Keith Olbermann’s (hopeful) understudy suspended from MSNBC
The MSNBC gasbag who occassionally fills in for Keith Olbermann has been suspended following controversial remarks he made about Chelsea and Hillary Clinton (h/t: ST reader sanity):
SEATTLE (AP) – A distasteful comment about Chelsea Clinton by an MSNBC anchor Thursday could imperil Hillary Rodham Clinton’s participation in future presidential debates on the network, a Clinton spokesman said.
In a conference call with reporters, Clinton communications director Howard Wolfson Friday excoriated MSNBC’s David Shuster for suggesting the Clinton campaign had “pimped out” 27-year old Chelsea by having her place phone calls to Democratic Party superdelegates on her mother’s behalf. Wolfson called the comment “beneath contempt” and disgusting.
“I, at this point, can’t envision a scenario where we would continue to engage in debates on that network,” he added.
Clinton and Barack Obama are scheduled to participate in an MSNBC debate Feb. 26 from Ohio, which holds its primary March 4. The Clinton campaign has pushed hard for as many debates as possible with Obama, but Wolfson said the Feb. 26 debate could be jeopardized.
Wolfson pointed to what he called a pattern of tasteless comments by MSNBC anchors about the Clinton campaign. Weeks ago, “Hardball” host Chris Matthews apologized to the former first lady after suggesting her political career had been made possible her husband’s philandering.
MSNBC has apologized on-air for Shuster’s remark, but Wolfson said neither Chelsea nor Sen. Clinton had received a phone call offering a personal apology.
Here’s what Shuster asserted:
Using a prostitution metaphor for the daughter of a presidential candidate is a surefire way for a journalist to get into trouble.
On MSNBC yesterday, correspondent David Shuster went there, amazingly enough, while interviewing two guests about Chelsea Clinton’s role in her mother’s campaign. “Doesn’t it seem as if Chelsea is sort of being pimped out in some weird sort of way?” he asked.
Here’s video of the remarks:
The outraged HuffPo notes that Shuster has apologized twice today for what he said.
This isn’t the first time, BTW, that Shuster has had to apologize for something he’s said on MSNBC.
I wonder when MSNBC will get around to scolding Shuster’s idol Keith Olbermann about the tawdry insinuations he made about the Bush twins back in November 2006:
But first Jenna and Barbara Bush. They have regained their party girl crowns thanks to reports from their 25th birthday celebrations in Argentina this weekend. After reports of lack security, a media frenzy and at least one lurid tale in the Argentine papers about the girls running naked down a hallway of their hotel, denied fervently by that hotel, by the way, ABC News reported the situation was so bad that the U.S. embassy asked the girls to leave, which the embassy fervently denies, by the way.
But even though the twins were meant to stay in Buenos Aires until Thursday, according to ABC News at least one, Barbara, is already back in the U.S. and that report, very flimsily backed up by the website Galkers Tip Line For Celebrity Spotting, GalkerStalker, which reports that Ms. Bush was seen with an unnamed man eating Oysters in the west village of New York City last night. No word on whether Jenna Bush is likewise cutting her holiday short or having oysters.
Double standards, anyone? Nah.
Flashback: