Official to Resign Over YouTube Clip was the Right Call

[Sweetchuck]

There is so much to say with this story.

When it first came out, I saw the video and thought what everyone thought including the Whitehouse. Wow! Then I read the transcript and thought later comments about minorities targeting federal jobs because nobody gets fired from federal jobs was the real story IMO.

Now here is where Faux News loses credibility. This is a classic case of Fox creating news, which they do, by publishing only part of the clip which clouds the entire story. After this came to light, Faux News decided to start to focus on the federal jobs comment.

Which makes me wonder if the Whitehouse's reaction was reported inaccurately, but if it's accurate - the fact that the Whitehouse would pressure this woman into immediate resignation speaks volumes about how defensive and divisive The Great Divider is, but I'm still not sure how to react to it because I'm not sure the whole story is out in the open.



http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/07/20/ex-ag-official-says-video-showing-white-farmer-story-excludes-key-context/

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Tuesday stood by his decision to demand the resignation of a Georgia official over a controversial YouTube clip, though the ex-official claimed afterward that the Obama administration never gave her a chance to tell her side of the story.

Shirley Sherrod, the department's ex-Georgia director of Rural Development, said the White House forced her out after the video surfaced showing her telling a story about how she withheld help to a white farmer in trouble. But she claimed the video omitted key context and that the administration just got scared.

"They were not interested in hearing the truth. No one wanted to hear the truth," she said in a television interview Tuesday morning.

Still, after intense media coverage of the fallout from the resignation, Vilsack released a written statement Tuesday afternoon defending and explaining his decision. He said the controversy itself was enough to make her job difficult.

"Yesterday, I asked for and accepted Ms. Sherrod's resignation for two reasons. First, for the past 18 months, we have been working to turn the page on the sordid civil rights record at USDA and this controversy could make it more difficult to move forward on correcting injustices. Second, state rural development directors make many decisions and are often called to use their discretion," he said. "The controversy surrounding her comments would create situations where her decisions, rightly or wrongly, would be called into question making it difficult for her to bring jobs to Georgia."

Administration officials said the White House had nothing to do with Vilsack's decision.

Vilsack repeated an earlier statement that the USDA has "zero tolerance for discrimination."

But the NAACP, after earlier condemning Sherrod, reversed its position Tuesday and called on Vilsack to "reconsider."

NAACP CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous originally released a statement overnight calling Sherrod's comments "shameful" and saying the group was "appalled by her actions." But after Sherrod started telling her side of the story, the NAACP said it would conduct an "investigation" and review the full tape, which was shot for the NAACP by DCTV.

Late Tuesday, Jealous effectively retracted his earlier statement and blamed the media for the confusion.

"With regard to the initial media coverage of the resignation of USDA official Shirley Sherrod, we have come to the conclusion we were snookered by Fox News and Tea Party activist Andrew Breitbart into believing she had harmed white farmers because of racial bias," he said. "Having reviewed the full tape, spoken to Ms. Sherrod, and most importantly heard the testimony of the white farmers mentioned in this story, we now believe the organization that edited the documents did so with the intention of deceiving millions of Americans."

He said "the fact is" Sherrod helped the farmers mentioned in her remarks and called the issue a "false controversy."

It remains unclear who edited and released the video. Breitbart's BigGovernment.com featured the video clip early Monday. Vilsack announced Sherrod's resignation shortly after FoxNews.com's initial story Monday evening, for which Sherrod could not be reached for comment. FoxNews.com was unable to obtain a copy of the full video.

The wife of the farmer who was the subject of Sherrod's story also told FoxNews.com on Tuesday that there was no discrimination. She said the administration should not have forced out Sherrod, who actually helped the couple save their farm.

"She'll always be my friend," Eloise Spooner said. She said the incident Sherrod was referring to happened more than two decades ago and that she and her husband Roger worked together closely to keep the farm out of foreclosure.

"I don't think they gave her a chance to tell really what happened," Eloise Spooner said. "I don't think they'll find anybody that can fill the job any better than she did. That's my opinion."

The video clip that launched the controversy is two-and-a-half minutes long. In it, Sherrod describes "the first time I was faced with having to help a white farmer save his farm."

Sherrod, who is black, claimed the farmer took a long time trying to show he was "superior" to her. The audience laughed as she described how she handled the situation.

"He had to come to me for help. What he didn't know while he was taking all that time trying to show me he was superior to me was I was trying to decide just how much help I was going to give him," she said. "I was struggling with the fact that so many black people have lost their farmland and here I was faced with having to help a white person save their land -- so I didn't give him the full force of what I could do. I did enough."

Sherrod explained in the video that, at the time, she assumed the state or federal Department of Agriculture had referred the white farmer to her. In order to ensure that the farmer could report back that she was indeed helpful, she said she took him to see "one of his own" -- a white lawyer.

"I figured that if I take him to one of them, that his own kind would take care of him," she said.

The ex-official first told her side of the story in an interview overnight with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She said that in the clip she was telling a story about events that happened 24 years ago when she was working for a local nonprofit group. She added that she worked with the farmer for two years to help save his farm from foreclosure.

But the point of her story wasn't entirely clear from the clip.

"It was revealed to me that it's about poor versus those who have," she said toward the end, suggesting she had learned that race is less important.

Spooner told FoxNews.com that Sherrod's story did not "bother" her. She explained that Sherrod did not send them directly to the white lawyer, either -- she said she initially suggested a black lawyer and a white lawyer, and that the couple saw the black lawyer first. After several months, the black lawyer had to withdraw from the case, citing too much workload, Spooner said. The couple then visited the white lawyer, with Sherrod's help, she said.

Spooner said Sherrod did not display discrimination. Asked about the claim that her husband was acting "superior" during that first conversation, Spooner said: "That's just his way."

Sherrod on Tuesday told CNN she blamed the NAACP, which put out a statement condemning her for her remarks overnight. Sherrod claimed the NAACP never contacted her and that the civil rights group's high-profile fight with the Tea Party over allegations of racism set the stage for her forced resignation.

"They are the reason why this happened," she said.

Sherrod added that an administration official "harassed" her with warnings about the attention she was going to receive after the video surfaced.

Cheryl Cook, deputy undersecretary for Rural Development, called her several times on Monday to eventually demand her resignation on behalf of the White House. Sherrod was driving at the time and said Cook told her to pull over to the side of the road to resign, "because you're going to be on Glenn Beck tonight."

She said the whole video would reveal that she eventually came to work closely with the white farmer and that she was trying to impart a lesson about how important it is to get "beyond the issue of race."

"I went on to work with many more white farmers," she said. "The story helped me realize that race is not the issue."

[sgtdmski]

There is so much to say with this story.

When it first came out, I saw the video and thought what everyone thought including the Whitehouse. Wow! Then I read the transcript and thought later comments about minorities targeting federal jobs because nobody gets fired from federal jobs was the real story IMO.

Now here is where Faux News loses credibility. This is a classic case of Fox creating news, which they do, by publishing only part of the clip which clouds the entire story. After this came to light, Faux News decided to start to focus on the federal jobs comment.

Which makes me wonder if the Whitehouse's reaction was reported inaccurately, but if it's accurate - the fact that the Whitehouse would pressure this woman into immediate resignation speaks volumes about how defensive and divisive The Great Divider is, but I'm still not sure how to react to it because I'm not sure the whole story is out in the open.



http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/07/20/ex-ag-official-says-video-showing-white-farmer-story-excludes-key-context/

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Tuesday stood by his decision to demand the resignation of a Georgia official over a controversial YouTube clip, though the ex-official claimed afterward that the Obama administration never gave her a chance to tell her side of the story.

Shirley Sherrod, the department's ex-Georgia director of Rural Development, said the White House forced her out after the video surfaced showing her telling a story about how she withheld help to a white farmer in trouble. But she claimed the video omitted key context and that the administration just got scared.

"They were not interested in hearing the truth. No one wanted to hear the truth," she said in a television interview Tuesday morning.

Still, after intense media coverage of the fallout from the resignation, Vilsack released a written statement Tuesday afternoon defending and explaining his decision. He said the controversy itself was enough to make her job difficult.

"Yesterday, I asked for and accepted Ms. Sherrod's resignation for two reasons. First, for the past 18 months, we have been working to turn the page on the sordid civil rights record at USDA and this controversy could make it more difficult to move forward on correcting injustices. Second, state rural development directors make many decisions and are often called to use their discretion," he said. "The controversy surrounding her comments would create situations where her decisions, rightly or wrongly, would be called into question making it difficult for her to bring jobs to Georgia."

Administration officials said the White House had nothing to do with Vilsack's decision.

Vilsack repeated an earlier statement that the USDA has "zero tolerance for discrimination."

But the NAACP, after earlier condemning Sherrod, reversed its position Tuesday and called on Vilsack to "reconsider."

NAACP CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous originally released a statement overnight calling Sherrod's comments "shameful" and saying the group was "appalled by her actions." But after Sherrod started telling her side of the story, the NAACP said it would conduct an "investigation" and review the full tape, which was shot for the NAACP by DCTV.

Late Tuesday, Jealous effectively retracted his earlier statement and blamed the media for the confusion.

"With regard to the initial media coverage of the resignation of USDA official Shirley Sherrod, we have come to the conclusion we were snookered by Fox News and Tea Party activist Andrew Breitbart into believing she had harmed white farmers because of racial bias," he said. "Having reviewed the full tape, spoken to Ms. Sherrod, and most importantly heard the testimony of the white farmers mentioned in this story, we now believe the organization that edited the documents did so with the intention of deceiving millions of Americans."

He said "the fact is" Sherrod helped the farmers mentioned in her remarks and called the issue a "false controversy."

It remains unclear who edited and released the video. Breitbart's BigGovernment.com featured the video clip early Monday. Vilsack announced Sherrod's resignation shortly after FoxNews.com's initial story Monday evening, for which Sherrod could not be reached for comment. FoxNews.com was unable to obtain a copy of the full video.

The wife of the farmer who was the subject of Sherrod's story also told FoxNews.com on Tuesday that there was no discrimination. She said the administration should not have forced out Sherrod, who actually helped the couple save their farm.

"She'll always be my friend," Eloise Spooner said. She said the incident Sherrod was referring to happened more than two decades ago and that she and her husband Roger worked together closely to keep the farm out of foreclosure.

"I don't think they gave her a chance to tell really what happened," Eloise Spooner said. "I don't think they'll find anybody that can fill the job any better than she did. That's my opinion."

The video clip that launched the controversy is two-and-a-half minutes long. In it, Sherrod describes "the first time I was faced with having to help a white farmer save his farm."

Sherrod, who is black, claimed the farmer took a long time trying to show he was "superior" to her. The audience laughed as she described how she handled the situation.

"He had to come to me for help. What he didn't know while he was taking all that time trying to show me he was superior to me was I was trying to decide just how much help I was going to give him," she said. "I was struggling with the fact that so many black people have lost their farmland and here I was faced with having to help a white person save their land -- so I didn't give him the full force of what I could do. I did enough."

Sherrod explained in the video that, at the time, she assumed the state or federal Department of Agriculture had referred the white farmer to her. In order to ensure that the farmer could report back that she was indeed helpful, she said she took him to see "one of his own" -- a white lawyer.

"I figured that if I take him to one of them, that his own kind would take care of him," she said.

The ex-official first told her side of the story in an interview overnight with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She said that in the clip she was telling a story about events that happened 24 years ago when she was working for a local nonprofit group. She added that she worked with the farmer for two years to help save his farm from foreclosure.

But the point of her story wasn't entirely clear from the clip.

"It was revealed to me that it's about poor versus those who have," she said toward the end, suggesting she had learned that race is less important.

Spooner told FoxNews.com that Sherrod's story did not "bother" her. She explained that Sherrod did not send them directly to the white lawyer, either -- she said she initially suggested a black lawyer and a white lawyer, and that the couple saw the black lawyer first. After several months, the black lawyer had to withdraw from the case, citing too much workload, Spooner said. The couple then visited the white lawyer, with Sherrod's help, she said.

Spooner said Sherrod did not display discrimination. Asked about the claim that her husband was acting "superior" during that first conversation, Spooner said: "That's just his way."

Sherrod on Tuesday told CNN she blamed the NAACP, which put out a statement condemning her for her remarks overnight. Sherrod claimed the NAACP never contacted her and that the civil rights group's high-profile fight with the Tea Party over allegations of racism set the stage for her forced resignation.

"They are the reason why this happened," she said.

Sherrod added that an administration official "harassed" her with warnings about the attention she was going to receive after the video surfaced.

Cheryl Cook, deputy undersecretary for Rural Development, called her several times on Monday to eventually demand her resignation on behalf of the White House. Sherrod was driving at the time and said Cook told her to pull over to the side of the road to resign, "because you're going to be on Glenn Beck tonight."

She said the whole video would reveal that she eventually came to work closely with the white farmer and that she was trying to impart a lesson about how important it is to get "beyond the issue of race."

"I went on to work with many more white farmers," she said. "The story helped me realize that race is not the issue."

Hold on, lets reverse this. Instead of a black woman let us make it a white woman, or even better yet, a white man. Here this poor black farmer comes weeping to them to save their farm. Well the white gov't employee states, well I didn't give it my full effort but I did enough, I took them to one of their own.

WOW FRONT PAGE NEWS FOR THE NY TIMES!!!!!

By her own words she admitted she did not do her job. She didn't do it because the man was white. Hmm she is black, he is white, and because of that this is RACISM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not only should she be fired, but she should be jailed, for violating Civil Rights Laws, just like those good ole boys form the south!!!!!!!!!! She is no damn different.

Nothing manufactured here. And the NAACP is a coward organization!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Of course they retracted their condemnation. She was black. Hell at times the NAACP is no different than the KKK in their hatred to other races!

dmk

[Sweetchuck]

Can't say I disagree, but you're missing the point.

The story wasn't reported accurately - the whole story. Faux News also neglected to report that the farmers were contacted and they said Sherrod helped keep them out of bankruptcy.

http://www.democraticunderground.org/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x487226

One of my points is the fabrication of news stories. Faux does it, so does the other major networks, but moreso with Faux IMO.

And you're proving my other point. You, with much bias immediately label the NAACP as racist, and while I agree they are inherently racist (I've stated as much), this incident doesn't make them racist in the same sense that isolated incidents at teabagger rallies don't make that entire organization racist.

[Missileman]

Can't say I disagree, but you're missing the point.

The story wasn't reported accurately - the whole story. Faux News also neglected to report that the farmers were contacted and they said Sherrod helped keep them out of bankruptcy.

http://www.democraticunderground.org/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x487226

One of my points is the fabrication of news stories. Faux does it, so does the other major networks, but moreso with Faux IMO.

And you're proving my other point. You, with much bias immediately label the NAACP as racist, and while I agree they are inherently racist (I've stated as much), this incident doesn't make them racist in the same sense that isolated incidents at teabagger rallies don't make that entire organization racist.

So Fox News fabricated the fact that this woman admitted in public to a crime and to fucking over a US citizen because she didn't like his skin color? I'd say it appears you have no clue what fabricate means.

[Mr. P]

This is a much bigger story than it seems..good for the week at least but probably longer. Where's Paul Harvey when ya really need the rest of the story?

[LuvRPgrl]

Can't say I disagree, but you're missing the point.

The story wasn't reported accurately - the whole story. Faux News also neglected to report that the farmers were contacted and they said Sherrod helped keep them out of bankruptcy.

http://www.democraticunderground.org/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x487226

One of my points is the fabrication of news stories. Faux does it, so does the other major networks, but moreso with Faux IMO.

And you're proving my other point. You, with much bias immediately label the NAACP as racist, and while I agree they are inherently racist (I've stated as much), this incident doesn't make them racist in the same sense that isolated incidents at teabagger rallies don't make that entire organization racist.

Once FOX news (not entertainment news like the rest of the MSM, despite what you believe) got the whole story, they aired it.

Fact is, this woman was unfairly shafted. I dont understand why she resigned.
TURNS OUT THE WHOLE STORY PRESENTS ITSELF THAT SHE HELPED THE FARMERS AFTER ALL, AND THE STORY IS ABOUT HOW RACISM IS NOT GOOD.
She actgually helped the farmers , the WHITE farmers keep their farm, so regardless of what she said, WHAT SHE DID WASNT RACIST. And anyways, it was twenty four freaking years ago, how many of us can say we havent changed ALOT in the last 24 years. If you honestly can say that, then you are a close-minded mule headed intolerant mind boggling idiot.

[avatar4321]

Can't say I disagree, but you're missing the point.

The story wasn't reported accurately - the whole story. Faux News also neglected to report that the farmers were contacted and they said Sherrod helped keep them out of bankruptcy.

http://www.democraticunderground.org/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x487226

One of my points is the fabrication of news stories. Faux does it, so does the other major networks, but moreso with Faux IMO.

And you're proving my other point. You, with much bias immediately label the NAACP as racist, and while I agree they are inherently racist (I've stated as much), this incident doesn't make them racist in the same sense that isolated incidents at teabagger rallies don't make that entire organization racist.

Fox didn't fabricate anything. In fact, I haven't seen any evidence that they even broke the story until after the Administration called her and told her to resign three time Monday afternoon.

There is more to this story. It's odd that the administration jumped on this so quickly. Or that the NAACP, the only group we know had the full video, condemned it so quickly.

We can't seem to figure out who clipped the video yet. Was it whoever put it on youtube, or did they recieve a clipped version of it before they put it up.

Lot's of questions. Something isn't right. Why on earth would they be so quick to demand her resignation. No one knew who she was. I can't tell that anyone was demanding her resignation in the Public. Heck, Most people didn't know about the video until after she was forced to resign.

This woman was thrown under the bus. I want to know why. What aren't we being told. Because it just doesn't add up as it is. Especially when we've seen the administration just ignore media clips from other officials and actual advisors which say much worse than this woman ever said. I don't think this is the end of it. if anything, i think it's the beginning.

Another question to point, could it be possible that the administration is leaking incomplete videos to the press. Having them sent to right wing organizations to try to get them to run them just to come back and claim the right is lying and dupe people who aren't paying close enough attention?

[Nukeman]

Fox didn't fabricate anything. In fact, I haven't seen any evidence that they even broke the story until after the Administration called her and told her to resign three time Monday afternoon.

There is more to this story. It's odd that the administration jumped on this so quickly. Or that the NAACP, the only group we know had the full video, condemned it so quickly.

We can't seem to figure out who clipped the video yet. Was it whoever put it on youtube, or did they recieve a clipped version of it before they put it up.

Lot's of questions. Something isn't right. Why on earth would they be so quick to demand her resignation. No one knew who she was. I can't tell that anyone was demanding her resignation in the Public. Heck, Most people didn't know about the video until after she was forced to resign.

This woman was thrown under the bus. I want to know why. What aren't we being told. Because it just doesn't add up as it is. Especially when we've seen the administration just ignore media clips from other officials and actual advisors which say much worse than this woman ever said. I don't think this is the end of it. if anything, i think it's the beginning.

Another question to point, could it be possible that the administration is leaking incomplete videos to the press. Having them sent to right wing organizations to try to get them to run them just to come back and claim the right is lying and dupe people who aren't paying close enough attention?I hate to say it but I put my tinfoil hat on with this one as well. I would not put it past this admin to put a sheep out for slaughter just to rile the masses and make the conservatives look bad.


This way they can say "look at those dumb republicans, they jump to conclusions and don't have the whole story".

However they are forgetting that it was the Obama administration that called for her resignation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bullypulpit]

Firstly, and most importantly, this story was fabricated. Edited from the tape was the fact that the story she told occurred in 1986. Also edited from the tape was Ms. Sherrod's feeling ashamed of her initial reaction, to not help the farmer in question. Also edited from, the some 40 minutes of, video is how Ms. Sherrod worked to help the farmer in question. And, in fact, saved them from foreclosure. In an interview with CNN, the farmer heaped praise on Ms. Sherrod and her efforts to save his farm.

If you have ANY interest in justice at all, you can see the full video:

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And the CNN interview with the farmer, Mr. Spooner...

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An innocent woman...her words and record distorted...in a despicable act of political gamesmanship, has her career derailed. Briethbart and FOX may claim they were only "reporting" the "news".The means were irrelevant as the end of falsely painting the Obama administration with the brush of racism was achieved.

[Kathianne]

Gee Bully, seems weird how this all played out so damn quickly, wouldn't you say? Perhaps someone thought they might have a problem with occurred via resolution at NAACP a week ago?

Now it certainly looked like the NAACP wanted to get out in front of the story yesterday:

http://biggovernment.com/publius/2010/07/20/naacp-statement-on-resignation-of-shirley-sherrod/


NAACP Statement on Resignation of Shirley Sherrod
by Publius
July 19, 2010
(BALTIMORE, MD) NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous issued the following statement today after learning of the resignation of Shirley Sherrod of the United States Department of Agriculture:

“Since our founding in 1909, the NAACP has been a multi-racial, multi-faith organization that– while generally rooted in African American communities– fights to end racial discrimination against all Americans.

We concur with US Agriculture Secretary Vilsack in accepting the resignation of Shirley Sherrod for her remarks at a local NAACP Freedom Fund banquet.
Racism is about the abuse of power. Sherrod had it in her position at USDA. According to her remarks, she mistreated a white farmer in need of assistance because of his race.

We are appalled by her actions, just as we are with abuses of power against farmers of color and female farmers.

Her actions were shameful. While she went on to explain in the story that she ultimately realized her mistake, as well as the common predicament of working people of all races, she gave no indication she had attempted to right the wrong she had done to this man.

The reaction from many in the audience is disturbing. We will be looking into the behavior of NAACP representatives at this local event and take any appropriate action.

We thank those who brought this to our national office’s attention, as there are hundreds of local fundraising dinners each year...

But well, it seems that Mr. Jealous was there when she was speaking in March. Did you see or hear him get up and take 'appropriate action?'

45 seconds into her speech, Ms. Sherrod acknowledges him...

[bullypulpit]

Gee Bully, seems weird how this all played out so damn quickly, wouldn't you say? Perhaps someone thought they might have a problem with occurred via resolution at NAACP a week ago?

Now it certainly looked like the NAACP wanted to get out in front of the story yesterday:

http://biggovernment.com/publius/2010/07/20/naacp-statement-on-resignation-of-shirley-sherrod/



But well, it seems that Mr. Jealous was there when she was speaking in March. Did you see or hear him get up and take 'appropriate action?'

45 seconds into her speech, Ms. Sherrod acknowledges him...

Which is why it was so inappropriate for the NAACP to criticize her and the Obama administration to ask for her resignation. All without the least attempt to get her side of the story before acting. FOX barks and people, needlessly, jump.

[Kathianne]

Which is why it was so inappropriate for the NAACP to criticize her and the Obama administration to ask for her resignation. All without the least attempt to get her side of the story before acting. FOX barks and people, needlessly, jump.

Wrong Bully. If not for that race baiting of the Tea Parties via the NAACP resolution, this brouhaha would never have come to light. Where do you think that March tape came from? Certainly not from the right. Nope, someone wanting to tamp down the reaction to the obvious race baiting by the left, the week before.

[country]

Wrong Bully. If not for that race baiting of the Tea Parties via the NAACP resolution, this brouhaha would never have come to light. Where do you think that March tape came from? Certainly not from the right. Nope, someone wanting to tamp down the reaction to the obvious race baiting by the left, the week before.

What I'm taking away from this story is the reaction of those in attendance when she was telling her story. The laughter and applause of those people indicated to me they approved of her initial reaction with the farmer.
Mrs Sherrod has since had a change of heart. What about her audience? Have they also changed their minds?
I agree with you. This would never have come to light had the tea party not been accused of racism by the NAACP. The NAACP brought a knife to a gun fight, and the whitehouse acted stupidly!

[HogTrash]

Shirley Sherrod will most likely not be eligible for unemployment benefits because she resigned from her job.

Has anyone heard if she is still eligible for her generous government medical and retirement benefits?

[Kathianne]

Shirley Sherrod will most likely not be eligible for unemployment benefits because she resigned from her job.

Has anyone heard if she is still eligible for her generous government medical and retirement benefits?

In all likelihood she'll soon be reemployed there or in some other department. She's in the political elite.

[Mr. P]

Wrong Bully. If not for that race baiting of the Tea Parties via the NAACP resolution, this brouhaha would never have come to light. Where do you think that March tape came from? Certainly not from the right. Nope, someone wanting to tamp down the reaction to the obvious race baiting by the left, the week before.

BINGO!!!
We're NOT racist...see, here's our sacrifice to prove it.

[Kathianne]

BINGO!!!
We're NOT racist...see, here's our sacrifice to prove it.

Yep. Hope the alternative media learns its lesson here, do not take partial clips and air them. Do whatever to get the whole thing or find another way to tell the story. This was taken bait and now the cycle spinning is in overtime.

[HogTrash]

In all likelihood she'll soon be reemployed there or in some other department. She's in the political elite.She is not in the "political elite"...She is simply 'black'.

[LuvRPgrl]

Firstly, and most importantly, this story was fabricated. Edited from the tape was the fact that the story she told occurred in 1986. Also edited from the tape was Ms. Sherrod's feeling ashamed of her initial reaction, to not help the farmer in question. Also edited from, the some 40 minutes of, video is how Ms. Sherrod worked to help the farmer in question. And, in fact, saved them from foreclosure. In an interview with CNN, the farmer heaped praise on Ms. Sherrod and her efforts to save his farm.

If you have ANY interest in justice at all, you can see the full video:

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And the CNN interview with the farmer, Mr. Spooner...

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An innocent woman...her words and record distorted...in a despicable act of political gamesmanship, has her career derailed. Briethbart and FOX may claim they were only "reporting" the "news".The means were irrelevant as the end of falsely painting the Obama administration with the brush of racism was achieved.

You ARE PATENTLY WRONG ON VIRTUALLY ALL COUNTS

[LuvRPgrl]

she is not in the "political elite"...she is simply 'black'.

wrong

are you saying a black person cant be in the political elite?

[avatar4321]

Which is why it was so inappropriate for the NAACP to criticize her and the Obama administration to ask for her resignation. All without the least attempt to get her side of the story before acting. FOX barks and people, needlessly, jump.

Then perhaps you could explain why the administration demanded her resignation before Fox broke the story?

[Kathianne]

Then perhaps you could explain why the administration demanded her resignation before Fox broke the story?

And just now I saw Vilsek up their sweating bullets, taking the total blame. I wouldn't be surprised if this was an organized plot to get him out, with Sherrod as the feint used by the administration.

[Kathianne]

Seems others have plenty of questions of how this all unwound, including what would have seemed like conspiracy theories not so long ago:

http://sisu.typepad.com/sisu/2010/07/naacp-and-the-tea-party-last-throes-of-the-fearandsmear-machine.html


July 21, 2010

NAACP and the Tea Party: Last throes of the fear-and-smear machine?


Screenshot of a prescient tweet from July 24, 2009. What a year of fear-and-smear it's been, and it all seems to be coming to a head a year later as JournoListas' leaked memos and Andrew Breitbart's video revelations emerge into the disinfectant light of day and the Tea Party strikes back.

"They got into a fight with the tea party, and all of this came out as a result of that,” Shirley Sherrod told CNN last night "in reference to the NAACP’s resolution last week accusing the tea party of having used 'racist' tactics," reports Politico this morning. NAACP "got into" a fight with "the" tea party? Puleeze. They tried to PICK a fight by throwing gratuitous accusations at no one in particular, hoping something would stick. There's no single Tea Party. It's not a monolith like the politically correct, JournoLista talking-points-of-the-day, police-state army of race mongers who would smear us as they unwittingly psychologically project their own modus operandi onto the grassroots Army of Davids that threatens their bitterly clinging grasp on power.


Tammy Bruce condensed the essence of Sherrodgate into one eloquent tweet last night.

If you'd followed and perhaps participated in the sausage-making process on blogs and Twitter last night, you would have seen in tooth and claw the life-and-death struggle between left and right to control the narrative. On the right, members of the Tea Party movement with modern-day muckraker Andrew Breitbart — that signature "take-no-prisoners" gleam in his eye — leading the charge. In the middle, calmer voices like War Correspondent The Anchoress, who argued for a measured approach. On the left, do-as-you're-told foot soldiers of the big-government, nanny-state army, determined to smear us with their racist mantra. Compare Sherrod's word choice — the passive "got into a fight" — with what actually happened. NAACP PICKED a fight, using the occasion of finding itself in the spotlight to hurl the absurd charge of racism at us. From Politico:

...

Lots more and plenty of links at site...

[Sweetchuck]

So Fox News fabricated the fact that this woman admitted in public to a crime and to fucking over a US citizen because she didn't like his skin color? I'd say it appears you have no clue what fabricate means.

No, they fabricated the reporting of the story by only airing sections of the clip that made it look much worse than it actually does.

All in the effort to get sheep like you to buy into the whole Faux News experience.

[Sweetchuck]

Look - I know this is an uphill argument for me here, so I won't bother pushing the issue, but Faux news caters to typical bucket-carrying conservatives who want to hear what they want to hear and are incapable of any sort of rationalization, and here is what you get.

Faux News tells you part of the story - the part you want to hear and all of the sudden it's the most reliable, responsible news source available.

Ever see that movie "Idiocracy"? We're half way there.

[Kathianne]

No, they fabricated the reporting of the story by only airing sections of the clip that made it look much worse than it actually does.

All in the effort to get sheep like you to buy into the whole Faux News experience.

They didn't 'fabricate the reporting', they reported what they had. Interestingly enough, the resignation was demanded, given, and accepted before the reporting. The emphasis on what she said, 2 decades ago was the 'news', while the fact that this clip fell into Breitbart's, then Fox's hands certainly should have been a red flag. The story should have been the reaction of the NAACP crowd to what was being said and the speaker's reaction or non-reaction to it, if they chose to run with just a clip.

Whole incident speaks to race in this country, with our first post-racial president.

[Sweetchuck]

They didn't 'fabricate the reporting', they reported what they had. Interestingly enough, the resignation was demanded, given, and accepted before the reporting. The emphasis on what she said, 2 decades ago was the 'news', while the fact that this clip fell into Breitbart's, then Fox's hands certainly should have been a red flag. The story should have been the reaction of the NAACP crowd to what was being said and the speaker's reaction or non-reaction to it, if they chose to run with just a clip.

Whole incident speaks to race in this country, with our first post-racial president.

Give me a fucking break - she was strong-armed into resigning.

Look, I'm not defending this woman, she clearly made a mistake and I have no love for the NAACP. They're all that is wrong with improving racial intolerances in this country.

She said as much, only Faux News doesn't focus on that because it's not what their sheeple audience wants to hear.

[Missileman]

No, they fabricated the reporting of the story by only airing sections of the clip that made it look much worse than it actually does.

All in the effort to get sheep like you to buy into the whole Faux News experience.

Wrong again! Fox news was digging deeper and deeper to get the story right long after the NAACP and Obama administration had passed judgement without all the facts.

[Kathianne]

Give me a fucking break - she was strong-armed into resigning.

Look, I'm not defending this woman, she clearly made a mistake and I have no love for the NAACP. They're all that is wrong with improving racial intolerances in this country.

She said as much, only Faux News doesn't focus on that because it's not what their sheeple audience wants to hear.

Dig a bit for the timeline. I said yesterday, when all were stomping on her, that the audience reaction and her reaction to theirs was the story. Why? The NAACP resolution.

You find nothing funny about the time of this release? Breitbart and Fox were had. That's their bad. That they then went down the rabbit hole? Doesn't show genius.

[Sweetchuck]

Wrong again! Fox news was digging deeper and deeper to get the story right long after the NAACP and Obama administration had passed judgement without all the facts.

Clearly you cannot be saved. You're V-chip is permanently implanted.

Fox ran the story (or the story that they wanted to run which clearly was far from the true story) and then went into backpeddle mode when the whole story ran out by shifting the focus to other areas.

I know, it's a lot to to expect a clone like you to understand.

Better get your digs in quick before they lock down this thread.

[Missileman]

Dig a bit for the timeline. I said yesterday, when all were stomping on her, that the audience reaction and her reaction to theirs was the story. Why? The NAACP resolution.

You find nothing funny about the time of this release? Breitbart and Fox were had. That's their bad. That they then went down the rabbit hole? Doesn't show genius.

I saw an interview with Breitbart and that was his exact point...the audience wasn't appalled by her tale of racism, they were practically applauding.

[Sweetchuck]

Dig a bit for the timeline. I said yesterday, when all were stomping on her, that the audience reaction and her reaction to theirs was the story. Why? The NAACP resolution.

You find nothing funny about the time of this release? Breitbart and Fox were had. That's their bad. That they then went down the rabbit hole? Doesn't show genius.

Please repeat in English this time - or complete thoughts more specifically. I have no idea what you're talking about.

[Missileman]

Clearly you cannot be saved. You're V-chip is permanently implanted.

Fox ran the story (or the story that they wanted to run which clearly was far from the true story) and then went into backpeddle mode when the whole story ran out by shifting the focus to other areas.

I know, it's a lot to to expect a clone like you to understand.

Better get your digs in quick before they lock down this thread.

And your head is stuck up your ass! The STORY was that the woman was fired by the Obama admin for what she said. The Fox coverage was AFTER the firing, it did not lead to her firing.

[Sweetchuck]

And your head is stuck up your ass! The STORY was that the woman was fired by the Obama admin for what she said. The Fox coverage was AFTER the firing, it did not lead to her firing.

You're halfway right, maybe there is hope for you. You can at least recognize simple trends, but I'm not betting any money.

That's the story Faux fell back on. The originally reported story was the whole "racism" thing.

[Mr. P]

Well Breitbart issued a challenge that couldn't be defended so he became a target...he fell for it (maybe).

About the weekend Obamacare parade and accusations by Lewis and others in March he said...

If we let them get away with Saturday’s stunt — using the imagery of the Civil Rights era and hurtful lies to cast aspersions upon the tea party whole — then they really will have won the day.

It’s time for the allegedly pristine character of Rep. John Lewis to put up or shut up. Therefore, I am offering $10,000 of my own money to provide hard evidence that the N- word was hurled at him not 15 times, as his colleague reported, but just once. Surely one of those two cameras wielded by members of his entourage will prove his point.

[DragonStryk72]

Look - I know this is an uphill argument for me here, so I won't bother pushing the issue, but Faux news caters to typical bucket-carrying conservatives who want to hear what they want to hear and are incapable of any sort of rationalization, and here is what you get.

Faux News tells you part of the story - the part you want to hear and all of the sudden it's the most reliable, responsible news source available.

Ever see that movie "Idiocracy"? We're half way there.

Actually, I do understand. I've been finding more and more often that internet sources of news are giving a much better, and more detailed account of events than the standard TV/Radio/Newspaper. MSNBC, CNN, and Fox are all doing it to boost their own take on events, as opposed to simply investigating and reporting the news.

[Sweetchuck]

Actually, I do understand. I've been finding more and more often that internet sources of news are giving a much better, and more detailed account of events than the standard TV/Radio/Newspaper. MSNBC, CNN, and Fox are all doing it to boost their own take on events, as opposed to simply investigating and reporting the news.

Yes! Bingo, that's my point. You get a rep bump for that if the forum lets me.

You can't go to pretty much any of the mainstream media sources and expect objective, unbiased reporting - you have to assume it's inaccurate and determine for yourself what the actual truth is - and if you do that, you may find that much of it is just that - inaccurately biased reporting.

But it goes back to the media target market - give the people what they want and you'll see a LOT of people running with shit they read on Faux or hear on Beck or Rush as if it were completely accurate and that's simply irresponsible. If someone is that naive, they they are the buffoon.

[Sweetchuck]

Sorry but the forum won't let me rep you. I'm not sure why, but that's been happening a lot to me when I try to rep someone, so you get the next best thing - a thanks.

[DragonStryk72]

Yes! Bingo, that's my point. You get a rep bump for that if the forum lets me.

You can't go to pretty much any of the mainstream media sources and expect objective, unbiased reporting - you have to assume it's inaccurate and determine for yourself what the actual truth is - and if you do that, you may find that much of it is just that - inaccurately biased reporting.

But it goes back to the media target market - give the people what they want and you'll see a LOT of people running with shit they read on Faux or hear on Beck or Rush as if it were completely accurate and that's simply irresponsible. If someone is that naive, they they are the buffoon.

A few years ago people joked about people getting their news from Bill Maher and John Stewart, but it's actually happening that way, because since both are comedians, they're taking the mickey out of both sides. Their whole careers are based around poking at the BS that they see, so it makes it a more fair shot. As for Maher, he actually has people on multiple sides of the issues on his show, so even if he does have a single take on it, there are three people there to balance it out.

[Sweetchuck]

A few years ago people joked about people getting their news from Bill Maher and John Stewart, but it's actually happening that way, because since both are comedians, they're taking the mickey out of both sides. Their whole careers are based around poking at the BS that they see, so it makes it a more fair shot. As for Maher, he actually has people on multiple sides of the issues on his show, so even if he does have a single take on it, there are three people there to balance it out.

I know where you're coming from and I agree.

And it makes sense. These guys have another agenda, another audience to cater to and it isn't because of political motivation.

Once you become a card-carrying member of a certain sorority, there is both internal and external pressure to march to the beat of that drum.

[Sweetchuck]

Let me take this issue off on a completely different tangent.

Anyone notice during that video that when Sherrod talks, it's like listening to a preacher when people in the audience are going "um hum, yeah, right" every time she completes a thought.

I don't get that and maybe it's because I'm pasty white but I notice that a lot during speaking engagements that aren't religious.

[Mr. P]

Let me take this issue off on a completely different tangent.

Anyone notice during that video that when Sherrod talks, it's like listening to a preacher when people in the audience are going "um hum, yeah, right" every time she completes a thought.

I don't get that and maybe it's because I'm pasty white but I notice that a lot during speaking engagements that aren't religious.
It's a rhythm of speech..Bambam uses it all the time.

[LuvRPgrl]

A few years ago people joked about people getting their news from Bill Maher and John Stewart, but it's actually happening that way, because since both are comedians, they're taking the mickey out of both sides. Their whole careers are based around poking at the BS that they see, so it makes it a more fair shot. As for Maher, he actually has people on multiple sides of the issues on his show, so even if he does have a single take on it, there are three people there to balance it out.

News programs have not been news for a long time now, its actually entertainment.

[avatar4321]

Give me a fucking break - she was strong-armed into resigning.

Look, I'm not defending this woman, she clearly made a mistake and I have no love for the NAACP. They're all that is wrong with improving racial intolerances in this country.

She said as much, only Faux News doesn't focus on that because it's not what their sheeple audience wants to hear.

I agree that she was strong armed into resigning. The problem is that Fox didn't air the video until after she was strong armed into resigning. No one called for her resignation.

All they had was the editted version. And they said they don't have the full context of the video, but that it had caused the White House to demand her resignation.

All I've seen from Fox news is telling people to get all the facts before jumping to any conclusions. But why blame Fox when they had nothing to do with airing the video before the resignation? I don't see how that is honest.

[Sweetchuck]

Avatar - I've made the point, it's been beat to death. Either you understand it or you don't, but either way, I can't keep saying the same things over and over again if someone doesn't get it.

[red states rule]

http://www.strangepolitics.com/images/content/166379.jpg




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[PostmodernProphet]

Avatar - I've made the point, it's been beat to death. Either you understand it or you don't, but either way, I can't keep saying the same things over and over again if someone doesn't get it.

the net result of saying something wrong, over and over?......you're still wrong......

[red states rule]

the net result of saying something wrong, over and over?......you're still wrong......

Much like how it is over at MSNBC

[LuvRPgrl]

http://www.strangepolitics.com/images/content/166379.jpg
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Its amazing how guys like Dean get away with spewing such bullshit over and over.

Cost to advertise on Fox news---, $10,000
Cost to Gingrich for supposedly shutting down the govt ---Presidental Run
The look on Deans face,-----PRICELESS !!!!!!!!

YEEEEEEEEEE HAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

[LuvRPgrl]

Clearly you cannot be saved. You're V-chip is permanently implanted.

Fox ran the story (or the story that they wanted to run which clearly was far from the true story) and then went into backpeddle mode when the whole story ran out by shifting the focus to other areas.

I know, it's a lot to to expect a clone like you to understand.

Better get your digs in quick before they lock down this thread.

Oh hell, I dont like MissleMan,and rarely agree with him, but to call him a clone is as far from how I would describe him as possible. You are starting to sound like hog-trashman inaccurate name calling merely because someone disagrees with you