While the smug panel of Morning Joe on MSNBC laughed along, including the faux Democrat Harold Ford Jr., Mark Halperin called the President of the United States a dick. I just wrote Time magazine at letters@time.com to register my complaint and demand a formal apology. His lack of respect for our president has been apparent for a long time but this crossed a line. Do your part and let Time magazine and MSNBC know how you feel about such an utter lack of respect for our elected president.
Time – letters@time.com
Time Inc.
1271 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
212.522.1212
MSNBC – Comments
NBC News
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Mediaite.com has the video with an apology.
UPDATE: (Sorry for the late update, I was helping with set up for an Art Fair all day)
As I’m sure most of you know, Mark Halperin was suspended from MSNBC for an indefinite period, whatever that means. Here is MSNBC’s statement followed by Mark Halperin’s. (bold line cracked me up)
“Mark Halperin’s comments this morning were completely inappropriate and unacceptable. We apologize to the President, The White House and all of our viewers. We strive for a high level of discourse and comments like these have no place on our air. Therefore, Mark will be suspended indefinitely from his role as an analyst.”
Halperin:
“I completely agree with everything in MSNBC’s statement about my remark. I believe that the step they are taking in response is totally appropriate. Again, I want to offer a heartfelt and profound apology to the President, to my MSNBC colleagues, and to the viewers. My remark was unacceptable, and I deeply regret it.”
Personally, I was calling for an apology because I think it was warranted. I tend to think that MSNBC overreacted, to be honest. Because I’ve seen much worse on that morning show that pretends to be some sort of round table…Joe just loves the phrase “around this table” as if the people around that table represent every diverse opinion there is. But compared to this crap from Dylan Ratigan, what Halperin said paled in comparison. Don’t get me wrong, what Halperin said was despicable, but that entire show is despicable and it should really be cancelled and replaced with something more balanced – with strong voices on both sides of political issues. There is a market for it. I’m a political junkie and love waking up to political talk, but not such a blatant propaganda machine laced with subtle racism, sexism, and a fake air of being balanced. It just pissed me off. I’m becoming fond of CNN’s morning show because at least they still attempt to have an air of impartiality and adhere to some journalistic standards. But it is a news show, not just politics, so I also have to see all the other crap that I don’t care much about.
I do hope that this event will make people stop and look at the state of media in America. I’m a hard core liberal, but I value other people’s right to their opinion, even though I may want to change it.
Go Read Steve Benen’s take on Halperin, as always, he nails it to the damn wall.
Extreme Liberal's Blog 
They all get away with their “progressive” remarks and make fun of everyone. This doesn’t surprise me at all. When Chris Lichts left, the show fell apart.
I re-tweeted and sent a letter to Time. Thanks for this. Ciao from an American abroad who does not recognize my country anymore.
Lee Andrew
On my way to the gym in Tulsa Oklahoma at 5 am, I was listening on XM radio to the Morning Joe show and heard a comment from Mark Halperin calling our sitting President a DICK !
This shows a lack of respect of our sitting President. You must make him give an apology., and remove him from any of your programming!
Frances Najera
Tulsa OK
Halperin On Obama Presser ‘I Think He Was Kind Of A Dick’
Video
Sent a comment to MSNBC site. I haven’t watched Morning Joe for a couple of days and more often I have to shut him off, he is so offensive, and Mika, is just getting as bad. Yesterday she was all over Chris Christie and let him say the “President was afraid people wouldn’t like him” was just offensive. I am not surprised Halperin should say something like that, the President took them to the wood shed yesterday. I loved it. The worst part about it all is, the people have short memories, he always talks about what his priorities are, the msm just doesn’t report it and the congress (including democrats) just aren’t paying attention.
Fire all of them for giggles! What a shame!
i have tried hard to give joe s a chance but he is loud and becoming increasingly offensive … i tried to give mika a chance but her playing mommie while showing off her legs and gazing at joe has left me sick in the morning … let’s get imus back …
and halpern … knowing what he was going to say and asking for a time out … no wonder chris lick ended up in the hospital and then leaving … looks like willie is the only one with his father’s integrity …
Morning Joe is offensive. After Halperin stated the our President was a dick, Mika and Joe laughed. Regardless of your political philosophy, one should respect the President. Halperin is a senior analyst? He has stooped to the bottom of the sewer, and so have Joe and Mika. This show is disgusting. We may as well have Imus back.
I am not surprised by this comment. The level of disrespect shown to the President is unbelievable. Fox News, MSNBC, and other syndicated new channels bash Obama constantly this is extremely irresponsible. The President did not create this mess he inherited it by 8 years of the Bush administration and for anyone to think it can be fixed in two years is just ridiculous.
I’m pleased that MSNBC suspended Mr. Halperin for his inappropriate remarks about our sitting president. However Joe Scarborrough encouraged him and then hung him out to dry. Halperin received Joe’s assurrance that it would be bleeped then, once said, Joe acted surprised and claimed he was only kidding about allowing the comment. Both men are guilty and should be sanctioned but only one brings in money to MSNBC. So Joe receives no punishment.
This president has been the target of more vitriol and disrespect than any I’ve seen. And I’ve been around for many presidents .America’s intolerance is showing.
Thanks for the honesty. Mark Halperin is an extremely bright, articulate and knowledgeable political observer. He has to sit thru so much liberal praise of Obama that maybe, just maybe, he has had enough. Sort of like most Americans who have watched this empty suit of a president decide what is good for all of us stupid people. Look at the polls, the economy, the lack of job creation and all the other negatives of this president and maybe Mark is right.
The President has been slammed by “progressives” for some time for “playing nice” and has been charged with being afraid, unlike President Truman, to give the Republicans…”HELL!” Even Cenk Uygur yesterday didn’t think Obama was nasty enough at his presser. But nasty isn’t part of Obama’s persona and if he acted in such a fashion, then his many critics would accuse him of pandering, being a phony. I applaud President Obama beginning to toot his own horn. When Mitch McConnell yesterday claimed this whole economy mess only started TWO YEARS AGO, under Democrats, such whopping lies should immediately by cut down by everyone in the Democratic Party and the media. But then we don’t have REAL journalists, anymore, just puppets for mostly REICH-wing media owners.
I quit watching Scarborough, who caters to the likes of Pat Buchanan, a long time ago and feel his show was created to outfox…Fox, going after the same REICH-wing demographic. I think MSNBC has gone downhill since the wingers at Comcast took over the network.
This is an outrage it seems with this program anything goes. On a daily basis this programs reporters seem to be very and I mean very prejudice. I cannot stand msnbc
unbelieveable.. so much disrespect for sitting president who happens to be Black.. i am annoyed frustrated and bothered .. this is not the first time.. who would call the president a Liar and a “Dick” shameful….
The man should have been fired on the spot. What have we become? Do we have any sense of what is right and wrong anymore? Obama has done a good job in spite of having received more unwarranted and purposeful resistance, carping and even hidden agenda action against anything that he does than any other president. I wouldn’t have believed it but for seeing it myself. Even his critics should be outraged over what is being done, even if just the disrespect. Are we really that kind of people?
Comment by Alex / June 30, 2011
Shame Shame Shame, fire all of them
Joe and his sidekick Mika have played lovey dovey long enough, while trying to project the perception of a serious conversation. I believe the remarks by Mark Halperin about the President of the United States this morning is reason enough to cancel the show. There has been enough of the brash, argumenative and know it all Joe Scarborough. The “minnie mouse,” “mommy” and subjective Mika does not help the situation. Willie Guiest appears to be the most balanced person on the show.
Do you really think that if they had called Bush a “di–“, there would be this kind of fuss?! Heck no! Too much cool aid still going around if you ask me!
Liberals have been calling Republicans nasty names for YEARS. The rub about the First Amendment – it goes both ways. You liberals are a whiny group of people.
Thats okay I think that the entire republican party are a bunch of dicks. Who cares what these assholes say about Obama or about us Democrats, all they do is show their true colors and in the end show themselves to only care about their own egos and self centeredness. I just hope that they know what comes around goes around so if they think this sort of thing is okay they should be prepared for the backlash.
See that TROLLS like Jean and Gerrick have found this blog. Never heard a REAL journalist ever call Bush a “dick”…maybe DICK Cheney but that is his name.
The President has been slammed by “progressives” for some time for “playing nice” and has been charged with being afraid, unlike President Truman, to give the Republicans…”HELL!” Even Cenk Uygur yesterday didn’t think Obama was nasty enough at his presser. But nasty isn’t part of Obama’s persona and if he acted in such a fashion, then his many critics would accuse him of pandering, being a phony. I applaud President Obama beginning to toot his own horn. When Mitch McConnell yesterday claimed this whole economy mess only started TWO YEARS AGO, under Democrats, such whopping lies should immediately by cut down by everyone in the Democratic Party and the media. But then we don’t have REAL journalists, anymore, just puppets for mostly REICH-wing media owners.
I quit watching Scarborough, who caters to the likes of Pat Buchanan, a long time ago and feel his show was created to outfox…Fox, going after the same REICH-wing demographic. I think MSNBC has gone downhill since the wingers at Comcast took over the network.
Think of all the talking heads who insulted Bush, none got any reprimand for their disrespect.
Cenk was defending himself on MSNBC rather pathetically I might add about how he was always attacking Obama. I guess he had a lot of hate filled emails and he was ‘upset’ at it. He also made false allegations about us or at least me. Look I don’t care if you criticize the president on certain things but nothing Cenk has said has been helpful or even rational. When Obama does fight back its never hard enough for Cenk, this sort of thinking is counterproductive to his own movement and shows that he in fact doesn’t want Obama to win like he claims.
All this does is push people to vote for the opposition or for an independent candidate. He doesn’t get that its not about going lockstep behind Obama because thats never been what its about. What its about is backing Obama when he needs us the most and using constructive criticism such as pushing him to get more troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan or to get him to back gay marriage but when it comes to publically discussing him on his show he needs to also praise him and give him support. Its not right that people like Cenk and Shultz always seem to be on the person that is the closest aligned to what they want constantly. It just gives rpublicans more wiggle room to convince the middle to vote for them.
If you Google Halperin racist, for the first couple of pages all you get are right-wing sites all parroting the same right-wing Newsbuster article saying that because Halperin evidently dismisses Herman Cain’s presidential run (really just doesn’t mention him much), then Time and Halperin MUST be racist. Because he also doesn’t mention candidate Gary Johnson of NE, does this make him “anti-Libertarian”, too?
Faux “News” has been on Halperin’s case for calling Matt Drudge a “racist” for some time. I don’t think Halperin is a racist, however, but would he have called a white president a “Dick”? Here is a video link showing Bill O’Lielly “interviewing” Mark Halperin over the issue of race.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a8a_1276136289
Sorry for the repeat. Didn’t see it posted so reposted adding to it therefore not getting a “similar statement” warning. After posting above saw it was posted after-all at #12.
♪♫ ♪ TROLL, TROLL, your boat, wildly down the stream! ♪♫ ♪
People are just as rude and disrespectful to Republican Presidents and candidates. Honest Democrats have to agree with that. You can not fault the man for expressing his opinion just because you don’t agree with it. You can, however, place some fault on those who told him it was on a 7 second delay. He wasn’t intending for that to be aired, hence he asked if they were on the 7 second delay. And it’s about time some people start looking at the current President’s spending since in office. How long does he have to be in office for anyone to look at his own actions instead of his predecessors? You can blame Bush for a lot, but Obama has done his own share of messing up with the excessive spending as well.
To the right wing freaks:
I never seen heard anyone in the media called Bush any name like this during his disastrous tenure as president and if there was a person that did you can better believe dim son’s allies in the right wing media would let you know about it.
As to Cenk it’s just another example of him and his ilk moving the goal post back when President Obama does something they claim they wanted him to do. Short of Obama walking into that room calling the Republicans lying sacks of shit and all sorts of son of bitches they wasn’t going to be happy anything he said.
Truman is a bad president to use as a man for any president to follow. His approval ratings were horrible and he had no real ability to work with the republicans or maybe they were much like the way the republicans are now. Plus although he was extremely vocal it seemed to always bite him in the ass and get him in trouble politically speaking. This maybe what ideologues want but its not what I want in my president.
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This is shameful behavior and Mark Halperin & Joe Scarborough are behaving like disrespectful Frat Boys. Oh, by the way Mika and Joe, not funny. And don’t try to blame Alex, the producer, it is not his fault as you would have us believe. I think I’ll do my blood pressure a favor and take your show off my DVR list.
Elizabeth Herndl
Do the words “you’re too stupid” mean anything to you?
When the Iraqi dude threw the shoe at GWB, we (as Americans) were all incensed that this would happen to a sitting president.
BTW, anybody that uses the term “kool-aid” is too much of a parrot to even engage in conversation.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with calling the president a dick(whether he’s black or white). His ego warrants the comment as does his inability to produce any successful policies. Everything he has done has failed and will leave us in worse shape than we ever were with Bush. Was he referring to himself when he went on about his daughters doing their homework and congress should do their responsibilities? When is he going to do his? Hypocrite
They were so disgraceful. I watched Morning Joe this morning couldn’t believe it. Mark Halperin has no shame he only was hurrying this morning to apologize because he was caught. He said it on the air my job might be on the line. Harold Ford Jr should get a dismissal too… his comments about In what defense….” Mark” you would defend Mark Halperin he just called the President a name. Someone that spoke that way about the Leader of the United States and your President. I’ve watched Harold Ford Jr when he is on the Morning Joe very lukewarm whatever way the wind blows. NYU should look at Harold Ford Jr too.
President Truman had a most cantankerous Republican Congress, but don’t believe it came near the spewing of partisan remarks, hateful (racist?) rhetoric and bald-faced LIES of the current GOP group. Truman did give Republicans, “hell”. He not only did not let the Republicans run all over him, but also Union members in his own party. He pissed off the racist element of the Democratic Party, the southern “Dixiecrats”, when he racially integrated the armed forces. The Dixiecrats broke away under Strom Thurmond but Democrats won anyway. Truman only had a 30% approval rating earlier in the 1948 campaign and was written off by most every pundit to lose re-election…it would be “Dewey by a landslide!”. Feeling he would be defeated, anyway, maybe helped Truman feel free to speak his mind. Truman’s ranting against Republicans got him much media attention and also gave him an underdog status. The voters eventually rallied behind Truman, a “man of the people” compared to the New Yorker Dewey. Dewey came off as patrician compared to the Kansas City haberdasher.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_1948
Everyone was surprised that Gov. Dewey, who kept out-polling Truman, lost. The Chicago Tribune, relying upon on some early poll returns, even had an early newspaper edition on the streets proclaiming a Dewey victory.
Being born in the 30’s and having lived under 13 presidents now, I have never seen such partisanship from an opposition party. LBJ wouldn’t have had his “Great Society” programs passed into law if not for cooperation of Republicans under leaders Dirksen and Halleck. I’ve NEVER heard Republicans proclaim loudly that they hope for a president, in this case Obama, to fail (therefore four years of more suffering by the American people). The principal GOP legislative goal, as per Mitch McConnell, is to make Obama a one-term president. The Obama hate started with Rush Limbaugh the day after the Inauguration.
I noticed that Cenk and his ilk would condemn this but I’ve read articles where the young turks called Obama a dick or some other jerkoff statement. The hardcore progressive and the hardcore right seem to think along the same terms and could in truth give a shit less about the harm its causing this country. Of course the hardcore right is way worse but that is neither here nor there.
I see our TROLL Chris blames Obama for not getting anything done. As I wrote in #20, NEVER in my 72 years under 13 presidents, have I seen such a Republican group obstructing nearly every Democratic program. They have filibustered, blocked nearly all legislation and judicial appointments from this president, setting a Congressional record. And WHERE are the Republican programs? That’s right, they don’t have any constructive ones.
Obama has an ego? Oh yeah, he is just an “uppity” black man, even though he grew up poor.
Mark Halperin is the “dick” here. Steve Benen’s said it best..
“The key takeaway, at least for me, is what prompted Halperin’s shot in the first place.
Forget the trees; look at the forest: congressional Republicans, for the first time in American history, are holding the debt ceiling hostage. They’ve announced to the country and the world that they’ll cause an economic crash, on purpose, unless Democrats agree to dramatic spending cuts. Yesterday, President Obama held a press conference to urge GOP leaders to accept a compromise — he and other Democrats will accept massive cuts, but the president wants Republicans to agree to some concessions as part of a bipartisan agreement.
I couldn’t care less which four-letter word Halperin uses. I do care that Halperin is presented to news consumers as a neutral observer when he clearly is not. But I really care that he and others in the media establishment look at the debt-ceiling fight and think Obama’s the one who’s a big jerk. And why do they think that? Because the president offered some relatively mild criticism of truly insane tactics.
Let me say this as plainly as I know how: Republicans are threatening to deliberately cause a global recession. The president is willing to strike a deal that leans heavily in the GOP’s direction, and Republicans are refusing. Who, in this scenario, is being dickish?
Halperin’s choice of words pales in comparison to the fact that he’s offended by the president’s mild rebuke of political recklessness the likes of which American hasn’t seen in generations.”
>More<
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_06/what_matters_and_what_doesnt_a030605.php#comments
I agree, I’ve seen a lot of presidents too and the lack of respect for Pres. Obama is unprecedented and very demeaning. So much of it smacks of racism. They emphasize only negative polls about Obama, the economy…whatever. I can see hard core Republican right people not liking what he has accomplished and I’ve posted about those accomplishments many times, but to talk about someone as someone beneath you, when hey, the man was elected President of the United States, I think I’d take his resume over your petty smug ass anyday. The list of stuff he has done considering every single bit of it was an all out battle, is amazing.
I stopped watching Morning Joe, shit, I don’t know how many months ago now. But I was fed up with it and have let people know it ever since.
Today on MSNBC, Cenk Uygur and his guest, Adam Green, founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and one of Obama’s most outspoken liberal critics, berated Obama for being WEAK, not going far enough to blast Republicans! So Halperin thinks Obama went too far, and the “professional left” think Obama is a wimp. Nothing like promoting these “snapshots” to get our President defeated in 2012.
Isn’t this the same Obama who campaigned on dampening the partisanship in Washington, who to cheering masses, claimed we were not “red states” and “blue states” but a UNITED STATES? Why are some on the left so surprised that Obama doesn’t act like a Chris Christie bully? And is it not the Republicans who are being obstructionist, wanting any Obama program to fail even if they are similar to Republican programs promoted in the past.
“People” sure are rude and disrespectful of Republicans too, but Mark Halperin is a “Senior Analyst” and as Steve Benen said,
“I do care that Halperin is presented to news consumers as a neutral observer when he clearly is not. But I really care that he and others in the media establishment look at the debt-ceiling fight and think Obama’s the one who’s a big jerk. And why do they think that? Because the president offered some relatively mild criticism of truly insane tactics.”
You know, I often thought the same thing about Willie Geist..he plays along sometimes, but he really doesn’t say much that isn’t just a funny aside. But the rest of the regulars and most of the guests are smooching Joe’s but and are afraid to challenge him, even Eugene Robinson, who I normally respect.
But as you probably read, I haven’t watched that piece of shit show in several months.
:) Tell em’ Staci. MSNBC made a business decision, if someone says something and enough people react to it, then it becomes a matter of damage control and the business makes a decision. If ANY “Senior Analyst” called President Bush a dick, shit, Fox News and the gang would have run them out on a rail. Keith Olbermann might get away with it, but not a Senior Analyst and supposedly respected editor for Time magazine.
No reprimand if you criticized GWB, eh? I remember back in the days after 9/11 — anybody who criticized or protested George W. Bush’s policies, even without calling him names, was automatically branded as unpatriotic and anti-American. You righties seem to remember it differently. Where is your patriotic “we have to follow the commander-in-chief” spew now? Oh, I forgot, Obama isn’t quite “American”. My bad.
Truman was way ahead of his time and I fear Obama is going through much the same thing (issues are very different but the theme seems to be the same albeit worse racism, etc. I hate to see Obama’s approval going down like this and would like to see them improve or better yet beat the republicans like Truman did with a low approval rating.
Standing in a checkout line and see Time Magazine in the racks? Don’t know about you, but I guarantee it will have a Good Housekeeping in front of it when I’m through checking out. Hit these duplicitous f*ckers where they live. Profits.
This is shameful behavior and Mark Halperin & Joe Scarborough are behaving like disrespectful Frat Boys. Oh, by the way Mika and Joe, not funny. And don’t try to blame Alex, the producer, it is not his fault as you would have us believe. I think I’ll do my blood pressure a favor and take your show off my DVR list.
Elizabeth Herndl
I watched Morning Joe today to see if Joe or Mika apologized for their role in this obscenity of disrespecting the President, but no dice. They threw Halperin under the bus big time. Mika was the one who acted the jerk role today. She is going to miss Amy because she makes her coffee everyday. I thought Mika’s book was about empowering women. She proceeded to insult Gov.Malloy/Ct. in his disagreement with Gov.Christie/NJ referring to penis envy per her book. Don’t worry though, she will get away with this terrible behavior because they obviously have no high standards on this show. No respect for their guests either! I am going to do my blood pressure a favor & drop this show from my DVR list. I wonder if Jon Stewart picked up on this. His show last nite was wonderful. Willie is great! I hope to see his take on the Mika insults.
Since the day Barack Obama was inaugurated my family has been watching the sabotage of an American President. I’m 72 and have NEVER seen this kind of treatment towards the POTUS. LIAR (during SOU address); DICK (on National TV); CORRUPT, UNAMERICAN, NAZI, ILLEGAL, HATES WHITE PEOPLE (Fox news), HATES AMERICA, MAGIC NEGRO, etc., etc., from right-wing media 24/7. Never have I heard such a degree of factually incorrect claims thrown at the POTUS from his critics, including Republican legislators, reported by the media. This is a shameful chapter in our history. Republicans will try to rewrite the chapter, but it won’t work.
And it isn’t getting any better. KTRH…740AM, a long favorite “morning drive-time” radio station here in Houston has just fired its two veteran talkers, Lana Hughes and J.T. Pritchard, who for 27 years interspersed LOCAL news, weather, road conditions with humor and some music. You see KTRH is one of over 1000 radio stations from coast-to-coast now taken over by REICH-wing Clear Channel Communications owned by a San Antonio billionaire (remember Clear Channel blacklisted over all of their stations the Dallas based Dixie Chicks for saying they were not happy that George W. Bush was from Texas!). Thanks FCC for allowing monopolies to control our media!!! It is estimated that 90% of all radio now in the USA spews REICH-wing rhetoric. Other than public radio (which the REICH wants to defund), most have to PAY subscription fees to satellite radio to hear a liberal (even a centrist) viewpoint.
It is not enough that KTRH is now the Houston radio station for Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, and Rush Limbaugh. The new “drive-time” show will be hosted by wingnut Michael Ryan (now calls himself on-air…”Matt Patrick”) who will be moved down from Ohio where he has been active in organizing Tea Party events using his radio celebrity there. It is a part of what is being called “a more subjective, opinionated approach to talk radio than an objective, journalistic one”! However, the average listener isn’t savvy enough to know the difference and takes anything they hear/read in the media and blogosphere as GOSPEL.
I suggest checking out Cspan’s Washington Journal in the morning.
I never watch Morning Joe as that crap is just a way of making a person miserable.
CNN is okay but, frankly, not much.
I find Washington Journal to be interesting and informative.
the righties who call in can be hilarious with their Fox like parroting. But, on the whole you do get good calls and points brought up. the guests are from both sides as well as impartial ones, too.
You need to watch for a week to get the full feel of the show but, it is far above MJ and more satisfying intellectually.
And you learn sooooo much
sorry to double post but, forgot to point out that the other day they had on one of the more popular guests. He’s been on the show a few times and always gets respect by the opposing side as well as his own.
Senator Bernie Sanders.
He may call himself an independent socialist and think the rightwing callers would pound him but, they really respect the man and do like his common sense and what he has to say.