Chelsea Remark Earns MSNBC Correspondent A Suspens

[dgriffin]

By Howard Kurtz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, February 9, 2008; Page C01

In case there was any doubt, using a prostitution metaphor for the daughter of a presidential candidate is not a good career move.

MSNBC suspended correspondent David Shuster yesterday for an undetermined period for making a disparaging on-air remark about Chelsea Clinton. Meanwhile, officials in her mother's campaign raised the possibility of punishing the news channel by boycotting future debates.

While filling in as a host Thursday, Shuster was discussing the 27-year-old's role in Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign with two guests when he asked: "Doesn't it seem as if Chelsea is sort of being pimped out in some weird sort of way?"

Howard Wolfson, the campaign's communications director, called Shuster's remark "disgusting," "beneath contempt" and "the kind of thing that should never be said on a national news network." Wolfson appeared to suggest that Clinton is reconsidering an agreement this week to participate in an MSNBC debate Feb. 26 in Cleveland, saying: "I at this point can't envision doing another debate on that network."

Shuster, who plays a prominent role in MSNBC's political coverage, told viewers last night that his words were "inappropriate. . . . I apologize to the Clinton family, the Clinton campaign, and all of you who were justifiably offended. . . . I am particularly sorry that my language diminished the regard and respect she has earned from all of us and the respect her parents have earned in how they raised her."
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What a way to get out of a debate.

[frankcor]

Any port in a stom. Even if it means you have to pimp out your kid.

[dgriffin]

Well, I guess to be fair we'd have to admit that politicians do so with their wives all the time. I wish I knew the context of "weird" in his statement, "...sort of being pimped out in some weird sort of way?" What weird sort of way?

[Swimmy]

What a crock! How disgusting has America become that the first amendment no longer means anything if it offends the wrong people. I know it happens locally all the time, e.g. the disgrace forums and los. But really. Only the liberals would be so quick to lash out at a comment like that. How ridiculous. Just goes to show you that hrc cares no more about the constitution than she does about bringing in those 200,000 jobs she promised us.

[frankcor]

I agree with you up to a point, swimmy, and I'm the last person to expect to propose argument against free speech. It's an unwritten code that the children of public figures should be left out of it. Even the most rabid Bush haters (Maureen Dowd and Clarence Page are two that come to mind) have refrained from dragging the Bush twins through their political meet grinders that pose as political commentary.

Of course, all bets are off up to and until the moment the child chooses to enter public life. The question at hand: have the Clinton's crossed that line by parading Chelsea around in the current campaign? Chelsea makes frequent appearances but I don't recall her making any speeches promoting her mom.

Having said that, are Chelsea, Jenna and Barbara hot or what?

[Swimmy]

hehe. If I knew I had even the slightest chance, I'd ask out Barbara or Jenna, whomever would say yes first, though I think Barbara is hotter. Chelsea doesn't cut it for me, she looks too much like hrc and i can't stand to look at her.

I understand the unwritten code. And for the children who do very little to seek the limelight, they should be left out. But when being paraded around to reach out to my generation to vote for satan...

[frankcor]

Well you still have a shot with Barbara. Jenna is engaged now.

Did you hear Bush's opening jokes at the Conservative convention this week? He said he finally found a job harder than being president; being the father of the bride. But then Barbara (his wife) told him "wait until you try father-in-law to the President."

[Swimmy]

hahahaha, no i didn't hear that. I think you mean Laura. Barbara Bush is George's mother or his daughter depending on which Barbara Bush you're talking about.

The key is whether I have an actual chance with her. I think the secret service would be knocking on my front door if I just sent her a letter saying that I'm a great guy and I want to go out with you. I have no other way of being able to actually introduce myself.

[frankcor]

LOL, yes, Laura. Jenna and Barbara were named after their grandmothers. I got my first ladies mixed up.

Enrolling at Yale would greatly improve your chances.

[Swimmy]

and having wealthy parents.

[dgriffin]

"Much ado," as the man said. These must be wonderful opportunities for the "offended candidate," like manna falling from heaven, to rally his or her own troops in righteous indignation. Certainly no one else cares and the opposition would always be derisive. So the political theory behind the reaction might be to use the occasion to pump up your own camp. Maybe?

[frankcor]

Dave, your remarks illustrate something that is becoming more and more prevalent in the public discourse: false indignation.

If one can't argue the point, they simply pound their fists and act indignant. Sean Hannity has built his entire career by compensating for a lack of intelligence with indignance.

[dgriffin]

Good example, "Old Whiney." When you're arguing with the cable or cell phone company about your bill and ask to speak to a manager, you are in fact put through to someone who is really not a manager but who knows how to argue well. By that time you're hot and although not abusive and the first tact they'll use is "don't talk to me that way, sir."

[Swimmy]

Yeah, SBC tried that with me once. After about 45 minutes, a technician was at my door and fixed the problem while I was still on the phone arguing. After I hung up the phone, the technician asked if it would teach them to never argue with a law student.

[dgriffin]

Swimmy, be careful that being an attorney doesn't short change the development of your arguing skills I told an attorney friend of mine the other day that she never learned how to properly conduct an argument with people because she frequently ended it prematurely with the threat of a suit.