Charles Pierce slams mainstream media for promoting Liz Cheney, Birther movement

[Baikonour]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/24/charles-pierce-slams-main_n_244172.html

David Shuster, guest-hosting for Keith Olbermann on "Countdown" last night, invited Boston Globe Magazine writer Charles Pierce on the program to discuss what, if any, political utility there is in Liz Cheney refusing to disown the conspiracy theory movement known as the Obama 'Birthers.'

The segment was quickly turned around, however, when Pierce started blaming the mainstream media for pumping up Ms. Cheney and giving the Obama 'Birthers' a forum in which to seriously discuss their conspiracy theory.

Referencing Chuck Todd's statement earlier on Hardball that the internet is the medium through these, Pierce argued that the political utility of advancing these kinds arguments is not that the internet will help to disseminate them, but that the mainstream media will pick up and debate them as if they were serious issues.

Shuster tried to steer the conversation back towards Liz Cheney and what strategic benefit she saw in not disowning the 'Birther' movement, but Pierce refused to let go:

Schuster: If liz cheney or anybody else is unwilling to acknowledge the facts in something as clear-cut as President Obama's birth, why should Liz Cheney be trusted on anything else she that she wants to talk about?

Pierce: I don't know. I'm not the one who books her. I mean, it's the folks on shows like this that book her... I don't know that she's a leader of any kind. What I would tell you is she's a prominent Republican because she's been made a prominent Republican on TV

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9txF1Z2v2A

[abluelady]

1. I Watched that Last Night

I thought David Schuster was going to have a cat. Pierce was correct. MSM is giving her an audience. I wonder would they shut up if Fox was their only soap box?

[Catshrink]

2. Charlie Pierce is right on.

I'm glad this exchange made it to the HP so more people will see it.

[JBoy]

3. Liz Cheney is working from the Ann Coulter playbook.

Say stuff that's outrageous, be purposely controversial, then the "news" shows will book you. As entertainment.

[Mabus]

4. I could watch this over and over again

I've been a Pierce fan for sometime and in this clip he shows why I such respect for him.

[Ten Bears]

5. Schuster was right...

... If Cheney won't denounce the birthers then she can't be trusted on anything else. Just like Fox, Rush, Bill Kristol all can't be trusted because of their track record. Since all of them still have a following it shows that something is lacking in the conservative movement. The ability to discern real life from fairy tales perhaps?

[FatDave]

6. Schuster sure got defensive fast, didn't he?

I can't help thinking the interview would've gone much better had he not pounced to defend the media. Take a little responsibility, be a bit self-effacing, and carry on the discussion.