Barbara Tells Hillary: "Drop It Already"

Barbara Walters was away last week when her co-hosts on "The View" started a media firestorm — mentioning that Chelsea Clinton called them on Super Tuesday, which eventually led to David Shuster's now-infamous "pimped out" comment and his subsequent suspension from NBC News.

Today, Barbara returned with a comment on Shuster's suspension and, specifically, the letter Hillary Clinton sent over the weekend to NBC News President Steve Capus:

It was as if she was advocating more than just his being suspended. Perhaps I feel this because of the years, and all of you, we are live, and sometimes you say something unfortunate. You apologize, he's getting suspended, he apologized, MSNBC apologized. Drop it already! It's OK. He made a mistake."

Watch:

Barbara Walters weighed in on the David Shuster controversy, urging Hillary Clinton to "drop it already." Shuster has been suspended, though over the weekend Clinton hinted that she wanted further action taken. http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1412254020http://www.brightcove.com/channel.jsp?channel=1178199204

From ABC, 2/11

Comments

[watchingthings]

06:44 AM on 02/15/2008

Hillary can't just drop it.....if she can't win it fairly....she'll try steal it. Come hell or high water...Hillary intends to be the next President, by hook or by crook or whatever it takes.

[KARE]

02:37 AM on 02/15/2008

Well Barbara, you comment every time someone complains about comments on the view, why dont you just drop it.

[Trittydi]

01:29 AM on 02/15/2008

Hillary needs to stop pissing off the liberal base.

If the re-PIG-licans fuck with the voting again, we may end up with her as a candidate - I want to actually feel like I'll be able to vote for her if I have to.

*

[Effymens]

10:30 PM on 02/14/2008

Women are their own worst enimies and thats why men treat them the way they do.If Hillary were a man,they will be praising her for being tough but because she is a woman she is called all kinds of names and why any woman will stand for that is beyond me.Barbara Walters is an old hag whose time has come and gone and nobody cares what she says.

[frozen01]

10:47 PM on 02/14/2008

Sorry, but I agree with her.
I mean, what are we women supposed to do? Lynch Mr. Schuster for saying "pimped out" (which I don't even find that sexist anyways).

Oops, I said "lynch"... now I'm in for it!!!

[mari2JJ]

01:54 AM on 02/15/2008

The very reason that women are treated so badly by male TV personalities is no doubt accepted by folks like Walters. One of the stragest thing is to hear women, all the right wing clack of women condoning this misogynist behavior. Amazing when women even find such disgusting attack on a pol's female child acceptable. I notice not one newsman dared to make such a "pimp" remark about the Romney boys. And they were sent all over the country to work in their father's campaign. So thanks for letting us know we can never count on The View to go to battle for women's equality. I am 75 and did hope that in my lifetime, we could get past this anti-women bias. Now who is pimping for whom?

[newunderground]

07:13 AM on 02/15/2008

The reason women like Hillary receive 'no respect' is because they demand to be treated as equals and when they are they whine like little girls that the boys are mean to them. It was a throw away line, not a diatribe. Perhaps, he deserves a slap on the wrist, but nothing more.

[reflectivepundit]

10:08 PM on 02/14/2008

Who to hell cares what Barbara Walters thinks or says? She, like so many other women in the media, help to perpetuate the deep traditional gender bias.
Read more,
http://www.reflectivepundit.com/reflectivepundit/2008/02/hillary-bashing.html

[truthyguy]

01:47 PM on 02/14/2008

You better not cross any Clinton if you know what's good for you.

[mari2JJ]

02:04 AM on 02/15/2008

Actually I have made complaints to Mrs. Clinton while she was in the White House, and even for her ideas on certain legislation. They were direct but respectful requests for her to look at another point of view. Her reasonable response came in her reply although I am a registered Republican and otld her so. But, in all my life, I have never known women to pile on like they did this time. Further any bloke who calls my kid (she's 52 btw) a pimp will catch a blistering comment from me. What is it about women who fail to understand why any decent woman would not call Shuster down and more particularly guys like Matthews and Carlson for their disgusting comments about women. But more than Shuater, Matthews and Carlson, I blame the network itself. If they did their job, every one of their personnel would know that those derogatory, hateful comments would not be allowed. No excuses, Barbara and no I will not settle down as long as one newsie can continue to badmouth women.

[newunderground]

07:16 AM on 02/15/2008

Bill's the pimp. What does that make Chelsea? Waa waa waa waa waaa. Hillary wants to be the leader of the free world, but davie schuster is being mean!

[expedito]

12:46 PM on 02/14/2008

Every time I see Barbara Walters, I remember she used to date Henry Kissinger during the height of his war-crime days - and apparently she used to have sex with him. Just think where that lisping mouth may have been! What a repulsive thought! This horrible old creature should not be allowed on TV!

[frozen01]

10:48 PM on 02/14/2008

Oh, PLEASE... you can't be serious.

You actually hate her because of who she DATED?

[ecoflame]

09:56 AM on 02/15/2008

"Birds of a feather......

[YRM]

12:28 PM on 02/14/2008

If you saw the entire episode of The View that day, Whoopi Goldberg pointed out that if someone had said "pimped out" in referring to either of Obama's daughters, they would probably have suffered worse consequences than Shuster. In addition, Barbara only read the first part of the Clinton memo. The second part elaborated on the pattern of abusiveness and disrespect towards women exercised by all MSNBC commentators, something that was being directed by their boss, Chuck Todd. This needed to stop, Clinton said. If these jerks can insult a former First Family and U.S. senator like this, what does that mean for the average woman? For more on the media lynch mob badgering Clinton, see the article I've posted about Karl Rove at thecityedition.com

[Candace8383]

08:42 AM on 02/14/2008

she should drop it like the media drops it when someone makes a mistake? even if they are wrong and no mistake was made by whoever they get their fangs into they then justify there original mistake by saying well people think ..people are saying etc when the reason "people are saying" is because the media got it wrong in the first place LOL ok Barb i get it lol could you please shut up?

[monique]

06:02 AM on 02/14/2008

No Barbara, it is about more than that one statement. MSNBC has been making mistakes.

The statement was disgusting. But David Schuster has been blatant about his love for Obama, as has Chris Matthews, and most of the pack at MSNBC.

They are influencing the Presidential race, and it is wrong.

[tkar]

11:29 AM on 02/14/2008

You're definitely correct..once all of this is over, historians will go back to see how the mainstream (mostly)cable-media has been out to destroy Hillary Clinton's campaign from the very beginning -I don't even think it would matter if it was Obama running against her or not; they & all the Hillary-haters set out to stop her from getting the Democratic nomination. What this is gonna result in, in the end is basically an ultra-Liberal/left-wing ticket for the Fall that is unelectable & unacceptable to mainstream America. I think Barack Hussein Obama's free ride ticket w/the media will eventually run out, that will probably come in the fall and that will be when the bottom drops out of this fanciful fantasy that the left wing of the Dem party has created -I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when their media-darling Obama takes his fall..!

[hemnebob]

02:42 PM on 02/14/2008

your comments are soo hostile.
when has the media not influenced the public?
come on, where have you two been hiding?
that is the fact of this society and the power they give the media, i mean, come on we are commenting on a television anchorman's poor choice of words. you sound more angry than interested in issues. i think you are wishing and hoping that things will drop out but there are only a few of you living in a negative space that you are creating. there will be a democrat in the whitehouse come january '09 and my hope is that it will be obama and i am not a hillary hater but rather an interested citizen wanting the best for this country not this party...come on, get your brains moving again and realize that you sound pretty shallow and angry.
study the issues, if you did you would see that hillary IS PART OF THE STATUS QUO THAT NEEDS TO BE DUMPED...and, it's time for that to happen.

[atlantaboy]

03:14 PM on 02/14/2008

Oh my....is this finally a voice of reason, here on the huff?

[Teddy12]

03:20 PM on 02/14/2008

Join the Hardball boycott. Contact his advertisers today. I received a reply back from Campbell Soup. They're taking this seriously!

[GenXLiberal]

02:10 AM on 02/14/2008

No, I think Barbara should have her daughter or son or any relative for that matter attacked over and over and over by the conservative media. Would she be so happy then? NO! She would be pissed as hell if Shuster made a comment like that. Walters has no clue what Hillary has gone through. Now, that I've said that, GO OBAMA!!!

[frozen01]

11:02 PM on 02/14/2008

Schuster was "attacking" Hillary and Bill, not Chelsea. And he's HARDLY "conservative media"!

[USMC1980]

09:32 PM on 02/13/2008

What a scum queen Walters is. She will sell out and back up anyone who is in the news buisness. I would love to see how Wlaters would react if somone said they were going to "Pimp out her or her daughter". Walters would throw a NY size hissy fit.

The only person who should "Drop" is Barbara...what a disgrace.

[rjean]

11:12 AM on 02/14/2008

what schuster said was true...that is exactly what the grifters are doing with chelsea...

i havent seen anyone get too upset when these same pmsnbc people say ugly nasty things about bush or his daughters...
not a peep....amazing isnt it.....hypocrisy knows no bounds.........

[frozen01]

11:05 PM on 02/14/2008

Very good point.
While I don't agree that working for your mom's campaign equals being "pimped out", it is true that MSBNC commentators have said far nastier things about the Bush twins and Bush himself (especially the latter). And conservative commentators have said WAY worse things!!!

[DietrichMoody]

08:37 PM on 02/13/2008

This is FAKE OUTRAGE. Remember when people were so angry when artist said something Against President Bush and the Iraq War, that some of artist contracts were canceled or some artist were thrown out of their concerts - rioting over dedicating songs, etc. This is the same, just the other way around, but regarding a word.

I mean he said the word "pimped out" what the hell. We've gone through a unreasonable war, soldiers are dying, and 9/11 in the last 7 years, and some are so self centered again, that you are becoming sensitive to this? WHAT ARROGANCE!!! and hypocrisy. Talk about going backwards. Yeah, call him out, and issue a letter of apology. BUT DROP IT....Where are your friggin priorities right now?.

Even the Brits don't go haywire when they say things about their QUEEN and her offspring. They've called them much worse. FAKE OUTRAGE. As far as I know, we are not in a Monarchy, YET

[alexa07]

04:37 PM on 02/13/2008

Barbara Walters didn't get it, nor did the other ladies who were making fun of Chelsea. (Whoopi was the only one who looked a little uncomfortable during their mockery of Chelsea's phone calls, although she appeared to be starting it. Probably was scripted?). There has been a buff job for Obama, and a hatchet job for Hillary on the part of most of the press. Another good example would be the 60 Minutes interviews last Sunday, soft on him, hard on her. Neither interview elicited much knowledge about their positions on the important issues. Katie Couric's hostile tone, numerous questions attempting to put Hillary on the spot also contrasted vividly with the friendly tone of the Obama interview.

My family voted for Edwards, thereby putting us in the situation of now trying to decide between Obama or Hillary. I would like to hear about the ISSUES, so I can make up my mind. (As far as I could discern, Edwards had the best position on the issues, but was all but ignored by the pundits.) All I am hearing from MSNBC, broadcast programs like 60 Min & The View are a bunch of junior high commentaries or unkind characterizations of the personalities which focus on nothing of substance, the Shuster & Matthews comments recently being other prime examples. The Clintons have been subjected to a far more hostile press than Obama, & Barbara Walters makes a very bad call to attempt to silence them!

[fearwig]

04:52 PM on 02/13/2008

"There has been a buff job for Obama, and a hatchet job for Hillary on the part of most of the press."

Funny how everyone who has a preference in any election will have this precise perception: that the media is against their candidate and in favor of one they prefer less.

[Clarabell]

11:17 PM on 02/13/2008

Oh really? What if the "perception" just happens to be true? And if you can't see it you are totally blind.

[melann830]

08:43 AM on 02/14/2008

You are on target! That said, all of you who espouse decency and want the media to be decent, please join me in BOYCOTTING ABC's THE VIEW. You can only make them feel that your opinion matters, by letting them know that you are tuning them out and turning them off. DO NOT buy products from their sponsors. DEMAND that Barbara Walters STEP DOWN from her position at ABC IMMEDIATELY with a formal APOLOGY to Sen. Clinton and her daughter. Please support this.

[rinpochet]

09:06 AM on 02/14/2008

Actually I've never watched The View but now I'll make sure I tune in - consistently! I will also buy every product reasonable that they advertise.

I've always admired Barbara Walters and agree that Hillary is over the top on this. The underlying motive is, don't critize the Clintons - EVER. First we had Chris Matthews apologizing over an accurate statement that the only reason Hillary is in the position of running is because she's married to Bill Clinton. He not only had to apologize but then seemed to do an 180-degree turn and overly praise her.

We also had KEITH OLBERMANN apologizing??!! WTF?! The Clinton's motive is to put down any criticism of the Clintons BEFORE it is made.

Like her support of the ban on free speech (flag burning) if she were president she'd be telling us what books we can read.

[ihavenobias]

04:31 PM on 02/13/2008

This is the smartest thing Barbara has said in long time.

I just WISH there was HALF this level of outrage for the things people like Michael Savage (to take the worst example) say on a daily basis that are 1 million times worse:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrbdxVsu0ow&eurl

[frozen01]

11:09 PM on 02/14/2008

Amen!