Shuster asked the right question of Rep. Blackburn and predictably the attacks followed. (Newsbusters) Whenever someone leaks info to right wing blogs—red flags should go up. Via Blue Texan:
Shuster’s apology [re: Marsha Blackburn] may have been premature. The tiny hamlet of Bon Aqua, Tenn., is where Bohannon lived in the months immediately prior to entering the Army. The Census Bureau places his home in Blackburn’s 7th Congressional District.
Media Bistro asks a good question:
Why did MSNBC rush Shuster to apologize? And, more importantly, who made him do so? Or did Shuster and MSNBC just not have the info (or didn’t do the research) that Scripps dug up?
We know that Scooter Libby isn’t around anymore to call NBC and complain to the Russert’s of the world—so who is the new contact from the WH that’s putting the heat on?
UPDATE: Oye:
FishbowlDC hears that MSNBC General Manager Dan Abrams asked David Shuster to apologize for Wednesday’s Rep. Marsha Blackburn incident and even wrote the bulk of Shuster’s on-air apology…read on
No Trackbacks To “David Shuster was right! UPDATED“
Abrams!
Shuster apologized???? Why? When did this happen!!!!???? Since when should ANY reporter apologize for asking the right fucking questions?
Funny thing about black eye Blackburn’s answer to the question, “What was the name of the last soldier in your district killed in the war?” I don’t think she could name any soldier killed. Had I been sitting in that seat with that question asked to me my response certainly would not be, “I don’t know.”
Jack f**king Welch. Our own homegrown Murdoch.
The good people need to not be so quick to concede. I understand that it’s an admirable trait to think critically and admit when you’re wrong, but Al Gore, Dan Rather, and now Schuster should’ve hung in there for a little bit.
Do you think Shuster will apologize for apologizing?
I like Shuster but, really, we’re so f*cked at this point thanks to the media working with the Bush administration that I have to ask: Does it matter? The media has sunk to such an all time low in journalism and reporting, I don’t think it matters one way or the other.
A quick fyi. Chris Matthews is going to talk about what Rush said about the phony soldiers tonight during the round table part of his show.
I thought the apology was about his giving the name of the wrong soldier to be the last to die from her state.
Dan Abrams will probably issue a statement suggesting that there was something suspicious with the “kerning” of David Shuster’s report.
Seriously, though, according to several sites, apparently Dan Abrams rushed to cover MSNBC’s ass by demanding, over Shuster’s objections, that he issue an apology/’correction’, even though, as those silly things known as “facts” seem to indicate, Shuster was correct.
But what do you expect? GE is a defense contractor. End of conversation.
I was SO disappointed to hear that Shuster had to issue an apology.
Still, he got his point across, so thumbs up, David!
The point remains she didn’t know. Even if she had named the soldier who died before Bohannon, or the one before that, there might be some saving grace for her.
She didn’t know anything.
It’s way past time to bust the monopolies in the United States.
GE, defense contractor, should not be allowed to own media outlets, plain and simple.
Monopoly.
And this is what you get with a monopoly.
he never should have apologized….
it isnt like she has a huge district, she couldnt name even one solidier who had died
and the town is tiny, but has lost 2 soldiers…and she didnt name either
she is just another chicken hawk bitch
I guess I’ve been on another planet. I didn’t know he apologized.
There should be no apologies for putting the screws to the rights-wingers, especially when people are dying in THEIR war.
She’s a complete idiot…but I’d lay a whole lot of money that most every representative (Dem or GOP) would be hard pressed to answer that question.
Not only because there are so many dying every day…But because they just don’t give a damn.
when Dem appear on these talk shows they get hammered jest like this but they don.t complain, grow some balls Reps.
hate2haggle @ 3:
My point exactly. She didn’t get the name wrong, shw couldn’t answer it.
Robert @ 14:
Woah… be careful, they’ll start groping each other.
I just posted a link to a similar article backing up Shuster in the original thread. Some redstate rejects came near the end of that thread demanding apologies. I bet those punks won’t show up admitting they were wrong AGAIN. Dumb sons of bitches.
I couldn’t answer the question I asked myself of who was the last soldier to die from my own city. I felt ashamed, I wonder what a Representative would feel.
I am SO effing confused. When did he apologize? What did he get wrong? And what did he now get right? Was he right in the first place?
Abrams is a sniveling conservative apologist and no better than a Faux News asslick. It’s outrageous that merely performing the interviewer’s minimal duty to ask these questions now requires apology when the FACTS inconvenience the most corrupt, lying administration in history. Disgusting.
Working in broadcast or print news must be terribly degrading. What a nasty way to make a living.
Dan bleeping Abrams. What a guy. Jumping when the right wing bloggers cry foul.
I think Shuster was wrong to use this stunt to sandbag Blackburn. Bohannon was a human being and someone who took an oath to our country and died for it. He should not be used in any political attack.
And I think Hope Solo should have vented her frustrations in private, not to the media.
These are errors in judgement and discretion. Neither of them resulted in anyone’s death.
Shusters point was that MoveOn’s ad is nothing of consequence when compared to Blackburn’s war.
Shuster should be careful to treat all fallen soldiers (especially one so recent) more gracefully.
Blackburn should be careful to stop killing Iraqis by the dozen.
The wimpy woman couldn’t remember whoever it was that had been killed in her god-forsaken war.
Mario Cuomo was just on Hardball where Chris Matthews thankfully allowed him to speak. Cuomo justifiably blistered the Democrats for abrogating their responsibility by granting Bush the authority to wage war, first in Iraq and now in Iran, a power that states in a document in the U.S. Constitution [Article 1 Section 8] is theirs and theirs alone. If only Congress were able to find leaders who have half the caliber and integrity of Mario Cuomo.
Old Billy @ 23:
What a bizarre spin on this. A reporter confronting a representative by asking her who the latest person to die from her district was isn’t “using” soldiers in a “political attack”. He was making a salient point about this woman’s disingenuous attack on MoveOn.org.
Naturally, when right-wingers are put on the defensive, their primary tactic is to switch to the offensive. It’s just a matter of waiting for the mouthpieces and spin doctors — the Frank Luntz Army — to put out the official RNC spin and talking points, and suddenly, everybody on the right has something to get all up in arms about that a Democrat or liberal did.
When Republicans start apologizing for USING our soldiers as props to get themselves elected, then maybe you’d have a point…
Isn’t there a precedent for this? Oh yeah — Dan Rather. Sue the bastards for $70 million then drag their Republican-apologist butts through the courts.
I’m waiting for MSNBC to get rid of Tucker and give David Shuster his own show.
monopoly AND conflict of interest. This country is owned by the corporation. Suddenly, all the ILLEGAL is LEGAL !
patthemonkey @ 18:
In your case, the government is actively taking steps to keep you unaware, so there is no reason to expect you to know. Meanwhile, Rep. Blackburn has the luxury of official notification from the Pentagon/DoD, AND a staff who should make sure all of the names of the fallen servicepeople from her district are readily available to her.
But again, the b.s. obfuscates THE WHOLE POINT!! The point Schuster was trying to make was a valid one- that she didn’t know the name of the last serviceperson from her district to lose his/her life in overseas!! So unless she said: “Nu-uh! It was so-and-so!”, it doesn’t matter WHO Schuster said it was!! The fact remains, SHE DIDN’T KNOW!!
The newsbusters response is exactly why this fox style tactic of calling someone out on not knowing a random fact was a stupid idea. The guy could have made a thousand other examples of how Blackburn is a tool/moron/ape/braindeadbuttleech of the conservative bullshit artists that are destroying everything that love about America.
By stooping to their level he allowed everyone to dismiss the important message. Like I said in the original thread we can’t give them a stone to step on in this argument because they will use any excuse to turn even the slightest underhanded move into the focus of the debate. Force them to face the issues, force everyone else to acknowledge their hypocrisy.
-Peace
Why is it that the people who have been correct about virtually everything for the last 6 years must apologize for every (correct)critique they make,yet those who have been wrong about everything get a free pass?When is the last time you heard a republican make a sincere apology about a remark they made?Is there anyone?
I would say there would be something to apologize for if she actually said a name and he said she was wrong. But the question was: What was the name of the last person from your district…? And she didn’t know. Whether it was poor Mr. Bohannon or someone before him doesn’t matter, she couldn’t name anyone.
I know it would be crossing networks, but, for the sake of “serious” journalism, couldn’t Katie Couric help?
Aw, did we kick the republicans in the c*nt? What a bunch of wussies. The MSM has to be sure not to make Bush and/or Boehner cry.
God I’m sick of hearing apologies from “liberal” reporters and politicians: Dick Durbin, Dan Rather, now Shuster — all of them eventually saying they shouldn’t have apologized. How about NOT APOLOGIZING IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!!!
Do we really think that she knows any of the names of the soldiers from her district who have been killed? Don’t let them change the focus! Shuster pwned her and she can’t stand it.
GET SHUSTER HIS OWN SHOW!!!!!
Do what I did. Write the Tucker show and request more of Shuster. FLOOD THE INBOX
Cancel your cable subscription. They’ll get the message.
Tucker Show“>
shuster. keep up the good work. sometimes you have to give up some ground to stay in the game. shuster knows what’s going on. he’s not going to all of the sudden turn into a dumbass.
Dan Abrams is a loser. Always trying to prove he’s “not a liberal”
STICK A FORK IN MARSHA BLACKBURN!
SHE’S DONE!
!
Marsha couldn’t remember because she was too busy getting her hair coiffed and dyed. She is a political tool. I’ll bet she cries a river over the lost sons and daughters! Keep asking the questions, David. Dan, I guess a general manager position gets paid too much by corporate America to care about the people of America or the truth!
Stirfry has it right. These crybaby conservatives always complain to the boss when they get their cards pulled. They’re nothing but punks.
hate2haggle @ 3:
Exactly. She could’ve have said any number of SPECIFIC things she does to console the bereaved in her district. Instead, she portrayed her true self, which is a cold calculating political player who cares more about national political battles than the people in her district. Shame on her and on Abrams. Why apologize to this stone cold ice queen.
You see this is the kind of shit national media is pulling on the American people and this is the kind of shit we need to be all over the FCC about. Truth
This was a moment in time for all to see exactly what the republican party is really all about with their so called trumped up support for our troops.
They don’t recall the names of any of them because they don’t mean a dame thing to any of them because none of their kids are going into that hell, which pisses me off to know end with the democratic party and their willingness to continue funding this blood bath that is soley owned, operated and controlled by the republican party.
I was so pissed at them this morning I wrote all of them to say the following:
”
Dear: All Democratic Congress/Senate Members,,
Democrats need to learn how to follow the instructions of their employer who are the American people who put them in office to get a specific job done, not what you want to do but what your employer tells you to do.
Now I know many of you are not used to that and neither are we used to guiding you, but nothing going on in today’s political arena is normal and that is all because many of you made a fatal error, by trusting George W Bush, which woke up the entire world.
Now if you want to get back to leading this country without intervention from what you all see as the little people that you make decisions for, then you need to start making decisions that make us feel comfortable about you and know that we don’t have to worry about what you are doing. We personally do not have time to supervise you. We have enough to deal with without this crap.
Right now is not the case when we have many of our trusted Democrats voting on issues, that actually disrespect and hurt the party on issues that we depend on them to do the right things. They just will not do it,and this is clearly wrong that you are doing exactly what Bush himself is doing to you buy totally disrespecting the constitution and the laws of this country.Well, so are you to us, and we are here to tell you in record numbers, that we are not going to stand for it. You work for us.
MoveOn, is an organization apprised of average American citizens and we are standing up to do the jobs that our employee’s refuse to do. We are not going to allow a President nor his hand picked Generals or anybody else stand up before the entire world and spew false information and Lie’s about something as serious as this illegal invasion of Iraq, that have murdered up to four thousand of our kids and over a million Innocent people of that country and you all have to be out of your minds if you think we will.and stop wasting time with trivial litigation that means nothing but is pissing off your employer and turning them against you, which will mean a whole lot of people not voting at all, which is a good thing for republicans and it plays right into their stinking hands.
It is not acceptable for ANY, democrat to vote wrongly on any important issue, especially as this disastrous, illegal invasion into Iraq,and especially knowing now what you ALL know, for the reasons that you are in a so called RED,state.
Like the troops that you so call support, you should be willing to sacrifice your political positions to save the lives of these young people , just as they are expected to do for their country. You are not doing the party any good when you vote against the very issues we all stand for and we just assume you were not in the job, because you are violating your oath of office.The very people that you are posturing for,are not going to vote for you anyhow and if you don’t know it, you should.
You know you all need to discontinue funding this illegal disaster in Iraq and you aught to know if you don’t, that American people do know that you can do it if you want to,and you do not need the sixty votes, you continue to falsely promote, as you have other avenues and yes it is a very difficult decision and it will take guts and the knowledge that you have the American people, (your employer), supporting your very difficult decision, all the way. It is not possible for you to do any more harm to the troops then you already have and you better believe that we have your backs, when you stand up straight and refuse to allow the right wing to ride it as you have.
In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, as he once said that a man can’t ride your back if it’s not bent and these are words of encouragement, that all of you need at this trying time.
You should all know that we are not in favor of any candidates running for the office of President especially , that are not willing to commit, to bringing ALL OF THE TROOPS HOME. We do not give a dame about this illegal EMBASSY, it belongs to the people of Iraq, like everything else we invaded in that country. They don’t want us there for obvious reasons and we need to pack up our troops and just get the hell out like they want and yes we need to provide them with the billions of dollars you all should be willing to vote against giving to Bush in this next presidential handout, because you can no longer justify giving him one more dime, other then enough to bring our kids home.
I know I have been really tough on all of you lately and it is because of my frustration and I intend to continue on with my rants, as long as I do not see progress in the party I dedicated my life to supporting and I do that because it can and should be a party that is dedicated to ALL the people, unlike the republicans who are solely for a selected group and they sealed that in the refusal to debate people of color and support issues that have clearly devastated our people in the last six plus years. They simply do not give a dame and neither do we about them and we can show them better then we can tell them.
Peace
StCyrlyMe
Old Billy @ 24:
Shuster was right to sandbag this windbag. We need journalists to question the motives of our political leaders. This was a simple question and he used it to give Blackburn an opportunity to show some sign of concern and fighting spirit for the people of her district. Shuster was fighting for the soldiers by reminding Blackburn that she’s supposed to be fighting for them, too, and not fighting for one political party in a time of war.
Does Blackburn have to apologize for being a clueless reich wing talking point reciting shill who undermines America?