Aw.
The California gubernatorial candidates met Tuesday night for a high-stakes final debate riddled with political cliches, like “high-stakes,” a maid eruption, degrading name-calling, and Tom Brokaw. Brokaw let Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman duke it out over budgets and unions for a good 40 minutes before delving into the headline-grabbing stories in the race. Brown [...]
When will California voters wake up, or is this state too far gone?
How exactly is NOW, any other female or any one who has been affected by breast cancer voting for this fool Jerry Brown. First Brown’s campaign called Republican rival Meg Whitman a “whore” and now Brown has stated that “mammograms are not effective.” NICE, I though Jerry Brown was pro-choice? How does NOW endorse a man who is against mammogram screening? Can you imagine the reaction from MOW and the MSM is a Republican made such comments? The liberal feminist hicocrissy continues.
You think the fact that October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month that maybe, maybe California voters might catch a clue? How does one make such a comment and actually have female votes or endorsements?
The comment about mammograms came during an episode of “Firing Line” in October 1995, when Brown was a guest on the William F. Buckley Jr. show. He sat alongside feminist and commentator Susan Estrich during a discussion about government regulations that dealt with the death of the Clinton administration health reform proposal.
Estrich discussed the component of the plan that had dealt with mammograms. “Can we get off of mammograms?” Brown interjected. “I mean, first of all, if you read the Lancet Magazine in July, there’s no statistical evidence that mammograms help anyone at any age. “So it’s July 1995, Lancet Magazine. Okay? It’s there. Now I don’t want to argue that case,” he added, as Estrich started to object. “ I just want to throw it out there.”
This is the man that the National Organization of Woman is endorsing? A man who has stated in the past that mamograms are ineffective. Moonbeam Brown did not even want to allow the option for women to have one.
Former Delaware Gov. Pete du Pont interrupted, “But you ought to have the option — if you think they’re going to help you, if you think they’re going to help you, you ought to have the option of having one.”
Brown replied, “Ten thousand women, three women will be saved for one year.”
So you think that this is only about a comment made 15 years ago, do you? When Brown’s campaign was asked about how he feels about mammograms now, his spokesman said the following. Death panels, indeed. Also, there gets to be no excuses from Brown’s campaign that the comment is 15 years old. Aptly stated by the Left Coast Liberal, it was perfectly fine for Democrats to pull up video 20+ years old of DE GOP Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell. Live by the sword …
Asked if he believes in mammography, Clifford said, “He believes in people not getting cancer, has not followed developments in the effectiveness of various specific cancer screenings.”
WHAT! As No Quarter stated, will California voters ever wake up and realize that “Moonbeam” Brown has no chance of saving the states from its pending financial bankruptcy? Let alone, Brown hardly seems user friendly to woman and breast cancer screening. Meg Whitman, pro-choice might I add, actually has a business background and an understanding of how to get California out of its financial perils.
It is unreal how a state could be so screwed up as to elect Jerry Brown to right the ship. Unreal indeed.
Maggie Haberman reports that Republicans are dredging up Jerry Brown’s 15-year old skepticism of mammograms (echoed, its worth noting, in recent government policy), and Brown’s spokesman offers this, well, sterling response:
Asked for comment, Brown spokesman Sterling Clifford said, “That is indeed what (the Lancet story) says. The debate about the effectiveness of various cancer screenings has been going on for years.”
He added, ‘Fifteen years ago, as a radio host, Jerry participated in discussions about it. He never said, don’t get screened for cancer, he never said the government shouldn’t pay for cancer screening. And while this clip is about mammograms specifically, he also talked about prostate cancer screening at times, so trying to make this a gender issue is a bit silly. Jerry Brown opposes cancer in all cases.”
Asked if he believes in mammography, Clifford said, “He believes in people not getting cancer, has not followed developments in the effectiveness of various specific cancer screenings.”
The comment about mammograms came during an episode of “Firing Line” in October 1995, when Brown was a guest on the William F. Buckley Jr. show. He sat alongside feminist and commentator Susan Estrich during a discussion about government regulations that dealt with the death of the Clinton administration health reform proposal.
Estrich discussed the component of the plan that had dealt with mammograms. “Can we get off of mammograms?” Brown interjected. “I mean, first of all, if you read the Lancet Magazine in July, there’s no statistical evidence that mammograms help anyone at any age. “So it’s July 1995, Lancet Magazine. Okay? It’s there. Now I don’t want to argue that case,” he added, as Estrich started to object. “ I just want to throw it out there.”
Former Delaware Gov. Pete du Pont interrupted, “But you ought to have the option — if you think they’re going to help you, if you think they’re going to help you, you ought to have the option of having one.”
Brown replied, “Ten thousand women, three women will be saved for one year.”
Frankly he is correct, there are questions regarding the effectiveness of mammograms because they generate false positives. The argument that Lancelot was making was when you include the cost of unnecessary biopsies, mammograms are more costly than they seem. But then again that is the problem with government health care, they look at the cost of keeping someone alive, the rest of us look as a life as something so precious it is priceless.
By agreeing with the Lancelot article, Jerry Brown Champion of NOW, is showing the lack of compassion he will have for human life should he be elected governor.
Asked for comment, Brown spokesman Sterling Clifford said, “That is indeed what (the Lancet story) says. The debate about the effectiveness of various cancer screenings has been going on for years.”
He added, ‘Fifteen years ago, as a radio host, Jerry participated in discussions about it. He never said, don’t get screened for cancer, he never said the government shouldn’t pay for cancer screening. And while this clip is about mammograms specifically, he also talked about prostate cancer screening at times, so trying to make this a gender issue is a bit silly. Jerry Brown opposes cancer in all cases.”
Asked if he believes in mammography, Clifford said, “He believes in people not getting cancer, has not followed developments in the effectiveness of various specific cancer screenings.”
In other words his opinions haven’t changed. Way to go NOW, you just endorsed a guy who doesn’t think mammograms should be covered by insurance.
After ignoring on Friday morning the story of California Republican gubernatorial nominee Meg Whitman being called a "whore" by an aide for her opponent, Democrat Jerry Brown, CBS started to catch up on the story – but also buried it somewhat – on the same day’s CBS Evening News and again on Saturday morning’s The Early Show. While ABC’s World News and the NBC Nightly News both devoted full reports to the controversy – about one-and-a-half to two minutes in duration – on Friday, the CBS Evening News only gave the story 40 seconds, waiting until 18 minutes into the show – right after a full story was devoted to the Harry Reid/Sharron Angle race in Nevada. The reports on ABC and NBC had started about six to seven minutes into each show.
Saturday’s The Early Show gave 28 seconds to the Brown/Whitman story within a report filed by CBS correspondent Whit Johnson which also dealt with Democratic efforts to defend their congressional majority from Republicans.
NBC overall gave the story the most attention, including full reports on the Today show on both Friday and Saturday, and on Friday’s NBC Nightly News. ABC covered the story on Friday’s Good Morning America and on the same day’s World News. More details on Friday morning coverage of the story on ABC and NBC can be found here.
Below are transcripts of the relevant stories from Friday’s World News on ABC, the CBS Evening News, and the NBC Nightly News; followed by Saturday’s The Early Show on CBS and Saturday’s Today show on NBC:
#From the Friday, October 8, World News on ABC:
6:36 p.m. 1 minute 30 seconds in duration
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: In other political news, another twist in the tight race for California governor. For days, Republican Meg Whitman has been on the hot seat over an illegal immigrant housekeeper. Now it’s Democrat Jerry Brown’s turn, thanks to an aide using a word that shouldn’t have been used and wasn’t meant to be heard. David Wright has the story.
JERRY BROWN, CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC GUBERNATORIAL NOMINEE: Hey, Scott, give me a call, Jerry Brown, love to talk to you.
DAVID WRIGHT: The latest bomb shell in the California governor’s race came from a voice mail message that kept recording after Democrat Jerry Brown thought he hung up. He was seeking a union endorsement but got word the union was about to back his opponent.
BROWN AUDIO: Do we want to put an ad out?
WRIGHT: At that point, a second voice chimes in with a harsh word about Republican Meg Whitman.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE VOICE: She’s a whore.
ANDREA JONES RIVERA, MEG WHITMAN CAMPAIGN: These are offensive comments that have no place in any conversation at any office – worst of all, in the middle of a gubernatorial campaign.
WRIGHT: The Brown campaign has apologized for the salty language.
BROWN AT DEBATE: This is a question of talking out of both sides of your mouth.
WRIGHT: At their most recent debate, Brown called Whitman a hypocrite for employing an illegal immigrant as a nanny for nine years. Whitman called Brown a bully.
MEG WHITMAN, CALIFORNIA REPUBLICAN GUBERNATORIAL NOMINEE: It was a political stunt-
WRIGHT: On the air waves-
CLIP OF AD: Whitman was caught reaping millions from insider stock deals.
WRIGHT -the two candidates have traded endless barbs – $ 140 Million spent on ads, including $ 120 million from Whitman’s own pocket, a new record. This campaign seems to be bringing out the worst in these two candidates. David Wright, ABC News, Oakland.
#From the Friday, October 8, CBS Evening News :
6:48 p.m. duration 40 seconds
MAGGIE RODRIGUEZ: Twenty-five days now until the midterm elections, and in the battle for control of the Senate, we’re following the critical contests that will decide it. The Republicans need a net gain of 10 seats to retake the Senate. The latest analysis by our CBS News election team finds 12 seats now held by Democrats are at risk. That includes the seat held by the top Democrat, Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada. Ben Tracy reports that Reid is fighting for his political life in a race that’s down, dirty, and, oh, so close.
UNIDENTIFIED NARRATOR IN AD: Introducing Sharron Angle’s crazy juice!
BEN TRACY: In Nevada, it’s become a race to the bottom.
UNIDENTIFIED NARRATOR IN AD: Harry Reid, the best friend illegals have ever had.
TRACY: In a new ad, Tea Party favorite Sharron Angle says Senator Harry Reid even supports child molesters.
UNIDENTIFIED NARRATOR IN AD: Reid actually voted to use taxpayer dollars to pay for Viagra for convicted child molesters and sex offenders.
TRACY: Reid calls Angle a pathological liar.
UNIDENTIFIED NARRATOR IN AD: More crazy talk and outright lies.
TRACY: For the Tea Party, this is the biggest Senate race in the country.
JOHN DICKERSON, CBS NEWS POLITICAL ANALYST: It would show not only that they have influence, but that they have enough influence to knock off the most powerful Democrat in the Senate.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE PROTESTER: Save America!
TRACY: Tea Party groups have rallied in Reid’s hometown and have now spent more than $ 1 million, mostly on TV ads. Yet Harry Reid has another tough opponent, the economy. The unemployment rate here in Nevada is the highest in the nation, and the foreclosure rate is worse here than anywhere else. That’s made Reid deeply unpopular and an easy target for Republicans. And yet Sharron Angle’s own words could be keeping Reid alive. She suggested Americans may need to bear arms against the government, and that Islamic law is being set up in some U.S. cities, calling it "a militant terrorist situation."
BILLY VASSILIADIS, ADVISER TO SENATOR REID: She’s not of this planet, and it would be embarrassing to the state for her to be our U.S. Senator.
TRACY: Even some Republicans worry. On Thursday, a top party leader in Nevada reluctantly endorsed Reid, citing Angle’s calls for privatizing Social Security and Medicare, calling that extreme. But her supporters say she has the momentum. Do you think if you had a more moderate candidate, you’d be doing a lot better?
ROGER STOCKTON, WESTHAM REPRESENTATION PAC: I don’t think so. If the Dalai Lama ran against Harry Reid, he’d be attacking him for his choice of clothing or for hanging out with too many bald people.
TRACY: The bottom line is that a surprisingly high number of voters in Nevada dislike both candidates, and a whopping 10 percent plan to vote none of the above, which makes this dog fight in the desert still a tossup. Ben Tracy, CBS News, Las Vegas. 40 seconds at 6:48
RODRIGUEZ: In another hotly contested race, some nasty language was caught on tape, and that’s tonight’s campaign 2010 hot sheet. In the California governor’s race, Democrat Jerry Brown and an aide were caught on voice mail blasting Republican Meg Whitman, accusing her of cutting a secret deal with a police union. A warning, the language is graphic.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE VOICE #1: What about saying she’s a whore?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE VOICE #2: That’s good.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE VOICE #1: Whore.
VOICE OF JERRY BROWN: Well, I’m going to use that.
RODRIGUEZ: It’s not clear who spoke the offensive word, but the Brown campaign apologized to Whitman and anyone else who may have been offended. A Whitman spokesman said the language was an insult to the women of California.
#From the Friday, October 8, NBC Nightly News :
7:07 p.m. 2 minutes 10 seconds in duration
BRIAN WILLIAMS: And now to the governor’s race here in California. It has been a rough one by any standard, but it’s now hit a new low thanks to a piece of audio recorded on a voice mail that was not supposed to be for public consumption. Our report tonight from NBC’s Lee Cowan.
LEE COWAN: As campaign calls go, the one Jerry Brown made to the offices of a Los Angeles police union last month sounded pretty routine.
JERRY BROWN AUDIO: Hey, Scott, give me a call, Jerry Brown, love to talk to you.
COWAN: Brown left a voice mail, but when he hung up-
BROWN AUDIO: Your support means a lot to me Thanks.
COWAN: -the call didn’t disconnect. What was then captured was an impromptu strategy session, the sausage making of political campaigns. And much like sausage making, it wasn’t pretty. On the call, Brown sounded frustrated. He mused that he had lost the police union’s support because he’d threatened to cut public safety pensions, while his opponent Meg Whitman promised something different.
BROWN AUDIO: Do we want to put an ad out? That I have been warned if I crack down on pensions, I will be, that they’ll go to Whitman, and that’s where they’ll go because they know Whitman will give ‘em, will cut them a deal, but I won’t?
COWAN: Suddenly, what appears to be a second voice is heard.
BROWN AUDIO: What about saying that-
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE AUDIO: She’s a whore! Whore!
BROWN AUDIO: Well, I’m going to use that. It proves you’ve cut a secret deal to protect the pensions.
COWAN: Whitman, anxious to divert headlines from her undocumented housekeeper troubles, responded almost immediately. "The use of the term ‘whore’ is an insult," the statement read. "This is an appalling and unforgivable smear." Brown’s campaign insists he was responding to the notion of Whitman cutting a deal, not the idea of name-calling, but admitted, "At times our language was salty. We apologize to Ms. Whitman and anyone who may have been offended." Still, the Whitman campaign says this isn’t the end of it. The two are scheduled to face-off for their third and final debate next week, where the less than endearing term is sure to be brought up again. Lee Cowan, NBC News, Los Angeles.
#From the Saturday, October 9, The Early Show on CBS:
REBECCA JARVIS: Midterm election campaigns are entering the homestretch, and the White House is putting out its biggest stars with the hopes of saving some Democratic candidates trailing in the polls. And, as November looms, a new strategy is emerging. CBS News correspondent Whit Johnson is at the White House this morning and more with the story. Good morning, Whit.
WHIT JOHNSON: Rebecca, good morning. Tomorrow President Obama and Vice President Biden head to Philadelphia for another big rally. The White House is hoping to reignite and reenergize the Democratic base – and they’re doing it by calling out some familiar names.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: In this Senate race, two groups funded and advised by Karl Rove have outspent the Democratic Party 2 to 1.
JOHNSON: In Illinois this week, President Obama used Karl Rove as Democratic bait, the latest strategy to get voters fired up over millions of dollars of political ads paid for by special interests.
CLIP OF AD: Friends don’t let friends vote Alexi.
JOHNSON: Meanwhile, Republicans are staying on message calling the upcoming election a referendum on President Obama.
JOHN BOEHNER, HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: As Americans, we have to decide, do we want another two years of job-killing policies coming out of Washington? Or have we had enough?
JOHNSON: As party leaders refine their agendas, some statewide races are getting nastier by the day. The California governor’s race, a recorded conversation between Democrat Jerry Brown and his staff has added fuel to an already hostile contest.
JERRY BROWN, CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC GUBERNATORIAL NOMINEE, IN AUDIO: They know Whitman will give ‘em will cut them a deal but I won’t. But she will probably believe it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE VOICE: What about saying that she’s a whore?
JOHNSON: The Brown campaign apologized for the incident, but a spokesperson for Meg Whitman called it appalling and unforgiveable. The President and Vice President have been on the campaign trail for weeks stumping for various candidates, but next week, for the first time this election year, Michelle Obama, the First Lady will hit the road for a number of endorsements and fund-raisers across the country. Rebecca?
JARVIS: And, Whit, last night on his program Bill Maher did another thing putting himself into this debate. He posted a photo of an Ohio politician – you see it there on your screen – posing in SS uniform. How’s it going to, Whit, impact elections there?
JOHNSON: Well, Rebecca, that’s Rich Iott, Republican and Tea Party favorite. At ths point, all indications are the race is gong to go to the Democrat anyway, but he did defend himself to the Atlantic, saying that this was not a Halloween costume, this was simply a World War II Nazi reenactment group he used to be a part of. He does not subscribe to the tenants of Nazism. He says he is simply fascinated with the history of Nazi Germany, but certainly not something he wants to talking about this close to the election.
#From the Saturday, October 9, 2010, Today show:
LESTER HOLT: Now, to California’s bruising gubernatorial race, and the already ugly campaign may have reached a new low. NBC’s Lee Cowan reports.
LEE COWAN: As campaign calls go, the one Jerry Brown made to the offices of a Los Angeles police union last month sounded pretty routine.
JERRY BROWN AUDIO: Hey, Scott, give me a call, Jerry Brown, love to talk to you.
COWAN: Brown left a voice mail, but when he hung up-
BROWN AUDIO: Your support means a lot to me Thanks.
COWAN: -the call didn’t disconnect. What was then captured was an impromptu strategy session, the sausage making of political campaigns. And much like sausage making, it wasn’t pretty. On the call, Brown sounded frustrated. He mused that he had lost the police union’s support because he’d threatened to cut public safety pensions, while his opponent Meg Whitman promised something different.
BROWN AUDIO: Do we want to put an ad out? That I have been warned if I crack down on pensions, I will be, that they’ll go to Whitman, and that’s where they’ll go because they know Whitman will give ‘em, will cut them a deal, but I won’t?
COWAN: Suddenly, what appears to be a second voice is heard.
BROWN AUDIO: What about saying that-
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE AUDIO: She’s a whore! Whore!
BROWN AUDIO: Well, I’m going to use that. It proves you’ve cut a secret deal to protect the pensions.
COWAN: Whitman, anxious to divert headlines from her undocumented housekeeper troubles, responded almost immediately. "The use of the term ‘whore’ is an insult," the statement read. "This is an appalling and unforgivable smear." Brown’s campaign insists he was responding to the notion of Whitman cutting a deal, not the idea of name-calling, but admitted, "At times our language was salty. We apologize to Ms. Whitman and anyone who may have been offended." Still, the Whitman campaign says this isn’t the end of it. The two are scheduled to face off for their third and final debate next week, where the less than endearing term is sure to be brought up again. For Today, Lee Cowan, NBC News, Los Angeles.
NOW endorses Jerry Brown, what does the “W” in NOW actually stand for?
Remember just the other day after the Jerry Brown campaign was caught on a telephone recorder calling Republican California Governor candidate Meg Whitman a whore, we asked where was NOW and what would they say?
Well NOW has now spoken and the hypocrisy is simply disgusting.
As reported in the LA Times, one day after Jerry Brown’s campaign was caught calling rival Meg Whitman a whore, NOW endorsed Democrat Jerry Brown. That is correct, one day after his campaign uses a term like “whore” in reference to a female candidate, Brown gets the NOW endorsement. UNREAL. Actually, it is all too predictable for the Libs at NOW. As stated at Michelle Malkin.com, it’s not like NOW was ever going to endorse a Republican woman.
Jerry Brown announced he has received the endorsement of the National Organization for Women, less than 24 hours after the emergence of a recorded message in which Brown can be heard in a conversation with advisors in which someone calls Whitman a “whore.” Coincidence? You be the judge.
Whitman’s campaign pounced after the audio was made public, sending out a release Thursday night from spokeswoman Sarah Pompei calling the use of the term “an insult to both Meg Whitman and to the women of California. This is an appalling and unforgivable smear against Meg Whitman. At the very least Mr. Brown tacitly approved this despicable slur and he himself may have used the term at least once on this recording.”
As if on cue, Brown’s campaign Friday released the endorsement from NOW championing Brown’s record on women’s rights. “As Governor, Mayor, and Attorney General, Jerry Brown has promoted and defended women’s rights,” said California NOW President Patty Bellasalma.
“Jerry stands for fairness and equality and never ever backs down. We have every confidence that he will do the same as California’s next governor.”
I second the motion from Weasel Zippers, can you imagine, just imagine what would have happened if a Republican male candidate called a Democrat broad a whore?
The National Organization for Women endorses California Governor hopeful Jerry Brown the day following his campaign calls his opponent, Republican Meg Whitman a whore.
Perfect. At least we can be clear about who NOW works for. Hint: It’s not women.
“Meg Whitman is a pro-choice woman who was ranked among the world’s most accomplished women in business,” said Whitman campaign manager Jillian Hasner. “She’s now running to become the first woman governor in California’s history, and on the same day that it’s reported Jerry Brown’s campaign called her a ‘whore,’ the National Organization [for] Women endorses him. It’s official: NOW is a partisan organization.”
“It’s not surprising they would manufacture some excuse about why they didn’t get NOW’s endorsement” said Brown spokesman Sterling Clifford.
Clifford dismissed suggestions there was any connection between the timing of the endorsement and the audio tape saying, “there’s mo endorsement process that can be done in a day. ”
William Jacobson notes that women weren’t the only ones insulted by Brown.
Ed Morrissey asks, “In all seriousness, what does it take for a Democrat to lose an endorsement from the National Organization of Women?” Well, if NOW attacked Monica Lewinsky an intern, abused and predated on by the leader of the free world, they kinda have exposed themselves as not being a pro-woman group.
More from Lori Ziganto.
And, of course, the media is biased.
As an aside: The National Organization for Women does realize that Meg Whitman is a pro-choice feminist who ran a Fortune 500 company and blazed trails for women. That is what the National Organization claims to be about, right?
What a bunch of irrelevant harpies. Good to see them latch onto a misogynist 60s hippie. They deserve each other.
**Written by Doug Powers
And ironically that effect was to speed up the announcement of the National Organization for Women’s endorsement of Jerry Brown:
Jerry Brown announced he has received the endorsement of the National Organization for Women, less than 24 hours after the emergence of a recorded message in which Brown can be heard in a conversation with advisors in which someone calls Whitman a “whore.”
And the “Duh of the Day” from Whitman’s campaign manager:
“Meg Whitman is a pro-choice woman who was ranked among the world’s most accomplished women in business,” said Whitman campaign manager Jillian Hasner. “She’s now running to become the first woman governor in California’s history, and on the same day that it’s reported Jerry Brown’s campaign called her a ‘whore,’ the National Organization [for] Women endorses him. It’s official: NOW is a partisan organization.”
That wasn’t previously apparent. It’s all about politics — liberal politics. NOW even supported Bill Clinton in spite of his history of treating women like toy fire hydrants in the horndog kennel. In the ultimate slap, NOW later endorsed Barack Obama over Bill Clinton’s wife (maybe “what ‘strong’ woman would have put up with all that s*#t?” was part of the line of reasoning there).
Meg Whitman’s campaign should wear NOW’s non-endorsement as a badge of honor instead of trying to list reasons they should have received their endorsement. “Hey, we’re for abortion too” isn’t an acceptable rebuttal, but I’m not from California, so maybe it makes more sense out there.
**Written by Doug Powers
Twitter @ThePowersThatBe
A funny thing happened over at MSNBC today as they “reported” on the “Whoregate” controversy in the Jerry Brown gubernatorial campaign.
Dylan Ratigan relayed the cursory details of the voice mail that inadvertently recorded a conversation between Democratic candidate Jerry Brown and his aides. But, when playing the audio back for their viewers, they *bleeped* out the word “whore.” On the accompanying graphic, they merely show “”w—-” with the title “Name Calling?” (why the question mark?).
Suddenly, NBC treats the word “whore” as so offensive that they can’t repeat it on their cable news network? Is this the same network that let’s Keith Olbermann’s misogyny sneak through when he called Michelle Malkin a “mashed up bag of meat with lipstick”?
Ratigan then continues his “report” by repeating the Brown campaign’s talking point that what was recorded was merely “salty language.”
The clear intent here by MSNBC is to try to lessen the impact of the Liberal-Democrat Brown and his aides referring to a female as a “whore.” By bleeping out the word “whore” and merely writing the slur off as “salty language” they are attempting to make the story appear as merely an embarrassment for Brown rather than an example of his crude views toward both women and his political opponents.
MSNBC knows that Brown won’t lose votes for using “salty language” but a story about he and his team showing blatant and offensive disrespect toward Whitman as a woman instead of merely a Republican could significantly erode his support with moderate female voters (a group he whose support he desperately needs if he hopes to win).
Why NBC has suddenly decided that the word “whore” is not worthy for broadcast is curious. ABC allowed the word on Good Morning America, and both CNN and Fox News also used the word “whore” without bleeping it out as they covered this story all day today. And earlier in the morning, the word was used during a discussion on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. Has there been a directive from execs at MSNBC to bleep out the word as the news cycle moves into prime time this evening?
We’ll keep an ear out and let you know.
A funny thing happened over at MSNBC today as they “reported” on the “Whoregate” controversy in the Jerry Brown gubernatorial campaign.
Dylan Ratigan relayed the cursory details of the voice mail that inadvertently recorded a conversation between Democratic candidate Jerry Brown and his aides. But, when playing the audio back for their viewers, they *bleeped* out the word “whore.” On the accompanying graphic, they merely show “”w—-” with the title “Name Calling?” (why the question mark?).
Suddenly, NBC treats the word “whore” as so offensive that they can’t repeat it on their cable news network? Is this the same network that let’s Keith Olbermann’s misogyny sneak through when he called Michelle Malkin a “mashed up bag of meat with lipstick”?
Ratigan then continues his “report” by repeating the Brown campaign’s talking point that what was recorded was merely “salty language.”
The clear intent here by MSNBC is to try to lessen the impact of the Liberal-Democrat Brown and his aides referring to a female as a “whore.” By bleeping out the word “whore” and merely writing the slur off as “salty language” they are attempting to make the story appear as merely an embarrassment for Brown rather than an example of his crude views toward both women and his political opponents.
MSNBC knows that Brown won’t lose votes for using “salty language” but a story about he and his team showing blatant and offensive disrespect toward Whitman as a woman instead of merely a Republican could significantly erode his support with moderate female voters (a group he whose support he desperately needs if he hopes to win).
Why NBC has suddenly decided that the word “whore” is not worthy for broadcast is curious. ABC allowed the word on Good Morning America, and both CNN and Fox News also used the word “whore” without bleeping it out as they covered this story all day today. And earlier in the morning, the word was used during a discussion on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. Has there been a directive from execs at MSNBC to bleep out the word as the news cycle moves into prime time this evening?
We’ll keep an ear out and let you know.
