By Pamela Gentry
BET News Senior Political Producer
Pamela’s Blog
Sen. Hillary Clinton makes an assassination gaffe while defending why she’s still in the race. The New York senator said the following;Clinton: … You know, I have been willing to do all of that during the entire process, and people have been trying to push me out of this ever since –
Q: Why?
Clinton: I don’t know, I don’t know. I find it curious, because it is unheard of in history. I don’t understand it. And you know, between my opponent and his camp and some in the media, there has been this urgency to end this. And, you know, historically that makes no sense. So, I find it a bit of a mystery.
Q: You don’t buy the party unity argument?
Clinton: I don’t. Because, again, I’ve been around long enough - you know, my husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June. Right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. You know, I just - I don’t understand it, and, you know, there’s a lot of speculation about why it is. But –
Q: What’s your speculation?
Clinton: You know, I don’t know. I find it curious. And I don’t want to attribute motives or strategies to people who I don’t really know …
After press reports of her comments she told reporters;
“Earlier today, I was discussing the Democratic Primary history and in the course of that discussion mentioned the campaigns that both my husband and Senator Kennedy waged in California in June in 1992 and 1968. And I was referencing those to make the point that we have had nominating primary contests that go into June. That’s an historic fact. The Kennedys have been much on my mind in the last days, because of Sen. [Ted]Kennedy; and I regret that if my referencing that moment of trauma for our entire nation and particularly for the Kennedy family was in any way offensive. I certainly had no intention of that whatsoever.
My view is that we have to look to the past and to our leaders who have inspired us and give us a lot to live up to. And I’m honored to hold Sen. [Robert] Kennedy’s seat in the United States Senate from the state of New York, and have the highest regard for the entire Kennedy family. Thanks”
2 responses so far ↓
1 C.J. BROOKS // May 26, 2008 at 3:02 pm
FOX Pundit Wishes for Obama Assassination, Laughs
Posted May 25, 2008 | 05:48 PM (EST)
HERE IS THE LINK TO THE VIDEO:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/tell-a-friend/687958
During a live interview, FOX Contributor Liz Trotta jokingly wished for the assassination of Sen. Barack Obama.
This latest incident from FOX News continues the trend in violent rhetoric about Sen. Obama from pundits, politicians, and entertainers.
Grinning While Joking About Killing A Candidate
The incident happen in an exchange with the FOX News anchor. When asked her opinion of the recent scandal surrounding some comments made by Sen. Hillary Clinton, which Trotta described by saying that, “some are reading [it] as a suggestion that somebody knock off Osama.” Hemmer quickly corrected Trotta, having noticed that she had said “Osama” when she meant “Obama.” At this point, Trotta said, “Obama. Well…both if we could!” Trotta then laughed gleefully.
(The full interview can be viewed here)
What prompted Trotta to joke about the assassination of Sen. Obama was her apparent inability to differentiate between Sen. Obama and the terrorist leader responsible for the terrorist attacks on the United States of September 11, 2001.
Since Sen. Obama first declared his intention to seek the Democratic nomination for president, right-wing pundits on FOX News and a variety of other broadcast outlets have regularly called the Sen. Obama by the name “Osama” in a systematic propaganda campaign to convince the American public that a sitting member of their government has secret ties to terrorists.
As if she were providing a punchline to that long-running propaganda campaign, Trotta made known that the conclusions the public should draw were (1) that Sen. Obama and Osama bin Laden are equivalent, and (2) they both deserve to be assassinated.
Americans Everywhere Are Tired Of This!
There is no question that broadcast pundits “can” make jokes about assassinating a Senator and a Presidential candidate. The United States Constitution protects freedom of expression to the extreme. But that is the wrong question to ask in this situation. The issue is not “can” pundits make jokes about assassinating Sen. Obama, but “should” they?
It is astounding that Americans should even be forced to have such a conversation, let alone on Memorial Day Weekend when we remember with respect the sacrifices of fallen soldiers. But here we are.
I have to wonder how many people there actually are in the U.S. who think it is funny to make jokes about the assassination of Sen. Obama? What percentage of the American population consists of people who think that the assassination of Sen. Obama–or anyone for that matter–makes for a good punchline? Is it 50 people? 75, maybe?
Perhaps I am overly optimistic, but I do not believe there are very many people in our country–or anywhere else for that matter–who laugh or find it remotely funny when broadcast pundits stoop to the level of making jokes about killing an elected leader. It does not feel funny. It feels like someone spitting in our faces.
I believe that the vast majority of Americans–people in every corner of the country and of all political stripes–all react with an equal level of disgust when we hear remarks of the sort that Liz Trotta made on FOX News.
When we hear such “jokes” about assassinating a member of the Senate–a member of our government–we do not laugh, but instead wonder. We wonder what has happened to broadcast media in our country. We wonder to ourselves, to our families, and to our friends: How have we arrived at this point? How has our broadcast media so utterly lost its moral compass?
That same optimism leads me to conclude that the vast, vast majority of Americans do not want this kind of vile, utterly disgusting, “assassination” humor to become a recurrent part of our national debate between now and the general election, nor at any other time.
We do not want it.
That’s it.
Enough.
It ends right now.
What Americans want is a guarantee from the whole of the broadcast media industry that whenever we turn on our televisions and our radios we will never again be affronted with this brand of total, unadulterated disrespect in the form of a joke about assassinating our leaders.
And why do we demand this guarantee? It is not because we are sensitive. It is because the free press belongs to us–to the American people. It belongs to us and nobody has a right to debase it.
We do not care how many stations a single corporation owns, how many billions of dollars in revenue a media outlet produces–no corporation has the right to debase the free press in this country.
The reason for a free press–for our free press–is not to degrade our political institutions, undermine our elections, and threaten our politicians, but to strengthen and sustain our deliberative democracy.
If FOX News or any other broadcast media outlet cannot live up to that standard, then they should shut off their lights, sell their equipment, and choose another line of work.
Inciting murder is a crime, especially on live TV in front of an audience. I’m sure the special services will appreciate that
I have just filed a complaint. This is very serious and very dangerous. We can’t let the networks poo-poo Hillary’s statement, nor can we let Fox get away with this. This is no joking matter. If you would like to file a complaint with the FCC, go here:
Let her vote for Hillary. It’s all the same bunch anyhow.
God bless Google! It seems all the blogs have picked this up and the Secret Service has been notified. Also, there are addresses for the owner of Faux news and others to make a complaint. if there’s enough uproar, something may be done yet.
Liz Trotta: absolutely despicable human being.
Shameful for the entire country
Trotta should be fired. THEN SHE CAN LAUGH HER ASS ALL THE WAY TO THE UNEMPLYMENT LINE
SIGN THE PETITION TO HAVE HER FIRED…
The networks got rid of Imus for a comment calling a girls’ basketball team “nappy headed hos”, which is a horrible thing to say. This woman deserves a bit of that, herself. She may have been against Hillary’s remark, but her thoughtless “both if we could” is just as incendiary as Hillary’s. This is not a time when we should even mention the possibility of assassinating an African American presidential candidate, let alone joke about it. Anyway, is everyone forgetting that he is the son of a mixed-race couple — he is half Caucasian!
Remember what happened to Abrams for saying that Clinton was “pimping” out her daughter?
2 weeks suspension and coverage around the clock..
This should warrent an apology and a suspension.
Trotta.
Fatah.
They sound the same so they are the same, right?
Excellent article. This woman’s incredible comments and over the top joking is Inciting violence. And hate crimes are against the law. So is slander and defamation of character. Yet, all of these things seem to be acceptable practices by the Fox News station that has had an obsession to destroy Barack Obama for all the obvious reasons. I really think it is time for the American public to request that we be freed of this garbage in the name of humor or misspeaks. It’s not news it is hideous hate talk. Instead of Fox News, it should be renamed “Pox News.”
There are very sick people out there.
The remarks by Clinton and Trotta are all it takes to put one of them over the edge and go, yeah, good idea.
And when it happens Clinton and Trotta will be remorseful but deny any culpablility.
That’s how it works.
I don’t watch Fox News.
We all should get use to comments like this one! Like Jackie Robinson back in the 1940’s Barack Obama is a trailblazer and that come with certain risks above and beyond what any person running for the office of the president of the UNited States! People like Hillary Clinton, Mike Huckabee and this woman expressing naked hostility to Mr Obama, even wishing him physical harm will happen all the time during the general, so we all should brace ourselves for that onslaught! Funny! The media made a huge issue out of Mr. Obama using the words bitter, typical and cling but other people wishing him dead does seem to rise to the same level. When good raises its head up the forces of evil try to beat back any thought of trying to change this world for the better. Mr. Obama should seriously think about wearing a bulletproof vest, assuming his isn’t wearing one already! He needs it!
The problem is who will stand up to this disgusting and awful woman? We the people can sit back here and talk about it like critics but until people start turning off their t.v.’s or changing the channels or boycotting, nothing will happen. Just another obscene remark that will go floating by because no one is willing to do more than say how distasteful it was. No one is willing to demand an apology. And even if she did apologize about 100 other people will say like they did for Hillary Clinton, I don’t think she meant it she just slipped up. As if that was some sort of justification for these disgusting and inhuman remarks.
She does not just laugh she say “both if we could”. Inciting murder is a crime.
Hope Keith Olbermann goes after these scum bags over at Faux News!
This has no place in responsible journalism. I don’t mind commentators having opinions. I don’t even mind them obviously supporting one person over another. Sometimes they even purposely leave out things or put things in when reporting — which I think is a little much but recognizing the times as they are I can live with it. However, this has gone too far.
Fox News is not journalism, it’s more like an infomercial for the GOP.
How to file a complaint with the FCC:
U.S. Mail sent to:
FCC
Enforcement Bureau, Investigations and Hearings Division
445 12th Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20554
* Email at fccinfo@fcc.gov
* Fax: 1-866-418-0232
If anybody can pinpoint the time she made these remarks, the FCC Complaint form is the link below.
This is the worst thing about Hillary’s comments. Now FOX can repeat them, even amplify them, and it’s not a big deal because Hillary said it first. Sort of like with her hard working white Americans comment. Suddenly, race is an issue.
There is not much we can do about FOX, but Hillary is another matter.
The FCC sanctions and fines broadcast media for showing too much flesh or the utterance of profanity. These pundits need to be brought to task. How about multi million dollar sanctions on these bums.
I agree - a four letter word is bleeped, but not these vile and violent threats!
Hillary’s KITCHEN SINK STRATEGY - THE END GAME has started.
She has placed the specter of assassination on the minds and front pages everywhere.
The ball has been handed off to the MSM for them to carry it as far as they can.
As bad as this is for us - it has to be horrific for Michelle and the girls.
They have to be as vocal as the idiots who think this is OK. Damn it - they have to GET MAD!
Following is an email I have just sent to Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu:
Dear Senator Landrieu,
I have just read that FOX News commentator Liz Trotta has joked on camera about the possibility of Barack Obama being assassinated.
Would it be possible for you to review this incident, and, if confirmed, enter a denunciation into the Congressional Record?
Regards,
Glenn W. Smith
I think you have to fight fire with fire.
Major competitors like CNN and MSNBC have to give way to Democratic LEADERS who will come out and BLAST those A**holes! It will take more than just Keith.
Sometimes you just have to get MAD!
2 C.J. BROOKS // May 26, 2008 at 3:05 pm
CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHY THIS IS FUNNY? TO HAVE NEWS REPORTERS MAKE JOKES ABOUT ASSASSINATION LIVE ON THE AIR?
HAVE YOU ALL BEEN TO YOU-TUBE?
DID THEY FORGET ABOUT THE 1968 RIOTS WHEN “ANOTHER” AFRICAN AMERICAN LEADER WAS ASSASSINATED?
DON’T YOU ALL THINK THAT THEIR COMPANIES NEEDS TO STOP THIS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE NEWS MEDIAS ALREADY BEING LABELED RACISTS?
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