"I thought he was kind of a dick yesterday": MSNBC's Mark Halperin on President Obama

Comments

[free2booze]

The only problem with Halperin's statement, was using the words "kind of".

[Mad Scientist]

Also "was" and "yesterday."

[John]

Carney also called MSNBC to whine about it. One can only imagine the case of the vapors that would have infected the major newsrooms of America if Dana Perino had ever called a network and gotten someone suspended for saying something mean about Bush.

[Tman]

They would've had to staff an entire department to keep up with the networks if the Bush administration ever did this.

But that's not even the most ridiculous part of this whole thing. MSNBC has said much worse things about Republican politicians on a pretty regular basis and no one ever even bats an eyelash.

The level of hypocrisy over this is simply unbelievable. But I'm glad that Carney is at least matching the arrogance of Obama so they are staying consistent.

[Joe M]

Yeah, it's about as blatant as a double standard could get.

[Tony]

What? Hypocrisy because of what they would have done in a hypothetical scenario?

Like the Bushies didn't have the most sophisticated propaganda operation in American history working for them.

[Aresen]

I don't remember much liberal outrage at the famous Bush shoe throwing incident. In fact, I seem to recall a fair amount of boasting about scores obtained on the several online games that sprung up around it and a lot of outrage about the detention of the journalist.

[BTW, I got a lousy score on those games. Poor eye/shoe coordination.]

[Tony]

I don't remember much liberal outrage at the famous Bush shoe throwing incident.

Maybe because he's responsible for the needless deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis.

[Aresen]

So, it is OK if your side does it, right?

[Tony]

If an Afghani or Iraqi wants to throw a shoe at Obama, they are probably entitled to that too. Frankly the whole population of the US has some complicity in their woes.

Bush still doesn't get a pass for being a horrific lying warmongering mass murdering idiot.

[Joshua]

We're in the third term of the Bush presidency & you're defending it?!

[Mr. FIFY]

"Frankly the whole population of the US has some complicity in their woes."

Bullshit.

[Dead Afghans Iraqis Since '08]

Yeah, we just LOVE Obama. Being killed by your troops while he's President has been MUCH more acceptable than when that wicked Bush was in office.

[Old Mexican]

Re: Tman,

MSNBC has said much worse things about Republican politicians on a pretty regular basis and no one ever even bats an eyelash.

But that's only because everybody knows Republicans are evil and stupid, whereas Obama is an immaculate being that cannot be smeared by these mere mortals.

[John]

They would have treated it like Watergate. But this doesn't even raise an eyebrow.

[Tony]

John I can just imagine the red-faced indignation from you if anyone on CNN ever called Bush a dick. And Carney didn't get anyone suspended.

[Tman]

"Dick" would probably be filed under some of the nicer things that were said about Bush. Christ, Olby wondered if Bush had Pat Tillman whacked for supporting Kerry, which is one among several of Olby's rants about "MISTER BUSH".

You can't seriously be arguing that there isn't a double standard here, are you?

[Sean W. Malone]

You better believe it. Tony really can't help himself.

[Broken Record]

One can only imagine the case of the vapors that would have infected the major newsrooms of America if blah blah blah

Jesus, John, grow up already.

[John]

The truth hurts.

[Joshua Corning]

Kind of a dick yesterday

Anybody know what the president did that was dickish yesterday...or two days ago?

[Fist of Etiquette]

He spoke.

[tarran]

Obama does things that aren't dickish?

The guy's pronouncements are a stream of never-ending passive-aggressive digs at people who don't toe the line.

[OO========D]

Let me be clear.

[rogue biologist]

half as many equals signs.

[Ted S.]

You know from experience?

[Old Mexican]

Re: tarran,

Obama does things that aren't dickish?

Interesting question! I will get back to you on this one as soon as possible...

[Dave]

Yeah he's basically the dick in chief, the consummate dickhead.

His dickish exploits are already legendary - basically taking a public crap on the SCOTUS, Senator McCain and Congressman Ryan for example.

His handling of health care "reform" was a major dickfest.

All his speeches are basically lie-filled dickathons.

[alan]

To be fair, McCain or Obama, we were destined to get a major league dick either way. Worship of an omnipotent state and a desire to be a conduit of its greatness has a way of doing that to people.

[Aresen]

McCain or Obama, we were destined to get a major league dick either way.

Agreed. Obama seems worse than Bush for not undoing the damage that was done, but I suspect McCain would have been as bad if not worse. (I would not have been the slightest surprised if 'President McCain' had worked out some 'health care reform' that was every bit as bad as the one that was passed under President Obama.)

[Carston]

"Obama seems worse than Bush for not undoing the damage that was done"

Especially with all the rallying he has done against the "failed policies of the past" that he has never actually ended.

[Eric H]

"Worship of an omnipotent state and a desire to be a conduit of its greatness"

Great phrase. That is all.

[Michael]

The guy's pronouncements are a stream of never-ending passive-aggressive digs at people who don't toe the line.

This is very likely to be the most succinct statement of fact about this President that I've ever come across. Seriously, I don't think I'd mind his policies even half as much as I do if he regularly exercised just the slightest bit of humility. I also have come to believe that to his slavish supporters the constant passive aggression is a feature, not a bug. To many of them he's nothing more than a conduit for projecting their own impotent rage upon the rest of the United States.

[alan]

'Conduit', twice in one thread. I wonder if I subconsciously read ahead a bit. Doubt it though, as the word is central to a strain of critical thought I've long held.

[Pip]

He engaged in blatant class warfare.

[Sean]

No one should apologize for telling the truth.

[Spnge]

Exactly, he had an opionoion of dickness, many others had that same thought. Its a shame in America you can not even gently criticize people, a dick ohhh i am shaking. i would have said he was acting like an f-ing moron that douchenozzle obama, but then again i am not on tv, i still have free speech.

[Sinic]

Welcome to the Terrorist Watch List, Mr. Halperin.

[PIRS]

The mask is off. Even many Democrats now see who he is.

[Tulpa]

More like the foreskin is off.

[Smarmy Jay Carney....]

I never thought O-bomber could find anyone oilier or smarmier than Robt Gibbs, but here he is!

[Gary Johnston]

Pussies don't like dicks, because pussies get fucked by dicks

[Pip]

You think pussies would view dicks favorably.

[Jimbo]

I am always disappointed when talking heads apologize after saying or doing something.
Doesn't anyone anywhere have the balls to just say "YEP, THAT WAS ME, I SAID THAT, I DID THAT, DEAL WITH IT. ?

[Sinic]

"It would be inappropriate to say that about either president of either party."

Bullshit. Obama is a self-serving dick, Bush was a slow-witted asshole, and Clinton was a slimy prick.
I feel a little bit better now.

[Cheeseburger]

Maybe he should have called the president, Santorum.

[Citizen Nothing]

In that vid, the horn section is hiding under the keyboard stand, right?

[Aresen]

So, lese majeste is now a cause for dismissal in the USA?

[alan]

Worse even in terms for the cultural evolution of our species, lese messie, a three thousand year step backwards in time.

[Kool]

Christallmighty.

It would be inappropriate to say that about either ANY president of eitherANY party.

"Either" usually conveys two choices, no?

People truly can't see beyond TEAMREDTEAMBLUE. And refuse to try, of course.

[Aresen]

Actually my take on "either President" was: "You mean there is another one that I don't know about?"

[PIRS]

Yes, there is, his name is George Soros.

[Fabius]

My take on it was that it really does show how limited the scopes of these people's minds are. I'm sure they meant, Obama or Bush, which is the way they think of politics today, and the way they expect everyone else to think of it as well.

[PIRS]

Well even the Libertarian Party nominated a Conservative Republican named Bob Barr in 2008. So maybe he figured that if even the Libertarian Party doesn't recognize ITSELF as a virtuous alternative anymore why should I?

[Kool]

Valid, PIRS. You bastard.

[Lurker Kurt]

I have no love for Obama, but I agree with Kool, it is inappropriate to say about any president.

[Aresen]

Why is it "inappropriate"?

Is the POTUS some kind of divine being that 'One Must Not Offend'?

I did not watch the news conference (I don't like vomiting), so I have no judgment as to whether the Big O's comments were dickish or not, but if Halperin thought O was being dickish, why should he not be free to say so?

[John]

I agree. This is not a monarchy.

[Aresen]

Yet.

[JoshInHB]

Dictatorships are worse.

[Pro Libertate]

My reaction, exactly. I can't think of anyone who should be more prone to criticism than the person holding the most dangerous office on the planet.

Happy Canada Day, by the way.

[Aresen]

It's a day off and makes it a 3 day weekend.

Now, if it would just ^$&($&*$^ stop raining...

[Pro Libertate]

If we merged, then we'd all get Friday and Monday off! O Canada can you see?

[WinningTheFuture_WithSalmon]

Well, he could say, "the president was exceptionally arrogant, smug, dismissive, and condescending. I apologize for the use of a vulgarity to express this."

[Mainer]

WIN

[Tony]

Or he could have just stripped away the pretense and put on a diaper and cried for his mom's tit.

[rogue biologist]

Obama is a dick. Bush was a dick. Clinton was a dick. Bush was a dick. Reagan was a dick. Carter was a dick. Ford was a dick. Nixon was a tricky dick. Johnson was a Johnson. Kennedy was a crooked dick. Eisenhower was a dick. Truman was a racist dick. FDR was a colossal dick. Hoover was a dick. Harding was a dick. Wilson was a dick. Taft was a dick. Roosevelt was a dick. Mckinley was a dick. Cleveland was twice a dick. Harrison and his granddaddy were dicks. Arthur was a dick. Garfield was a dick. Hayes was a dick. Grant was a drunk dick. Johnson was a dick. Lincoln was a long dick. buchanan was a dick. Pierce was a dick. Fillmore was a dick. Taylor was a short dick. Polk was a dick. Tyler was a shorter dick. Van Buren was a dick. Jackson was an aggressive dick. Adams was a dick. Monroe was a dick. Madison was a dick. Jefferson was a hypocrite dick. Adams was a pompous dick. And Washington was a humble dick.

[Pro Libertate]

George Washington: The Least Dickish President.

[Name Nomad]

He left Coolidge off the list for good reason!

[Fabius]

I was trying to figure out whether that was a mistake or if he agreed with me that Cal was our last non-dick president.

[Greg]

I was expecting Taft to be a fat dick

[Bar Student]

My first reaction, and for nixon it should have been Dick was a dick.

[rogue biologist]

taft is an anagram for fatt

[Gary Johnston]

van buren was a ginger dick

[JoshInHB]

Coolidge was a succinct dick.

"You lose".

Was an awesomely dickish response to someone that bet they could get Cal to say more than two words at a dinner party.

[rogue biologist]

Washington pushed the Jay treaty over the popular will. The right thing to do, but a dickish one.

[Dave]

Yes, but Obama is the biggest schlong of all.

[Bar Student]

FDR was a limp dick.

[Rob]

Yes, but Obama is a black dick.

[jtuf]

It may be inappropriate to call someone a "dick", but there is no reason to single out the president and make insulting him taboo.

[Pro Libertate]

That's an inappropriate criticism, dick.

I kid.

[Now I won't call him a dick...]

But I think it is entirely appropriate to call him a cock-sucking, treasury-looting, war-mongering prick, especially since he launched yet another war in Somalia!

[alan]

Another display of lese messie. Thank you, Lurker Kurt, for taking our species down a peg. We sorely need it. Thank goodness we have the beneficence of those who altruistically allow the state to speak through them to us. Without such kind discipline we would be just a pack of half monkeys roaming wild across the hinterlands.

[Trident]

Nonsense.
Unlike ordinary people, presidents put their signatures under orders that kills thousands upon thousands.
Most presidents are scum of the Earth.

Calling them a dick is the Walt Disney version of what they should be called.
It is almost inappropriate to be so nice to them as to call them a "dick".

[fresno dan]

"He was kinda of a dick yesterday"

Revised
'Every politician Is a dick every second of every day of every year'
FIFY

[hmm]

Well, at least they didn't confirm or deny the Big O's relations with sheep. That might have resulted in a frivolous lawsuit from someone who may or may not have biblical "knowledge" of Ovis aries.

[Waquoit]

Imagine the shitstorm if someone like Olberman called Bush a dick? We'd still be hearing about it today. And no one in media would dare to call watching such name-calling "fun". Clearly, those on the left are held to a higher standard.

[Troy]

Obama is a dick. See, it isn't that hard...

[jtuf]

An Irish news paper reported this today but printed the quote as "kind of a d***". When did Western journalist become such pussies?

[Al Swearengen]

They butt into other people's business; and make the business of other's their own - these bought-out, no good cocksuckers.

[Young Mark Halperin]

When I grow up, I want to be the hackiest partisan hack in the world!

[Mainer]

Halperin expresses an opinion in a salty way: Good.

Halperin has to apologize: Bad

On the other hand, it was a real apology, none of the "if anyone was offended..." non-apologies so common today.

So do I look down on Halperin for caving or respect him for a genuine apology ?

[Tony]

You should look down on him for whining about the president calling the GOP out on their insistence on maintaining handouts for the rich while wanting to gut essential services for the poor, old, and disabled. (That president being the Kenyan socialist dictator who wants to destroy America.)

[zzzzzzz]

ho-hum, what a pair of goggles that can enable such hero worship.

[Aresen]

You should look down on him for whining about the president calling the GOP out on their insistence on maintaining handouts for the rich while wanting to gut essential services for the poor, old, and disabled failure to adopt the liberal agenda.

Translated from Tonyspeak.

[Tony]

I would think that ending market distortions such as subsidies for private jets would be part of the libertarian agenda too.

[Mainer]

The cool kids still don't like you.

[Tony]

What the fuck would you know about cool kids. This is a libertarian site.

[Joshua]

Yep, so the republicans are dicks & the president is a dick. The Republican dick status does not negate the President's dick status.

[Mr. FIFY]

"depreciation" = "subsidies for private jets"

[Fabius]

Stealing less of their money from them is a handout? By your logic, every dime that isn't stolen from anyone is a gift from the person who didn't steal it.

I'm still waiting on the thank you card for that car I gave you.

[Tony]

Why don't we just give more credits and favors to rich people. They are such victims of theft, after all, and probably deserve it. We can get the money from healthcare for the poor, old, disabled, and children. They are useless looters and don't deserve to live as long as one millionaire goes without his tax break for owning an airplane.

[Tony]

I could whine all night.

[Mr. FIFY]

"handouts for the rich" = "not taxing the fuckers at 90 percent".

[Mainer]

Have some cheese with your whine.

[Killer-drones over Somalia]

...buy into that!

[Rock Action]

For whatever reason, this flap put me in my mind of the classic Buckinghams' tune, "Kind of a Drag."

The loose, slightly logical connection between "drag," and "delay," and being stoned circa 1965-7? Or was it all substantive with "I'll always love you anyway..."

[Rock Action]

*facepalm*

Or the obvious.

[KMBA]

Would someone with some free time please do some crafty editing on the "Tim vs. Baby" episode of Life and Times of Tim to reflect this rather hilarious social faux pas? I have no skill for it, myself.

You know, just dub in "President" whenever someone says "baby"?

[Enjoy Every Sandwich]

Ah, more of that tiresome Team Red/Team Blue nonsense. Each team considers its politicians deities to be worshipped.

I don't worship any of them. You Team Red and Team Blue wankers can't do anything about it. Get over it.

[Aresen]

Pardon me?

I have always been an equal opportunity despiser of politicians.

[Enjoy Every Sandwich]

Sorry, wasn't addressing you. I must've screwed up this thread thingy.

[the stranger]

Calling Obama a dick isn't insulting to the presidency, rather it is insulting to the penis.

[cynical]

So, nothing at all creepy or tyrannical about a president having someone punished for insulting him in public, right?

[Tony]

Who did the president punish?

[Aresen]

Yeah. His flunky called the network, who did the punishing for him.

That is soooooo much not abusing power and influence. (Or caving to it, in the network's case.)

[Tony]

The network suspended him before the white house said anything. But don't let that stop you from seeing tyranny behind every corner.

[cynical]

"The network suspended him before the white house said anything."

And? Under a tyrant, most people would do the same, rather than waiting for him to get involved and risking the entire network being punished. It just means they're well-trained lapdogs.

The fact of the matter is that the president (the office, at least) actually did intervene to complain to them, which he had no business doing.

[Tony]

I'm pretty sure the 1st amendment applies to the white house press secretary too.

[Britt]

No one is saying it doesn't, you mendacious tool. Just because something isn't illegal doesn't mean it's not troubling. White House officials calling independent news networks about something somebody said on the air carries just a little more weight then John Q. Public's email.

[Michael B. Sullivan]

You know, MSNBC wants to maintain a higher level of discourse than calling someone with, ahem, notable dickish attributes, "a dick" in so many words? Sure. Nothing wrong with that. MSNBC can very reasonably feel that they aren't operating well as a business or as a public service if they let that kind of thing happen.

But:

The White House scolding someone for calling the sitting President a dick? Fuck that noise. It's the God-given right of all people to call the American President rather harsher terms than that.

[Michael B. Sullivan]

...And there has never been a President who hasn't fully earned harsher terms than that, to boot.

[Tony]

Wasn't Carney just asked a question about it?

[Michael B. Sullivan]

Choose your appropriate response:

"We don't really care what Mark Halperin thinks."

"Part of being the President means making decisions that some will disagree with."

"We don't think it's our place to comment on Mark Halperin's choice of words."

"Seriously, guys?"

"We disagree with Mr. Halperin's assessment."

"This is America: people can say what they want."

"Obama thinks that Halperin's kind of a dick, too."

[Michael B. Sullivan]

Or, fuck, Tony, how about a "teachable moment"? You know, something like:

"The Administration of course disagrees with Mr. Halperin, but in the words of Voltaire, we will defend to the death his right to speak his opinion. We are ardent believers in the right to dissent; it is what has made America great and will continue to make us great. President Obama is not so insecure as to need to scold anyone who uses mildly harsh language in disagreeing with him, and hopes that Mr. Halperin will eventually come to the conclusion that his opinion was unjustified. Of course, MSNBC can demand whatever conduct it chooses on its network, and there is a time and a place for profanity, but let me be clear: this Administration welcomes dissent and debate."

[Tony]

You probably don't see the irony here.

[Michael B. Sullivan]

That's because there is no irony here, Tony. You giving a blowjob to Democrats in power does not, in fact, subvert the expectations of the audience.

[Tony]

You don't see the irony in your lecturing the white house about what you think it should be saying and not saying?

[Mad Scientist]

It's so cute the way you can't tell the difference between a private opinion and de facto coercion.

[Michael B. Sullivan]

No, you idiot, because, and read this really carefully now: it's not ironic.

Yes, once I hit my head against a wall and lowered my functional IQ 30 points so as to think on your level, I got what you're saying. Here, let me transcribe it: "HO HO HO, MIKE IS TELLING THE WHITE HOUSE WHAT TO SAY EVEN THOUGH HE THINKS THAT NOBODY SHOULD EVER TELL ANYONE ELSE WHAT TO SAY. THAT'S HIPPO... HYPPPO... THAT'S A CONTRADICTION!"

But, you fucking dolt, you're wrong.

1. If you had the reading comprehension of a baboon, you'd have realized that when I suggested as a reasonable response, "Obama thinks Mark Halperin is kind of a dick, too," that I wasn't exactly proposing a double standard.

2. Nor was I proposing that it's appropriate (legal, certainly, but nobody's suggesting that this isn't legal) for Halperin to say any goddamn thing he wanted. I was specifically defending the use of swear words in criticizing the President.

3. But even if 1 and 2 weren't true, fuck yes there's a difference in what is appropriate for the White House to say versus some random citizen. I'll start holding them to the same standard just as soon as random citizens get near-total control over the most powerful military the world has ever seen, broad diplomatic abilities, the ability to spend hundreds of billions of dollars more or less as they see fit, the ability to lock you yes you away, etc.

Christ. You think of yourself as liberal, don't you? Do you ever stare at yourself in the mirror and say, "I'm tirelessly defending the prerogatives of the most powerful people in the world at the expense of ordinary citizens. WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH ME?"

[Actual Dick]

"You guys are so mean"

[The Bearded Hobbit]

I just wanted to say the "Kind of a Drag" was my introduction to rock-n-roll.

I guess that makes me old.

... Hobbit

[GILMORE]

God forbid people say what they think.

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[scarpe Nike Store]

is good