Just a short diary, to let everyone know that the USDA has decided to look at their decision, and possibly reconsider the ousting of Shirley Sherrod, as well they should.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said early Wednesday that his department will reconsider the ouster of an employee who resigned over alleged race comments.
His statement came after civil rights leaders said they were "snookered" into believing a conservative website's charges of racism against employee Shirley Sherrod were true.
Vilsack said that he will "conduct a thorough review and consider additional facts" about his decision to ask Sherrod to resign.
In my opinion, Vilsack should apologize to Shirley Sherrod, and reinstate her at her former position.
Breitbart should apologize on his KNEES, but he will not. Likely he'll say something stupid and try to pin this on the NAACP or on the Obama administration, but... do we expect anything different from him or from the right-wing smear machine?
Thought I would add this tweet from Keith Olbermann from earlier on tonight:
@KeithOlbermann: Conclusions: USDA must reinstate Shirley Sherrod, Fox/Breitbart must be recognized as non-news propagandists, MSM must not be driven by them
I agree wholeheartedly with his conclusions.
H/T to Keith Olbermann, for the information.
Countdown segment from tonight:
UPDATE: Okay, I'm awake (sort of), still sick, but... I just wanted to weigh in after seeing some of the other diaries out there.
My take might not be popular, but it's how I feel.
I think we're losing focus here. The facts are these - Breitbart committed a disgusting and vile act, and LIED to all of us. Vilsack fell for the lie, as did many here. He may have acted too quickly, but I think that the reason he did so was to protect his department. It was hasty, and he should have gotten more information first, yes, but the key point here is that the bad actors were the RIGHT WING MEDIA.
And as long as we allow them to shift blame and attention away from their intentional bad acts, we enable them to continue what they're doing.
Breitbart needs to pay for what he did. Plain and simple. Sherrod should get her job back - if she still wants it. But she should sue Breitbart for everything he's got, and make him hurt where he really cares - his pocketbook.
And that should be the focus here, in my opinion.
And with a hat tip to ozarksparks... if Vilsack or anyone in the Obama administration ends up losing their job over this - isn't that what Breitbart and the right-wing media are going for? And hasn't that been their agenda from day one? The "death of a thousand cuts"? Why do their job FOR them?
Thanks.