Sadly, yes: "Actually it's looking great for Breitbart. He won the day, ruined an innocent woman's life, and a willing media will wait for his next scalp." If you haven't been following the Shirley Sherrod story-she's the USDA employee who was forced to resign after Andrew Breitbart's Big Government website produced an out-of-context videotape that purported to show her racism against white people-you can learn more here, but be forewarned: It is pretty much as disgusting as everything else Breitbart feeds into the rightwing echo chamber.
RELATED: "By 2013, Andrew Breitbart will be stuffing himself inside a trash bag, smearing himself with feces, and scrawling "honky" on his body."
I don't understand how this drunken slob lives with himself. oh, wait. He's drunk.
These are outrageous charges. The man owns two Commodores albums.
I am basically incoherent with rage over this story and sending lunatic emails to largely inappropriate people demanding that she be rehired.
Please sign my name to them. That was my reaction, too. She lost her job over this? Someone give it back to her!
Please send me your list of largely inappropriate people. I am compiling a list of largely inappropriate people for a listicle without commentary.
Carolyn Maloney! Every "Obama for America" name I could dig up from my email! Tom Vilsack (not actually inappropriate)!
Sweet jeezus does Vilsack suck.
This is fucking appalling. Hey, Obama, I would really appreciate it if you did less "bipartisanship" on this kind of thing and more knocking a rageaholic bully down to size. Glenn Beck managed to get Van Jones, the green jobs "czar" fired using a similar tactic. This is not going to stop unless good people are willing to hit back just as hard.
What kills me is that NO ONE at any level of her department or the administration had her back on this. They caved literally INSTANTLY.
Even the NAACP caved instantly — but now they've retracted their initial statement.
Does anyone else see the parallel between Breitbart and 4chan? What are idiotic smear campaigns but just amped-up cyber-bullying?
Should be, "What are idiotic smear campaigns like this but just amped-up cyber-bullying?"
The amount of power willingly handed over to people like Breitbart is astounding. He's like the owner of a spam bot-farm. Don't listen to him just because he can get a million idiots pissed off. They aren't going to listen to reason regardless.
The White House ought to distribute tee shirts with the following to their employees: "I Got Played By Fucking Andrew Breitbart!" The political brain trust over there needs a severe overhaul. Is it too much to expect Democratic operatives to possess both a spine and cunning nature?
Yes. Boy, that was an easy one!
And, unfortunately, you are absolutely correct! I have no lovely parting gifts for you.
A highly public reinstatement would be a nice place to begin.
+ abject apology.
+ exposition of the "fair and balanced" vs. the truth.
+ a Certain Someone's balls tied to the trailer hitch of an F 450 for an afternoon tour of the Bonneville Salt Flats.
i'll drive
Totally agree. No federal employee should get fired or resign EVER, no matter the cause.
As it turns out, there's much more to this story than first thought. I guess if you want to get mad at anyone for her termination, perhaps you should start with the Administration.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/Examiner-Opinion-Zone/Shirley-Sherrods-Disappearing-Act-Not-So-Fast-98846149.html
As usual, there's a much larger backstory that is almost as interesting as the initial breaking event.
Clucks. Why isn't the Mainstream Media reporting this?
A better question: why, if that's a story, didn't Breitbart run with that, rather than slicing and dicing a tape to prove that African-Americans are Just As Bad As Whitey?
Your link is disingenuous; it merely stands for the proposition that Black Folk have it really easy in this country. Stay on point.
It isn't a story. "Unanswered questions" are not facts. Much that link consists of racist dog-whistles in the form of "bolded emphasis". Ridiculous.
I have plenty of mad for Breitbart and Vilsack to share. Unlike some, I am capable of standing up to people who are on 'my side' when they do things that are reprehensible.
It's true that unanswered questions aren't facts, though I think "racist dog-whistles" is a bit harsh. But I do think the backstory is interesting, given how quickly the Administration dropped her. Obama was just in the rose garden yesterday, railing against Republicans. I don't think he's afraid to fight when he's confident. That he didn't fight here might be significant.
What's curious is that all of the normal attack dogs haven't yet aligned on this "subtext" to the story that remains at the forefront–Cut-and-Paste Reverse Racism Charges Trigger Hasty Firing. Usually, they're pretty astute at finding some weak nerve and squeezing the living Jesus from it.
I don't canvass conservative media, to be sure, but the little I've heard have not taken aim on this "backstory," as it's being called here. To me, that's a pretty darn big question in and of itself.
If the lady got favor curried to her, that's one thing. Maybe it's worth a look, at some point.
But stay on this story, for a moment: whatever other naughty little truths might lurk, this soiled piece of jizzwipe, Breitbart, manufactured a story to suit his agenda. And it's tough–real, real tough–to overlook the overt and nasty implications of the agenda.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/Examiner-Opinion-Zone/Shirley-Sherrods-Disappearing-Act-Not-So-Fast-98846149.html
The awesomest part is that I heard this inspiring story (the full-length version) during the SPLC boycott of Dallas, when my student organization would host orgs that wanted DFW, but still support the boycott.
Teh gigglez. I knew once they fired her it was going to be a trainwreck for Obama & NAACP.
Also conveniently stepped all over the unemployment vote news cycle.
Timing is everything.