Shuster, McCain Flack Battle Over Palin, First Amendment

Here's a video of David Shuster battling with a McCain campaign flack named Ben Porritt over the fact that Sarah Palin doesn't understand the basics of the First Amendment. Porritt, who's showing up late in the game because the starters, having been routed, have all been pulled in favor of the bench, has little choice but to dodge and deflect the question, because Palin is horrible and everyone knows it.

Anyway, you can watch this at your leisure, but I'd suggest you view it with a bit of nostalgia in mind. You see, we've been bringing you these on air battles all year. Remember back in February, how Chris Matthews made Obama spokesman Kirk Watson look like a complete idiot? If you don't, you might remember Rick Sanchez, just last week, straight up PWNING McCain campaigner Michael Goldfarb. That's been the story of the past year; flacks and spokespersons coming on the teevee and frequently having their asses handed to them.

It's been enjoyable, but have some perspective: Watson will probably never appear on television outside of Texas ever again, and Goldfarb, prior to hooking up with the McCain campaign, lost many jobs to houseplants and particularly aggressive airborne diseases. In short: it hasn't been a fair fight. But after this week, the election year is over, and the cable news talking heads will have go back to speaking to competent people, instead of "strategists." That, and struggling to describe what's happening in car chases. So, enjoy these on-air battles while they last, because after Tuesday, they'll be over.

Also, I'm guessing that all this interest in Bill Ayers might diminish as well. We shall see.

Comments

[maidenofdforest]

I saw the entire MNSBC echange yesterday. Porritt evaded and dfelcted the nudging question of Palin's comprehension of the First Amendment because it was obvious the Gov. did not know what it meant and Porritt wanted to make us think we are idiots.

Game over. We expect Palin to be back in Alaska running her office and getting her name cleared on Troopergate. The future for her? Shucks, she has lots of options. SNL extra, Neimann Marcus model, Sports newscaster in Fox News, Hockey Mom coach for the Rednecks, Guidance Counselor for teenage beset with premature pregnancy. On the side, Ms. Palin can also relearn how to speak and write proper English (syntax and all), and start a career for the boob tube. I'm sure she'll be busy. And not to forget, she can learn Russian now and excite herself to meet Medvedev--or Sarkozy-if she isn't pranked again in the game.

I'd advise her to read Reader's Digest for the human factor and not be ashamed to buy Hello for good measure.

Ciao, Palin. Say sayonara to the Japanese since they are die hard fans of Obama so you know you're not welcome even in Kobe. And you never know, Aloha, too.

[smkyle1]

this campaign sure has been the best ever. I was wondering if Palin understood the meaning of the term "federalist"

I'm going to miss these gaffes:

http://www.laprogressive.com/2008/10/01/does-sarah-palin-understand-the-meaning-of-federalist/

[UWNBM]

Biden's and Obama's have been light years worse...

What's the limit on the tax cut again?

What's it down to now?

[Ethics101]

Yes, you're probably right "My fellow prisoners."

[Protoguy]

Every time they screw up, they blame the media.

It's old and tired and the only people who are buying it are the ones who already bought it.

Sadly, if they win, we'll all be paying for their impulse-buy

[flydoghead]

there are hours of fun ahead as we match the GOP pundit's predictions with the real outcomes.

This will be the gift that just keeps giving.

Gotta love the YouTube

[flydoghead]

If this campaign went on for another month there would not be a GOP spokes person left standing.

They are all just emploding.....

Jeez it's fun to watch !

[Gyrogeerloose]

Yeah, no doubt. But I don't think I could take another month of campaigning myself. I'm thankful that there's only another 48 hours to (I hope) an Obama victory.

[Beca]

Priceless! Sarah Palin is probably the stupidest least informed candidate to ever run for national office. The bad part of this is that she has given intelligent women a really bad name, she has exarcerbated the sexist views of many people, particularly conservatives who believe women are too stupid to do jobs "men traditionally do" like holding national office. We have misogynist John McCain for that! It has been made abundantly clear that John McCain picked her because she got him excited--in the pants! Like many creepy old men, his excitement in his pants clouded his judgment and caused him to beleive that she was intelligent and "smart"--when he heard her speak he really didn't hear how stupid she sounded, all he heard was "she's pretty! she must be smart!"
I can't wait until she is back in Alaska, where she will have to face the music of her many instances of abuse of power.

[PansyRose]

Did not the McCain camp ban Maureen Dowd and another reporter from their campaign bus? As usual, it is OK if a Republican does something but not Ok if a Democrat does the same thing. Hypocrisy is the
Republican motto!!!!!

[lykitis]

Yes...and it might have even been a plane she was dumped from, can't remember the transit mode but it was definitely her.

[hyla9]

I am flabbergasted by Palin’s assertion that the media, by calling her campaign negative (calling it as they see it) is somehow violating her 1st Amendment Rights. This is beyond belief! I cannot imagine any other statement that is such a damning indictment, illustrating how ignorant Palin is regarding the role of journalists and the media in a democracy, of what 'Free Speech' means, of what the First Amendment guarantees... and what democracy is all about.

Speaking of journalism... Didn’t she get a degree in journalism? What was her Grade Point average? Although it’s protected under the Privacy Act, if it could somehow be discovered... along with interviews with some of her journalism professors, to get their take on their 'brilliant' student.

We’re not talking about esoteric fine points that only Constitutional Scholars are aware of re: First Amendment Rights. No, we’re talking about the very precepts and underpinnings of democracy.

Most of us here are not politicians, we haven't studied constitutional law, we’re not running for office. Yet, we seem to all be far more aware than Palin of the intent of the 1st Constitution???!!! Call me naive, but I would have expected someone running for position of Presidential Running Mate... heck, even someone running for ‘lowly’ position of Senator... to have a DEEPER understanding and appreciation of the Constitution and 1st Amendment than most of us.

Palin's take on the 1st Amendment, free speech, and the role of the media in a democracy is shockingly, embarrassingly naive.

[sleek]

Palin has never read the US Constitution.

Also, there is no proof that she actually has a degree in Journalism.

Also, she has never released her Medical Records - as she promised.

PALIN IS A FRAUD.

[Pacojam]

Palin obviously not read the constitution, but from her phone conversation with Nickolas Sarkosi, it is clear that she has seen the movie "Nailin' Palin".

[SOLERSO68]

Look at that picture!!! LOL . I think schuster is (justly) PO'd that they keep sending over the 3rd 4th & 5th,runners up in the central Virginia, Freedom challenge, high school debating tounament to be "interviewed" by him. He SHOULD be cheesed off. He's worked hard, he has his own show, its an insult.

[AlexeiJ]

For all the Obama supporters feeling anxious right about now, here's a little something to relieve the anxiety:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yf19H_sHMro&fmt=6

[SistaV]

Thanks so much AlexeiJ, I needed that......maybe I can go to sleep now :)

[BobSacomano]

I can't wait until Tuesday when McCain, Palin, Sam the non-Plumber, Lieberman, Rove, Schmidt, and FOX get their collective a**es handed to them!!

[KOisGod]

Sarah Palin, the human moro n machine.

[beantowner]

I almost feel bad for these people, having to constantly try to defend the ridiculously unqualified and indefensible Sarah Palin. Almost.

Thankfully, for them and for us, they'll all be put out of their misery in a couple of days. Whew!

What a long strange trip it's been...

[KOisGod]

48 hours, and counting every second..... Until we are rid of these spokesliars and conmen.

[yogajan]

This interview is representative of why Obama is going to win. McCain has a very poor campaign, has surrounded himself with clueless people and has no intelligent answers to simple questions. An Obama administration will be focused and intelligent, we can already see that in how his campaign was run.

Pallin is fallin and is pulling the entire McCain campaign with her. No sympathy here--I vetted my cleaning lady better than McCain did for V-P.