I need to stand up and take Senator Hillary Clinton's side on this one.
There is no excuse for a network on-air personality to say Chelsea Clinton was "sort of being pimped out" by the Clinton campaign. And Barbara Walters is rather deluded if she thinks this issue really should be dropped by the Senator.
I've heard from numerous sources Chelsea Clinton is a fantastic and energizing public speaker and (gasp) fully supporting her mother (no way?) during this election. Let's just go ahead and assume a daughter can and would want to support her mother if she ran for office.
Now that Chelsea has stepped a bit further into the limelight on her own, it stands to reason the media will discuss her role, her events, her candor, her demeanor. We are no longer in the situation of the 90's where Chelsea was the daughter of a president, in the limelight due to her parent's choices.
Reporter David Shuster has apologized for the "pimp" comment. Keith Olbermann has apologized. The head of NBC has apologized. Then Senator Clinton sent a letter, reiterating how inappropriate the comment really was, and Barbara Walters thinks she's gone too far.
Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaah. You come after my daughter...my kids-make some stupid remark or say something inappropriate-do you think *I* would let up?
Exactly.
Hell no.
I want heads. And I want them to roll.
In fact, I want them rolling and then wrapped in a bow and then served on a golden platter while you kneel at my feet.
I think the Mom and Daughter get to decide when to drop it, not Barbara Walters.
I'd have to argue against the idea this is a campaign ploy to keep Hillary's name in the news. I mean, really. It's all we're hearing about, so that's not a problem. I don't think it's some ploy by the campaign for Clinton to play victim and have us all feeling sorry for them. I really think this is a matter of being tired of the bullshit.
How much Chris Matthews and David Shuster can you take before you finally write the head of NBC and say WTF??!!! Enough already you assholes.
Notice Senator Clinton didn't make such a bru-ha-ha about all this when they were just going after her. Cross the line to the kids, regardless of their age or voluntary or involuntary involvement...
..and the gloves are off.
I got your back Senator Clinton. Let them brand us pimps and accuse us of exploiting our kids. We know better. And we're certainly changing the world, aren't we?
Contributor Erin Kotecki Vest continuously exploits her children on her MommyBlog QueenofSpain
Two Secret Service agents heard Hillary's daughter Chelsea refer to them as "personal, trained pigs"... The agent on the detail tried to scold Chelsea for such disrespect. He told her that he believed her father, the President, would be shocked if he heard what she had just said to her friends. Chelsea's response? "I don't think so. That's what my parents call you." Extract from the book (Unlimited Access, p. 90).
All I will say on this issue is exactly what my mother would say if I were in Chelsea Clinton's shoes (and it is something everyone should remember when it comes to something like this):
"Sticks and Stones will break your bones, but words can never hurt you"
Pretty simple little thing wouldn't you agree?
If it were my kid, I would do the same thing. If it were my kid at 27 or my kid at 2, I would do the same thing.
The only thing blinding me is motherhood.
In fact, I want them rolling and then wrapped in a bow and then served on a golden platter while you kneel at my feet.
===
Yes, well - I want the whole world to worship me as the Lizard King.
Schuster did a bad thing, and deserves being taken to the woodshed in some fashion. And he has been, for sure. Suspended, mocked in the media, having to mea culpa all over the place. He's been Imus'ed, for sure, and rightly so.
But that doesn't make Hillary THE DECIDER in terms of the long term disposition of his case. Last I looked he was a GE employee, not a Clinton employee. If GE wants to fire him, they can. But it's not Hillary's call - nor her perogative. And I, for one, am glad of that.
Think about it. If we wanted to apply this kind of journalistic "rule of law" fairly, and all around, we'd have to shut down the muckraking (but very useful) Village Voice, and take computing privileges away from lots of erudite, but acid-tongued lefty bloggers (and righty bloggers, too).
Al Franken and Rush Limbaugh? Off with their heads, both of them. And of course, we'd crucify crazy Ann Coulter, or burn her at the stake, or both . (And no doubt a bunch of lefties would love THAT!).
Nope. There's a lot - a WHOLE lot - to be said for limiting potential retribution by pols and other public figures to the reporting, ranting, raving and snarking of ALL media communicators.
Even people as despicable as the original swiftboaters of John Kerry need to be able to do their dastardly deeds - without having to deal with over-reaching direct revenge of the type Erin advocates here on Hillary's behalf.
And then, if CBS wants to fire Dan Rather, they can. But Bush can't.
Is it up to HER in the end? Uh...no. Do I think she's right to tell NBC to go take a hike-sure do.
Do I think Barbara Walters is the judge of when it should be dropped by the mother. Uh. No.
Other than that-if you want to discuss journalism, that's a whole other ball of wax.
I have a similar daddy brain.
But she's running for POTUS - not "Mother Of The Year". She's registered her disgust and displeasure to the powers at NBC. If she wallows in it, she just looks foolish.
Bill just made this exact mistake "defending" his wife in the New Hampshire-South Carolina cycle. It cost her gobs of votes from the black community...which looks like it is permanently pissed at her right now for what looks like a race-baiting set of remarks.
And when the history of this amazing primary is written - it may turn out to have cost her the nomination.
Right now, she can't afford to do anything but play up her positives, and stick to substantive critiques of Obama and McCain. If she's dumb enough to milk this Schuster thing for all it's worth (and the Clintons have been dumb as shit, so far), she'll lose, and deservedly so.
So if you have any interest in seeing Hillary win - or at least remain in the game - put away your Mommy brain and think strategically here.
Me - I think the Clintons would be really BAD for the country. So from my vantage point, her continued storming on this issue is all to the good.
I'm with you, Erin. I don't recall Alexandra Kerry or Chris Heinz or the Bush twins or Karenna Gore ever being accused of "whoring" for their parents. Not cool.
Right off the bat you stun me with the unexpected.
Shuster is a news bulldog. If you had a chance to watch him in action during the Plame/Libby
I'm guessing that you would be just a tetch less livid.
Shuster's efforts to interview Chelsea were thwarted with malice and his temper got the best of him. Woop-tee-do.
If hillary deems it serious enough then let her take it to court. Otherwise, I call it free speech.
"'Nothing justifies the kind of debasing language that David Shuster used and no temporary suspension or half-hearted apology is sufficient,' she wrote.
She also said that Mr. Capus should look at 'the pattern of behavior on your network that seems to repeatedly lead to this sort of degrading language.'"
Yeah, I'm down with that. I watched Chris Matthews be an outright sexist just a few short months ago.
It's totally free speech and I think Shuster, from what I know, was a fine reporter up until now.
I just don't think it's Barbara Walter's call on when Hillary Clinton or Chelsea Clinton should be satisfied in the matter.
I would think spouting any sort of offensive comment on the air, as a journalist, would get someone fired. But we no longer have traditional journalism, do we? O'Rielly can call Obama Osama and Chris Matthews can be an outright sexist-hey, why not let the reports mention "pimping!" So sure, free speech. No argument here. Should one dumb comment on air ruin your whole career? I don't know-how many corrections does a reporter get before they are no longer credible? Or does it no longer matter? And can I blame a mother for going after a reporter for a really stupid comment? Hell no.
Death of journalism. Thank God I'm not longer in that business.
I'm happy to let Shuster come blog with me. There is a whole lot less apologizing.
Even more disturbing is that some women side with these guys. They accept all the crap men throw at them, play with the boys to be accepted as one of them.
Maybe girls like it but women don't!
Read some nice Hillary quotes here -
http://www.nowpublic.com/happy_valentines_day_from_hillary_and_bill
Re: "Notice Senator Clinton didn't make such a bru-ha-ha about all this when they were just going after her."
Right- and I didn't notice her making any "bru-ha-ha" at all when her husband insulted millions of African Americans directly, and many of the rest of us indirectly by his demeaning remarks - he never even apologized or acknowledged his mistake.
But in your book, insulting millions isn't anything compared to insulting the royal offspring.
Givve me a break - Hillary defines the word hypocritical, and the Clintons together could give Carl Rove a run for his money i the B.S. category.
I like Shuster - so, he made a mistake, apologized, and should be back on the air.
Any mother. Michelle Obama about her daughters and Senator Clinton about Chelsea. Hell, W and his twins.
I think you want so badly to show how evil the Clinton's are in your mind you're being blinded by your own prejudice here. I may find our current President to be a hypocrite, but I respect his ability as a parent to kick the media's ass if and when they open their mouths about his children.
Lets say you're right, and the Clintons are horrible lying people. Don't the have the same right to dog NBC until they are satisfied with the apology? Or maybe they are satisfied, but the letter just drove the point home? Is it Barbara Walters position to say when they or anyone should be satisfied?
This has nothing to do with who is a better person. Or what former President Clinton did to anyone or if he said he was sorry.
Man. Just say the word HILLARY and you get gut reaction no mater what you say after it.
I swear, these comment threads crack me up.
Who's next? Where the Ron Paul zealots telling me how David Shuster is really on suspension because he backs Ron Paul...come on! I'm waiting!