New Rule: Ebonic Plague

New Rule: Stop punishing people for saying harmless crap as the media did when David Shuster said the Clintons were pimping out Chelsea Clinton

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1430551241http://www.brightcove.com/channel.jsp?channel=1178199204

Comments

[Libsrule]

Love your show, but last night seemed a little lackluster. No fireworks, no fighting, no shouting..­.what the hell is up with that???

Is civility taking hold?

Love the show though.

[dana94591]

I just feel that they (Clintons) are too sensitive! That is what they were doing with Chelsea anyway. Maybe she wanted to do it but remember how protective they have been with her in the past. Why is she such a political device now???? I see her more now then I did when Bubba was president.

[mikekev58]

Umm..."may­be she wanted to do it" - then maybe that means she wasn't being "pimped out"?

And in the past, during the 90s, she was a kid. Parents tend to be protective of their not yet adult children (kids).

A political device? WTF are you talking about? She's a device? An object? That's as offensive as Shuster's comment; both of you reduce Chelsea to not having the ability to choose to be campaigning for her mother.

Did you see much of Obama's kids before he started campaigning for President?

[indycar]

Mike - we'd ask Chelsea, but she won't answer. So you don't know either. A very safe bet is that she knows the word 'pimp' wasn't used in a sexual sense, like you would have us believe you believe.

[seilnotnilc]

wonderful.

No One Was Attacking Chelsea; it was her pimping parents

regarding the pimping of her daughter and her righteous indignation, it is truly insulting to those of us who have paid particular attention to Hillary's antics. My favorite line is ‘I became Chelsea’s mother long before I ran for any office and I will always be a mom first and a public official second.’ Just another one of her misstatements (lies) for she did not become Chelsea’s mother before she and hubby concocted their plan for her to follow him as the country’s first woman president which might have been the biggest reason for the Clinton-Rodham merger . And it’s not as though she hasn’t utilized her daughter before to gain public sympathy. Hillary on 9/11 said she was worried about Chelsea (just being the mom again) as she was jogging in the area of the twin towers. In the Chelsea interview in ‘Talk Magazine’ by Tina Brown, Chelsea refuted Hillary statement saying she was staying with a friend miles away and Hillary was privy to this information. It is understandable that a parent would worry about their child given this catastrophic situation but why not just say ‘I’m worried because my daughter is in NY City this morning and the towers have been hit’ However, this truth is not good enough for the embellishing Mrs. Clinton for she lies even when the truth would better serve. Chelsea was also used during the Monica incident as the buffer between the conniving Clinton’s which also is fine but the reason she was photographed doing so was in a bid for public sympathy and it worked for her poll numbers went up. Embellishing/lying is what Hillary is about and it is present in every public facet of her life. And especially around her experience and until records are released to support this vast experience my mantra will continue to be Hillary’s experience lies in lying.

[traveler501]

you speak as though you know the woman...so­mehow I doubt that though.

[seilnotnilc]

You write as though you know me and all my acquaintances.

[abbiehoffmansghost]

Please permit me to adapt that to a more suitable version: you speak as though you know something.­..but we all know that's not true.

[joeinvt]

Can't tell if you are an Obama supporter or a Ditto-head who can't resist any opportunity to slime one Clinton or the other. If it's it the former, I question Obama's ability to unite the country - assuming that you are at all representative of his supporters. I agree with you that David Shuster was attacking Hillary rather than Chelsea. Shuster's critique struck me as odd, however. Wouldn't one expect a Presidential candidate's adult daughter or son to campaign on her behalf? What reason was there to believe that Chelsea was being exploited rather than just supporting her mother? I don't think it was appropriate to punish Shuster who comes across generally as one of MSNBC's more reasoned and professional contributors. But let's not miss the point: suspending Shuster was a corporate decision, just like the decisions to hire Chris Matthews, Tucker Carlson et al., to hire then fire Don Imus, etc., and to support the relentless denigration of Hillary's character on MSNBC. If and when the main stream media and the right wing begin to slime Obama in the same way (e.g., see the harisB comments above), I hope that every fair-minded person, you and Bill Maher included, will condemn it for what it is. Nobody needs to be censored, fired, or suspended, but the press should not be immune from criticism.

[seilnotnilc]

To clear up the confusion; I am an Independent who supports Barack Obama to the point that I have traveled to different states to do so. Of, course I disagree with your opinion about his ability to unite the country or I would not expend this amount of energy supporting him. What I don't understand is why when reporting negative aspects of the Clintons that are well documented it is called sliming them? except for the book 'madame President' by British author Suzanne goldenberger (?) which I have been trying to locate,I have read everything about them published by the left, the right, the middle and their autobiographies and have found them wanting. I believe that they both are prime examples of the struggle between cognition and emotion and I believe emotion has won out. I think that bill Clinton is an exceptional politician, possessing creativity, intelligence, charisma, a good formal education, and the ability to think on his feet. I believe that Hillary is none of the above and is merely well-educated. She is so scripted that if it's not planned she's paralyzed. I have a problem with their ease in lying and believe Hillary's experience lies in lying for in all I've read she has never convinced me that she is veracious or bright. And you may have noticed, I have no problem stating my opinion but have a problem with the personal attacks presented here by people who have a different opinion.

[LegalCat]

Actually, "I became Chelsea's mother long before I ran for any office" is -- well, maybe it's true, but it's misleading. Hillary is constantly, CONSTANTLY going on and on and on and on and on and on about her "35 years of experience­." Well, that would suggest that her "experience" -- you know, whatever it is about her that putatively qualifies her to be the one that answers that phone in the White House on the seventh ring -- started in 1973. Chelsea was born in 1980. So these things that make Hillary so much more qualified than Obama had been going on for seven years before Chelsea was even born. And yet Hillary was a mom first. Arithmetic is apparently not her strong suit. Perhaps she'll have advisors to help out with that.

In point of actual fact, Hillary was in law school in 1973. I went to law school too. Trust me, they don't teach you anything there about running major nuclear superpowers.

[Denni]

Has Hillary banned Andrew Young from the innercircle when he commented that her husband is 'blacker' than Obama and probably had more black women? (Note, Obama married his 'black woman', Bill used his... WTG, Young, whose claim to fame was marching with MLK!). She initially refused to 'reject and denounce' her supporter who said that the problem with Obama is that he's black.

Has Hillary explained why she further traumatized a 12 year old rape victim who molester she defended? Her defense? The girl fantasized about older men AND she'd falsely accused other men of raping her in the past (despite there being ZERO evidence to support her claim about the 12 year old)

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/ny-usark245589997feb24,0,2670956.story?page=1

Yet the de-sexualized term 'pimped out' offended her when used to describe her adult daughter!?!?!

Will she give back the $170,000 linked to a law firm with numerous sexual harassment complaints against it (including violent and sexually aggressive language toward women)?

http://deepbackground.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/02/29/718285.aspx?CommentPosted=true#commentmessage

Shuster angered her, but she's 'great friends' with the rival who said attacked her daughter's looks by claiming Janet Reno was Chelsea's father?

Clinton is selectively offended. She seems to be offended when it's politically expedient to be offended.

[mikekev58]

Is it possible to provide a language aide with your next post?

[scuttle]

chill maher. the press is not above reproach. neither are you. what was it you said before i clicked you off for good? oh right, the US has to pay back for what we did to blacks before women. you boys been doing it to us since time began,,,, guess nuttin goin change now.

[Suprshrink]

It is not harmless when it shows a pattern of disregard, disinformation, and bias. MSNBC has been doing this for a year. David Shuster just upped the ante to include Chelsea who was no more and no less than all the other candidates' adult children. Bill, you only see things as harmless when they express your opinions or serve your ends. You drank the kool aid and you have lost all credibility with me.

[RoseBlue]

I do wish Clinton supporters would stop saying that those of us who are not buying into her presidential bid are drinking the kool aid. It wasn't that funny the first time, and it certainly isn't after 7000 + references. Bitter bitter bitter.

[Jonny38103]

Come on, be honest, what's your favorite flavor? Real sugar or fake? Tap water or bottled?

[mlmstate]

I used to support Hillary but now I'm 100% behind Obama. She violated the Golden Rule- you don't go negative on candidates in your own party. That only helps McBush.

[mikekev58]

The Golden Rule is...oh never mind.

I'd like you to point to a campaign for the Democratic (or Republican) nomination wherein candidates did not go negative on each other?

Please stop with the "I used to support Hillary 100%". Anyone who's 100% behind a candidate wouldn't drop them when they actually did what is normal when campaigning for a nomination or office.

[justrikke]

OH PULEEEEEEZE! OBAMA WAS CALLING HILLARY A LIAR, OUTDATED, OLD POLITICS AND LYING ABOUT HER POSITIONS BEFORE SHE WENT NEGATIVE ON HIM. I ESPECIALLY LOVED THE "BILL AND HILLARY CLINTON ARE RACISTS" PLOY JUST BEFORE THE SOUTH CAROLINA PRIMARY. BUT GO AHEAD...BE A SHEEP IF YOU WANT.

[klandish]

Who could elect a candidate that gave carte blanche to this neocon war ; knowing full well from personal experience what the far ranging right wing consrpiracy machine was capable of?

[mikekev58]

Who gave carte blanche to this neocon war? Well, once the Congress - and Senator Clinton was one of many, including Johns Kerry and Edwards - gives the President the power to use the military, it's the Constitution that gives him carte blanche insofar as he is the Commander in Chief.

[johnmorgan]

Hillary gave carte blanche to this neocon war. If I knew that it was all based on lies, then Hillary should have known, too. You're changing the subject by mentioning that Kerry or Edwards voted for the war, since they're not running for president!

[VicPerry]

New Drule: Stop punishing middle-aged white guys when they bring the urban slang out of the crib y'all. Imus and Shuster needed a little verbal viagra and they missed that Steve Carrell had already made it a national joke. The old school for putting down women looks kinda stodgy by comparison, Bill Maher doesn't know where to turn. Peace out.

[VicPerry]

So David Shuster is "people" and those who attack him are "media." "People" should get to say what they want but the "media" should not. Thanks to Bill Maher for clearing that up, but then he's just the guy to do it, cutting through all that politically correct stuff the fearless way he does. Bill Maher, you see, is "people," and so are all his buddies who get paid to talk on television. When they criticize people while talking on television it's not the same as the "media" criticizing "people"? Ok?

[JGatsby]

"Stop punishing people for saying harmless crap as the media did when David Shuster said the Clintons were pimping out Chelsea Clinton" I agree the reaction to David Shuster was over blown, especially compared to the hateful things that other people say. However, I would also like a rule that people stop trying to sound like punks and criminals. Ho, bitch, pimp, I'm sick of it. Is it really so hard to talk civilly? It seems oddly appropriate that William F. Buckly just passed on. As much as I despised his politics he knew how to use the language. I would like to see more of that and less "pimping" and "nappy headed ho-ing"

[fearwig]

You hooligans get off my lawn!

[mikekev58]

Yeah, it's amazing how Buckley was able to marginalize gays, oppose civil rights and disparage feminism with those $20 dollar words.

[Zentomato]

Bill I have been a fan of yours for years but last Friday's show with Jack Kingston on the panel was just awful. KIngston repeated lie after lie and you just let them fly by. Bill it seemed like you had lowered your standards to accomidate Kingston. Next time you have Kingston on your show I will not watch.

[Cybesq]

It wasn't the best moment for the Real Time archives. KIngston even dragged out the old "Pledge of Allegiance" and flag lapel, Gore invented the internet, nonsense. There was no rebuttal.

Kingston is really one of the more despicable talking point puppets out there. If you have TIVO, watch it again. You can actually see Rush Limbaugh's mouth moving, even while he drinks his glass of water.

[DwDunphy]

Bill? Uh, NO. NO. NO. Bad Bill. Thirty whacks of the ruler 'cross the knuckles. Reporters, commentators, TV personalities contracted by the news division are getting paid a lot of money not to editorialize, or to inject hipness, or to work out their stand-up routines. They're not being paid to opine. You're being paid to do your show, not pump the cream filling into the donuts served in the green room. That's not your job. If you decided to pump cream while you were meant to do your show, you would not be living up to your contract. Neither was he. This has nothing to do with first amendment rights and everything to do with honoring your stated commitment and not being a wise-guy.

[spacemonkeymafia]

Bill,

I doubt you read these comments, but maybe somebody on your show does. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE point out on your next show that Rep Jack Kingston (Ga.) was repeating a lie about Obama. Here is the transcript:

Kingston: When you combine that with the fact that the guy would not say the Pledge of Allegiance, and won't put an American lapel pin on his coat, that's things voters are watching..
Maher: Wait a second? He won't say the pledge of allegiance?
Kingston: Well, the famous picture of him standing while Bill Richardson and Hillary Clinton have their hand over their heart, saluting the flag during the Pledge, and Obama has his hands down, that is disturbing to Americans
Your audience booed, but much of American believes this crap, hell, that's a congressman saying it on TV(well, HBO). Please call him out on that and discuss the issue. For the record, the picture the congressman is referring to is from the national anthem. Sometimes, apparently, Obama stands during the anthem, sometimes he puts his hand on his heart. His grandfather taught him to stand with his hands at his sides during the anthem, and put his hand over his heart during the pledge. Just like in 2004, though, crap like this is going to make a difference in the election. It's going to be hard enough to get a black man elected President in the U.S., if they're allowed to repeat lies like this on TV, we have no hope.

[talibanana]

Yeah, I didn't like what that guy had to say, as I recall. Have to watch that show again. I respect Bill greatly for having conservatives though.

[stuckinohio]

I just wish he would call them out on their BS a little more. I have do have to say that I have noticed that Bill is not very good at debating conservatives though. The guy (I can't remember his name? Matt something?) from Time magazine that Bill has been having on his show every week is much better at debating and debunking Bill's conservative guest's than Bill is. I have alway's loved Bill's show but I am finding myself getting less and less interested in it.

[spacemonkeymafia]

I also respect Bill for having conservatives. Apparently this guy is a long time guest, possibly going back to the old Politically Incorrect show, and I respect how Bill realizes conservatives are coming into hostile territory, and makes sure they get a fair shake. I just think when he makes a comment like that, it needs to be corrected(which Bill did beautifully on the latest show, in the New Rules segment).

[Rastaman426]

Here's a question: Why should Obama (or any politician) have to stand during the anthem or pleadge or wear accesories to prove their patriotism ??? Do we live in a theocracy or dictatorship that this has to be done?????
It seems to me that since this campaign is breaking all the old rules and chaging the game as we move along towards November..­.maybe this uber-patriotism that has been hoisted on the American public since 9/11 should also come to an end.
The rule should be: if you feel like doing it, then fine...if not, no one question your patriotism as an American based on wearing some idiotic pin or whether you have your hand over your heart during the pledge...

[mikekev58]

"The rule should be...." Who's going to stop people from questioning someone's patriotism, no matter how flimsy the grounds? Although I agree with you that wrapping oneself in the flag is no sure sign of genuine patriotism, you can expect that a lot of Americans - who don't watch Bill Maher but do get crap like that photo of Obama with his hands at his side during what appeared to be a moment of ritualized patriotism - will be judging Obama or Hillary of McCain on the most insignificant things.
What I'm shocked at is Maher's apparent not knowing ( or was he being sarcastic?) that Obama had been accused of not being appropriately respectful during the pledge of allegiance.

[KellyJoe]

Jes' plain no CLASS, Shuster, Maher, and anybody else that can't see what's offensive.

[janvoght]

couldn't agree more...not only was that so not the old school version of pimp that david schuster meant to imply! he is a respectful and fair commentato­r...that said exactly the words i was thinking. i happen to love the clinton's.­..and chelsea has proven to have been raised by two loving and involved parents, and i really don't believe she herself would have taken that comment except in the sort of cool this generation slant...no­? BTW tho i love the clinton's, i'm rootin' for barack!!!

obama '08