Blankley contended Biden got "a pass" from media on story that broke hours earlier
During a discussion of comments by Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-DE) to The New York Observer about Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL), Washington Times editorial page editor Tony Blankley said of Biden on the January 31 edition of MSNBC's Hardball: "I think he's getting, more or less, a pass from the mainstream media on this." Blankley also said that "[i]f a conservative Republican had said this, I think the media would've jumped down his throat." But even before Blankey made his comments, MSNBC itself had extensively been covering Biden's gaffe; and, at the time of Blankley's comments, the networks had yet to broadcast the nightly news and the major daily newspapers had not had a chance to report on the story in print, as it had broken only that morning.
MSNBC covered Biden's controversial remarks beginning at 1 p.m. ET on MSNBC News Live, when chief Washington correspondent Norah O'Donnell characterized his comments as "surprising" and "what some would call racy quotes." Biden's comments were also covered during subsequent editions of MSNBC News Live at 2 and 3 p.m. ET, in addition to the discussion on Hardball.
Shortly after Blankley made his assertion, all three major network news broadcasts reported Biden's remarks. NBC's Nightly News started its broadcast with the comments, featuring them as its top story. Anchor Brian Williams reported: "Presidential candidate Joe Biden speaking his mind on his Democratic rivals, including Barack Obama, and many Democrats say putting his foot in his mouth." On the CBS Evening News, CBS News national political correspondent Gloria Borger reported on the comments, saying that "[s]ome people listening to those descriptions of Obama -- 'articulate, clean' -- heard racial overtones or, at the very least, condescension." ABC's World News included a report on the incident by senior national correspondent Jake Tapper.
The New York Times ran a front-page story in its February 1 edition called "Biden Unwraps '08 Bid With an Oops!":
The Washington Post placed a photo of Biden below the fold on the cover of its February 1 edition, which referred to a story on page A6 headlined "Biden Stumbles at the Starting Gate":
Also, USA Today published an article headlined "Biden burned by 'clean' language," which was teased on the front page of its print edition:
Another front-page version of USA Today's February 1 edition provided by the Press Display website did not display the Biden gaffe.
The incident was also covered as a top story on the three major networks' morning programs on February 1, including ABC's Good Morning America, which included another report by Tapper and a segment with ABC News chief Washington correspondent George Stephanopoulos, who said that, for people who did not know Biden, this was "not going to be a great first impression." On NBC's Today, co-host Meredith Vieira called Biden "Senator Sorry" and referred to his "controversial comments," while O'Donnell gave a report on the incident. CBS' The Early Show anchor Harry Smith called it the "Biden blunder" and referred to Biden's remarks as "controversial comments."
Washington Post media critic Howard Kurtz noted the extensive media coverage of Biden's gaffe in his February 1 Media Notes column.
From the January 31 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:
BLANKLEY: Let me make a quick conservative point on this.
MATTHEWS: Sure.
BLANKLEY: If a conservative Republican had said this, I think the media would've jumped down his throat.
The media is not jumping down Biden's throat. I think he's getting, more or less, a pass from the mainstream media on this. I think he should get a pass, but I think others should get a pass, too, when they stumble.
BARNICLE: Well, he just --
MATTHEWS: You got a lot into that, didn't you -- into that just then?
He did get a pass from the media.
While they report what he said....They all are trying to make excuses for him.
Read the articles.
I agree with everything Blankley said.
Wow, not the way I heard it. Talk shows around here of all stripes are pretty much putting this down as the shortest Presidential campaign of all time.
Indeed.
Even DailyKos has verbally spanked him and pretty much dismissed his chances.
But it's a cute little fantasy world you've concocted wherein Biden's getting this mythical "pass" you speak of. Do they have unicorns and leprechauns there too?
So, when Norah calls the quote "surprising" and "racy" you don't think that's giving a Democrat the benefit of the doubt? It's certainly spinning it. I think if it were a Republican the quote would be considered "not surprising" and absolutely "racist".
Personally I like the paper calling it an "oops".
How vicious and brutal!
LDoren1626, He DID NOT get a pass. Every major newspaper, TV and cable network have covered Biden's remarks.
What both you and Blankey fail to say is that when a "conservative" make a stupid remark it takes days upon days before they realize how stupid their remarks are (Lott). Conservatives like Strom hid their bi-racial children until they are DEAD. Why is that? I don't see either you or Blankley saying that Rush is incorrect to refer to a sitting UNITED STATES SENATOR as "half african"
As an African American I took Biden's remarks to mean "clean cut" as in acceptable to "white voters". While it was a stupid remark I take Biden's word that he did not mean it in a negative way. He came out a corrected his remarks on the same day and continues to try to correct his remarks. I have not heard any Republican senator or any senator say that Biden's remarks reflect the true person that Biden is.
Unlike Rush who finds nothing wrong with labeling Senator Obama "half african" and continues to broadcast to millions like yourself and I WILL assume that you too find nothing offensive in his remarks.
BIDEN GOOFED, and he got grilled for it just about everywhere. As he should have. Blankley is shooting Blanks, he is way off base. Plus Conservatives deserve to be handed a higher standard on race issues because of their terrible history on same.
I think Biden honestly wanted to complement Obama but he messed it up bad. It was real dumb, but I say so what, he wasn’t going to be our next president anyway. Biden has a great future ahead of him and Obama is not mad about it.
The First Black that is Articulate & Bright?
That is absolutely the dumbest thing to say, but I believe he said it in the context of an intended complement. I personally believe Obama really is smarter than ALL politicians both white and black. Biden should have said that, but he blew it instead.
By “Clean” Biden should have said Obama is not linked to scandals or controversies in spite of the efforts of Fox Network Lies.
When Byden said, “Main steam African American,” he wanted to say that Obama is appealing to all Americans ...( all races and all issues )... not just focused on civil rights and/or minority issues as many of the previous black leaders were. But no, Biden blew that one too.
Senator Joe Biden:
"Barack Obama is probably the most exciting candidate that the Democratic or Republican Party has produced at least since I've been around," Biden said. "And he's fresh. He's new. He's smart. He's insightful. And I really regret that some have taken totally out of context my use of the world 'clean.'" "My mother has an expression: clean as a whistle, sharp as a tack."
I AGREE - Sam I Am - and Biden should drop out of his bid for president.
Blankley and other Conservatives crack me up when they complain about being held to the fire on racial issues.
OF COURSE THEY ARE:
It’s their own bad racial history that awards them with that deserved treatment. Just Google 2 words ... (Republican + Racial)...and then to be fair, Google ... ( Democratic + Racial). That’s all you need to see why the Republicants feet are held to the fire more.
Ken Mehlman, the Republican National Committee chairman and George W. Bush’s 2004 campaign manager, apologized recently for what he called “past” Republican Party practices of using racially divisive tactics to win elections.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-07-14-GOP-racial-politics_x.htm
Sam I Am
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-07-14-GOP-racial-politics_x.htm
Touche, my friend. He's not gonna answer that one, is he?
Tony Baloney strikes again...
As usual, he doesn't know what he's talking about...Biden has been raked over the coals everywhere I've checked the past few days...
Probably for the best ... His time is past, and I don't really think he brings much to the table anyway ...
Cripes... The Incident Even Got Discussed On..
"THE VIEW"!!!!!! Blankely needs to crawl back under the rock from which he emerged.
The real issue here is that by calling Barack black, or African-American --or whatever the current PC fashion is-- this is the true racist crime. It is a form of hypodescent that comes from The One Drop Theory, a formula which concludes, essentially, that because he is not one hundred percent white, Barack therefore cannot be considered as such. In the Either You're With Us or Against us line of reasoning, this practice basically says, "He ain't all white, so he must be colored." This is what people should be getting up in arms about. Yet, nobody even notices the incoherent logic and inherent racism in that common practice.
http://intimationsofubiquity.blogspot.com/2007/02/politics-biden-screws-it-up-early.html
The Moonies are such rat brained lying sob's that its nice to know somebody is watching them and pointing out their journalistic ludicrosities.
It's amazing how this dude lies with a straight face. Disconcerting, actually. I guess it's something they teach at Moony School.
Even mmfa called it a GAFFE. did mmfa call trent lott's gaffe a gaffe?:)
Thanks for posting all of that! I was actually only aware of a couple.
If a conservative Republican had said this, I think the media would've jumped down his throat.
Ahh Tony just for your information, a conservative Republican DID in fact say basically the same thing about Obama and it got very little press coverage.....
His name George W. Bush from interview with Cavuto yesterday
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070131/pl_nm/bush_obama_dc_1
"He hasn't gotten elected yet. He hasn't even gotten the party's nomination. He's an attractive guy. He's articulate," Bush said in an interview with Fox News."I've been impressed with him when I've seen him in person, but he's got a long way to go to be president," Bush added.
Hmm sounds borderline racist to me and I dont see the media condemning Bush in the fashion that Biden rightfully was condemned.....
It is beyond amazing that the RW media choose to believe the so called liberal media bias in spite of blatant evidence to the contrary.
Gaffe = a social blunder; that is the definition and MM describes it right on the mark. Biden isn't Limbaugh(racist) and for Blankley to imply that Biden is the same as conservative republicans fails. The republican (white peoples party) have a long way to go to achieve racial diversity.
Biden made a error in use of words, he has explained it. Its no big deal and we should move on. He provides a great voice for the war and other issues in this Presidential Campaign.
Biden did not get a free pass on this one from the media, and has been pointed out before, his lack of a publicly racist history is the only thing that will save him from being thrown straight to the wolves.
Personally, I won't be voting for him. I don't buy his "explanation" of the comments any more than I bought Mel Gibson's excuses for his slurs. Biden would be more honest to say, "I didn't mean to say that in public," than to say something akin to, "I didn't mean it like it sounded." I don't have enough faith in the majority of our politicians to think that they don't harbor overtones of racism in their beliefs, and for one to have enough of them to come out and say it in public is enough for me to be convinced that they won't be looking out for the true welfare of minorities in this country.
Thats pretty much my take. This isnt the first racially insensative remark Biden has made. I dont think he is an out and out racist like Lott but I think he is done for, I wont be voting for him.
BLANKLEY: If a conservative Republican had said this, I think the media would've jumped down his throat.
I don't understand this. Conservative Republicans are saying a lot worse about Obama than anything Biden said, and they're doing it every day. They call him "halfrican" (because they dare not use the "N" word), they conflate his last name with OBL, they claim that his middle name should disqualify him because it's the same as Saddam's last name, they lie about his past, they lie about his religious affiliation, they suggest he is a terrorist sympathizer, and not only does no one jump down their throats, the major networks hire them as commentators on racial issues.
To me, hearing a conservative Republican feign concern for racial sensitivity is straight out of Looking Glass land.