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

[agedefying]

Don't discount Barack's androgyny. It drives the groupies wild.

[pithymaxim]

Don't discount Hillary's androgyny, either.

[sdmike]

I am going to take a minority position and suggest this may be a subterfuge for Mr. Halperin.

My take is his comment was his sneaky way of leveling a backhanded compliment at Obama while having the intended consequence of suggesting that Hillary might be the stronger candidate.

Halperin and Newsweek's Howard Fineman have repeatedly chided the media for its constant criticism of Clinton while giving a relative free pass to Obama.

[SouthernYankeeBelle]

Don't you believe it. Halperin is a republican and they want Hillary to win. She is the only one that can unite their party. They HATE her with a passion.

[Didi47]

Oh my oh my: What's happening SouthernyankeeBelle: Afraid the hound dogs are going to give Obama a taste of what Hillary's been through and see how he handles it??

Oh Oh, look out, the truth is coming back to bite someone in the ass.

[Camarosc35]

Lol, Freudian slip or a case of your first instincts are best.

[fourex]

Well said, ajax2.
"Mark Halperin is just another disgusting puke in the MSM cesspool. Mr. Halperin uses that familiar dodge of a bully/coward with 'I didn't say it', I'm just repeating it."

Favorite right wing tool is to introduce a slander under someone else's name,
Halperin sucks, that's from me directly.

[EdRoberts]

OMG, how in the world could our other female candidate - John Edwards - get away with calling anyone a "pussy."

[champions1]

ahhh yes..Ed Roberts..i bet you wish you were a pussy...

[EdRoberts]

One is what one eats...

[Tsunami]

Obviously there ARE three female candidates. Not that it matters, but two of them claim to have dicks. One of the dicks is good at making speeches--or so the Big Media Against Clinton keeps telling us. The other one claiming to have a dick can also THINK. And he recognizes Obama as an empty suit--a weakling; all talk and no action! "Pussy" has nothing to do with it.

[catilinus]

I thought it was 3 men running: Barack, John, & Bill...

[pithymaxim]

Edwards is still reeling over being called a faggot. Probably projecting that helplessness onto Obama, but he ought to understand, having been the recipient, how this can be damaging. Maybe that's why he did it. A latent Southern racist's method of attempting to emasculate Obama. Edwards will align with Hillary. This is all a build up to that.

[seattleblogger]

You're an f***in idiot!

[azram]

DO NOT EVEN THINK TO ANALYZE, CRITICIZE, OR EVEN QUESTION THE GREAT AND ALL KNOWING OBAMA!!!FOR IF YOU DO HIS ARMY OF MINIONS WILL CRUSH YOU!!!

[eljodio]

I watch Halperin on Charlie Rose all the time, and the first time I saw him he struck me as slime.

[truthyguy]

The question really is on what does Halperin base his comment.
In other words, is it accurate?
You remember the good old days when reporters were supposed to have substantiation for what they said or attributed to others?

[finally]

agreed... is this coming from Halperin (poor form as well as poor judgement) or is it coming from Mr. I-Feel-Pretty himself?

[Didi47]

The problem is most reporters today are under the mistaken illusion that we want THEIR personal spin; instead of the facts. Been watching the change in demeanor of CNN's 'favored pundits' lately? I mean it couldn't be more distasteful if they designed it that way. Yech.

[SunCa]

The ObamaBots have turned on Edwards now because he actually dared to be critical of the Supreme Being. Do you people believe in anything except hate? That's why you turn off all the other voters. You are so vicious and dumb that even if Obama wins the nomination he could lose the General Election in the fall because no one wants to be associated with voting for the nominee that you morons support.

[dantheman]

Says the idiot who either supported one loser, or is supporting the other loser...

[SlimChance]

Hey, we don't hate everyone. Just you, pleeezzze.

[SeekerOne]

Let's hold a mirror up to SunCa's post so he can get a good look at "vicious and dumb."

[kennedy]

That word was used about her kid, not her. If Hillary had not defended her kid you would have called her every name in the book. So please.

Even though Hillary has been lied about every way possible, she still picks herself up and continues to fight on. Obama will cry when he hears what his BFF thinks of him. Maybe Obama will come and cry on your shoulder.

[kilowatt]

After the past six years, I think pussy is an appropriate term for all democrats in Congress… they should have impeached Bush years ago.

[larmarch5]

Stop the misogynistic language. Are you so lame you can't come up with appropriate terms that do not degrade women? This isn't about what anyone said about Edwards or Obama. It's about the consistant "keeping women in their place." I think it's "wimpy" not to have taken on Bushco, but I think they remember what happend to Newt and a whole host of Repugs when they went after Clinton.

[catilinus]

"misogynistic language." Hah, it's always the same 40 people from hillis44 that over and over use degrading sexual imagery and have caused more harm than help to the Clinton machine.

[hemnebob]

aside from the terminology...
you are right...they should of impeached the pussies years ago...
ooopss...
sorry about the feline comment.

impeachbush and dickless cheney!!!

[winkwink]

Pot, meet kettle. Isn't John Edwards the same guy who had to leave his wife's side while she was being treated for her recurrence of cancer, because blood makes him squeamish?????

[AmericanReflections]

Excuse me. "Blood makes him squeamish?" Where did you get the stupid idea that Elizabeth Edwards is bleeding? She has cancer, not a nosebleed.

Blood makes a lot of people squeamish (myself included), there's nothing unusual about that. Before you presume to judge, maybe you should wait until he tells his cancer-stricken wife that he's going to divorce her. Oh, wait...Edwards if a Democrat. It's Republicans who do things like that.

[winkwink]

I got it from the front page of the New York Times...last year. Take a look http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/us/politics/25edwards.html?sq=john%20edwards%20squeamish&st=nyt&adxnnl=1&scp=1&adxnnlx=1203095497-YQFICL4q0MCnGPMyoeoVsA. I was wrong about the blood, it's that IV thing that scares him. Here's lookin' at you, AmericanReflections.

[speakeasy]

Let me get his straight, a good many of you are throwing Edwards under the bus for what a rethug writer said??? The fact that you even take what the media says at all shows that you have learned nothing over the last few years...

This is typical Rove tactics 101, get the competition fighting amongst themselves and use that to make your guy look better. This is a non-story, laugh it off like it was a Fox news story.

[passport]

I sent Edwards money, Can I get a refund? talk about pussy... Oh I cant make up my mind ... Oh who to endorse.... should I do it now ....oh me.. oh my....lets have a meeting.... Hillary brought flowers and Obama only brought candy.
Maybe I should wait until... NO ONE GIVES A SHIT

[indc]

You said it, he is so coquettish and coy and apparently wants his ass kissed... I don't think so.

[imnotstopping]

I guess it takes somebody who had a $400 haircut to know who to call a pussy.

[naturesway]

people who parrot lame rush limpball lines are asses. Get some new material. I think Rush the druggie might be on now.