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

[octo]

He's a brave man to defend Sarah Palin.

I'm sure he's well paid for his ability to speak bovine excrement.

[JLee]

Now that's journalism­--checking facts, sticking to the question, and insisting the interviewee answer, instead of rolling over for regurgitated talking points. Notwithstanding his enormous brain f*rt during the primaries (for which he was duly and deservedly punished) I'd say David's got a pretty good career ahead of him.

[msbovary]

The First Amendment is there to protect us from the fate of political commentators such as John Stubbs, a pamphleteer during the reign of Elizabeth the I. Fearing Elizabeth's marriage to the French Duke of Anjou he published his objections in a booklet titled "The Discoverie of a Gaping Gulf whereinto England is like to be Swallowed by another French Marriage."

Elizabeth was upset, but gave up her idea of putting him to death for this and instead had his right hand cut off and sent him off to prison for 18 months.

We came from a society where people were having their limbs amputated or worse for expressing their thoughts.

The First Amendment was not meant to protect anyone from criticism or to prohibit a challenge to defend the integrity of anyone's claim.

Palin's comments not only reflect her ignorance of the constitution, they indicate her ignorance of history and the sort of courage people once had to stand up for their ideas and the lengths they were willing to go to properly defend them.

[ElBruce]

"I think you're wrong in kinda the premise of your question." i.e. - WTF? It's like sounding like you're disagreeing with someone without exactly sounding like you're disagreeing with them.

The premise of the question asked is that what she said (verbatim in the recording) is contrafactual to the text of the first amendment of the U.S. constitution. Does he think that what she said is consistent with the first amendment? Is he willing to back that up? Who knows?

Good lord, it's like they're marching cannon fodder up against the front lines. Eventually they've got to run out of disposable flacks before the 4th.

[HRhuffinstuff]

"Yeah, you know what- she messed up because I think she only has a rudimentary grasp on our government and she's not ready to lead. Oops"

I don't think there's anyway to rearrange/spin that concept and get away with it. Better off to dodge the question or lie...

[Philly Gadfly]

She understands the first amendment, all evidence to the contrary?

[christianmama4change]

uuugh! that gotcha media!
obama/biden 24 hours from now!!!

[boogiewoman]

Keep up the great interviews David. You have proven to be doing a great job for MSNBC. Love your show at 4 0'clock.

[zenaby56]

Thank you David Shuster for asking again and again to have this guy answer your questions. I have been so frustrated watching people come on the news shows and not answer the questions but use it as a source for their own direct agendas. It is disrepectful of the the American people. I sit there and listen to see what kind of answers they will give and them realize, I've got noting. I have been especially frustrated with the media for letting many people just move on by with that kind of response. In the last couple of days, it seems like there,s been a movement toward not allowing it anymore. One huge example that I think is so disrespectful to the American people is Sarah Palin saying at the beginning of the debate that he might not answer the questions. That is not debating!!

I love this part, "I'll play it again for you if you like." Sarah Palin is so out of her league. She does a good speech to rally the Republican base and that's about it. The basics of the Constitution that most everyone learns in school seem to escape her.

[afgail]

If more reporters held surrogates accountable they would have to start telling the truth or find some other line of work. Maybe with the election of Obama will come the age of reason. Certainly the age of belief has been disasterous.

[makrom]

Actually, I think Schuster was terrible here. He let him cut it off with "we're playing a gotcha game here" which is a common tactic of McCain/Palin. He should have asked Ben for the evidence or proof that she does understand the Constitution or the First Ammendment when she is on record of having no idea of such.

[darthdarcy]

The Republican party along with the Federalist Society and Bush Administration has waged open warfare upon the Bill of Rights for the last 8 years, now they try and claim their 1st Amendment rights are being denied...

The Constitution guarantees your right to free speech, not immunity from criticism of it's content..!

[spiffarino]

More to the point, it was designed to allow a free press to be critical of those in power. That's why John Adams' Alien and Sedition Acts were roundly denounced, cost him re-election, and tarnished.­his reputation for generations. If Palin had read up on Adams and the other Founders, she wouldn't have made such an obvious gaffe.

That's assuming she reads, mind you.

[peterhowitt]

When you open your mouth, stuff comes put Sarah. Think about that - oh no, wait - she has no intelligible thought mechanisms so she does not comprehend this simple matter of cerebral/vocal physics.

Sorry, looks like you are going to have to look foolish every few hours - no avoiding it.

But, the bit about the brain function - or lack of it - means that you don't comprehend this syndrome anyway - so its kind of pointless bringing it up - sorry.

best wishes

Sarkozy...­..

[AllenD]

Maybe Shuster can be the new Meet the Press host.

(particularly if he can make peace with the Clintons)

[essar1]

"There is no inherent right to ride on a campaign bus"

[Steve1]

Didn't the McCain campaign ban Maureen Dowd and others traveling with the campaign? The answer is yes they did. I really like Shuster, though he knows this to be a fact and could have stopped this guy cold on the front end of the interview. It would have been fun seeing this little jerk squirm in his seat having that thrown in his face. He says, "Sarah Palin understand the First Amendment"­...Really? It's clear the woman hasn't read the Constitution, let alone a book or anything other than People Magazine.

I see this a lot where the mainstream media where they let these Reep hacks make about three blatant lies and are only called out on one of them. Again, I like Shuster, however lately he's been going out of his way to prove he's in the middle trying to find some fault with the Obama campaign, even where there is nothing to discuss.