VIA TPM
The Hillary campaign has just gone to war with MSNBC, dispatching a top Hillary adviser to launch a lacerating attack on the network on a conference call with reporters moments ago.
On the call, top Hillary adviser Howard Wolfson suggested that there's a "pattern" of reprehensible comments by MSNBC personalities, and said outright that the Hillary campaign could no longer "envision a scenario where we would debate on that network given the comments that were made and have been made."
Wolfson made the comments in response to a question about a now-notorious comment by MSNBC's David Shustser, in which he asked if Chelsea's campaigning on her mom's behalf meant she was being "pimped" by the Hillary campaign...
Here are Shuster's original comments.
Also from TPM:
Though Shuster apologized this morning, the Hillary campaign has clearly decided to seize upon the opportunity to launch a major attack on the network. A few weeks ago Chris Matthews publicly apologized to Hillary after suggesting that her whole Senate career and presidential candidacy was made possible only because of Bill's shenanigans in the White House.
Asked about Shuster's "pimp" comment, Wolfson denounced the comment as "disgusting" and "beneath contempt," adding: "It's the kind of thing that should never be said on a national news network."
Then Wolfson added: "You have to question whether or not there is a pattern here on the part of the network." He added: "Is this part of a pattern? I don't know, but [it's] beneath contempt."
Diarist's Question:
What would the media reaction be if this were said of the Bush girls?
Diarist's Question for Obama supporters:
If this were Malia and Sasha what would your reaction be?
Apparently, even some Obama supporters are disturbed:
As a very strident Obama supporter, and a young woman
Schuster's comment upsets me deeply. My reaction was immediate, palpable, emotional. I will sending an email to...someone...to express my feelings about this. Possibly to the Clinton campaign, to express my sympathies for Chelsea. If I were in her position, I would be in quite a fit of moral indignation about this.
Update: Shuster tried to walk this back this morning on MSNBC's Morning Joe, and according to Media Matters, he lied in the process
Update II: MSNBC has just apologized to the Clinton campaign. And Shuster will apologize on this evening's Tucker.
Question: Can the bell be unrung?
Note: As this is happening, MSNBC first show's Hillary live on the stump, then deviates into a Norah O'Donnell-Eugene Robinson critique segment on President Clinton's remarks about his campaigning for Hillary.
From the good folks over at Brave New Films,
here's a stunning sample of MSNBC's fair & balanced coverage.
Perhaps MSNBC will put forth a female like Rachael Maddow to defend Shuster, as they did when Chris Matthews created a firestorm with his widely panned negative coverage of Clinton leading up to the New Hampshire primary.
Maddow was quoted in this AP story, and was named a regular MSNBC political analyst not long after.
Some have suggested Maddow and MSNBC have some explaining to do.
Readers will remember MSNBC as the network which offered a platform for the Imus in the Morning show for many years.
Imus was replaced on MSNBC by Morning Joe. Note Joe Scarborough's lengthy rap sheet.
Update: David Shuster has now been suspended by MSNBC, according to this.
Update II: 5pm broadcast of MSNBC's Hardball finds host Chris Matthews quoting new TIME magazine poll with Barack Obama beating John Mccain in hypothetical matchup; does not mention Clinton leading Obama by 6 points in same survey.
MSNBC & Matthews find balance in having only right wingers Michele Laxalt Tony Blankley and commenting on democratic race.
No mention of Shuster suspension of yet.
MSNBC is also the host of Meet the Press, notoriously anti-Democrat in general and anti-Clinton in particular, all while documented as extremely pro-republican according to this.
Is it part of a pattern?
MSNBC has now apparently set up this number (201-583-4090 NBC) for complaints.
Click here for additional contact information.
Advertiser information to follow.
Briefly Summarizing MSNBC's Lineup,
which they bill as The Place for Politics.
Morning Joe: Hosted by Joe Scarborough, former host of MSNBC's Scarborough Country. The former congressman boats a 95% lifetime rating from the American Conservative Union.
Tucker: hosted by Tucker Carlson, openly conservative, though he's ditched the bow-ties for reasons unknown.
Hardball w/Chris Matthews: Few of the "referees" in our political media have an entire section devoted to their distortions on Media Matters. Matthews is one of them.
Doubters need only read this New York Observer account to realize his anti-Clinton bias.
if that doesn't do the trick, the video above should.
NBC, owned by GE, also find it necessary to produce the weekly Chris Matthews show.
Countdown w/Keith Olbermann: Became a darling of the left for his blistering commentaries of the Bush administration during
his hour-long nightly newscast. Has of late come under fire on several blogs for seemingly pro-Obama, anti-Clinton tone. Links to follow.
Live with Dan Abrams: Has received generally positive reviews for attempts at thoroughness and fairness in covering the 08 race. Links to follow.
Meet the Press w/Tim Russert: John McCain being their most frequent guest - by a country mile - is just the tip of an iceberg when it comes to left-right bias on Dick Cheney's favorite format.
Some may also remember the Phil Donahue show was terminated by MSNBC, for what amny saw as the hosts anti-Iraq war stance.
Here's Shuster's most recent attempt at an apology:
The question remains: is it part of a pattern?