was an edited tape? He'd be tarred, feathered and run out town.
You're one of those "low information" voters, aren't you?
Paul,
Go back in the closet where you are comfortable and there's no "low information"..
D-man, keep talking, you are well on the way to the BIGOT HALL OF FAME. How about giving us your real name so we can put it on the plaque. Yew ain't afeered are ya, podna?
No PEACE for you, you are a fool.
This was supposed to be about the NAACP and Ms Sherrod's questioned and questionable "ousting", but the points and the dialogs seem to have gone off course. So forgive me, as I am off course now, too.
My observation of this and many other sites like it is...my goodness. What a lot of pent up aggression on both sides of all of this; such vitriole and bile spilling forth from all the mouths and fingers on this one little website. How many more websites, full of rage, are there all over the place?
The truth is - we (the citizenry of the U.S.) are ALL powerless. We are surrounded by despots on every side (including Democritans and Republicrats and every political other arena there is). We, the people, are down here in the trenches, fighting amongst ourselves. This in-fighting will keep us all powerless - that is the goal of higher government. And it's working. As long as we fight and argue with our neighbors and family members here on the ground so to speak, and hate each other locally for differing viewpoints, and blame the other side for all of our woes, with each new regime that is in power there will never be any real progress.
I suppose, sadly, that our beautiful country...the United States of America, will like all great nations of the past who found it impossible to learn from their own history...will eventually implode and fall. Our country is very young, in comparison, however. We are self destructing faster than, let's say, The Roman Empire did.
The people of the United States have the deep inner integrity and the intelligence, I believe, to recognize that a game is being played on all of us - that we have the ability to recognize that we are pawns in a massive game. If we the people, banded together and we refused to play the game anymore and decided, as a body and a nation, to cease the in-fighting and stand together united against all the political users and abusers in Washington DC, in our state capitals and our local governments, then real change could come.
I just find it all very sad. I suggest that some of you take a deep breath and walk away from the computer once in awhile. Look at your neighbors and your family members and your friends - really look at them. We're all in this together and we will all fall together. Divide and conquer is an old, tried and true method that governments use to keep control of the masses. Divide and conquer - it would appear that it's still working, very well.
I could not agree with you more, but sometimes, if you want to reason with a jackass you have to take a two by four to get their attention first.
We cannot continue to allow the ignorant or the intolerant to dominate the debate just because they talk the loudest and own more radio and television stations than the rest of us.
We are AMERICANS. We stand for truth, equality and JUSTICE. Shirley Sherrod deserves some justice for being publicly humiliated by faux news and their propagandist who apparently wanted to get even with the NAACP for outing the Tea Party and their racist member organizations.
WE ARE ALL RACISTS, it's part of our DNA. But what sets the thinking world apart from the neo-fascist world is the fact that we know we are not perfect and we try to overcome those short-comings. That is the WHOLE POINT of Shirley Sherrod's story. The fact that her audience may not have responded as she had hoped is NOT THE POINT. She realized what she had done and she righted that wrong. Case closed, TWENTY FOUR YEARS AGO!
But now some right-wing propagandist uses her to "get even" with the NAACP. THAT IS WRONG!
That's what this "discussion" is all about. We want justice for Ms. Sherrod and we want to expose the people at faux news for what they are. Petty political bigots without a shred of human decency.
We will NOT be silenced by their BIG LIE rhetoric and we will NOT BE SHOUTED DOWN because we have right on our side. We occupy the morale high ground here and we want to see Ms. Sherrod made whole.
Faux news should have to pay a hefty amount to her and make a sizeable donation to the NAACP for what they have done.
PEACE
Very Tired of all this
Great Post,, i will take your advice and leave the computer alone and reflect
Hey Skip, don't you think some people might think that it is you that share your view point. Could it possibly be you that is wrong, that's what is so wrong about this whole debate, maybe just maybe both sides have a point and please stop with this anytime any place stuff get real, isn't that what little kids do surely you've progressed from that
wlee,
The ONLY point that the right has is that they do not believe that Faux lied to them. They refuse to see the facts as displayed and do not Want to understand the truth because it would upset their total world view. The progressives on the other hand, are dead tired of the lies, innuendo, racism and distortions that they use to excuse Breitbart's and Faux's actions. Whether or not the other stations picked up the story or not, whether or not the Government acted as it did or not are irrelevant to the discussion here, it was the set up lies and slander against a woman who was telling her story about why it is Wrong to be racist in the first place. Breitbart's selective editing, which was not the first time he has played this game and been caught, was maliciously intended, and it fit the Faux Agenda perfectly, so they ran with it. The other issues are peripheral and should be dealt with seperately.
Why should we walk away from liars spreading their poison when the truth needs to be told, repeatedly if need be?? Anything less is surrender to the enemies of Truth, Justice and The American Way, which I will defend just as I defended America in the Military!!
Wlee, oh I agree totally, playground challenges are childish and petty. But as I have tried to point out sometimes you have to stand your ground and say NO MORE! Shirley Sherrod and what the faux news did to her just to "get even" with the NAACP is that place where I say NO MORE.
I will not stand by and watch a bully beat up on somebody. Even though that bully is twice my size and half my age, I will put a stop to it or go down trying.
The right would like to paint the left as limp-wristed bleeding heart liberals who talk and do not act.
That ain't me podna. You want a fight, with words, or weapons of mass distraction I'm your man.
Let me give you an example and maybe you'll understand where I'm coming from.
I was driving home one night on a crowded street in Oklahoma City and folks were honking as they passed this service station. Honk, honk, honk, and on they would drive. When I got to the service station there was a huge man, drunk as a skunk choking a woman. Every car in front of me drove by and honked and then just drove on. NOBODY stopped to help that woman, except me. I got out of my car and walked up to him. I had to look up at him, he was big and drunk and out of control. But I didn't back down and kept him from hitting that woman until the police arrived and took him away. As with most bullies and domestic abusers he was loud-mouthed and threatening but a coward at heart.
The point of that story is not "oh look how great I am". the point of that story is "oh, look what a sorry bunch of SOB's the rest of those folks were". Nobody even stopped to help the little woman, much less ME.
So I'm not going to let some right wing faux news agency choke Shirley Sherrod. Drive on by, honk if it makes you feel brave. But I'm going to stand by her and do what I can to see she gets justice and try to insure this doesn't happen to anybody else, not even you.
PEACE
Deej,
One last point I forgot to make. I was not the first blogger here to propose violence. Early on one of the faux news supporters suggested it was time to "kick some liberal a$$" (his spelling, not mine).
That's when I said "Anytime, anywhere". I will not be bullied or threatened and I will not allow the innocent to be bullied or threatened either.
I'm not John Wayne, I'm not Superman, I'm just an average American who is tired of the so-called neo-conservative movement and what they have done to my country. We have problems, we should be working on those problems not exacerbating them by victimizing common citizens for some political agenda.
So, yeah, I'm a two-fisted, gun-totin' liberal and if someone wants to kick some "liberal a$$" let'em try and start with me. Any time, anywhere, podna. I'm a westerner, and it's the code of the west that a man's got to do what a mans got to do. It's time for us to take back our country before we become the very monsters we fought a world war to stop.
PEACE (that's what Jesus said, he may not have been the first liberal, but he was one of the most important liberals)
Here's a fact. The now elderly white couple in this story, reveal ms. Sherrod helped them save their farm. They have been close friends for years. That's all I need to know. Case closed.