Major Kudos to Soledad O'Brien

[cali]

She really lit into Breitbart editor Joel Pollak this morning. It was majorly satisfying to watch. She didn't countenance his lying, racist crap or dignify it in any way. In fact, how she dealt with him should be a template.


From Think Progress:

Breitbart.com and Fox News believe that President Obama’s affiliation with the late Harvard professor Derrick Bell, as evidenced from a hug they share in a video from 1990, is some kind of “smoking gun” for his perspectives on “racial division and class warfare.” Bell was the first tenured African-American law professor at Harvard University and helped establish the study of Critical Race Theory (CRT). This morning, Breitbart.com editor Joel Pollak appeared on CNN to repeat this claim, but Soledad O’Brien was quick to point out that he had absolutely no understanding of CRT and that the clip presented no “bombshell” for the President:

O’BRIEN: What part of that was the bombshell? Because I missed it, I don’t get it. What was the bombshell?

POLLACK: Well, the bombshell is the revelation of the relationship between Obama and Derrick Bell—

<snip>

POLLACK: That’s correct. And Derrick Bell is “the Jeremiah Wright of academia.” He passed away last year, but during his lifetime he developed a theory called Critical Race Theory, which holds that the Civil Rights Movement was a sham and that White Supremacy is the order and it must be overthrown. Barack Obama was—

O’BRIEN: I’ll stop you there for a second and then I’m going to let you continue, but that is a complete misreading of Critical Race Theory. As you know, that’s an actual theory and you could Google it and someone would give you an good definition, so that’s not correct.

Watch the full exchange at the link:

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/03/08/440585/breitbarts-bombshell-the-president-still-fights-for-racial-equality/

[Uncle Joe]

1. Joel Pollak looks like death.

I wonder if the rays emanating from his body killed Breitbart?

Thanks for the thread, cali.

[liberal N proud]

2. Good for her, but how many others are allowing the misconception to be propagated?

O'Brien did what every jounalist should be doing.

[tridim]

3. This is going to be the ugliest election season in US history.

But it should also be fun because we're dealing with idiots and insane conpiracy theories. It's all they've got.

[bullwinkle428]

4. Breitbart's little "flying monkey brigade" needs to get smacked down like the lunatic

know-nothing fringers they've clearly proven themselves to be.

[a kennedy]

5. Wow...

Outstanding job by Soledad!!!!

[cali]

6. it really was and now, predictably, outraged freepers are

demanding she be removed from the air by the powers that be at CNN

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2856410/posts

these folks are so insane.

[leftynyc]

46. To counteract that crap

I think we should show our support for Ms. O'Brien - I've already used the contact us page for her at CNN. Here's a link for anyone who wants to send a message to her and the network (I hope I did this right)

http://www.cnn.com/feedback/show/?s=soledadobrien

[immoderate]

57. It works. I dropped her a note.

Good job, Solie!

--imm

[JBoy]

8. Yup, that's what a determined reporter who's done her homework looks like.

[Stuckinthebush]

7. What a moron

That is not at all what CRT is! You know, these blowhards will say anything and most times get away with it. Good for O'Brien for doing what she should have done. Stop misinformation in its tracks!

[sabrina 1]

9. Good for her. Too bad that this was not done long ago. That Breitbart and his mob

were allowed to lie about ACORN, about Van Jones, about Shirley Sherrod, about so many good people and when the media took any interest at all, it was to give Breitbart the benefit of the doubt and to allow him to appear to be some kind of credible 'Conservative Activist/Journalist.

For example, after the Shirley Sherrod affair, Anderson Cooper when covering the story, for which there was no longer any excuse, made sure to add a disclaimer stating that while in this case, Breitbart HAD been caught editing and lying, that he wanted to make sure people understood that 'both sides do it'. Shameful reporting on his part.

[girl gone mad]

33. She has more guts than anyone in the White House..

who cowered and ran away when confronted with Breitbart's doctored Sherrod tape.

[maddezmom]

10. she did a great job

[FreedomFox]

11. Pollak is a racist?

Pollak is married to an African American woman and has a child with her. At the 6:30 mark washed up comedian Jay Thomas asks Pollack, “What are you frightened of? Are you frightened that black people are gonna do something to you?”

Boy does that whole pannel look stupid now..with the exception of Amy Holmes who hit it right on the head..

- FF

[Ian David]

12. Lou Dobbs is married to a Hispanic woman, but that doesn't make him not racist.

Sometimes, racist people (especially men) will fetishize, or seek to sexually dominate, members of races they feel are "inferior."

[cyberswede]

13. +1

[FreedomFox]

14. So his wife is being held against her will...

That has to be the most absurd statement I've ever heard..and how would you know anyway?

[Ian David]

16. I did not say she was being held against her will.

You're thinking of Limbaugh's wife.

[zappaman]

17. +1 n/t

[pinboy3niner]

19. LOL!

[cali]

22. zingadingding

[Tarheel_Dem]

41. DUzy!

[cyberswede]

18. What?

How on earth did you get *that* from Ian David's post?

[cali]

29. bwahaahahahaha. Yeah, old Lou doesn't have a racist bone in

body.

[cyberswede]

34. Good grief

"if he was racist, his wife wouldn't be with him"
Well, that's naive and simplistic.

Re: Lou Dobbs - the Southern Poverty Law Center would disagree with you. They called for CNN to dismiss Dobbs due to his racist remarks, irrc. And don't forget about his anti-immigrant statements.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

42. Both Dobbs and the recently croaked Breitdouche are worse than racists. I can almost respect

a true racist because of their horrendous intellectual honesty (as moronic as it might be). These people play to the emotions of racists for money. In other words. They probably don't believe the shit they spew, but the amount of money they get for doing this is just too irresistible. What's the word for that.... ah yeah they're whores.

Now feel free to go back and report to your fellow Reichwingers.

[monmouth]

53. Where does it say that???? I cannot find it, please direct me..thnx..n/t

[Raine]

58. Gone ...

It didn't take long for that pizza delivery.

[cali]

15. wow. your post exemplifies cluelessness

first of all, foxywoxy, I didn't say the creep was a racist. I said that what he was spewing was racist- and it sure as shit was. secondly the panel doesn't look remotely stupid but the vile little breitbartian piece of dog shit still looks..... well, like a vile piece of dog shit

[Erose999]

20. Well he was working for Breitbart and we all know Breitbart was a racist. In addition to his extra

curricular activities which included burglarizing veterinary clinics the steal tranquilizers, buggering farm animals, and vacations to human trafficking hot spots with his good buddy Rush Limbaugh.

[Erose999]

23. *allegedly

[SlimJimmy]

21. I laughed when I read that in the OP. Sometimes it's just better to keep one's mouth shut.

Pollak is a racist? Pollak is married to an African American woman and has a child with her.

[cali]

24. sorry his being married to a bi-racial woman does NOT prove he's not racist

he may or may not be but he sure is pushing racist dog shit, dear.

[SlimJimmy]

26. How can a person be married to a woman of color, have a child of color, and be

racist? I don't follow that at all?

[cali]

30. OK, for the simple minded, I'll try and explain in very simple terms, honey.

There are documented cases of neo-nazis who were Jewish. By your failed logic, that's impossible. But of course it's not. Humans are complicated, son and are full of contradictions.

[SlimJimmy]

64. In this case, your example is not true of this man. But you already knew that before you

wrote your condescending reply.

[jsmirman]

35. How did Thomas Jefferson hold his nose

while he was repeatedly banging his slave?

Does that clear it up for you?

(I'm sorry to use such coarse language, but this is so daft, that I didn't want to stint on the actual reality of the situation referenced)

[OKNancy]

36. He probably isn't a racist. I don't think he is but after reading about him

he is a scumbag-teaparty-failed Republican candidate who spews right wing bullshit

[SlimJimmy]

63. That's a comment I can agree with. Being a scumbag and being a racist

aren't always the same thing.

[cyberswede]

38. The same way a sexist

man can be married to a woman...and have a daughter.

[cali]

43. thanks. well done.

[LanternWaste]

49. The same way that poor people can vote in rich people who are working against their own interest...?

The same way that poor people can vote in rich people who are working against their own interest...?

Some people are simply so stupid they don't know who to hate anymore.

getting easier to follow?

[roody]

62. He may be sexist as well.

[jsmirman]

31. Amy Holmes embraces the "well, it's open to debate" line of bullpucky

Amy Holmes looked like an idiot. Yes, Amy, we should absolutely credit and countenance misinformation and deception in our journalists, and look to an organization that practices rank distortion and deception as legitimate arbiters of when a candidate has been "vetted." I don't care who that mouthbreather is married to - he's going to have to get a real job soon enough.

And ellipses come in threes, freedomfries, or whatever your soon to be tombstoned sobriquet is.

[Tarheel_Dem]

39. Oh Looky! Welcome to DU. Enjoy your stay?

[leftynyc]

48. Oh lookie

And brand new troll!!! Can we play with it for a awhle?

[GOTV]

51. Why won't Pollak just come out with it?

Pollak does think there's something to be afraid of in that video doesn't he? If not, then what's the bomb shell?

Why won't he just say what this video is supposed to make us fear about Barack Obama? What are we supposed to fear that Obama will do that he hasn't done in the first 4 years of his presidency based on this oh-so-explosive video?

[SusanaMontana41]

54. Enjoy your short stay, troll. You have been reported. nt

[FFisback]

59. right back atcha

[grasswire]

56. what program was Jay Thomas on?

I'm not quite caught up here.

[FreedomFox]

25. someone who spews racism ...

Someone who spews racism is usually looked at as being a racist no? That’s what is implied in your post. Thomas accused Pollak of being motivated by fear of black people. This has nothing to do with race. Even African Americans complained about Derrick Bell. And more about Pollacks wife, she’s from South Africa, actually, and her mother was a political appointee of none other than Nelson Mandela. I think she would have realized that her husband was like that, and if not her mother would have.

[cali]

28. frequently but not invariably, foxywoxy

lots of people- like the late Andrew Breitbart had no problem using racist dog shit to advance their own vile agendas. I refer specifically to his defamation of Shirley Sherrod, a disgusting incident, to bolster the point I'm making. Was Breitbart a racist? Maybe. Did he play the ugliest kind of race card? As your heroine Palin might say, "You betcha."

Now do go back to land of the brain dead at Freerepulsive, foxypoo.

[FreedomFox]

32. Shirley Sherrod

Breitbart released a clip that was sent to him, he never had a copy of the full 45 minute speech until after she was fired. He said if he could do things all over again, he would not have posted the excerpted video. I do agree that he should not have released that video without seeing the full tape. That being said, it really doesn't make the man a racist. You keep throwing around that term and using it incorrectly.

Now on to Palin:

Your assumptions are making you look bad. Now I know you have no credibility because you’re way off base by thinking I actually look up to Sarah Palin.

[sabrina 1]

40. How about Van Jones? And the minority workers he and his lunatic employee, O'Keefe

falsely targeted at ACORN? Funny how almost all of Breitbart/O'Keefe's targets are minorities. And why would he hire a known racist like O'Keefe to do his dirty work for him? O'Keefe has scrubbed his old blogs which showed without a doubt his racist leanings.

Every 'stunt' perpetrated by the Breitbart/O'Keefe team had racist undertones to them, long ago noted by people who pay attention to actual news.

Using someone who is married to an African American is not a surprise. It's part of the game plan as they expect to be accused of racism being that most of their attacks are on minorities. So they use people to try to deflect from those charges. Which you just tried to do.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

45. .

[pinboy3niner]

47. "BOOM goes the dynamite!"

--MIR Team comment at the troll's Transparency page

[cali]

44. so wingerfox, Breitbart was so darn eager to paint a black gov't employee

as racist that the creep did NO FUCKING RESEARCH at all before defaming her to the entire world. Man, talk about fucking lame excuses, honeypie.

Now fuck off you brainless piece of rightwing flotsam.

[leftynyc]

50. I'm sure it's just a coincidence

he'd been specifically going after minorities. Don't you have a website that thinks the President had him killed to visit?

[gratuitous]

37. How odd . . .

First, that a teevee interviewer actually had some facts on hand to gainsay what the guest was saying (good on O'Brien). But more than that, to see such a not-a-racist-at-all like Joel Pollak make such an elementary factual error that leaves him open to the credible characterization of spewing racist bullshit, because as I said, Pollak's not-a-racist-at-all from what I've heard about him. I'm sure Pollak, now that he knows the facts of the matter, will be so mortified by his appearance of racism that he'll never, ever make that mistake again.

At least, until the next time he goes on the teevee, and the host isn't quite as prepared as O'Brien was.

[noiretextatique]

52. appealing to racists. as always

it is not "radical" to believe white supremacy is a part of the political process in america.

[Tarheel_Dem]

55. God, I hope Melissa H-P can get this jerk on her show. She'll eat him alive.

Thanks Soledad.

[hlthe2b]

60. I like MHP, but it is AL Sharpton who would eat him alive... MHP would be overtalked...

She's good with calm debate, but has not learned how to assert herself against these kind of RW assholes and their tactics. She would also try to debate him on an academic level--which is fine from my perspective-- but no one would get to hear her, for his rude overtalking/filibustering. Al would just lay a very obvious zinger on him and smack him right down.

[Tarheel_Dem]

61. I'm hoping they'll both get their chance. I just think that "intellectually" MHP would destroy him.

[calimary]

66. Well, she's still new at this. She's too much of a lady to consider interrupting as combat tactic.

Probably was very well brought up to know about the finer things: elegance, manners, poise, classy behavior, being considerate, fair, and open-minded. But she's in the mud-wrestling arena now and dealing with partisan louts who believe in playing rough, stacking the deck, and are just plain RUDE. Hopefully she'll toughen up as she goes along and gets really comfortable with all this. She'll learn. She's NOT dumb.

[Myrina]

65. So, by comparison, does that mean ...

... that all the pics we have of Dimson hugging and kissing and hand-holding the Prince of Saud mean that he loves those evil anti-Murkan towelheads who started the war in Iraq by hiding oil under ground?