pimpin' out chelsea

so, did i miss the thread on here about this?

david shuster was suspended by msnbc for saying, "but doesn't it feel like chelsea's being pimped out in some weird sort of way?"

here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIxgw04Y0Fc

now, he did apologize:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClM3sC_EzN4&feature=user

but that doesn't seem to be enough:

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/02/hillary_to_nbc_fire_david_shus.php

my question is: was suspending shuster enough of a penalty or should they fire him?

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he insulted a clinton on national television for one, liv. gah! are you that dense?

i'll wait for pj to chime in. he spent much of the libby case curled up in shuster's lap purring contentedly.

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Papa isn't agreeing with Liverpool enough to show you the error of your ways?

liv and i agree on stuff all the time. we also vehemently disagree just about as often.

joe, should he be fired?

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it was a question about her activities on behalf of her mother's campaign look from the outside. specifically calling celebrities and superdelegates trying to win support for her mom.

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oh i don't know about that...

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Didn't Drunk 'n' Drunker campaign for their father the last couple times around? And I know the Romney boys were dancing at Splash with all tips going to Dad's campaign.

And why do people say Chelsea is unattractive? I'd hate to still be judged by what I looked like at 13.

Updated On: 2/9/08 at 07:50 PM

Freedom of speech does not give anyone the right to piss people off and not suffer consequences for doing it.

If you talk like a mean-spirited jerk, and make stupid comments, you might be treated accordingly and face whatever repercussions are deemed appropriate. That's the risk that is taken for shooting off your mouth.

I think he SHOULD be fired. Not for doing anything illegal... but for taking cheap shots at a powerful candidate's daughter. He has alienated his own media company from the Clinton campaign in an election year. That's bad business. He should be fired for a "bad business move." Happens all the time.

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timing is everything. this sure makes a more attractive story than talking about her losing the next five states...to some people.

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Certainly they are in the prime position of being legitimately upset, and able to benefit politically.
I think the comment was unfortunate and shouldn't have been used, especially considering the way that other people have acted in the case.
Yet I also think there is a double standard with Chelsea Clinton, in part because of the stupid and unfair criticism she had as a child. Many people still think of her as a 12 year old girl and treat her as such, instead of a capable, adult woman who makes her own decisions. I think that sense of dismissing her as a child is what Shuster was guilty of, and is also a problem with the response.

The analogy to the Bush Twins is interesting, they have been subject to extreme criticism, both fair and unfair, here and elsewhere, yet there is no where near the same outcry. And they have been called many things, from "drunks" in this thread, to "whores, sluts and bimbos".
Now maybe they are, but isn't a lack of outrage over that indicative that this is more than the cut and dry response many, particularly at kos and mydd are making it out to be.

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Joe, there is no dispute of that from me

Of course, Shuster's remarks actually have no meaning of prostitution attributed to Chelsea anyway.
It was an attempted slam at "using a child for political gain" which was of course nonsense since she is an adult.



On the "should he be fired" front, I think not. One irrational comment, in any line of work, should not be cause that, he has been suspended, and should have been. But the long term firing just seems like an extreme overreaction. He hurt the company, and suffered some retribution, I feel more goes too far.
I wouldn't be surprised if he were fired though.

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Updated On: 2/9/08 at 08:29 PM

there are links. they do go somewhere.

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Mamie, I simply disagree. These people are in fact also paid to make statements that make "news", they are pushed to say the outlandish things.
I think Chris Mathews and others have been particularly harsh on the Clintons and said stupid things, but most of these moralistic arguments are disingenuous.

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