My Rant on the Reporter Interrupting the President's Prepared Immigration Speech

[syberlion]

When I read the story about the reporter interrupting the President as he was giving a prepared speech about the Administration's policy on Immigration, I just couldn't believe we've sunk that low in this country. Then later, when I read what the reporter's Editor-in-Chief said, that just set me off, so that's what I am writing about today.

When questioned about what this rude, uncouth person (clearly, the knuckle-dragger reporter is not a journalist) did at the White House, Mr. Carlson said, "This is what reporters are suppose to do...They're supposed to get their questions answered." (Huffpo - Obama Immigration Speech) This only proves there is no respecting this President. Had someone done this to the right's saint Reagan (you know the one, he raised taxes 11 times), the right-wing controlled media would have asked for a beheading and nothing less would have sufficed.

I listen to the Randi Rhodes show (available in select markets, I-Heart and XM Sirius satellite radio). There is something she's said for years and this incident just goes to prove her point. There needs to be standards and practices for journalism or else you shouldn't be able to brand yourself as "news" (or a "reporter" for that matter). What we have now is opinion-tainment, or just plain propaganda. There are no facts, there is no news, just opinion being paraded as facts with the lead in of "Some say...". This drives me crazy. Another Randi quote you'll hear her say is, "The news is dead."

The spoiled rich kids have grown up and what they did to the rest of us in kindergarten, elementary school, middle-school and high school, they are doing it again, only now they are affecting us nationally. This is serious and it's time to put these spoiled little brats back in their place, period.

These are the same little brats that didn't respect the Principal because they knew their parents would buy off the school and pay for whatever trouble they got into there. These are the same disrespectful miscreants that left flaming bags of dog-poop on an aging veteran's doorstep, watching from a distance and laughing at a man who faced down the Nazis stomping on flaming dog-poop. These are the same malcontents that would dress up in a state trooper's uniform just to stop college girls and scare them half out of their wits. All the while not even caring that what they were doing was a felony because they knew they would never see the inside of a jail cell.

I don't expect anything to change from the right, however, if Mr. Carlson wants to act that way, or have people on his staff act that way, then by all means, I believe that's the way they act in the House of Commons in England. Maybe he'd be happier under British rule, they already have a built in aristocracy.

I was raised to respect the office if not the person occupying it. Since 1980 I've had to endure 20 years, yes 20 years, of buffoons, mental midgets, a head of the CIA and Darth Vader (c'mon, we all know Darth was really the President for 8 years)... Oh, and that's not even mentioning the first 4 years of a stolen presidency. I will admit I never, ever referred to Prince George as President, although I did at least say "Mister" Bush, that's a form of respect... Considering all of the other names I'd love to call him.

The bottom line here is the actions of this reporter shows a basic lack of respect, not only for the President, but for America in general and Americans overall. Decent, hard-working, truly ethical, salt-of-the-earth Americans. We are what stands in the way of the privileged class from running rough-shod over us all. The Super-Rich have gotten their way since birth and they want to dismantle this democratic republic under the guise of "it's our turn". The only right they have is the very same one each and everyone of us have, and that's the right to vote (Even as they rig voter laws and purge the voter rolls of those they know wouldn't vote for their kind anyway). They don't like messy elections, because there are a whole hell of a lot more of us than there are of them and they don't like the odds. They like to own the casino, because that way the house always wins. Well America is not a casino.

They are truly Anti-American in their view of this country. They don't want to deal with the messy reality of having a purpose to run on, other than protecting their money and stealing what little we have left. They don't want to have to ask us for anything, much less our measly little stinky vote, there's just too many of us and besides we're so unwashed and huddled. Wouldn't it be easier for everyone if we just selected someone based on how much money was raised? Oh wait... Isn't it ironic the court case that opened the floodgates of money was called "Citizens United" when it would be better titled "Billionaires United".

OK, it's late and I was pissed when I read about this story. Sorry if I drifted a bit here and there, but I was very upset. It's people like this reporter dis-respecting the office of the President of the United States of America and worse, the Editor-in-chief Mr. Carlson, condoning this behavior which boiled my blood. At least in the 1930's people like this wore white hoods so you could know who they were and what they stood for, it's not that easy anymore.

Not using the name of the reporter was intentional, I am not going to give him any additional exposure by mentioning his name. Besides, he'll probably end up on Faux and Friends in about 6 months...

[freshwest]

1. One of the best written and expressed OP's I've seen here. Kudos to you. K &R and bookmarked.

[Meiko]

2. Much ado about nothing

Just another reporter being a pain in the ass, it happens all the time. The day we can't openly question the President then on that day freedom is truly dead. The President handled the situation well so let's get on with it, we have more important issues to deal with.

[flor-de-jasmim]

3. No, it's not.

Does "respect for the office" beat out "solving economic problems"? Perhaps not in a direct match-up. However, respecting the OFFICE is part of what took us from a frontier society to something we like to think of as being a bit more civilized.

[Meiko]

7. The right doesn't

respect the President so we might as well move along.

[CakeGrrl]

11. You're welcome to move right along; it's a more complex issue to some of us

who see that this unprecedented level of disrespect has racial underpinnings.

You see, the thing about some of these slimebuckets is that they won't admit that they just can't handle a black man in the White House. They use passive-aggressive ways to express it.

And people who know and care about what that implies are rightfully pissed.

But go ahead and move right along.

[Meiko]

15. I see your point

but every exchange between a white man and black man is not necessarily racist. There are those out there who will never accept President Obama, that reporter may be one of those I don't know. What I do know is that we need to stop rushing to the side of racism every time there is a disagreement. People have to be allowed to settle their differences. I know that there are racists out there, you would have to be blind not to see it but every confrontation, every argument and even every arrest is not necessarily racially motivated. Some are that's for certain, but not all.

[Summer Hathaway]

4. Hmmm ...

"The day we can't openly question the President then on that day freedom is truly dead."

This wasn't about whether one can openly question the president - it was about posing questions in an appropriate manner, and at the appropriate time.

But somehow I think you already knew that.

[Meiko]

6. President Obama is

not the first President to be bothered by an overzealous reporter at a press conference, and he won't be the last. He obviously had something to say so he said it. I imagine that it will be his last press conference for awhile. Personally I wouldn't have done it that way but some people get carried away. I don't know what his motive was. Maybe he doesn't have any respect for the President, I don't know.

Over the next couple of days DU will be flooded with threads asking or suggesting everything from firing to jail for the reporter involved. There will be calls for investigations and legislation, why? I already read one thread that made the accusation that the action was racist in nature. You can see where this is headed. This incident will morph into a racist right wing conspiracy to undermine the president because he is black. It would be funny if it weren't so pathetic. As Democrats we have far more important issues right now than one smart mouthed right wing reporter. The right does not respect the President and they never will, so what.

[Tennessee Gal]

12. The President wasn't just "bothered" at a press conference.

His statement was interrupted! That is what you don't seem to get.

Had it been during a Q & A session, it would have not been the same issue.

Interrupting a State of the Union speech with "You Lie" and interrupting a Rose Garden statement are actions that are entirely different from being overzealous at a press conference. In fact, they appear to be unprecedented. There is a reason these right wingers are so rude to the President and the Presidency. It has to do with Obama being who he is. It is not just the fact that he is a Democrat.

[Meiko]

17. No I get it just fine.

Presidents have been interrupted before and they will be again, it is not unprecedented. I can break out the links if you want but we both know both sides are guilty. I am not going to defend right wingers but rudeness knows no party lines.

[Tennessee Gal]

18. Break out the links, then.

Show us when and where any President of the United States giving a State of the Union speech or making a formal statement announcing a Presidential action were rudely interrupted.

Please do that because I don't recall this type of thing ever happening before in those specific circumstances.

[Meiko]

22. Here you go

There are plenty more examples. Many are from speakers from the left and the right being heckled. It's a problem to be sure.



http://trickfist.com/content/daily-humors/top-10-presidential-speeches-interrupted-by-hecklers-2

http://article.wn.com/view/2012/05/29/John_McCain_Calls_Heckler_A_Jerk_After_Memorial_Day_Speech_I/

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/06/15/daily-caller-reporter-wilson-s-you-lie-more-obama-hecklers-video.html

[mainer]

26. All the examples from Daily Beast are of hecklers interrupting OBAMA

And McCain was never president.

And let's not forget -- this was a presidential PRESS CONFERENCE. Where are the examples of PRESS CONFERENCES where reporters are heckling the President and not allowing him to deliver his speech?

Only Obama gets treated in this manner.

[Ikonoklast]

19. More of "They're both the same!" bullshit.

And, yes, what you are doing here IS defending right winger sby attempting to create a false narrative.

You cannot back up your statement as it is demonstrably devoid of fact.

Tick, tock.

[Meiko]

20. Go tick tock yourself OK

There isn't any defending going on and to say there is just ain't so.

[sendero]

16. I agree..

... if this had happened to Bush everyone would be cheering.

I try to maintain a consistent outlook and the same rules for everyone.

The bottom line is that if Obama WANTS to do anything about it and CAN do anything about it he will. Other than that, this story is over.

[Bjorn Against]

21. I certainly don't have problems with questioning the President

In fact I don't even have a problem with heckling the President, I certainly would have heckled Bush if I had the opportunity and when other people did heckle him I cheered it. Here is the thing however, this "journalist" had a press pass and when you have a press pass you have to show a bit more respectful behavior or you can lose that press pass. It would be fine for this guy to say what he said after the President's remarks were finished, but to say it in the middle of the speech makes him a heckler. As I said I don't have a problem with hecklers in general, but he should have been treated as other hecklers are treated. There is no reason that just because someone has a press pass they should be able to get by with the sort of behavior that would get the rest of us thrown out of the place.

[spanone]

23. happens all the time? no it does not.

[Heather66]

5. Spam deleted by OKNancy (MIR Team)

[Missy456]

8. Spam deleted by OKNancy (MIR Team)

[Event-Horizon]

9. .

....'rant' is an understatement

[NBachers]

10. Put me in the "I Agree With You" column, Syberlion

As opposed to those in the "I Don't Agree With You" column

[southmost]

13. excellent!

"not even caring that what they were doing was a felony because they knew they would never see the inside of a jail cell"


this is what grates me about them....just like Cheney and Bush not caring about the war crimes they committed

we can not even express our legal right to protest without the fear of getting crushed onto the pavement, maced, tasered, or beat ( and of course being put in jail)

[JustAnotherGen]

14. Well I see you got some spam and push back from trolls

Put this post in your journal. It's one of the best explanations of the *something is wrong here feeling* I have . . . That I've ever read at DU. And I read for years before I registered or made a post.

[Meiko]

24. syberlion

Please don't misunderstand. I think that what you wrote is very good. It took a lot of your time and contains the truth. It is a very good piece. I can understand why you are upset, hell I am upset myself but I just don't want to get distracted by some load mouth punk with an ax to grind. As Democrats I think it is very important to stay focused, there is too much going on and we have an election on the horizon.

As American's we have a unique relationship with our presidents. We tend to overlook their shortcomings no matter how bad they are and will support them to the death, or at least the next election cycle. We don't like it when people bad mouth our president or otherwise show him any disrespect. When he is successful and does well we feel good, when he is sick or down we tend to feel poorly. It is easy to see why you and others here are put out. We are sick and tired of Reich wingers bad mouthing our people. It would be just as easy for them to keep their mouths shut, but they just can't seem to get it done.

[syberlion]

25. Meiko

I agree that the actions of one ill-tempered troglodyte shouldn't put us off the main goal this election season. My point in writing this was to express what's been building up inside for some time. I actually am glad I got upset. Upset enough to write about it. Upset enough to put this out there for others to read and discuss.

I live in the very red state of Texas, where it is difficult to know who to talk to about these things. So many people are demoralized to the point of not wanting to do something about changing it, much less talking about it around here. I remember when this state was Blue, I worked on Ann Richard's campaign, met Barbara Jordan and helped local progressives on city council elections. There is an oppressive nature that colors the body politic at this time in history. One I've had a difficult time pinning down.

What that reporter did was an overt action that crystallized for me what is happening to this country. Educated people used to garner a certain respect. The men (and women) at the beginning of this nation understood the value of having educated leaders, people with vision and social compassion. They saw what happened when people attained money, position, power and lost respect for those below their station.

What strikes me is in the beginning, they attempted to negotiate with the King, but got nowhere. Because the King had no respect for his subjects. That's what galls me is this utter lack of respect. Something as fundamental as respecting someone, is still an issue 300 years later? Really?

That we are still so under-developed as a species, well it bothers me. We are all the same; we live, we breathe, we laugh, we cry, we all die. While we are here, for such a short time really, we need to make it our life's goal to not only make this place better for ourselves, but for everyone else we come in contact.

It is sad there are those around us that have forgotten the second half of this goal.