Early Show's Smith Bizarrely Hints At Obama Assassination

Senator Ted Kennedy, having endorsed Barack Obama for President, has begun his barnstorming on behalf of the candidate in earnest. This morning found Kennedy on CBS' The Early Show, where anchor Harry Smith, apparently lacking the wit or the wherewithal to pursue a more substantive line of questioning, took the opportunity to do a little whistling past the Kennedy family graveyard:

SMITH: When you see that enthusiasm though, and when you see the generational change that seems to be taking place before our eyes, does it make you at all fearful?

Naturally, Kennedy really didn't catch on to what Smith was driving at, and responded, "I think that what people are basically saying is that they want a new day and a new generation."

Lacking a more heavy-handed way of getting his point across, like, say, whipping out the Zapruder film or something, Smith delicately waded back into the matter of political assasination:

SMITH: I just...ahhh--I think what I was trying to say is, sometimes agents of change end up being targets, as you well know, and that was why I was asking if you were at all fearful of that.

Kennedy elected not to speculate on the matter, for once demonstrating that the repetition of campaign talking points can help to paper over a host of media sins.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1391585014http://www.brightcove.com/channel.jsp?channel=1178199204

Obama previously addressed the matter of personal security in an interview with Brian Williams in early January, saying, "I think that every presidential candidate, certainly every president these days-- is a potential target. And that comes with the job. And you take the precautions that are necessary and then you go about your business."

Comments

[shep65]

As insensitive a question as that is, that thought has crossed my mind a lot about Senator Obama.
The forces of evil are much more powerfull, insidious, and institutionalized now than they were in the 60's. Multi nationals are much richer and more powerfull and without a doubt would remove anyone or anything that stands in the way of them achieving world domination.
I do not believe that anyone who crosses the multinational financiers is safe. That is one of the reason that I really fear for this country. We are so far past George Orwell's 1984 that it is really scary. Can one man check the power of this evil and survive?

[Tantivy]

Really? You think, "Naturally, Kennedy really didn't catch on to what Smith was driving at..."?
"Naturally"?
I'd like to suggest that having had his only two brothers murdered — one while president, the other while running for president — that Senator Kennedy, hardly a slow learner in a 40+ year career in politics, surely and quite "naturally" caught on to Smith's pusillanimous question.
I'd like to suggest rather, that you've got your own unenviable tin ear to credit for misinterpreting the exchange, and worse, a naivete even less enviable in a "political reporter" for misrepresenting it to readers.

[TotobiAyokoh23]

Could this guy be charged with solicitation for murder? I hate the press and all those bigots that populate it: Glenn Beck and all the other empty-barrels masquerading as seasoned journalist. Is there a limit to freedom of speech?

[larry278]

OK, some of us older people have lived through the murders of JFK, RFK, MLK with the diversion of Jack Ruby offing LHO & the icon of a man in a white hat being caught as LHO collapsed. Other talking heads will be even more tacktless than Mr Smith.
Some of who saw these murders on TV speak very softly when we talk of probable attempts to murder Sen Clinton & Sen Obama. It isn't pleasant to think & speak of the American penchant for murdering presidents, candidates for POTUS & controversial civil rights leaders.
This, however, is America; it happened before... I should be able to say, "Never again.", as I learned to say after 1948 when murdering Jews meant a swift, fatal response from Israel.
Mr Smith spoke the unspeakable to Sen Kennedy. I don't want to say the mourful, angry words of disgust & abject resignation as I hear & see a murder of a public figure.
Mr Smith, enough is enough; you went too far.
Oh, yes, I also have friends who lost a loved one to murder. I am not a fan of murder, violence & those who glibly speak of these crimes.... This American condition has become a shameful burden to us in America.
Thanks, not, Mr Smith.

[eej]

They are threatening him - already.

[BurtR]

The question reflects what is on everyone's minds. Reagan was shot by a mentally ill person. JFK, MLK, and RFK were shot by disturbed men acting out society's hate mongering.
Can this society elct a leader who will bring the country together? or is that too big a threat to those who depend on division?
I want to keep trying.

[Hollyse]

Double-edge questions offering a predicate first before a subject left Kennedy no choice but to move onto another thought process about the answer. Absolutely nothing wrong with Harry Smith asking, however electing and linking a black man to possible assasination with change & fear leads Americans into Hillary and Bill's manipulation of placing Americans on a roller coaster and when you are so sick, wanting to get off, we'll make sure you vote for Hillary so at least you'll have a chance to staying alive. Barak is alive and well, but before the primaries are over who knows how many other roller coaster 'amusement park rides' the Clintons will demand people getting on the same coaster while their determining amusement moves them one step closer to the White House. People often don't realize they've been taken for a ride and once on they can never get off. Was MLK's bullet hole deeper than JFK's or his brother? I don't think so. Barak takes his chances. I've made no decision to voting for him or any candidate right now. I'm just disgusted with the extensive mind control games government, politicians and the news media serves us all day in and day out. It's the silver bullet this nation has to FEAR and it's been used for decades to bring down this nation to amero status. CGI (Clinton Global Incentive = NWO, just a milder hit in both knees to cripple a nation for life instead of robbing one's soul & spirit so we rank as Serfs to the Lords and nothing more. NWO language just over the top in fascism don't you think?

[NoPCZone]

I think it's a legit question. There are a lot of nuts out there and many are armed to the teeth. Virginia just refused to close the legal loopholes that make it one of the biggest gun markets in the US even after the tragedy at Va Tech last year.

Ours is an unrepentant, violent society and it only takes a single nut-job. Being a Baby Boomer we know all too well how many nuts have taken a pot shot at a politician...

[vbond]

What the hell did Smith EXPECT Kennedy to say about the possibility of Obama being assassinated?

UNBELIEVABLE.

[jazzman]

I've had this thought myself. Those of us who went through the sixties saw our visionaries struck down and dark figures emerge. It was after John, Bobby, and Martin were assasinated that Nixon arose and the gospel of greed of Reagan became ascendent leading us to the sociopathic and indifferent GW Bush. These people never seem to get struck down until they've wreaked chaos and despair across the landscape and its too late. Then they just retire like Pinochet, untouched.

[Coyote2]

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CAUTION

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Remember, they only assassinate Liberals in America

[43P04T34]

Harry Smith sure is a dumb bastard. I guess that's the way the networks like to hire these people.

[Bobleblah1]

I will say that many people are worried about this.
America would never recover from an act of that nature. It would truly be the last straw.

[gonnuts]

There is no need to assassinate him.

There is no doubt that our entire election process is a farce. We've been regulated down to having a whole campaign consisting of 3 years worth of 30 second commercials and pundits who focus on the trivial as they spoon feed us who's ahead in skewed polling, where those that speak to our needs and resonate with us the most are ignored, ridiculed and marginalized and Diebold finishes off the rest.

So-called front-runners typically have least in common with those they're supposed to represent.Ones with the most money, not the most commonsense. They recite phrases produced by carnival barkers with no real meaning but induce a false inspiration. The word "change" being the word of choice now, when the change we need is for them to hold those accountable for screwing-up the past. And we, as good little lemmings, are lead to forget what got us into this situation and blindly accept those that will do nothing to really change anything. For the powers that be will not allow true change to take place.

Mark these words - we may not even have an election. Between the collapsing economy, the very good probability Bush will attack Iran, our lives could be turned into such turmoil that Marshall Law exercised and elections postponed indefinitely. And/or another false-flag attack could propel one of the war-mongering rethugs into office and we continue on our path to Hell.

For those who say it can't happen, we've watched two presidential elections stolen, the murder of 3,000 citizens, murder of Sen. Paul Wellstone, Anthrax murders, outing of Plame, gagging of Sibel Edmonds, destruction of Constitution and Bill of Rights, illegal wire-tapping, torture, kidnapping, rape, illegal invasion of a two countries, no-bid contracts to war-profiteers, destruction of an American city, gutting of our treasury, phony investigations, ignoring of subpoenas, destruction of evidence and much more WITH NO ONE BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE!

Well, let me inform you - there will be NO future if we don't rectify the past.

[misterdirk]

Since Edward Kennedy isn't an agent of change and inspires no one, and therefore has never been a target of anything except a huge bar tab, he didn't catch Harry's nudge nudge wink wink. But perhaps we have it in reverse. Perhaps Ed's endorsement in itself is enough to make Obama a target.