MSNBC's David Shuster: Chelsea 'Pimped Out' by Hillary
by Taylor Marsh
Could David Shuster be any more unprofessional? Does he not realize that he's talking about the daughter of a woman who is the first female candidate to be vying for commander in chief? One can only guess what would happen if he'd said something so heinous about Barack Obama's daughter. It would have been Shuster's Imus moment. Hey, but it's just about Hillary's kid, so she's fair game, as is all things anti-Clinton. Evidently Shuster has decided to channel Chris Matthews.
We all know MSNBC is in the tank for Obama. But this is indefensible. Shuster built up quite a reserve during the Libby trial. But this frat boy, anti-Clinton wingnut channeling tirade targeting Chelsea Clinton has proven that he's not up to the job or the position to which MSNBC has bestowed on him.
DAVID SHUSTER: Bill, there's just something a little bit unseemly to me that Chelsea's out there calling up celebrities, saying support my mom, and she's apparently also calling these super delegates.
BILL PRESS: Hey, she's working for her mom. What's unseemly about that? During the last campaign, the Bush twins were out working for their dad. I think it's great, I think she's grown up in a political family, she's got politics in her blood, she loves her mom, she thinks she'd make a great president --SHUSTER: But doesn't it seem like Chelsea's sort of being pimped out in some weird sort of way?
I am disgusted by the indiscriminate sexism and blatant misogyny of this statement. I also cannot believe in the 21st century we have Neanderthal men parading around with such arrogance that they wouldn't immediately check themselves as a statement like this went tripping through their itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny brain. That I have to point out the history and monumental importance of what's going on between Chelsea and her mother at this moment makes me so incredibly sad that words almost escape me.
Chelsea Clinton is making a choice. She's not some chick robot turning political tricks for her mother, showing cleavage and thigh, while hoping to get cash for some hustler.
Mothers and daughters have been working together for centuries, supporting one another. I wish my mother were alive to see and feel and experience what I am right now. I cannot imagine the pride of Chelsea Clinton as she watches her mother compete as the first viable female presidential candidate in United States history. The joy is one thing, but the sheer history of this moment must be an awesome thing to experience as her daughter. Together they must be having the time of their lives.
Then along comes this punk David Shuster who equates Hillary Clinton to a pimp, some abusive character who is pushing her daughter, her own daughter, out against her will. He then equates Chelsea Clinton to a political hooker, with all the dirt and sleaze that goes with it.
Women across this country have had to put up with these over-combed, over-pressed, over-inflated egotistical media preening males for months and months as they pontificate from on high about the presidency, making their money, clucking their teeth, while elbowing the small man in the next cubicle, all to the satisfaction of too many Americans who are into hunting Clintons for sport.
In what world do we allow political pundits to attack a young woman proudly campaigning for her mother, a woman who is running for president, then let them get away with calling her mother a pimp and the daughter a hooker?
It's one thing that MSNBC attacks Hillary Clinton in every show on MSNBC, while building her male opponent up. But minus Dan Abrams, with "Tucker" at least allowing pro-Clinton people on the set, which is more than you can say for Keith Olbermann these days, there is no positive reporting whatsoever on Clinton. But Shuster's latest behavior is not only unprofessional and unethical, but beyond all common decency.
The really sad part is that because of something in the air at MSNBC, David Shuster thought he could get away with it.
That the self-important men on MSNBC, to include Chris Matthews, and now David Shuster, don't understand that by attacking Chelsea Clinton in this way they are attacking all women, shows you the lengths that our media will go to destroy Hillary Clinton, doing everything they can to bring her down to a pimp level politician, even at the cost of using her daughter to do it.
Calling Tom Brokaw. It's time for an intervention.
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David Shuster is smart and a pleasure to watch, MS. Clinton is not a child, she is a twenty seven year old woman, if she is going to campaign for her mother she should be available to the press. she is not the Queen, I was under the impression this country didnot have royalty, she should be treated like any one else.Mr. shuster made a good point, one yhe Clintons did not like,I believe this is why the went after him and not for his attempt at being whitty. The Clinton"s all three are bullys, and this is just another example.
Thank you Taylor Marsh !!
There is a huge difference between David Shuster's
comment that "Doesn't it seem like Chelsea is
being pimped in some weird sort of way?"
and the media reporting that Gore claimed
that he invented the internet.
The difference is that Hillary is fighting back!
After Gore lost he was heavily criticized for
not pushing back against this sort of media
misinformation.
And now, Liberals are criticizing Hillary for
overreacting.
Can you imagine the reaction if David Shuster
had said "Obama is pimping our his wife" because
she is stumping for him? Can you imagine the
justified outrage? Yet for some reason Hillary
and her daughter are fair game (from both the
right and the left).
I voted for Obama, but if Hillary gets the
nomination I will very much support and campaign
for her. We absolutely need to win against
the Republicans, and this "INOKIYHC" or
"it's not okay if you're Hillary Clinton"
(from Ezra Klein) is not helping in this fight.
This is out of control. If we truly care about the content of the Media what plans do we have to regulate them. NONE, I hope! people say stupid things people do stupid things. This is why I do not support Hillary everything with the Clinton's is drama to me. Since when have MOB standards been applied to politicans just "leave the family alone" or it is going to be very painful. Now David Shuster is looking for work? Times are hard and so are some people.
This is such a fine reply to this cheap remark. I can't imagine it having been written any better. I do see so many little, self-important men who have accomplished nothing more than talking head status trying to knock down any Clinton at every turn. What has David Schuster ever accomplished as he attacks a family that has dedicated it's life to positive change for others? What a pathetic disgrace.
Fire him! Fire Matthews! Fire Tucker! They are all deplorable, biased and should not be showing their obvious preference for Obama and McCain!
MSNBC has become an embarassment to fair-minded people. Obama supporters, for the most part, are not buoyed by the rabid newshounds trying to shred the CLintons to bits. That this group of childish, arrogant bullies may actually have an impact on a presidential election is deplorable.
The comment by Shuster was way over the line, imo, and just another tawdry example of trash talk by MSNBC commentators about the Clinton campaign. While the derogatory comments by male hosts on MSNBC about the Clinton campaign make me angry, it's the snippy comments and attitude shown by female commentators (particularly Andrea Mitchell and Norah O'Donnell) that really makes my blood boil. I wish they'd all stop advocating for Obama and make an attempt at objectivity while reporting on the election.
David Shuster's remarks were in bad taste, but such overreactions by Clinton honks like Taylor Marsh tell me the only real outrage people like her are feeling boils down to a "you said it about MY cnadidate" attitude.
Sorry, Taylor, but I will never support Hillary Clinton for president. She stands for nothing, speaks in nothing but platitudes and emits an aura of "this is all about me and not about a Democratic Party victory." She feels the Dems owe her the job. And being another DLC goofus (didn't we learn our lessons after Kerry and Gore?) she is going to be lunchmeat for the Republican slime machine.
I wouldn't mind a woman president -- just not THAT woman!
This is the 21st Century! Get with it! If you don't understand that words change over time, you don't qualify to be president.
Sorry that David Shuster is so ahead of you. Sorry that Shuster knows 21st Century American slang.
We need a 21st Century president. We need Obama!
I'm sorry but the level of rhetoric generated by this poor choice of words is getting a little comical.
Shuster did not call anybody a hooker. He didn't even call anybody a pimp. He said that they were "pimping her out", an unfortunate choice of language, but a use of current slang that is recognized not to have all the tawdry meanings you attach to it.
So, in spite of his apologies and his suspension, you still feel it necessary to call him:
unprofessional
Neanderthal
A punk
with an itsy-bitsy
And his words were:
unethical
unprofessional
beyond all common decency
indefensible
a frat-boy-a
blatent misogeny
indescriminant sexism
Isn't that a little bit of overkill?
Barack Obama's daughters are in the single digit age bracket. They are as off-limits as Chelsea was when her father was President. But Chelsea is a grown up now and has made the grown up choice to be an active part of this campaign.
That shouldn't earn her insults, but insults are part of the terrain. And that's what this was. And insult. Deserving of an apology. And punnishment. Which has already been tendered and meted out.
So get over it. He didn't reverse the history of women's rights.
You and the Hillary camp are now pimping your righteous indignation to keep this topic alive.
After reading the above post, I am not surprised by the total lack of class exhibited by David Schuster, his cohorts and the viewers that MSNBC panders to. Using the term "pimping" or "hoes" may be the slang of the day in some circles, but if a representative of a major network thinks he needs to be cool in his degradation of a young female, then he is an illiterate fool and does not belong on a national network. I see these men ( I think thats what they call themselves) as frightened little boys who are intimated by women who are superior to them intellectually. These terrified little bullies have to resort to vicious, degrading comments which they try to mask as humor or the venacular of the day. No, we are not going to get over it. We need pundits and commentators who are respectable and classy, not scumbags like those at MSNBC. The network needs to be boycotted and their sponsors should be notified.
If their boy gets elected, I am afraid he may owe them a debt of gratitude.
Shenygirl1
I hope you include the folks at Fox News when labeling "scumbags".
As an American male I am deeply saddened by the approach of the media to a woman candidate for president. Wake up America your sisters wives daughters and mothers are all victims of this male hatred of women,demonstrated by Chris Matthews and now David Shuster. Sadly Oprah fell in line with the anti feminism of the drive to "get the bitch" as the republican group told McCain.Now they can barely hide their hatred of women.Just listen to what they say about a husband who wants to defend his wife!
Hillary can have Bill the liar or Chelsea the loyal daughter, but it is TRUTH the Nation wants!
Yes, at the end, only TRUTH stands - for peace, for harmony, for hope, FOR ALL...
“Without truth I know not how man can live.”
Now let's see how much TRUTH America wants...
Clinton stands for SELF, self-pity, self-absorption, narcissism, “me”-winni
McCain stands for LOYALTY, his belief, his people, his ideals, “us”-winni
Obama stands for TRUTH, intellectual truth, compassion truth, UNIVERSAL TRUTH, truth for all...
So be it that the youth sees HOPE in TRUTH...
"Live the change you want to see in the world."
"Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed."
"A nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people."
GO! OBAMA, TRUTH IS THE NATION, THE WORLD, THE HOPE!
If Obama stood for anything he would defend women when they are treated in such a fashion by the press. Sorry my friend but shouting does not make truth.
Well it looks like you can look at at least 2 of the three with objectivity. By the way, that is something you'll need a little more of if you want to ever truly embrace the truth you so long for.
The only thing I watch on MSNBC, on a regular basis, is Keith Olbermann; so I came to this outrage late.
I understand that the young man in question once worked for Fox "News", as did Olbermann on sports, it's too bad that David Schuster was unable to leave that disgusting part behind him.
One might think that he would be imused for his revolting comment; but, I doubt it.
Bashing Sen. Clinton is too popular in the media; Schuster just went a little too far.
I'm sure with time he too will learn to disguise his bias more effectively.
I've never been a fan of the Clintons; but, the way she has been tagged teamed by Chris Mathews and his ilk, is revolting on many levels.
Amen!
Congratulations to MSNBC! Joe Scarborough, Chris Mathews, Keith Oberman and Tucker Carlson, to name a few MSNBC “star reporters, who have succeeded in repeatedly trashing one Democratic candidate, probably causing irreversible harm. Now, we just may be on the road to having a press elected, inexperienced President whose true record remains unchallenged and unknown to the American public.
One can only hope David’s suspension is the tip of the iceberg!
Fact: Obama has failed to vote in the Illinois Legislature for at least 130 votes. Obama recently admitted; ‘that on at least 5 occasions, he wanted to vote one way, but pushed the wrong button.’ HE PUSHED THE WRONG BUTTON? A CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT PUSHED THE WRONG BUTTON! AND HE DID SO 5 TIMES! Doesn’t it occur to anyone that the President, from day one, needs to know how to correctly push many buttons and make many decisions?
Fact: Obama’s Rezko connection was briefly touched on during and after the last debate. It wasn’t until Sunday 01/27/08, that John McLaughlin finally, clearly laid out the fact that there was a 17 year old relationship between Obama and Rezko. While it appears Obama is totally innocent of any illegalities, shouldn’t the voters know of such dealings, and that Obama clearly lied during the last debate.
With the status of the Economy, Health Care, Iraq and the instability of the entire Middle East, you must ask yourself the most important question. Wouldn’t you sleep better at night having a person with her experience in the White House, on day one, rather than one who must learn how to correctly push buttons while on the job?
We are suffering huge, and long lasting, scars from 8 years of a young, charming, on the job learner. Let’s hope this country can survive the outcome of the bias reporting and distorted treatment of the Democratic candidates, which will probably result in the election of another young, charming, on the job learner! God help us!
I never thought I would hear Shuster say something like that. He's always seemed above the fray and way ahead of his fellows, Matthews, Scarbrough, etc., but the GE masters must have gotten to him. I didn't hear anyone saying that Romney was "pimping" his 5 able-bodied sons to help him! He loves this war so much, yet he thought they were contributing enough by working in his campaign. Can you be any more dishonest?
Okay Taylor baby, we get it. You really dislike MSNBC, Chris Matthews, Keith Olberman, David Shuster, Obama (possibly his wife) and the list goes on. If Hillary by some chance is not the nominee, then what, Taylor? I believe very strongly in free speech, even yours. There are many people out there with a TV show, a radio show, A BLOG, etc., that I would love to have their mouths taped, but then Taylor, what happens when someone wants to shut up the people that I like? Well, carry on with your little war, but you might want to think twice, before YOU are the one someone wants to SHUT UP!
Free speech is one thing; undisguised bias in reporting is QUITE another.As soon as we begin to lose 100% objectivity in our newsmedia the true casualty is the TRUTH. Now there is a real BIG difference between "online media" like opinion blogs, and brodcast media in that we (used to) trust networks such as CNN, MSNBC,(and any other you could mention)to just give us the facts so we could come to our own conclusions about an issue. This is a critical balance mechanism to a society that is increasingly getting more of their news from much more difficult to verify sources on the net. Taylors point was very well made. We really need to wake up.
Are you serious? While I don't condone the comment made by David, you seem to only attack the males in your article. I've heard plenty of female newspeople(ann coultergist)etc, slam also. It's a two way street lady.
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Posted February 8, 2008 | 02:12 AM (EST)