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The Spectacle Blog
Ed Schultz has apologized to Laura Ingraham.
On MSNBC. Apparently, he is trying to contact her directly.
You can decide for yourself what to think.
Whatever Laura's response is hers to make, and in that sense the public story ends here, the rest between Laura and Ed Schultz. This world, as we all know, moves on and quickly at that. This incident is already receding in the political rear view mirror.
But before it fades out of sight if not out of mind, there's a larger point to be made here.
Mr. Schultz has, as do all Americans, a First Amendment right to free speech. Yes, things are dicier on air -- radio or television although (blessedly) not (yet!) the Internet. Radio and cable television personalities stumble frequently enough, always out there on a quite visible high wire with millions cheering them on -- and tens of tens (joke! Sort of…) cheering for them to trip and fall to their media extinction.
Mr. Schultz has stumbled badly here.
In truth? There's no joy in watching this kind of thing. Like so many in the world of conservatives and media I've met Laura Ingraham. She is a former Reagan colleague, I've been asked on her show and, due to a holiday travel rush, was unable to appear. A single Mom, a breast cancer survivor, a converted Catholic -- there's lots of reasons this kind of thing was particularly despicable when aimed at her. Ms. Ingraham, delightfully tart of tongue, will surely survive and prosper.
But this much needs to be said here in a political context.
No one is trying to squelch Ed Schultz or -- to coin a phrase -- to "Beck him." To silence him, ruin his life, take him off the air for good beyond what his ratings and his bosses have to say. Freedom -- genuine free speech and liberty -- is pretty much a worthless charade if in fact you can't speak your peace freely and openly using the basic common sense and extremely broad rules of everyday conversation.
It's safe to say that when polls repeatedly show twice as many Americans identifying themselves as conservatives rather than liberals (as in this Gallup poll) that conservative number includes a goodly number of onetime liberals who have left the fold.
Without doubt one of the reasons is that the kind of behavior exhibited in Schultz's assault on Ingraham is not in the least unusual in what has become modern day liberalism. From the moment the American liberal traded in the standards of, say, Adlai Stevenson or JFK for the standards of the anti-Vietnam left in the 1960s, the once solid liberal majority in this country began blowing in the wind. Blowing away, that is.
There is a considerable difference between JFK urging that it's time to get this country moving again and riotous crowds shrieking "One, two, three, four…we don't want your f---ing war." The latter chant a taunt to Lyndon Johnson -- about as liberal a Democrat as you could find in 1967 and 1968.
The liberal psychology has been on a downslide towards the sewer ever since. One can protest at this kind of analysis but poll after poll after poll shows some version of that Gallup poll linked above. It is much too simplistic to pin this shift simply on this particular point. But most assuredly it plays a role.
We're never going to agree with Ed Schultz in this corner, we suspect. But we certainly wish him no personal ill as so many on his side have done to conservative personalities and politicians -- the film thumping the idea of assassinating George Bush being perhaps one of many sadly typical low roads in this respect.
Ms. Ingraham will sail on, doubtless amused to find herself in the midst of this kind of kerfuffle. Mr. Schultz will, presumably, after the adult media version of a child's "time-out" period, be back.
But will liberals get the deal here? Will they understand that in the minds of millions what Ed Schultz did to Laura Ingraham is seen not as some sort of aberration peculiar to Schultz but rather a typical example of the modern left doing their thing? That Schultz is in fact but the latest liberal/progressive/leftist to exhibit what might be called LTS -- Liberal Tourette's Syndrome. A philosophical tic exemplified by an uncontrollable urge to blurt obscenities and socially unacceptable, decidedly inappropriate remarks. A trait that popped up somewhere along the line in the late 1960s and, in one form or another, has been costing liberals everything from votes to ratings to newspaper sales ever since?
Count me as skeptical.
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simon templar| 5.26.11 @ 11:50AM
I suppose no one notice the incredible irony of the left wing group (moxnews) who apparently put this video out and the slam and insult that foxnews is unfair, unbalanced etc. The Left will continue to do what they have always done in the public arena of discourse..don't hold your breath that anything will change..plan on it getting worse. Jeffrey, count me in as well. Excellent insight and article.
Timothy L. Pennell| 5.26.11 @ 4:19PM
He calls her a SLUT, not once, but TWICE, on his witless, viewerless Show, and He's not FIRED? How does he keep his job? How does that SLUT - Maddow - keep her job? What about that SLUT - Pelosi - and all of her Obamacare Waivers? What about that SLUT - Feinstein - and her assertions that: "Enhanced Interrogation, to my knowledge, had nothing to do with getting information on Bin Laden"? And, let's not forget the other SLUTS: Lousie Slaughter, Wasserman Shultz. Boxer, McCaskill, and the Wife of the Rapist - Hillary SLUT Clinton. Actually, it would be simpler to name the Democrat Broads, who AREN'T Sluts.
How does Mathews keep his job. How does Cink, Cenk, Stink, whatever his name is, keep his job? How can MSNBC still be on the air? They have NO VIEWERS. NO RATINGS. And, yet, there they are. That's because GE, which owns NBC, which owns MSNBC, paid NO TAXES this year, on $50 BILLION in Profits, in this Country, alone. And, WHY, pray tell, do they get away with that? Why is GE good, and BIG OIL, bad? Because GE owns NBC, which owns MSNBC, which will stay on the air, no matter what, so it can run Cover, make Excuses, repeat the Talking Points, Project, and SLANDER anyone who would dare to go up against their MESSIAH. And THAT, is why this piece of SOCIALIST garbage, has still got his job. Goebbels would be proud. SIEG HEIL!
simon templar| 5.26.11 @ 11:59AM
Expect Bill Mayer to repeat this obscentity..oh wait a minute..he has already used this and worse. Given MSNBC's financial situation and loss of viewership, someone there does seem to have a brain and is using it. This guy rear end was kicked and kicked hard by his employers who told him exactly how he was going to handle this.
Occam's Tool| 5.26.11 @ 3:27PM
There's a reason Liberalscum is one word.
Honestly, I can't even listen to America Left on Sirius. And even the supposedly "moderate liberal" Alan Colmes gives me hives.
Lullabys, Legends and Lies| 5.26.11 @ 12:07PM
“Not of the standards I, or any other person should adhere too”!!
Did he really say that? Ha, ha!! This guy’s got standards? Really!! I never notice any standards before on MSLSD before, maybe because I haven’t been looking that low. COMCAST would be wise, to take advantage of this situation to fire him, thus getting rid of his low ratings, and a TV personality that is selling only to the Lunatic-Liberals in America. Or continue moving deeper to the Left, what do I care? You got rid of Keith Olberdouche already (that's a start), now it’s time to get rid of Ed too, and start moving away from the Commies on the Left, and save the once great Network-NBC. Or don’t, what do I care?
simon templar| 5.26.11 @ 12:07PM
By the way, did this guy not do someting similar like this sometime ago and apologized for that or am I confusing him with someone else on the media left? I am getting a strong case of deja vu, here.
ACynic| 5.26.11 @ 12:27PM
It's very important that assh^^^s like Shultz, Rosie, Olbermann be allowed to speak freely - and frequently - on the radio and TV because it will show the american people how hateful, vile, disgusting, repulsive, and degenerate liberal progressives really are. These three sad-sack pieces of s^^t at least have the cohones to speak out loud what they truly feel, and make no mistake, they are uttering what most liberal progressives really believe. America will hopefully wake up very soon and realize what liberal progressives are all about and allowing these vermin to speak , hopefully, will hasten that day; before it is too late. Liberal progressivism, socialism, etc. is all about hate, contempt, control and ultimately, tyranny of , by and for the ruling liberal progressive elites.
Too bad Shultz is apologizing. He probably is being forced to do this and he does not want to do this, and let's be clear, he is not sorry for what he said. He spoke what he really believes.
SpiralArchitect| 5.26.11 @ 3:30PM
This may do the opposite - show people this sort of behavior is acceptable.
Cindy Nemitz| 5.26.11 @ 12:50PM
Please desist from using references to Tourette Syndrome in this derogatory way. TS is a very serious disorder affecting many people. I think the authors of this article need to make an apology?
Jeffrey Lord| 5.26.11 @ 1:37PM
"TS is a very serious disorder affecting many people."
Cindy, with respect, I think you're a tad oversensitive here. I didn't use the TS analogy in a derogatory fashion. We know what it is. Politically speaking, this seems to happen a lot - and I don't think its derogatory to observe it as a truth - because it is. It is, like TS, a fact. One can like it or not (and who does?) but to say it exists derogates no one.
Thanks.
Occam's Tool| 5.26.11 @ 3:29PM
Dear Jeff---actual coprolalia in TS is not all that common. And what Ed does is NOT a tic.
A better analogy would be in the lack of control of impulsivity following a traumatic brain injury resulting in lack of control of obscenity. But I caught your drift.
SpiralArchitect| 5.26.11 @ 3:41PM
Headlines are created to grab attention. Success.
Was the intent of the author misleading? I doubt anyone goes into this piece thinking it is about a mental disorder possesing Ed.
I agree with JL.
PC is a killer.
JBB| 5.26.11 @ 3:37PM
You are being under-sensitive not to respect people like Cindy. If it offends her, it probably offends many others. Don't defend offenses. Just discontinue the use of this analogy. Why risk offending people who must deal with this dreadful condition? Now that you know that it is considered offensive, why continue?
Nick| 5.26.11 @ 3:38PM
Mr. Lord,
I think Miss Nemitz's point might have been that people like Schultz suffer from bad character combined with bad habits, as you pointed out, that causes them to say these things without thinking.
While, people who have Tourette's Syndrome suffer from involuntary actions. Schultz, et al, have control over their actions. Those with TS do not.
Oldefarte| 5.26.11 @ 1:15PM
This MORON is typical of all LIBERALS and of most DEMOCRATS. They are all classless pieces of inhuman garbage and filth that sadly are allowed to roam this earth. They have absolutely no human values, morals, decency, nor shame. They are worse that the most dispicable of violent animals [ie sharks, alligators etc], and the extremely sad part is that the latter do their violence because they lack any mantal capacity whatsoever, whereas the formers SHOULD but DO NOT use that which they have been given. These liberals/Democrats are simply gutter garbage whose utterances are worse than excrement. The entire mistermned news anchors at this network is as bad or worse than the captioned MORON, and anyone wasting their time and energy viewing same is [as some moron once said] 'ACTING STUPIDLY'!!!!!
CJohnson| 5.26.11 @ 1:25PM
A great means for getting a weekend off and a pity party on the vieeeeeeeew.
Al Adab| 5.26.11 @ 1:34PM
These people just think that obscenity and name calling are funny.
David W| 5.26.11 @ 2:23PM
Ed has freedom of speech. Yes, he does, but would we also not have the freedom of association to let the sponsors of his show know that due to his ranting and raving (and perhaps the crap that others of his kind produce) that we will not buy the sponsors' products/services? After all, what is good for Mr. Beck should be good for Mr Ed.
Nick| 5.26.11 @ 2:42PM
The best part about this episode is that Miss Ingraham has a new book coming out soon.
Eddie Munster has just ensured that she will have better sales than she might otherwise would have.
Way to go Eddie!
Flee| 5.26.11 @ 3:02PM
Didn't Imus get fired for saying something like this? If Imus had been in the arena at the game and said what he said he would have been fine (check the Miami heckler of J Noah). If this dolt had said this to one of his friends (does he have any) nothing would have come of it. Having a show (at least for now) does bring with it a responsibility to uphold some standard of decency. This will be brushed off, especially by women's groups, since it is a leftist attacking a conservative woman. Just once I wish a lowlife such as this loser would look in the mirror to see where his real problem lies.
Johnny| 5.26.11 @ 3:15PM
This is just typical liberal response to someone or something when they have no legit argument. Idiots.
JBB| 5.26.11 @ 3:46PM
I believe his apology is sincere. I may disagree entirely with his politics and his opinions. And I do. But I also despise all stereotypes. I see name calling on both sides. I hate what he said about Laura, but who of us have not done things or said things that we are ashamed of? If he continues like this, I will choose not to listen to him (I don't and never have anyway.) But conservatives do their own reputations no good by indulging in the same behavior toward liberals. I like what Laura said: Enough said.
michael eiseman| 5.26.11 @ 5:02PM
Ed Schultz has a right to spew whatever misogynistic and vile liberal crap he wants...and we have the right to change the dial...which is the fundamental difference between liberals and conservatives.
He shouldn't be suspended or fired...he should be ignored.
Don't feed the troll!!
NotPropagandized| 5.26.11 @ 5:10PM
Unbelievable that this very excellent example of a true apology comes from this person who has been the absolute worst, awful ideological left-winger in the business. There is no love for this person and his beliefs and what he stands for, but there is simply little or no room for a better apology than he gave. Politicos are famous for lousy, insincere non-apologies. If he's really sincere about this, then even better. It cannot be expressed how hurtful it is to ascribe any virtue to this man... but he did it correctly. It's suspected that when he returns, hatred for his opinions will also return. But this one goes into the record books. As for the rest of you non-apologizers: remember to say, "I was wrong, I have no excuse and I am sorry". If you want to say "If I've offended anybody... " or "For whomever I offended...", just forget it and don't bother to apologize because you're a phony and make the offense even worse.
rich| 5.27.11 @ 12:53AM
ed schultz is unwatchable and his insult was totally uncalled for. but do any of you people read your own words, or the words of the rightwing "pundits"? pots, kettles, black. just this comment stream - "maddow... slut; pelosi..slut feinstein slut "it would be simpler to name the democrat broads who aren't sluts", rapist, socialist, gargage, goebbels, lunatic liberals, commie, douche, a- hole, piece of s--t, vermin, moron, gutter garbage, worse than excrement," etc do you people hear yourselves? you think you're any better than schultz? lets pull up columns by coulter, malkin, stein. listen to beck, limbaugh, savage. one "slut" from a far left nobody no one pays attention to,pales in comparison to stuff we see and hear everyday on the right, and in this comment stream. hypocrites.
Susan| 5.27.11 @ 11:57AM
I pity the 2nd wife of Ed. How humilating to have the radio world see this man for what he is; a verbally abusive fellow. This is the same man who was found in bed with another woman in the home he shared with his 1st wife. This guy has no respect for women, and his freedom to unleash his nastiness on the radio is just pure venom.
Much of the TV audience also has the freedom to click off MSNBC and escape the toxic fumes from Ed .
weddingdress| 6.29.11 @ 5:49AM
I believe his apology is sincere. I may disagree entirely with his politics and his opinions. And I do. But I also despise all stereotypes. I see name calling on both sides. I hate what he said about Laura, but who of us have not done things or said things that we are ashamed of? If he continues like this, I will choose not to listen to him (I don't and never have anyway.) But conservatives do their own reputations no good by indulging in the same behavior toward liberals. I like what Laura said: Enough said.