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‘Breitbart’ as a Verb

By on 8.30.12 @ 6:09AM

A new film chronicles one man’s war against media bias.

TAMPA, Florida — The time elapsed between the exposure of David Chalian’s hateful remarks and his firing as the D.C. bureau chief of Yahoo News was astonishingly brief. At 10:22 a.m. Wednesday, Matthew Sheffield posted video showing Chalian, accidentally caught in an open-microphone moment during an ABC News online broadcast, making a sick “joke” that Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign was indifferent to suffering caused by Hurricane Isaac: “They’re not concerned at all. They are happy to have a party with black people drowning.” Within three hours, Chalian was fired — “terminated effective immediately,” Yahoo said in a press statement that included an apology to Romney, to the GOP nominee’s campaign staff, and to “anyone who was offended.”

About a half hour after Chalian was fired, in a theater near the Tampa Bay Times Forum where the Republican National Convention is meeting this week, a new documentary film made its world premiere. Hating Breitbart chronicles the career of a man who dedicated his life to fighting the dishonesty and prejudices of what he called the Democrat-Media Complex. Among the “stars” of the movie, appearing as an expert commentator on liberal bias and Andrew Breitbart’s war against it, is a young man named Matthew Sheffield — the founding editor of the Media Research Center’s Newsbusters site, and the same Matthew Sheffield who exposed Chalian’s career-destroying gaffe.

Breitbart died of a heart attack in March, but his crusade against media bias lives on, so that it is possible to name what happened to the former D.C. bureau chief of Yahoo News: David Chalian got Breitbarted.

A lot of other journalists here in Tampa — where an estimated 15,000 members of the press have converged to cover the GOP convention — share the same partisan prejudice that resulted in Chalian becoming a sudden addition to the unemployment statistic. Consider, for example, MSNBC’s coverage of the Tuesday night’s proceedings: Every time a black or Hispanic speaker appeared on stage, the cable-news division of the NBC network cut away from live coverage. No one watching MSNBC saw the speeches by Texas GOP Senate candidate Ted Cruz, former Alabama Democrat Artur Davis, or Utah GOP congressional candidate Mia Love. It seemed as if the network’s coverage was orchestrated to protect MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, who has relentlessly accused the Republican Party of racism. This is not a new accusation, nor one made exclusively by Matthews, but it was one that particularly enraged Breitbart.

Hating Breitbart examines several examples of Breitbart’s battles against the Republicans-as-racists meme, including an incident in 2010 when Democrats claimed — and major news organizations reported as fact — that Tea Party protesters had shouted racial epithets at members of the Congressional Black Caucus, including Georgia Democratic Rep. John Lewis. After examining multiple videos of the confrontation, which occurred during a “Kill the Bill” rally against the Democrats’ health-care legislation, Breitbart concluded that no such incident had happened: Democrats were lying, and the liberal media were merely repeating those lies. So he publicly offered a $10,000 reward to anyone who could provide proof of the alleged epithets. Then Breitbart upped the ante, first to $20,000 and a few days later to $100,000. In a moment captured in the new film by director Andrew Marcus, Breitbart joked to a friend that he might as well increase the reward to a trillion dollars.

No one ever collected the reward, rather conclusive proof that Breitbart was right: Democrats had manufactured a false accusation of Tea Party racism out of whole cloth, and the media had purveyed it as true, without even bothering to examine the evidence.

That kind of injustice — not mere “bias,” but outright dishonesty by major news organization — inspired Breitbart’s rage. The movie shows Breitbart saying, “I’ve got two modes: jocularity and righteous indignation.” His impish sense of humor gets ample play in Hating Breitbart, which shows him in New Orleans on the campus of his alma mater, Tulane University, where he was a decidedly indifferent student. He partied his way through school and, because he was more interested in drinking than in taking notes, escaped much of the left-wing indoctrination that has become so deeply ingrained in American higher education. Still, he was a man of the Left until he read a book by Rush Limbaugh given to him by his father-in-law, the actor Orson Bean. The film doesn’t touch on the deep irony of Breitbart’s political conversion. Bean was blacklisted in the 1950s because of his alleged Communist sympathies, but had become conservative by the time his daughter started dating Breitbart, whom he helped convert from Left to Right — a conversion that ultimately had revolutionary consequences. Breitbart spent more than a decade as a top assistant to Internet news pioneer Matt Drudge, then helped Arianna Huffington create the Huffington Post and eventually launched his own news site, Breitbart.com.

In 2009, Breitbart emerged as an outspoken defender of the Tea Party movement, and much of the footage in Hating Breitbart comes from his speeches at rallies around the country. Since its founder’s death, Breitbart.com has continued to pursue his vision. The site has a team in Tampa covering the GOP convention, and it was Breitbart.com’s John Sexton who on Wednesday pointed out certain interesting details of Chalian’s résumé, including his role at ABC News as the producer of Charlie Gibson’s 2008 interview with Sarah Palin. Breitbart’s example helped inspire a surge of interest in citizen-journalism, as he often explained in speeches that he relied on ordinary people with video cameras to expose the news that the liberal press refused to report.

Many of those in attendance at Wednesday’s movie premiere were Breitbart’s friends and colleagues, who afterwards expressed how much they miss him. Breitbart the man is gone, but Breitbart the verb is still very much with us.

About the Author

Robert Stacy McCain is co-author (with Lynn Vincent) of Donkey Cons: Sex, Crime, and Corruption in the Democratic Party (Nelson Current). He blogs at The Other McCain.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (35) |

Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 8.30.12 @ 6:45AM

Here is an example of some fight back from PBS Gwen Ifill, who asked questions at previous Presidential debates. One has to wonder how PBS can support her now? E-mail PBS today and tell them you are boycotting PBS because they have a racist on board:
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/m.....id-chalian

Notorious PBS liberal Gwen Ifill took to Twitter to defend David Chalian, the former Yahoo Washington bureau chief who was fired for claiming that Mitt and Ann Romney are "happy to have a party with black people drowning," claiming that he was unjustly fired. Her defense was markedly over-the-top:

"One mistake does not change this. @DavidChalian is God's gift to political journalism. #IStandwithDavid"

Von Mises Jr| 8.30.12 @ 9:04AM

It is amazing what people will say when they think no one else is listening. Will he be fired?
http://rt.com/usa/news/obama-c.....ident-502/

Ventura Capitalist| 8.30.12 @ 9:25PM

"Chalian's career-destroying gaffe."
Ha. I'm sure he's already been hired by PuffHo, MoveOn or... PBS.

Jacob McCandles| 8.30.12 @ 9:04AM

I would like to hear in what possible way this comment was a "mistake".

JD| 8.30.12 @ 12:19PM

If his comment was a mistake, why was Akin's not?

Denver Todd| 8.30.12 @ 9:48AM

How can I view Hating Breitbart? DVD? Youtube?

2blumutts| 8.30.12 @ 12:22PM

And, because of Andrew Breitbart, we now have those strong-hearted, clear-sighted wonderful folks who were around him, who have quickly reached to help carry the message...the commitment to investigative journalism, to tell the truth. We are indebted to you, all!

William L. Gensert| 8.30.12 @ 12:26PM

Is there any better example of a warrior than Andrew Breitbart? The man was rigorous, relentless, and totally without remorse in search of the truth and in opposition to those who would rewrite history to expand and support the liberal narrative. Using the weapons of the left -- all media, and no subject taboo -- he pursued the illusions of progressivism with élan. Exceedingly effective, his name has entered the lexicon as a verb.

Read more of my article: http://www.americanthinker.com.....z2530LKnuQ

threeleafclover| 8.30.12 @ 12:56PM

What strikes me about these "apologies" is that no one ever questions the "my thoughtless remark" part of it. No remark can occur in a mind that has not been "thought about". Why does no one find Chalian and do a follow-up,

"You say this was a thoughtless remark. In the course of a day, how many thoughtless remarks would you say you make? (Wait for an answer)

On what subjects? (Wait for an answer)

Do you have any actual knowledge of the Romney's attitudes or behaviors that would lead you to believe they could "party"while blacks are drowning? (Wait for an answer)

If not, tell us something about your mind and how bizarre thoughts inspire bizarre statements . (Wait for an explanation)

What was your intention? (Wait for explanation)

To amuse the people in your company at the time? (Yes - No)

Did you feel confident that this would be a line that would comport with the feelings of your colleagues about Romney and therefore be amusing to them? (Wait for an answer)

Aside from possible political motivation, how did you become such a horse's ass? Is it a requirement of liberal media?

Mr. McCain, find Chalian for an interview. Write another column - Call it "Chalian Viictim of Vacuous Thoughts "

mstein609| 8.30.12 @ 1:03PM

I'm sorry, but I would find it a lot easier to accept Breitbart as someone fighting against liberal dishonesty, as opposed to simply fighting against liberals, if he had not himself been so dishonest in his editing of the Shirley Sherrod video.

mzk| 8.30.12 @ 1:09PM

He said he mentioned the other part in the text. Perhaps the main thing about the video is that the NAACP people applauded before they heard the other part.

jothepro| 8.30.12 @ 2:44PM

Giving it back to the democrat media complex, I mean sticking a stick in the eyes of the liars. That is what Brietbart did mstein609. Shirley Sherrod was living at the trough of liberal cronyism. She deserved everything that ever happened to her..

mzk| 8.30.12 @ 1:07PM

Orson Bean was a regular on a game show called "To Tell the Truth". Fits.

And may I compliment TAS for having the good taste to have "the Other McCain" on its pages.

DL| 8.30.12 @ 1:36PM

Mr. McCain:
Perhaps you should listen to the YouTube video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SCs6pSE8_I . The epithet occurs at 44 seconds. It can be heard behind the din of "kill the bill."

Further, did you bother to interview, challenge or further investigate Representatives Lewis' or Carson's comments on the matter; "Reps. John Lewis, D-Ga, and Andre Carson, D-Ind., both members of the Congressional Black Caucus, said that a group of protesters hollered at them and called them the N-word." (foxnews.com)? Or, perhaps Representative Clyburn's statement, '"I heard people saying things today that I have not heard since March 15, 1960, when I was marching to try to get off the back of the bus," Clyburn told reporters' (foxnew.com)? I gather you did not. Were the Representatives' comments a conspiratorial lie designed to make the Tea Party look bad? "How do we know the epithet came from a member of the Tea Party?", you might ask, aiming to split hairs. I would have to concede that distinction without a difference. You take Mr. Breitbart's unaccepted offer of a reward as proof that the slurs did not happen. It is an odd logic that you advance. More to the point, it is a continuation of the contorted form of "journalism" that is the hallmark of many contributors to AS. All of 10 minutes of internet searching reveals, at the very least, gaping holes in Breitbart's "conclusive proof" and that you are not telling the full story (deliberately, in my opinion).

jothepro| 8.30.12 @ 2:26PM

Hey DL, you might not know this, being that you live in the liberal world, but liberals lie. And to further thier delusions they have about conservatives/republicans, they will say and do anything.

DL| 8.30.12 @ 3:20PM

jothepro, I have no delusions that liberals are free from the vice of lying. And, for the record, I live in a world surrounded by liberals, conservatives and everything in between. Decent folks, and pretty stable as far as I can tell. But you digress from my point for some peculiar reason which, to be clear, is that Mr. McCain's journalistic skills are quite suspect.

jothepro| 8.30.12 @ 3:44PM

I wasn't digressing, you sanctimonious ass. You didn't mention anything about jounaristic malfeasance until the 13th line in your asinine post. You can post lies and youtube video's until the sun don't shine, and none of that will change the fact that liberals lie because the truth is always in the revolving door. I will not respond to liars more than twice.

jothepro| 8.30.12 @ 3:45PM

I meant journalistic asshole..

DL| 8.30.12 @ 6:29PM

Oops, you responded more than twice. Sanctimonious. Really? This coming from someone calling me an ass, liar and asshole without having a clue about the person you are accusing. And moving my comment about malfeasance further up my post would have done...what?

Firozali A.Mulla DBA | 8.30.12 @ 2:55PM

Can Greece that is having problem do what Spain is doing. I wonder? Spain will create a bad bank on Friday that will need to pay Spanish banks enough for their sour assets to make them viable without saddling the state with too much of the debt. The cleanup of Spain's banks, saddled with 184 billion euros in bad debt and repossessed property after the property market crashed in 2007-2008, has been central to the deepening euro zone debt crisis. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's cabinet will decree the framework for the bad bank - which is to be managed by the country's central bank and bank restructuring fund - as well as other new rules giving the government more power to take over ailing lenders. All the measures are needed to comply with the conditions of a European rescue of up to 100 billion euros for the Spanish banking system. I thank you Firozali A.Mulla DBA

David| 8.30.12 @ 3:45PM

Hey DL,

I can't open what you attached, but will when I get home.

If it does say what you claim, several questions:

Why wasn't it produced at the time of the incident ........what.......about 2 years ago???

What is the original source of what you attach here???

Who has had access to what you attach? In other words, what has been the chain of custody?

Next DL, allow me to enlighten you. F_cking recordings or videos showing up 2 years after the fact means it is probable it has been altered.

Just like Bam Bam's birth certificate showing up 3 years after he was elected. We now know that is fake - along with his social security number - along with his draft card.

Pelleas| 8.30.12 @ 5:38PM

Where is Mitten's Birth Certificate...Draft Card,,, and more important--TAX RETURNS..??

BREITBART was one of the most heinous of liars...and he is surely not missed...

Tom Kyba| 8.31.12 @ 1:18PM

Psst, no one cares what you think of Breitbart. No one.

DL| 8.30.12 @ 7:05PM

David, you crumbled once you got to the birth certificate. Also, I'm a year younger than Obama- I was never required to have a draft card. The practice was ended in 1973 I believe. Obama would have been 12 so I doubt he had one. How do you know his SSN is fake?

Albert Constantine Jr.| 8.31.12 @ 1:35PM

During the Carter Administration in 1980, draft registration was reinstituted for males born in 1960 and after. The current POTUS, born in 1961, would have been required to register during the summer of 1980. A post card was mailed out to confirm registration.

Social Security numbers are issued with the first three digits determined by the state of residence of the applicant at the time of application. The SSAN reported as Obama's would have been issued to a resident of Connecticut.

DL| 9.1.12 @ 1:29PM

Yes, I remember registering for the Selective Service at that time. I never considered the post card verifications a draft card because there wasn't a draft. I suppose others might have. In searching the web, it seems that someone was able to produce it (apparently by falsely claiming to be Obama). I was able to find several plausible explanations for the SSN as well.

Bob From District 9| 8.30.12 @ 5:02PM

Breitbart ran faked videos that seriously damaged people's reputations, and caused great harm. His website was a focus point for lies and deception.

Breitbart had no room to accuse others.

Oh, and it was a right wing meme that, absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. So, apparently that only applies when the evidence against democrats is absent.

allardkent| 8.30.12 @ 5:53PM

This article is predicated on the assumption that Democrats and liberals, by their very nature, are dishonest. It mirrors gibberish found elsewhere that Republicans, by their very nature, are dishonest. This is nonsense, incessantly blaring memes that the issues facing Americans are of less importance than confirming that our opponents aren't just wrong, but are mentally and morally defective as well. This article is designed to keep the echo chamber howling, to keep readers focusing on the shiny object that has no meaning, to keep people angry and ignorant. While both parties are now parties of money, there are still substantive differences between approaches they will use to govern, differences that can be clearly distinguished, discussed, and considered. You wouldn't know it from reading this ideological swill. Shame on you. You are part of the problem.

Tom Kyba| 8.31.12 @ 1:24PM

Someone get this man a ladder for his high horse. What a pile of snot. By the way super-ego, the "both sides are equally bad" MEME is just a sign of elitist pretension."

Carroll | 8.31.12 @ 4:06AM

Rand Paul is trying to correct both problems. But will his base look at positive press from Commentary and conclude he is selling out?

Carroll | 8.31.12 @ 4:07AM

Dag rat it!

Minuteman78| 8.31.12 @ 1:50PM

I still don't believe Breitbart's heart attack was of natural causes. The left used the "Chicago way" (waiting for Chris Matthews to get all mad and fuss) to bump him off.

Duke| 9.2.12 @ 10:51AM

Nice article...look forward to seeing film
and a sidebar,... people like Chris Matthews know that some accusations carry as much weight if not more the truth behind the accusation itself. In the public lexicon words such as Racist, Bigot, Abuser, and Sexist, for example , when lobbed at an opponent, more often than not , stick. Those accusations are so heinous, your opponent will spend inordinate amount of time trying desperately to disprove them. If the innocent make the mistake of calling such accusations 'garbage ' or just BS and try and move on, the public impression that is left is guilt..as they're not trying to disprove them.

Duke| 9.2.12 @ 10:55AM

*meant to at Chalian's name with Mattew's

Mickle | 9.2.12 @ 10:43PM

In a moment captured in the new film by director Andrew Marcus, Breitbart joked to a friend that he might as well increase the reward to a trillion dollars.

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