Will this ever end?
Current and former White House aides on Thursday rejected demands by a conservative group that a Super PAC supporting President Obama refund a $1 million check from comedian and talk show host Bill Maher because of coarse comments he’s made about Sarah Palin and other Republican women. …
Carney said “language that denigrates women is inappropriate,” but it is not the President’s place to be the “arbiter” of every controversial statement.
“He chooses to lead by example or tries to,” Carney said of the president, adding that “he chooses to try to practice that civility himself and he calls on everybody to do just that.”
Earlier on Thursday, Penny Nance of Concerned Women for America sent a letter to White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew charging Maher is a “serially vile misogynist” because of a list of nasty comments directed at conservative women.
Nance noted that since Obama recently reversed his own opposition to Super PACs by giving his public blessing for Democrats to donate unlimited sums to Priorities USA Action, he should direct that the Maher contribution be rejected and tell top White House aides like David Plouffe to stop raising money for the group.
via Fox News.
Two odds things about the White House’s reaction to this:
- If the president wanted to “lead by example” then shouldn’t he give back the money? Or is Obama setting the example such that when someone goes on TV and calls women all the horrible things as Bill Maher has done, and then when that person donates $1 million to your Super PAC that you’re supposed to keep the money?
- Wouldn’t a far better response by to say that, “Well, the law says that there cannot be any coordination between the campaign and the Super PAC. As such, it’s not our decision — and would illegal for us to make such a decision — to return the money. So the next questions is, did Obama just admit to illegal coordination between his campaign and the super PAC?
via Faux news…no surprise.
While I have never really watched Maher- the comments I have seen brandied about by the republicans have been distasteful, innappropriate, and offensive. But none have come close to the vitriolic comments of Rush. It was not just two words (the only two he “apologized” for- his attach was much broader and included things such as telling her to videotape herself having sex and send it in. In over 40 years of life I can only think of two times I have ever seen such vitriolic comments on air- and both resulted in immediate firings and as far as I know ended their careers. (both related to MLK).
And as much as I hate to admit it- america does employ a double standard when it comes to established public figures. As much as we love to create idols- we love even more to tear them apart and watch them fall…
Really, you’re going w/ the side-mouthed ad hominem attack on Fox News? B/c what, you’re saying that the facts of the story are incorrect? Which facts? Maher didn’t give $1 million to the Obama Super PAC? Obama didn’t has his Press Secretary (the daily mouth of the President) say that Obama wanted to lead by example? What facts does Fox have wrong?
Of course, the story appears elsewhere, I just happened to pick it up at Fox. Other MSM outlets like: NY Daily News, Politico, ABC News, etc have run with the same story. That MSNBC seems to have it’s head stuck in the sand on this story is perhaps more telling than that Fox covered it.
As for the rest… when Rush calls someone a C&#^ on the air you let me know.
Because Faux news is making an issue where it doesn’t exist. Sorry, as distasteful and offensive as Mahers comments were – they dont come close to the attack Limbaugh unleashed.
But this has been the rights policy for years- misdirection. Attack the victims and make mountains out of mole hills to support your view.
So answer me this- how do YOU feel about the comments rush made?
Making an issue where one doesn’t exist? Other MSM news organizations also carried this story. Are they amplifying this story too? Or does only the White House and MSNBC get to decide what is news?
You’re missing the point in the Limbaugh vs. Maher comments; both are unacceptable. Liberals like to paint a large shade of grey instead of making bright line rules as to wrong and right. To take a term from Obama, let me be clear, both Limbaugh and Maher’s comments are beyond the pale and inappropriate. Further, wrong is wrong. There’s a line and they both crossed it.
However that is really off-topic. The real topic of the post was the reaction to the comments; how so few would chide Maher and so many are calling for Limbaugh’s head. That’s the first issues to deal with. The next question is then, Limbaugh has apologized — Maher has not, does that factor into the analysis and if so how.
Really? Limbaugh “apologized” for a “poor choice of words” related to only two words. He was completely unapologetic for the bulk of the attack- including tellering her to film herself having sex and submit it for everyone to watch. And of course- Limbaugh continued the attacks in the following hours and says- only “apologizing” once he started loosing advertisers.
And yes- both “Crossed a line”. But Limbaugh went much, much, much further across it. Even one of the last of the true conservatives- George Will- for whom conservatism is a philosophy and not a pathology has condemned both Limbaughs statements- and the republicans for being afraid of him.
Saying the same thing over and over doesn’t make you right. It makes you annoying. When your mind clears maybe you’ll be able to follow along. Until then you should stick with Cartoon Network.
Shall we look at just a couple of examples of the rights commentators making comments such as Mahers? And while again, all of their comments are distasteful, they do nor rise to the level of the sustained attack that Limbaugh made.
redstate,com Erik Erikson has called women’s rights activists Nazis, called Michelle Obama a “Marxist harpy wife,” said that President Obama only won his Nobel Peace Prize because of “affirmative action,” and called the U.S. Department of Education’s Safe Schools Czar “profoundly sick and immoral” beacause of his sexual orientation.has called former Supreme Court Justice David Souter a “goat f*cking child molester,” and has compared Democratic U.S. Senators to terrorist suicide bombers.
glen Beck
Beck on Hillary Clinton: “She’s the stereotypical bitch.”
Beck: “[I]f you’re an ugly woman, you’re probably a progressive as well.
Beck to female guest: “I’ve got some time and a camera. Why don’t you stop by?” Discussing the issue of racy photos of an american idol contestant)
Beck to colleague Erica Hill): “You are looking hot in leather”Beck went on to tell Hill, “I’m wearing leather pants right now” and “Oh, no, I’m not wearing pants.
“Beck on Gloria Steinem: “You self-centered, self-righteous, socialist, out-of-control, dangerous, man-hating bitch.
Beck: Rep. Kucinich’s wife might be under influence of “date rape drug” After calling Rep. Dennis Kucinich “Gollum,”
And many more. And we haven’t even touched on the racist comments since Obama was elected…