Olbermann Watch - MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann: Clinton Campign Slams Shuster as "poster child for everything wrong with tv journalism"

Olbermann Watch, "persecuting" Keith since 2004

February 9, 2008

Clinton Campign Slams Shuster as "poster child for everything wrong with tv journalism"

--Original Message-----
?From: Philippe Reines
To: David Shuster
Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2008 7:14 p.m.

??David - how hard is it for someone, anyone, in the vast MS/NBC universe to contact any one of us at the campaign for comment about Chelsea before going on air and saying that she is being "pimped out" ? It's absurdly offensive. And what the hell does that even mean?

I just don't get MSNBC - does GE not allow you to make toll calls? What's the problem.

??Philippe Reines
Press Secretary
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton

FULL EXCHANGE after the bump...

????-----Original Message-----

From: David Shuster
To: Philippe Reines
?Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2008 8:51 p.m.

Nice to hear from you, philippe. ??It is a fact that chelsea has made calls to superdelegates, as your campaign colleagues have acknowledged. It is also a fact that the campaign has reacted quite harshly to any media who have sought to interview chelsea. That was the point. By slamming any reporter who seeks to chat with chelsea while simultaneously having chelsea do campaign tasks such as trying to convince super delegates to support her mom, that's the reference. ??Chelsea is polite and does a fine job of saying "I don't want to talk.". But for campaign staff to then jump down the throat of a reporter who seeks to talk to chelsea...that's an issue. ?

?-------------------------- ?Sent using BlackBerry ???

?-----Original Message-----

?From: Philippe Reines
?To: David Shuster
?Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2008 9:00 p.m.

??Since you guys asked for the transcript - here specifically is what David said on air: ??

SHUSTER: "But doesn't it seem like she's being--but doesn't it seem as if Chelsea is sort of being pimped out in some weird sort of way?" ??I have a hunch that such offensive and unacceptable language was never used on MSNBC's air about Karenna Gore, the Bush twins, Venessa & Alex Kerry, Kate Edwards, the Romney sons - or any other adult offspring who chose to campaign on behalf of a parent.

Philippe Reines
Press Secretary
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton

???-----Original Message-----

?From: Philippe Reines
?To: David Shuster
?Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2008 9:16: p.m. ?

?David - I want to make sure I'm crystal clear here - you're saying that because she doesn't grant interviews and makes calls on behalf of her mother, you are right to say that she is being pimped out? ??I don't need to read a the whole transcript for context, you were way out of line. Nobody's jumping down your throat about asking for an interview or talking about calls she made. And you know it. ??There is simply no excuse for being so offensive.

By actually rationalizing your behavior rather than accepting responsibility and apologizing, you become the poster child for everything wrong with tv journalism, and it's a shame your NBC colleagues have to be associated with this shit. ???

Philippe Reines
Press Secretary
?Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton

?-----Original Message-----

?From: David Shuster
?To: Philippe Reines
Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2008 9:29 p.m.

??No. That's not what I'm saying. And if you bothered to look at the transcript and saw all of the glowing things I said about chelsea and the way she was raised, you would know that. ??The issue is not her making calls. As + said on the air, I have no problems with that what so ever. The issue is not her refusing interviews. The issue is that the campaign has come down hard on reporters who merely sought to ask chelsea questions. You can't have it both ways. Reporters have long respected the clintons desire that we avoid chelsea and let her have her space. But to get angry at reporters seeking to talk to her now is patently unfair. And you know that. ?

?-------------------------- ?Sent using BlackBerry ????

-----Original Message-----

?From: Philippe Reines
?To: David Shuster
?Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2008 9:49 p.m.

??I think we've each said what we have to say on this matter. Based on this email exchange, we're assuming two things:

1) You are not disputing that you said on air: "But doesn't it seem like she's being--but doesn't it seem as if Chelsea is sort of being pimped out in some weird sort of way?"

??2) You have no intention of apologizing for the above.

Philippe Reines
Press Secretary
?Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton

Posted by Robert Cox | Permalink | Comments (10) | | View blog reactions

10 Comments

By Puck on February 9, 2008 2:39 PM

Robert, does this reflect upon the mind of one person. Or the mindset of a 'Good Old Boys Club' at MSNBC?

It will be interesting two weeks from now when he returns. How do you contain someone who has way too much sugar in his diet?

I know this saying is as old as the hills, but. This is what happens when you let the imates run the asylum.

Great scoop on the e-mails.

This is just more proof that not just Olby, (But he helps) but MSNBC as a whole is just one step closer to being sold off and turned into another 'Home Shopping Channel.

Somewhere I bet, Chris Jansing is saying. "Thank God I'm Out Of There!'

By news you can use on February 9, 2008 3:04 PM

MSNBC seems to have a pattern of anchors using the word "pimping"....Keith used "pimping" to describe Gen. Petraeus (from American Thinker):

Extreme Mortman reminds us that Shuster's colleague at MSNBC, Keith Olbermann, used the term to describe General Petraeus' supporter, President Bush:

Keith Olbermann, 9/20/07: "And in pimping General David Petraeus and in the violation of everything this country has been assiduously and vigilantly against for 220 years, you have tried to blur the gleaming radioactive demarcation between the military and the political, and to portray your party as the one associated with the military, and your opponents as the ones somehow antithetical to it."

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2008/02/post_77.html

By news you can use on February 9, 2008 3:15 PM

From CBS afflicate KX-TV in North Dakota:

How better to distract from Barack Obama’s rising star than to focus the nation’s attention on poor, helpless Chelsea being called a hooker by some reporter?

Update: Will MSNBC now being suspending Keith Olbermann for this comment made back in September of last year?

And in pimping General David Petraeus and in the violation of everything this country has been assiduously and vigilantly against for 220 years, you have tried to blur the gleaming radioactive demarcation between the military and the political, and to portray your party as the one associated with the military, and your opponents as the ones somehow antithetical to it.

If the suggestion of Bill and Hillary “pimping” their daughter is worthy of a suspension, what about the suggestion of our President “pimping” a four-star General?

Aren’t double standards fun?

http://www.kxmc.com/News/Nation/207544.asp

By Anonymous on February 9, 2008 4:02 PM

Bathman's sidekick really stepped in it this time, didn't he? Olby and Matthews have deserved to be fired or suspended many times for their ignorant hate speech and profanity. The left wing has given them a pass until now. This is what happens when you mess with The Clinton Mafia. They will have their revenge.

I wonder if Bathman and Monkeyman will learn a lesson from this or if they will carry on as per normal with their slanted insults. Will a network memo follow? I hope Bob gets his hands on that message as well.

By Steve on February 9, 2008 4:26 PM

Olbermann and his smart aleck producers at MSNBC have been on the cutting edge, so to speak, of this type of snark (or whatever you wish to call it). To be sure, Matthews has contributed his quota as well. It's in the water.

The suits over at MSNBC have allowed this act to go on way too long.

I've said it a dozen times, it's only a matter of time before Olbermann gets his uppance.
I didn't think Shuster would go first.

As they say, more to follow......

By Anonymous on February 9, 2008 4:44 PM

Bill Press was just on Fox Live. He said Slippery is a "damned good reporter" and "religiously fair". LOLOLOLOLOL. OK, Press: How much is NBC paying you to troll around the cable news nets and do their dirtywork by spinning Pimpgate in their favor? If that isn't the case, then you certainly are a shrieking moonbat. What a loon!

By news you can use on February 9, 2008 5:11 PM

Bill Press "Pimping" for Shuster at Huffington Post:

"Did his question merit suspension? Absolutely. Shuster's a damned good reporter, who's always been religiously fair. But even the best of us can sometimes go over the line. Chris Matthews did, earlier. This time, it was Shuster. Except he, unlike Matthews, has to pay the price.

But, of course, this isn't the first sign of media bias, intended or unintended. What's most disturbing about Shuster's pimp remark is that it reinforces the impression of media bias in this campaign."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-press/caught-in-the-middle-of-d_b_85832.html

By Anonymous on February 9, 2008 5:17 PM

I guess NBC and the rest of the moonbats think that if you keep repeating lies, then everyone will believe they are true. This is the premise behind their news division and cable networks.

By John on February 9, 2008 11:10 PM

Robert, apparently you left out the paragraph where Reines also chastises Shuster for telling everyone Karl Rove would be indicted...

By Robert Cox on February 11, 2008 9:52 AM

This comment thread is now closed.

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10 Comments