Posts Tagged ‘obama administration’

I’d rather see him on Morning Joe myself:

The conservative blogger behind the controversial video that led to Shirley Sherrod’s forced resignation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture said the footage was released in order to highlight racist behavior in the NAACP, not to target the former government official.

“I feel bad that they made this about her,” Andrew Breitbart told NBC News on Wednesday. “You do see that she mentions a transformation and I’m sympathetic that they went after her and not the NAACP.”

I haven’t seen them play this clip today on Morning Joe but I’ve got a lot going on.

Memeorandum thread here.

But Melissa Harris Lacewell of the Nation is making some excellent points on Morning Joe.

She hits Breitbart, the administration and the NAACP but notes that it was the advocacy of the white farmers who were helped that turned this story around.

I also didn’t know Schrrot’s families history in the civil rights movement, Barnicle made an excellent point about how a person suddenly becomes famous but that’s a difference in culture.

Joe points out the actual timeline and defends Fox’s piece in the timeline, and Lacewell points out that she has more anger for the NAACP and the administration presumably because they should have known better.

Just before she was introduced Joe talked about “fringe elements on both sides” and coincidentally introduced her next. She joked saying I hope I’m not part of that fringe. Since she writes for the Nation, for me that would be the default assumption but her presentation was anything but fringe.

I like pleasant surprises like this.

Gibbs apologizes, that’s very significant, Even more significant as the NAACP and White house heads spin is this attempt by media matters at spin. This headline is the laugh of the day:

Will media fall for Breitbart’s attempt to spin his spectacular failure?

Let’s see, Whitehouse embarrassed, Media embarrassed, NAACP embarrassed double standards highlighted, the sudden need for “context” before charges are made.

The Bunker hill example is perfect. Media Matters better hope Breitbart doesn’t have any more spectacular failures like this or they will be out of business.

Memeorandum thread here.

The ultimate Irony, guess who is defending Shirley Sherrod, some guy named Williams. Funny old world isn’t it?

I was part of a spirited exchange on twitter last night with Dan Riehl and Josh Trevino I argued that we are obliged to act honorably saying:

Being right isn’t always in our control but acting honorable is.

So in that spirit lets take a long look at what happened here and who acted honorably and who did not. (more…)