Hillary Clinton vs. First Amendment Rights vs. David Shuster

This may seem like an incoherent post however, each point states a different piece of information that is intended to allow the reader to come to their own conclusion after reading them all:



• Amendment I
  Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.


• David Shuster: Chelsea Clinton "pimped out" remark. This video shows the apology first and then the original quote.
  
  
  

• Definitions of "pimped out" from http://www.urbandictionary.com/:

1. State your car will be in if you have added the gold trim package, curb feelers, continental kit, white wall tires, rims that are off set and stick out at least 4" from the side of the car body, lowered 4", TV boomerang antenna, blackout tinted windows, crushed velour seats, custom chain steering wheel, neon license plate surround, huge naked woman hood ornament, sound system that has no treble, custom metallic purple paint job, and fuzzy dice.


2. Used as an adjective: cool, awesome, worthy of a pimp or pimpette


3. Having excessive embellishments or ornaments, particularly of the flashy kind, ie feathers in fedoras, black canes with silver handles, multicolored mis-matched shoes, and colorful crushed velvet suits. Preferably worn simultaneously.


4. pimp out is a look..a smoothness its the way you act..it refers to the early 60's and 70's when black men and women were smooth..such clothing include a fedora,tam,kangol,prokeds ,converse,turtlenecks..CA RS anything older than 82 is a pimp out....afros.naturals..lo cks and cornrows(not fashion cornrows..straight back,) are pimped out....

• Based on these definitions it appears David Shuster used the term incorrectly. Based on the slang definitions he should have used "pimped" which is defined as follows:

1. To have been used and abused


2. To take easily, without force or additional coaxing.


3. To blatantly pass a car on the right, then cut in front of them at the last second.

• Hillary Clinton wrote this letter to NBC in response to David Shuster's report:

Dear Mr. Capus,

Thank you for your call yesterday. I wanted to send you this note to convey the depth of my feeling about David Shuster's comments.

I know that I am a public figure and that my daughter is playing a public role in my campaign. I am accustomed to criticism, certainly from MSNBC. I know that it goes with the territory.

However, I became Chelsea's mother long before I ran for any office and I will always be a mom first and a public official second. Nothing justifies the kind of debasing language that David Shuster used and no temporary suspension or half hearted apology is sufficient.

I would urge you to look at the pattern of behavior on your network that seems to repeatedly lead to this sort of degrading language. There's a lot at stake for our country in this election.

Surely, you can do your jobs as journalists and commentators and still keep the discourse civil and appropriate.

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

• Subsequent to this letter http://www.upi.com/ reports that "The Web site Media Matters for America said it had received an e-mail from NBC News President Steve Capus saying Shuster had been "suspended from appearing on all NBC News broadcasts, other than to make his apology."
  "He has also extended an apology to the Clinton family," said the e-mail. "NBC News takes these matters seriously, and offers our sincere regrets to the Clintons for the remarks." "

• An ABC news article states that Clinton "campaign says it has more to do with what it sees as a sexist, locker room, on-air atmosphere at MSNBC. Clinton supporters ask: what other network has had, within the space of one year, because of comments widely seen as boorish and inappropriate, a firing (Imus), an on-air apology (Chris Matthews) and a suspension (Shuster)?Clinton, who has been on the receiving end in two of those incidents, is taking a stand for MSNBC to clean up its act. Or, so Camp Clinton says."


• Email correspondence between David Shuster and Hillary Clinton's Press Secretary as published on http://www.poltico.com/:

-----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

-----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.

-----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 (expletive).

-----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.

Sources:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/02/09/clinton_calls_shuster_comment.html

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2008/02/08/report_reporter_in_chelsea_flap_suspended/6976/

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/02/clinton-campa-1.html

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0208/8408_Page2.html

Hillary Clinton vs. David Shuster vs. First Amendment