Time's Halperin Apologizes For Saying Edwards "Thinks Obama Is Kind Of A Pussy"

Fishbowl DC reported this morning that Time's Mark Halperin "has a filthy, dirty mouth," quoting from his interview yesterday with Sirius Radio's Bill Geddie:

BILL GEDDIE: Haven't we heard all along that [John Edwards] doesn't like [Hillary Clinton], haven't we heard this?

MARK HALPERIN: Yes, that's right. And I can tell you, he's really skeptical of her ability to be the kind of president he wants. But, he kinda thinks Obama is..he thinks Obama is kind of a pussy.He has real questions about Obama's toughness, his readiness for the office.he has real doubts about Obama, not just as a president, but as a general election candidate.

This afternoon, Halperin issued a very vague apology on Time.com's The Page:

I'm sorry. In a live radio interview this week, I used a word I shouldn't have. The fact that I was conveying other people's words is no excuse for my lapse in judgment. It won't happen again. -- Mark Halperin

Comments

[longislandlol]

09:28 PM on 02/17/2008

O.K. - expect an endorsement from Edwards before Ohio/Texas

[enoughalready]

01:34 PM on 02/17/2008

Absolutely nothing and I mean NOTHING will get the GOP to the polls as Hillary being the Dem candidate.

Hill and McCain vote the same most of the time. The debates between these two will be laughable.

Obama has the issues to attack McCain - primarily the war and his flip-flopping on torture. McCain can't be trusted for his straight talk has turned into the GOP line proving he will do anything to be president.

Obama is proving he draws moderate Republicans to the primaries. Hillary will drive them directly to McCain.

Obama 2008

[c.w.]

01:05 PM on 02/17/2008

"Lightweight" is the polite term. Halperin and Edwards are right, by the way. Obama, like Clinton, has embraced the "centrist" politics that any Democrat needs to win the White House. But unlike Clinton, Obama combines this centrism with an aversion for conflict, and a clear preference for compromise for the sake of compromise. No wonder Obama doesn't support genuine universal health care - that would involve going head-to-head with the drug companies and insurance companies.

[LARiverWater]

02:06 AM on 02/17/2008

President Bush has come out in support of the Clintons. Saying "I don"t think Bill is a racist", (talk about triangulation), and that "Obama has no experience". WAKE UP PEOPLE! The Repubs want the Clintons to get the nomination. It"s now CRYSTAL CLEAR! It"s obvious and shame on us if we can"t see them for what they are. Just because we"re paranoid of them, doesn"t mean they"re not manipulating us. The radio news reports (AP news) of the election is playing only Hillary sound bites, listen carefully. The Right control most of the Radio networks. It"s starting to NOT go their way, and their only hope of winning is to run against the Clintons. Don"t be stupid & fooled by Coulter, Limbaugh and the rest. They"re actually saying they"ll campaign for her. They know she"s their only shot. I like her too (inspite of all the scandals), but no one will admit they"re really voting for Bill. She feels like the safe bet, like when you're playing not to lose. But energizing the right and dividing us into red & blue is exactly what will happen & what the Right wants. What we need is courage to change it all (she"ll be a part of it, but not front and center), to diffuse any power they have left. It will then be between new and really old, real change and another Bush term. That we can win on. Even Ann Coulter knows it..

[teahead]

12:17 AM on 02/17/2008

Edwards is the REAL pussy!

Only changed his stance on the Iraq War once polls dropped for support in 2006.

[billslater]

09:11 PM on 02/16/2008

What a week it's been for famous people publicly using vulgar words. I think Mark Halperin and Jane Fonda should go hang out and just let all their favorite words fly. Better yet, they should make a comedy album or podcast, or write a short play and star in it. Maybe they could call it, the Halperin-Fonda Monologues.

[treadway123]

07:19 PM on 02/16/2008

This is just a writter who wants to cause trouble in the Obama camp,and your letting them do it. Wise up, the man could simply be telling stories out of school, as we use to say. This isn't anything to argue about. Why is it even posted? It's simply nonsense.

[longislandlol]

02:42 PM on 02/16/2008

Oh loose lipped journalists -- they too love MCain who is apt to call them jerks once in a while..

[StyleSwag]

01:38 PM on 02/16/2008

Oh snap! What a bunch of potty mouths! Where's that bar of soap? I'm not sure if everyone is having lapses in judgement or are they sending their messages and then they just say "I sowwy."

http://www.styleswag.com

[JayeSutter]

12:54 AM on 02/16/2008

"Pussy" isn't sexist. After all, didn't Bush's Daddy use it to discuss how he kicked Dan Rather's ass on the CBS Evening News. Made the old man feel macho to call Leslie Stahl a "pussy."

Can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.

[teahead]

12:17 AM on 02/17/2008

Neither is "pimp"!

[seattleblogger]

01:36 AM on 02/17/2008

I don't think anyone said it was sexist, just inappropriate. Can't you all just grow up.

[ellezeebub]

11:23 AM on 02/15/2008

Halperin knows better. He just figured he could get away with it.

[mediamarv]

01:39 PM on 02/15/2008

So, HuffPo interns, pussy is ok but cunt is not?? Both in the dictionary, have same meaning.... what are you afraid of, Homeland Security????

[joelaf]

08:07 AM on 02/15/2008

New Rule, New Rule. If ANYONE accuses someone ( by using their own words or the "words of other") to say/state/imply (See Mean Jean Schmidt of Ohio) of being a coward, p+ssy, etc, the offended party has every right to prove they are not a coward by punching said accuser in the face ( yes, even flag dress wearing, stiff backed Congresswomen) with no repercussions.

[joelaf]

08:06 AM on 02/15/2008

New Rule, New Rule. If ANYONE accuses someone ( by using their own words or the "words of other") to say/state/imply (See Mean Jean Schmidt of Ohio) of being a coward, p+ssy, etc, the offended party has every right to prove they are not a coward by punching said accuser in the face ( yes, even flag dress wearing, stiff backed Congresswomen) with no repercussions.

[johnnyjust]

12:58 AM on 02/15/2008

Yes, we must raise the level of discourse. Edwards calling Obama a pussy, for gosh sakes.

That's like the bush calling the snatch "cunt."

[SouthernYankeeBelle]

09:04 AM on 02/15/2008

The republicans say he is a hero. Now that is funny. He is a former drunk, former druggie and he stold the election in 2000. I don't think the pussy is Obama. I think it is Bush. Because he is trying to win daddy bush's approval. He might have won his approval but he lost the american peoples approval.

[Didi47]

01:43 PM on 02/15/2008

SouthernBelle: read the article written about Obama in 2006 - in its entirety please: He's a pussy.

http://www.harpers.org/archive/2006/11/0081275

[DonRoberto]

10:56 PM on 02/14/2008

Halperin would make a great Republican. He manages to slime Clinton, Obama, and Edwards --- all three of them --- in the space of a single verbal paragraph. Karl Rove himself would be proud.
So what's Halperin up to? Is he angling for an anchor job at Fox News, or just trying to get Ann Coulter to notice him?

[SouthernYankeeBelle]

09:05 AM on 02/15/2008

He is a republican.