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

[isi]

Why haven't we heard Edwards and his team deny that they leaked the fact that Edwards has reservations about Obama? I would guess because they did leak it.

[Pepper14]

Edwards is a three time loser and why the media or anyone gives him all this attention is beyond me. It will not make any difference who he backs because he waited to long and Obama is winning just fine without Edwards. I think Edwards should look in the mirror before he degrades someone.

[dsbsh]

Before he "degrades someone?" Now we're calling people losers because they don't support your candidate 100%? Edwards is a citizen and has some influence. Why isn't he entitled to have reservations? I supported Edwards before he dropped out, and I'm supporting Obama now. But not because he's perfect.

[Bulbul]

There is a big difference here, Halprein is talking about a Candidate who is running for Presidency, Shuster was saying derogatory word against a volunteer, who is the daughter of the Candidate, running for the same positoin.


Get it Huffy !

[dawlishgal]

And yet, Hillary Clinton claims to be a friend and admirer of the man who told the following joke before some kind of creepy gathering:

"Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno."

I guess what it boils down to is that apparently it is just fine when the politically powerful savage your child, but if some relatively powerless guy says something offensive (but less offensive than
what McCain said) you try to get him fired.

Where I come from this is called two things: hypocrisy and bullying.

[dawlishgal]

BTW, not only did McCain savage Chelsea, but in this disgusting joke he also slyly accuses Reno AND Hillary of being lesbians. And that, apparently, is OK with her.

The question is why did Hillary give McCain a pass and now she is going for Schuster's jugular? Could this be yet another politicall­y-motivate­d Clintonian tempest in a teapot?

[Roose]

Everyone knows Halperin is a Clinton stooge. Fire him.




BRING BACK DAVID SHUSTER!

[riverhorse]

edwards refers to obama as a pussy and you blame it on clinton.

now that's a typical irresponsible pussy comment.

[dsbsh]

Almost as irresponsible as asserting "edwards refers to obama as a pussy," based on what Halperin said.

[englishprof]

Oh, really? I wouldn't know whether Edwards has that opinion of Obama, so I don't want to get abusive. I do know, however, that Edwards voted to enable the Iraq invasion and Obama didn't. Let's leave it at that.

[scandals&skeletons]

if i was barak when i meet with edwards i would ask him if he called me a pussy.
if edwards says yes, i would cold cock him to change his opinion.

[JohnKemp]

Damn, Edwards finally got something right.

[TLV]

Damn!

But since he didn't even say that, I guess you know you're wrong.

Not again!?

Yep.

[isi]

The quote is "he thinks Obama is kind of a p***y" Halperin didn't say I believe he thinks that, he said he thinks that. So, why get upset with Halperin for reporting his conversation. If Edwards thinks that I want to know. It gives me information about Edwards' character.

[IkeChicago]

The numbers speech

http://rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/general_election_match_up_history

[deuxcentimes]

A lot depends on what the meaning of ‘pussy” is. Although Barack has noticeable effeminate mannerisms, I suspect that the “pussy” reference relates to the way his gestures seem to indicate that his feelings get hurt when people disagree with him. It could also be a reflection of Michelle’s comments about how she tells him what to do.

He probably shouldn’t have said that he would be the baddest candidate on the block and identify so strongly with Omar (the gay Robin Hood) from “The Wire.

When he does things like that, he just reminds people of the Pussy-in-Chief who stuffed his flight suit.

The similarities that Obama has with Bush should be downplayed, not flaunted. To name a few:

1. both used drugs as young men
2. both had a chip on their shoulder and a poor relationship with their father
3. both found Jesus at an advanced age
4. both talk tough (I’m “the baddest,” and “bring it on.”
5. both have problems with pronunciation (“nook-u-l­ar”(Bush), Massa-two-sits (Obama)
6. both could learn English better since they are Ivy League school graduates. “Is our children learning?” (Bush), “between you and I…” (Obama)

McCain is an authentic, tough guy. The problem is that he doesn’t have Obama’s intelligence and, in my opinion, the correct political philosophy.

Obama should draw a contrast between their intellectual abilities and programs. If he tries to out-tough McCain, he will lose. Riding a bicycle or playing pick-up basketball doesn’t make you a tough guy. Surviving five years of horrible beatings and being able to readjust is proof that McCain is far tougher than most.

We currently have a tough-talking dunce in the Whitehouse. Wouldn’t it be nice to have an intelligent, reasonable person leading the country?

[FOTH]

I can't tell if you are suggesting that McCain is an intelligent, reasonable person or Mr. Tough Guy?

McCain just voted against a torture ban. I find that neither intelligent or reasonable.

I'm admirable of John McCain's service. He is obviously a courageous men. I know many courageous men. None of them I know would I want to be president.

Mr. McCain is not owed the presidency, he needs to win it on his merits and abilities. I do not see him as a leader of this country. I see him as someone who has morphed his principles to achieve an objective. Something he castigated Mitt Romney for over and over.

[dawlishgal]

Bill Clinton used drugs too, but he didn't inhale. Yeah, right.

[Nezua]

mccain is an unstable freak. did you see him on the daily show? seriously. talking about kicking dogs and putting a bomb under jon's desk? i'm just saying. the man is crazed.

http://www.theunapologeticmexican.org/elgrito/2007/04/the_barely_concealed_and_uncongealed_rage_of_mccai.html

[Groobiecat]

effiminate, mmm, I don't see it. Reasonable. Statesman-like, yes. We're soooo used to seeing tough guy b.s. and chest pounding, that anyone who doesn't do this is brandly--i­ncorrectly­.

As for command of English "between you and I" is a nit that almost everyone in this country does. Barack is incredibly articulate, and I'm sure he, a former Harvard Law Review editor, knows the difference.

As for similiarites with Bush, those are all pretty superficial one-off instances; you could draw the same conclusion between Bush and just about anybody who has ever run for public office. As for religion, if I were a betting man, I'd lay money that Michelle had a lot to do with that (not that it's any of anyone's business, because it ain't).

[WomanInOrangeSweater]

Edwards didn't call Obama a pussy. But it seems a lot of Obama supporters have declared a pre-emptive war on Edwards without reading (or comprehending) the report. Yeah, I feel the hope in the air.

[isi]

How do you know that?

[WomanInOrangeSweater]

I have no idea what Edwards says in his personal life. But there's no evidence Edwards said any such thing. It's third hand information from an unreliable source. Edwards has been quite forthcoming about his concerns about both Obama and Hillary and nowhere have I heard the word "pussy".
But I understand the rush to judgement. It's so much easier to hate than think.

[BrooklynLager]

Yeah, I don't see that either. I see a lot of people trash-talking Edwards, but I had assumed they were Clinton supporters.

[WomanInOrangeSweater]

That's funny.
I figured the Clinton supporters kinda like Edwards this week because of the other prevailing non-story this week about Edwards "mulling" a Clinton endorsement.
It's a momentum thing.

[SteveRoach]

Barack on the phone with Michele right now. Michele is going to rip Halperin a new one.

[Seafarer61]

Probably will end up being POST OF THE DAY.

"Go get him honey!"

[glitzqueen]

Um, Guys -- hey, wake up! This is the same Mark Halperin who endorsed the radical right's myth of a "liberal" media ascendancy and co-authored a book that's a love note to Karl Rove!

I, for one, don't trust him as far as I could throw him. This is simply a way to tar both Obama and Edwards with one brush -- and look at his "apology," still putting words in Edwards' mouth!

[gun]

So this is how they will come at him?

So it needs to be smacked down by Obama's toughness in action. Reagan, the old draft dodger, could have faked some response.

*number one: 99% of journalists are wimps -- I am one and there's nothing more pathetic than seeing them together acting tough -- just a bunch of English majors who've been next to worthless for how long?

(Exceptions would be HST and Molly and Moore and a handfull of others.)

* number two: anybody who saw edwards debate cheney knows he's a pretty boy wimp

* number three: Uh, Obama's daddy was a big Kenyan who spoke swahili and whose ancestors hunted lions with spears,

--as opposed to sick white men driving around hunting cause they're too fat to walk and then shooting their friends in the face

* number four: Obama actually got several athletic letters, did edwards or halperin or Hillary ever do anything physical?

* number five: Who came from the bottom to kick Edward's ass out of the race and is doing the same to the reigning pussy? -- And she's a pussy who isn't a pussy.

(btw, if Obama is a pussy who put Edwards out of business, what's that make Edwards? a bitter DOUBLE PUSSY?

As a former supporter of his, I'm so relieved two campaigns have revealed his bitchy DIVA NESS. And if this isn't true, he should denounce the statement immediately.

you know, this is such a bullshit firestorm you have to wonder if behind the smoke is Karl Rove -- or just a bunch of evil Karl Rove babies

or is it driven by that journalistic need to start fights and fill space with them now that the nomination process is about over five months before the conventions?

Was it Time who had a famous is Bush a Wimp? cover?

boy, this pisses me off -- think I'll work it off by sending some money to Obama...

reparations for my disgusting colleagues who always astound me with their ability to sink ever lower.

[hank48188]

Obama is weak and is a pussy, He doesn't have the balls for tough votes, that is why he skips them, votes "Present" or even claims to have hit the wrong button 6 TIMES! He is just Jimmy Carter with darker skin, that if elected will bring 4 years of indecision and malaise. Obama is being promoted by the very same people that that took that unknown peanut farmer and put him in the White House and we all saw the result. This is not American Idol, the person selected to be the DECIDER has to be tough and knowledgeable and Obama is 0 for 2 on these qualities. I'm sure most of the posters at this site have no recollection of the Carter disaster. After 2 years of malaise came the Iranian Hostage situation, where Carter and Ziggy Brzezinski showed the countries in the middle-east that kicking sand in the face of America will not bring retribution. The problem we have with Iran now is the result of a very weak Jimmy Carter/Brzezinski sitting on their hands until the clock ran out and a angry American public removed them from power. Now Ziggy Brzezinski bring back his team of the ultra-rich eastern liberals like George Soros and David Rockerfeller with their wealth, power and the ability to make things happen to promote another unprepared weakling to put in the White House and under their control.

[Seafarer61]

I remember Carter. Ashamed to call him a fellow naval officer. WORST PRESIDENT EVER....right up until year 2000.

Great American post-Presidency however. I'll give him his due.

[dawlishgal]

"Four years of indecision and malaise" in contrast to what? Eight years of constant investigations and an impeachment? And votes in favor of a war of choice, a war justified with lies, a war against a country that had done nothing to us, all because one is afraid of being called "a pussy." A half-million dead Iraqi civilians, 4,000 dead in our military, 30,000 (at least) injured, and for what? So Senators wouldn't be described as "pussies."

I remember Jimmy Carter very well, especially the way that he was mainly concerned with keeping the hostages in Iran ALIVE. I also remember how Reagan cut a deal with their captors to not release them until after he, Reagan, was inaugurated. Nevermind that the hostages had to stay in captivity longer in order to get Reagan elected and to give him a chance to crow.

[wmdrpa]

Obama refused to participate in the grandstanding that was the moveon resolution. Check out his own words on that travesty. Tell me which votes he should not have missed and compare his voting record to Clinton. I have yet to find a specific critique of which issues he ducked that Clinton championed. Don't feed me more talking points, show me some substance to your argument.

But if you're a die-hard Clinton supporter, does it bother you that just this week, Clinton didn't show up for the FISA vote? Glass houses...

[December7]

Was that the reason Obama beat him in Iowa, and NH and NV and SC?

Obama is a constitutional law professor, and a civil rights lawyer not an angry ambulance chaser. Strength? we need more Light in Washington not heat.

[RobtBrock]

Obama is a constitutional law professor...like Bill Clinton. Birds of a feather.

[ChristianEcon.com]

John Edwards was the best hope for working Americans and their families, regardless of who parrots right-wing moronisms like "ambulance chaser."

With Edwards out, I now support Obama.

[dawlishgal]

Me too, but I wish Edwards wouldn't endorse anybody. There is no reason for him to behave in a way that would drive the polarization that is already happening.

If he proposes a deal for himself with one or the other or both of the remaining candidate, and endorses the one that offers him the most, I will not be surprised, But it will diminish the respect I have for him.

[ilcapo]

Edwards has questions about Obama as a candidate in the general election?That bum Edwards was a weak running mate when he ran with Kerry,he couldn t even deliver his home state...OBAMA 08

[gba]

Kerry denied Edwards to campaign in the South. But how is this relevant to Halperin lying about Edwards and Obama

[CatfishAndGrits]

Exactly, and then Halperin gives one of those Bush like apologies -- "...to the extent something was done wrong, I take responsibility...". But Halperin is not conveying what Edwards said. Halperin is LYING. There is NO PROOF Edwards even intimated what Halperin insinuated. Obama supporters, and I'm one of them, stop being so gullible. The MSM doesn't like the fact that the Democratic race is being ran without their input so they are stirring the pot. The MSM narrative about Hillary is wrong, and the narrative about Obama is wrong. And the sooner Hillary supporters, and Obama supporters, realize that the more likely you are to drive past the chalk outline of dead media.

[hank48188]

Keery was the stiff in that election, that moron showed up on the boat touting his military skills, but I guess he thought everyone had forgotten about his anti-war protests. Wow, he just didn't see that coming and lost the election on that swiftboat he thought would carry him to victory.

[dawlishgal]

Can't you at least wait to see what Edwards is going to do before you start to slime him? Certainly, if Edwards is reading this blog, comments like yours would encourage him to endorse Clinton.

Don't make me ashamed of my decision to support Obama!

[dsbsh]

"Can't you at least wait to see what Edwards is going to do before you start to slime him?"

I'm going to pass on the same advice a friend of mine keeps giving me: You're too much of an optimist. Look-- Obama, his policies and his message of hope resonate with people across the spectrum. Some of them are stupid, and some of them are crazy. Given that Edwards is out, and given the alternatives, we have to accept that fact and move on.

[Americanabroad]

Other people have said this, but since so many people seem to be making the same mistake, it's worth repeating.

John Edwards did not call Obama a pussy. Halperin expressed the opinion that he believes that is what Edwards thinks of Obama.

If you are upset about the comment, direct your anger at Halperin, not Edwards.

[WomanInOrangeSweater]

I'm sure these people will find their better selves any minute now and they'll disband their little verbal lynching of Edwards so they can actually contribute to ending politics as usual instead of just talking about it. Well, I hope so, anyways.

[dsbsh]

Don't hold your breath; you'll die.

[Lescoeurs]

Halperin is a despicable Neoncon hack. Everyone knows he is a watercarrier for the Right. What is troubling is that he and others(like Kristol) work for so-called credible publications like Time and the New York Times. The state of journalism is shameful as a result.

[hank48188]

I've seen nothing more shameful than MSNBC, the Obama cheerleader network, I think they need more prison shows and a lot less Chris Matthews sounding like a 10 year old kid.