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Mark Halperin: Asshat?
I experienced a What The Fuck moment just now.
I normally never watch This Week with George S., but I sampled the weekly shows to see how the Biden selection was playing, so I ventured over to ABC. I arrived just as the "round table" segment began with folks like the Prissy George Will, Brazen Donna Brazile, Coiffed Cokie Roberts (what's with that retro bee-hive look, honey?), and Asshat Mark Halperin.
The round table sputtered through the normal villager sentiments, but when the convo came around to the subject of the "My Father has Many Houses" scandal, Halperin got all emotional. He made the ludicrous argument that Obama opened the door to Rezko, Ayers, and Reverend Wright for having the audacity to use John McCain's own words against him. The gall! Cokie Roberts made the rational point that Obama's attacks were fair, as they were symbolic of an out of touch thinking that will resonate with the middle class.
Since Ayers was mentioned by Halperin, George S., asks the table to explain who he is, and Halperin argued the republican line that Obama didn't "repudiate" him sufficiently, being that he was a "terrorist" and all. The argumentation seems analgous to saying that you can't befriend Robert Byrd due to his KKK past.
The tenor of Halperin's argument was nearly hystical, pretty much blaming the opening of Pandoras Box on Obama for running the "Houses" ads. Even the complacent George S., had to insert himself and gently remind Halperin that McCain has been attacking Obama's character for weeks now by suggesting that Obama would rather win an election then win a war. Apparently in Halperin's world, such attacks are fine, but to play up on a person's inability to remember how many cribs they own is crossing the line!
Halperin, who's page I visit daily, looked really small today. He's a complete and utter asshat!








Comments (41)
Stop visiting his page. And remember to tell his boss that.
August 24, 2008 12:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
I totally agree. I was yelling at the TV screen while Halperin was babbling incoherently. This attack on McCain is perfect because, as Cokie said, it is symbolic and easy to understand. It is becoming one of the iconic moments of the campaign as was Sniper-gate in the primaries and Bush Senior's out-of-touch Scanner moment in 1992, to which it has been frequently compared this week.
August 24, 2008 12:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wee Georgie is no better. He had Rudi G. on as a guest on the eve of the Democratic convention and allowed Rudi to stir the pot about Hillary not being picked for VP.
Recall how George and Charlie abused Obama during the debate. Boycott ABC and contact all their sponsors to let them know that you will not buy their products as long as they advertise on ABC news programs.
August 24, 2008 1:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Liam,
Great idea but not only contact their advertisers but just tell all advertisers we won't be buying anything from any business that run on ABC or anything Halperin is involved in.
August 24, 2008 2:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is asshat related to asshat?
August 24, 2008 2:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
I meant to use an exclamation mark rather than a question mark. are we able to edit posts?
August 24, 2008 2:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Mark Halperin is related to Morton Halperin, wire tapped for years by Nixon for the suspicions he was involved in the leaking of the Pentagon Papers.
I guess this is the way Mark is trying to ensure that what happened to his father does not happen to him. The father must be proud.
William Kristol, George Bush, John McCain. Isn't this country sick yet of sons trying to one-up their fathers?
August 25, 2008 7:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
Halperin is a complete jerk and ABC should be boycotted (along with the rest of the Disney empire) because they tow the right-wing line in everything they do broadcast-wise. Their disgusting radio programming is far worse than the crap they spew on TV.
That said, I also check Halperin's site daily. I wish that I didn't have to, but TPM is mush less timely in its political reporting. I wish I could go to TPM at 6am and get the latest political news and schedule for the day. What about it Josh? Halperin is a jerk, but he stays on top of the game. Until someone on the left delivers the same kind of coverage, I'll have to put up with Halperin's republican spin.
August 24, 2008 2:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree. As much as Halperin exasperates me, his site has all the up to date info regarding campaign schedules, etc.
August 24, 2008 2:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bullshit, you both are just lazy. And your laziness helps Halperin.
Check MSNBC instead. Aggregate two sources even! And maybe make a post here if there is something important left out.
August 24, 2008 3:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
I go to Halperin's site for candidate schedules, surrogate schedules, and morning-show summaries.
You'd have to aggregate 5-6 sites to get that info. Perhaps you have time for that. I don't.
Besides, I read his commentary occasionally to get the Cliffs Notes version of tomorrow's GOoPer talking points.
August 24, 2008 5:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm not going there for anything anymore. All that stuff is accessible elsewhere.
August 24, 2008 11:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just make sure you avoid "Crazy Jake" Tapper. ESPECIALLY resist the urge to post on Tapper's comments section - the ensuing censorship will drive you to madness.
August 25, 2008 9:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
I was also struck by the fact that George had a panel comprised of four conservatives and Donna Brazile - not too fair and balanced.
August 24, 2008 2:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
You may be right. They might have needed a couple more conservatives. :)
August 24, 2008 3:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
You have to consider all the factors on each side before you judge whether a panel is balanced.
R: George, George, Mark, Cokie
D: Donna, the truth, the truth, the truth
They had exactly 4 on each side.
August 24, 2008 4:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
No, it was just donna against the 4 Stooges.
Reminded me of the old story about the Texas Ranger who showed up at the scene of a reported riot. The caller looked at the Ranger in a panic, and exclaimed, "What - just one Ranger?"
The Ranger, completely unperturbed, responded, "Just one riot, ain't there?"
August 24, 2008 5:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
George S. is conservative? Where have I been?? Didn't he work for Clinton?
August 25, 2008 9:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
Your point being?
August 25, 2008 10:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
The "liberal" media is never fair and balanced. I am telling you the repubs pull strings like a puppet master. They accuse the media of being pro-democrat so the MSM can skew it's coverage to seem as center right as possible. I call BS and that asshat should be ashamed.
August 24, 2008 2:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
I was so yelling at the T.V today. The thought that someone can call you a dumb blonde who is guilty of treason, and then play the race card by saying your opponent played the race card, and for some "journalist" to say you are a victim if someone uses your own words against you is beyond me. Did you notice that everyone on the table looked at him like the idiot he was. The thought that Obama, at 8, could be somehow linked to a terrorist who is by the way, not in jail, is ridicolous. Should I have to vet my co-workers now, because of course they could be terrorists and I just don't know it. ANd if they are, me sitting across the cubicle from them obviously makes me a terrorist now, right?
August 24, 2008 2:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
We're seeing such a strong, even panicked reaction from the right because this house story has HIT AN OPEN NERVE. I saw Greta Van S. interview Karl Rove about this story. She asked Rove where this was heading (for the GOP) to which Rove quipped, "No where good", before beginning his spin-mode talking points.
The GOP desperately wants to scare Obama and the Democrats from pressing this story because it hurts them. Which means we should continue pressing it for all its worth! Biden was right on target with his 7 dinner tables joke.
As far as the GOP going nuclear with Rezko and Ayes stuff, that was inevitable. The GOP had already insinuated that Obama was:
1) Muslim
2) Christian radical
3) Radical-leftist
4) Terrorist
5) Anti-Christ
6) Radical-leftist Muslim terrorist Christian radical anti-Christ!
Besides, the Rezko/Ayers stories are old news, as far as the media is concerned. The GOP is rapidly running out of cards to deal from the bottom of the deck.
In the past, it seems as though the Dems. have always been easy to intimidate into not following-up on promising lines of political attack. Biden showed the way. No retreat, no surrender. Attack using humor, while making it appear not to be personal.
August 24, 2008 3:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
I forgot "babykiller".
August 24, 2008 3:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just for the record, and with all due respect to Biden and your accurate analysis, I'd like to point out that Obama is the one who showed the way. Obama hit McCain on this in VA and mobilized a coordinated response, and he did it effectively. Biden of course will be a great person to amplify the message.
August 24, 2008 8:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Halperin is fairly well known as a GOP shill.
Caveat empor.
August 24, 2008 4:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Halperin is really getting tiresome. I thought he was a journalist not a hack.
If you want to follow the details of the campaign by state click below:
http://www.barackobamaradar.com
Or the blogs and MSM news sitesall on 1 page:
http://www.theindustryradar.com/index.cfm?account=obama08&page=Blogs
August 24, 2008 4:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
I haven't taken Halperin seriously since way back in November he devoted three columns, three, to whether or not Obama had really quit smoking. It was so earnest, as if he were uncovering some sort of earth shaking scandal.
August 24, 2008 4:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Take heart. The median age the people who watch George and Cokie must be about 80.
August 24, 2008 6:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Halperin is the latest McWar puppet and a dumb ass!!
He was trying the other to be more dumb ass that Novak when he was pretending that he was told that Mitty the pig would be Mcwar VP according to his sources...
August 24, 2008 8:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Halperin's bias is a little more subtle on The Page. But whenever I see him on television I'm reminded what an inveterate GOP hack he really is.
August 24, 2008 8:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Halperin: Great Asshat, or Greatest Asshat?
August 24, 2008 8:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
So, who has some inside information on who (an individual, not "editor@time.com", we email at TIME. I mean INSIDE information, like from someone who works there. A name of someone. I agree, Halperin also has to go. I have not looked at his site in months, but I do skim through "Swampland". I looked at the MoveOn press complaints site (http://pol.moveon.org/lte/lte_t.html?)and it is not exactly streamlined and related only to Fournier at AP. I'm not wasting my time actually watching this stuff on tv - I'll watch the speeches on cspan. I did think the NYT is doing OK at the moment, for the most part. Their story on Saturday about Cindy McC was good. She's apparently done everything possible, legal or otherwise to prevent Arizona from raising the excise tax on alcohol so the funds could be used for early childhood education and health care! Frank Rich and Maureen Dowd were right on this morning (Sunday). Friday's story on Michelle Obama's work setting up the U of Chicago clinics on the south side at Wash Post was tawdry and blatanly biased against Michelle's work there, trying to make something seem somehow almost corrupt. Has Joe Stephens even ventured to the South Side of Chicago (where I once lived). Whatever positive work that can be done on the south side is to be commended. I will be leaving him a comment - before that web page is shut down.
August 24, 2008 8:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
I canceled my email alert for Halperin's "The Note" from ABC in 2004.
Late in the election he wrote a long missive to his target audience: "the gang of 500" who I guess regularly checked to see what new gushing praise he had for them. He warned in convoluted language that when one side consistently lies it might be a good idea for the media to take time out from from ridiculing the other side to point out that the attacks were indeed lies. Brave, brave, Sir Halperin!
Within weeks after he went right back to applauding Bush and reviling Kerry I canceled his daily email. I got a snotty reply from an underling thanking my for my "input".
I never buy books from crooks, Nixon had to make due without my cash and I don't get my news from wankers. Time magazine will have to do without my cash and eyeballs too.
August 24, 2008 8:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
I hope that McCain comes with everything right out of the chute. You know that they are going to bring up Wright, Ayres, Rezko and more. None of that stuff has real depth and does not have long-tern staying power. If they blow it all right away they are then going to have to get totally nuts before Nov. Lets get it out of the way early so that they are having to really be stupid. I don't see that total negative can stick for this long of a period. I hope that the voters will become so repulsed that the strategy totally backfires and Rove is deemed a total failure.
August 24, 2008 8:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
I believe Halperin is the one who "scooped" the dems VP choice as Richard Lugar! Idiotic. It is also true that he made the most ludicrous comment during This Week. Why did Obama need to open the door to McCain's attacks - the man has been attacking him nonstop for weeks! Still, Halperin was not alone in his idiocy. How about Cokie's statement that Joe Biden did not go home to Delaware EVERY night (presumably, therefore, he's not that great)? That panel is known for snarky, right-wing biased comments. For the person who goes to Halperin's website, there is absolutely no reason to do that! MSNBC's First Read is up-to-date and seems to carry little bias.
August 24, 2008 8:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
First Read, up-to-date? I don't think so.
Most days, I look on their site at noon, and their "First Thoughts" summary post is still the only thing posted. In terms of blogging political news up to the minute, Ben Smith, Jonathan Martin, Marc Ambinder - hell, even the Asshat - are way better than First Read.
Plus, Halperin *does* carry summaries of the morning talk shows. Those often set the tone for the day, and it's useful to know what the talking heads are saying.
Finally, if you want to know the Reichwinger talking points, just read Halperin's "commentary".
August 24, 2008 10:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Halperin is like a Media Rove, he will fudge the issue and tell it as if there's no difference between a guilt-by-association smear and airin the truth.
Ayers rocks.
August 24, 2008 10:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Halperin worships at the feet of Karl Rove, thinks he's the most brilliant politician ever.
These creeps are everywhere, spreading negativity, trying to stir up trouble. Let this last quarter go swiftly. Please!
August 25, 2008 12:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
PS
And by the way Georgie is getting worse each week.
August 25, 2008 12:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
I don't think I have ever used the term asshat before. But, I too watched Halperin on this show and asshat he was!
August 25, 2008 10:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
Amen Brother!
August 25, 2008 10:15 AM | Reply | Permalink
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