Sunday Open Thread: Vilsack Edition
by PubliusIt looks increasingly like Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will take the fall for the Obama Administration’s firing of Shirley Sherrod. Our take: he fired her too quickly… and offered to rehire her too quickly.
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The Obama administration, like the 2,000 to 3,000 page bills it jams through Congress, did act too hastily. The media failed in its job to investigate the story further — but what else is new on that front?
Breitbart played a video showing how the NAACP has really no place to call out anyone on racism considering that their prejudices have been documented, i.e. the Sherrod video in question.
Now they blame Fox News and Andrew Breitbart for this? The audacity of the mainstream media!
I think it's accurate to say they'll can Vilsack for the bad publicity, like they canned Ms. Sherrod for the bad publicity. Funny, I always thought "Tiny" Tim Geithner would be the first to go…
"Dear Britain: Lift the Ban on Michael Savage!"
Vilsack just did what Obama told him to do. If Obama throws Vilsack under the bus at least he'll been consistent.
We all know another white guy caused all his economic problems.
This was certainly poorly thought out by the Administration and Shirley. Yes, Vilsack fell on his sword for Obama…something I would never have done. The White House is in full CYA mode, which is understandable under the circumstances. At least they will have the benefit of a complicit media to provide cover for them.
Shirley Charade, however, will live the rest of her professional life under a very large and uncomfortable microscope. She never should have come back. There were any number of lucrative options open to her. I'm sure the Obama Admin. would have been quick to come to some kind of accommodation. If not, a law suit would have been a slam dunk given the abundance of videotaped confessions of poor judgment flying around in the first 48 hours of this political disaster. But Shirley has chosen the path of pain and suffering. I find that level of stupidity hard to sympathize with. In the end she, like all of us, will get what she deserves. I do not envy her.
Obama's administration wants revenge against white America, so they'll probably throw Vilsack under the back of the bus.
She'd've been better off, probably, if she'd became a lobbyist first. Then Obama could have rehired her, since his administration is full of lobbyists which Obama said would not be part of his administration.
Hey, she should have gone to work at ShoreBank!
"Dear Britain: Lift the Ban on Michael Savage!"
Obama and his "inner cirle" are committing errors and alieninating people in their political universe at a rapid pace. Some insider will be the catalyst for exposure of a Nixon style mistake that takes down this misAdministration. Obama's level of arrogance is historically rewarded with a great humbling, it's natures way of dealing with demi-gods.
Watch, a disgruntled insider with bus tire tracks on their back picks up a phone, a call is made, and a snowball begins to roll – and in a sane world a Pulitzer is won…
"Free Honey for Everyone!" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae-5ayrCbDA&fe...
"YAY Mayor Bee"
I like the Winnie the Pooh hat.
I gotta get me one of those.
HR4899 up for vote in house next week.
$1.15 Billion worth of free honey for everyone
Watch it, watch it, it's coming somebody's going to screw up royal and it's all going to blow up in their face… Obama has a bunch of butt lickers following him around but butt licking gets old real fast and it only takes one misstep to spoil a pie…
I'm not sure I get it…
"Dear Britain: Lift the Ban on Michael Savage!"
They should have never hired her, because of her suing of the same organization she was being hired for, and because of her racist past and continued racism.
You forget the crowd you're dealing with.
You're dealing with people whose favorite political philosopher (besides Mother Theresa) is Mao Zedong.
You're dealing with Mr. "Give them the wealth! Give them the wealth!" Van Jones.
Ms. Sherrod *is* the administration. Why wouldn't they hire her?
"Dear Britain: Lift the Ban on Michael Savage!"
Hi…Vince here with ShamWow…And you'll be saying WOW every time you listen to words come out of my mouth.
This is a non-issue, a non-story, and one big crock of sh!t…!!!
Who's the victim here again…???
Shouldn't be a story, I agree.
But the media and administration have to cover their asses after the big foul they created.
Breitbart did us a service by continuing to show this administration for the bunch of creeps they are.
"Dear Britain: Lift the Ban on Michael Savage!"
Another one under the bus.
Actually the whole situation is creepy in the fact that the White House is taking directions from the NAACP in the first place. maybe LULAC is running the Arizona lawsuit show, the black Panthers running the Justice Department….Oh Wait!
Is that what that is? I thought Winnie was getting ready to relieve himself.
Typical of an administration that has only the skills of a small, community agitator with socialist ideals backed by radicals.
It seems that EVERYONE in the media, (if that's what you can call them!!) are gleefully wringing their hands waiting to see the downfall of Breitbart , and Fox News…that actually thing that they FINALLY have their 'gotcha' moment!
They are too stupid , imho, to even bother to place the blame where it belongs…with the White House, for acting stupidly, the NAACP for sending out an edited version of the tape, AND Vilsack, who is so willing to take the fall for his Messiah, as well as Shirley Sherrod…(her OWN words), if you bother to watch the ENTIRE speech there's not much redeeming material there!
Does anyone know where Andrew got the video, and if it was in it's entirety?
Heckuva Job, Pooh-Bear Vilsack!
Seriously, who told Tom Vilsack to get into a Winne the Pooh costume? More importantly, why did Tom Vilsack think it was a good idea?
If George W Bush would have been re-elected Tom Vilsack wouldn't be Agriculture Secretary.
So it's Bushes fault.
Tom looks so much more comfortable in the position that he is in the picture above than wearing a suit and tie pretending to govern. He has found his calling. Entertainer at childrens' parties…….That's kinnda' spooky!
No doubt the dems will twist this some way to put the blame on Bush……
I'd love to know the source, but the snippet Andrew posted was all he had – he hadn't seen the entire tape.
My initial hunch was that this might have been a Clinton "twofer," to put a chink in the NAACP & Obama, with likely splashback-mud on Breitbart/right-wing blogs.
I'd like to just provide a word of caution here. With the advent of "Journo-list", the Sharrod clips, and the subsequent fallout It would be advisable to check, double-check, triple-check stories or issues that would be coming through the internet.
The prog/leftist weenies have seen what can happen when misleading stories can be manipulated. We all know that it would be a dream come true if they could shut down the Bigs, or any conservative website. Legislation is always being pushed towards that end.
Don't get me wrong, though. I think AB did the right thing by airing the clips that have created the uproar. Just a caveat though. . . remember the "infiltrate the tea party" losers? They could try the same thing with misleading stories and video clips.
I dunno, just a percocet-induced deep thought for this morning.
They've already done it.
Remember MoveOn.org took a clip of a guy saying "I'm a racist" at a Tea Party and used it as an example of Tea Party racism? And it turned out that the guy making that statement was actually in the process of being chased out of the Tea Party rally?
They've already done it and they'll do it again, perhapse with more ferocity, though.
"Dear Britain: Lift the Ban on Michael Savage!"
I'm wondering if it could be someone trying to bring the Pigford case to light. It's been going on for quite some time but this is the first many of us have heard anything about it. Coincidence? Could be, but until we know for sure who leaked the video……………….
Agreed. And as Jounolist has shown, parties related to established MSM outlets are involved with this.
Just remember, it ain't paranoia if they really are after you!
"………Who's the victim here again…???,………"
You have it 100% correct there Einy,……..
One has to ignore this story to find a bonafide victim,…….
The victim is the Philly voters I suppose,…….
as result of this non-issue removing the spotlight,……
from those two homeys with their night sticks.
My take is that Breitbart's release is just as he says it was – an exposure of the racism that exists within the NAACP.
Now, it seems to me that Ms. Sherrod was just the latest in the long list of people that have been shoved under the bus for this regime. Let's look at the facts that are pertinent.
1. Breitbart releases the video showing the NAACP attendees cheering on Ms. Sherrod's comments about how her racism (which she still holds, mind you) afforded her the opportunity to refuse help to a poor white farmer.
2. It was her comments (not Breitbart's or the Tea Party) that were on the tape. It was the attendees reactions (not Breitbart's or the Tea Party) shown in the video. They (not Breitbart or the Tea Party) were cheering her racist actions.
3. The Obamunist administration officials (if you believe Ms. Sherrod) asked her to resign, even so much as to pull off the side of the road in her car and do so immediately as she was traveling back to her office.
4. The NAACP is more valuable to the Democrats chances of holding onto power than Ms. Sherrod is. The NAACP is just another avenue like ACORN, the SEIU and other union thug organs are for getting the Obamunist's voting base out during elections.
5. The Democrats need the NAACP. They don't need Ms. Sherrod. Anything they can do to deflect attention away from the racism within the NAACP they will do it. They don't like Andrew Breitbart anyway and if they can use their Alinsky tactics on him they'll do that too.
I can't help but thinking that we are being played like a fiddle,…….
every time an Obama gaff happens……….
and it is about to be exposed,………….
another gaff appears and we drop the one we are on,…….
and start to deal with the new one,……..
and while all this has been happening for the past year and a half,……..
the American style of life is being replaced by old commie furnishings.
Liberals are disgusting, statist wimps, theres two types of people in the U.S.- Liberals and Americans
I read on the Internet that when Clinton and Obama met last week there was cigar wrappers all over the Oval office and a blue tie Obama was wearing could not be found.
/sarc
Thanks… I love the taste of throw-up in the morning…
"Dear Britain: Lift the Ban on Michael Savage!"
I'm waiting for the video of the NAACP members wearing white sheets. I wonder if they burn crosses too? Is Ben Jealous the new grand wizard? MARXIST=DEMOCRAT=TERRORIST All the same ask the KKK leaders at the NAACP.
I don't think people realize how serious this is,the left has captured most the MSM,the Whitehouse,the military,the banks,the auto industry,the medical industry and now they want to shut down anyone who opposses them,do you think for one minute that they care about our lives,look what happened when the communist took over China,or Russia,did they care about the lives of those who opposed the takeove,NO,they murdered them in cold blood and that brings us to today in America,these progressive communist who now control this country are just one step away from wiping those who oppose them out ,do they care if innocents get eliminated,absolutly not,Putin just celebrated in song on a Harley Davidson Motorcycle a victory with the spies who Obama let go,is this symbolic of Russias dominance over America? Bad things are coming our way.IMHO
A very pleasant dream….surreal ! Seeing real, mature, educated, rational, commonsense, America loving men and women walking into the oval office clearing this ROMPER ROOM of the 12 year olds currently occupying the space. In a perfect world…..sigh !
It's getting awfully crowded under that bus.
Have you seen Sen Kerry in his blue-green condom outfit? For some reason they must all have a
propensity for this 'dressing up'. MMmmm I wonder……..nevermid……………..
The American people and more to the point, the Tea Party.
I would love to see Vilsack sue the Obama WH for discrimination. The blame for Sherrod's sacking is being put squarely on his shoulders even though Sherrod states on video that someone from the Obama Whitehouse personally called and requested that Sherrod step down.
Funny how the innocent white guy is the first to go.
On another note: It is very interesting watching how the finely tuned liberal "spin" machine works. Funny how the same perspective is being used over and over. It's almost like propaganda. You would think that after the Journolist scandal, the MSM would at least attempt to check facts, offer other perspectives, act like real journalists? I guess not.
It is easy to see why she was fired, if not, we would have to discuss the naacp crowd cheering what was perceived as white folk bashing.The last thing they want is people realizing that the naacp is as Andre Carson and co.
This has to be a first in journalistic history. A politician is vilified by a "journalist" for believing what the same "journalist" published is true when it turns out to be false. I am certain that the phrase "double standard" has never entered the vocabulary on this site. You keep violating the first rule of holes. When you are in a hole and know you are in a hole and want to get out of the hole, stop digging. The only persons who care about your convoluted explanation are the lemmings on this site. The rest of the country knows and really, really does not care. The over/under for any lead story appearing on Faux News in the near future is two years. I am taking the overs.
Huskerslovebo gave everybody before him a thumbs down.
Spin, spin, spin
Spin, spin the facts.
Spin, spin, spin
Spin, spin the facts.
You've got me rock and a-reelling
Reeling and a-rocking
Spin the facts.
(loser)
Whinny the Pooh doesn't know what to do got my money jar stuck on his nose…….
He came to me asking help and advice and from there no cares were goes……
The really dangerous part of this, is he's SO arrogant, he will NEVER leave and have the honor for the Office of President like Nixon did.
He will have to be forcibly removed – and it will be a sad day for America when a President will be doing the perp walk.
There is no holiday weekend coming up. I guess they'll just fire him on a regular Friday and hope for the best.
Your dear Andrew spun the facts a long time ago. Hmmm. Why has he not said who sent him the tape? Oh, I know, it was not Bill O' who has apologized. Do you think he considers what you Andrew has done, "spin".
The White House has quietly launched an effort to confront the political backlash along the Gulf Coast over its handling of the BP oil spill – giving special attention to Florida, the only state in the region President Barack Obama won in 2008 and one he will need again when he runs for re-election in 2012.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0710/40184.h...
Damage control
Why now ?
Here is my take on the Vilsack/Sherrod/Breitbart saga.
EVERYBODY handled it wrong.
Too quickly, with knee jerk reactions.
I've had a week to hear it all; or at least enough that it was all I needed to hear and make up my mind. It was NOT Brietbarts finest hour, or Vilsacks either.
Speaking of rushing to get things out, look at the top of this thread for an example. It says:
"…Obama Administration’s firing of Shirley Sherrod. Our take; the fired her too quickly…"
Somebody needs to get their shit together at Breitbarts Organization. The correct word should be "THEY", not "the". For almost a year I have come to expect more from Breitbart and hold him to a higher standard. The standards are slipping………
You are right, people don't realize what has happened and what is coming. 1 to 2 years from now if this keeps up people are going to be saying "what happened" and we can say we knew but they just were not listening
Good thought. You're right, though, and I'd love to know the source.
They are magicians. you are watching one hand while the other one is taking your wallet.
How about doing some of your OWN research. It was on YouTube for ANYONE to see, the NAACP released it. He just brought everyone's ATTENTION to it.
Who is the victim?
I think I am.
I think I need to sue the biatch for mental trauma and anguish.
Who sent him the video? Boy the Clintons wouldn't have anything to gain. WAIT!!! Yes they would!
How about some low level government employee that sees the possible (probable) fraud in the Pigford case? Why was Sherrod working for the very government agency that she and her husband sued (may still be suing, the case is being reopened) ???????? No conflict of interest there. WAIT !!! That is a conflict of interest!!
Like me, I take it you've watched plenty of internet videos in the last few months. Do me a favor and watch one more and then tell me if you disagree with this guy and if you do, why? http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0oGdFuctEtMMwYB6I5XNyo...
Is Hussein Obama using Federal Resources to buy votes ?
I want an Independent Prosecuter to investigate !
You had better be the one doing the research. Andrew has said he only received a portion of the video and then went public. Keep on digging. I like my over bet.
Sorry, but I could care less about scores.
Okay, Husker. Why don't you tell us in detail what the facts as you believe them to be and then I will tell you how you are spinning them. Go on. And NO emotional BS. I want facts. Go on, now.
How in the hell can Sherrod's words be taken out of "context", when they are simply HER WORDS??? We watch in amazement as this regime thrashes around pointing the dreaded finger of "blame" in every direction. Out in my part of fly over country, it's getting damn hard to find an Obama supporter anymore.
Wow, didn't see this one coming. Ya right!
agreed Dave, agreed. Nixon redeemed himself in my mind for the most part. He was a dignified and sage ex-president – the exact opposite of that foolish old man in Georgia. His lips are surgicly attached to Hamas and he STILL doesn't really fully understand what HORRIBLE president/disaster he was. He must be happy as hell about Obama.
The Obamamedia is reporting that neo-nazis are doing armed patrols of the Arizona border. Is it true? We can't rely on the Obamamedia's devotion to truth because they are consummate liars. If it is true, are the neo-nazis actors, like the racist plants at the Tea Parties? Hopefully, the new reliable media, such as this newsite, will give us the facts. I suspect it's a hoax.
Is Vegas taking odds on how much money Sherrod gets out of her lawsuit against the USDA this time around? The sad part is this time she will sue Vilsak as well and ruin his life. But then he is a racist white man.
I wish someone had the BALLS to stand up to Obama. People around him better start growing a set. He is not God, he is f*****g community organizer and sucks at that!
Trust me on this,me or you won't be around to say,see I told you so,we who know will be the first to go,come what may I'm not living in a place where I have to bow down to anyone,remember what the three Hebrew boys said to the king…………….Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we [are] not careful to answer thee in this matter.
Dan 3:17 If it be [so], our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver [us] out of thine hand, O king.
Dan 3:18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
He is nothing but a tin horn dictator, and people had better start standing up to this guy. He's not God, he's not the King, he's a failed community organizer and he stinks a president!
David Gregory on Meet the Press just now said the Tea Party went after Sherrod.You won't believe what their saying right now,
"…….Sherrod: Breitbart Wants Blacks to Be Slaves Again,….."
speaking of research there HLB,…….
in your remarks it seems that you have researched enough about Breitbart,……
to be an "expert" on him,………….
maybe it would not be a bad idea if you did a little research on,……
your new best hero,…..Sherrod.
you just may want to hold off on your "over" bet
facts,…facts,…..from a liberal,….??????
come on wonder all2,….play fair.
Well, at least he has some head padding for the trip under the bus.
I know. I notice the Husker hasn't responded.
Just that facts, Huskie baby.
Zebo:
On you third point lets not forget according to Sherror she was being ordered to resign because Glen Beck and Fox News were going to talk about this. It was clear that Fox has demonstrated they were trying to look at the whole record (unlike the White House or even the NAACP).
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
Wow, that bus' under carriage is sure gettin' crowded, isn't it? Any chance Bozo will throw himself under it?
What a great premise for a new game show. CNN could create The Shirley Sharrod Show. There would be two contestants and the lovely host Shirley. The game is simple, they show a clip of Shirley saying something like, "If you want freedom you've got to kill some crackers and some cracker babies." Then the contestants vote if that statement is racist or not racist. Then they show the context of the clip and see that she was just recounting Malik Shabazz of the New Black Panthers exposing his views. The contestant with the most points, gets their unemployment benefits extended for 99 weeks, a prescription for medical marijuana, extra food stamps, and a copy of Barack Obama's new book, "A Belief in a Positive Outcome and to Transfer From One to Another."
Husker:
Just curious what division is Faux News? Is that part of CNN, CBS, NBC, or ABC.
There is a FOX news. Fox News on that day was trying to review the record unlike the White House or the NAACP which condome the audience and then found the tape to try to show they were wrong.
Furthermore Mrs. Sherwood is turning down interview offers from people on Fox News. Maybe it's because she might be asked some real questions which Fox reporters are known to do.
And if I understand the concept of over/under betting right your effort to make a sarcastic dig at this organization called Faux News you would have to take the "Under" bet not the "Over" bet. Get your sarcasism right.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
That could be that one of Obama's few Republican friends Crist is trying to win the Florida Senate state. If Crist wins there will be another so called independent voting with the Democrats instead of a Republican who will be opposing Obama's policies.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
Hussein has Furries working in his administration?
The more I learn…………..ECC 1;18 .For in much wisdom [is] much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
It's amazing just how tone death the administration is. I'm one of those millions of Americans who opposed the health care bill. If you believe Sherrod and the White House believes her than I opposed health care not because of the spending problems (verified by CBO since passage), that I wanted more control over my own health care spending (which this bill wouldn't do), that I wanted real tort reform so doctors will be less worried about being sue and wasting resources (which this bill wouldn't do), or a few other things.
According to Shirley and President Obama since he supports her I opposed it because the President was black.
Get real!
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
It's either that, or they really are as childish and incompetent as we think they are. Maybe it's six of one and half a dozen of the other.
Either way, Obama's gonna have to get himself a bigger bus.
WOW now on ABC this morning they stoke the racist fires,now it's the republicans fault and when the conversation came to Sherrod saying Andrew wants all black people to go back to the days of slavery the guest redirected the conversation far away from that subject,Sherrod owes Andrew and apology. The whole issue of race wasn't a problem until the left started falling in the polls,desperation has really set in now I noticed George Will had no place at the table today.
maybe in November we can boot him off the bus.
No one around him able to tell him he's screwing up. No way to see with their heads buried. How much loyalty can there be in an organization that will fire you on the phone on the way to work?
Disagree with one aspect though. In a lot of folks minds they already have screwed up royal, and overcome MSM's ability to cover for them. MSM struggles to remain relevant.
not quite what i thought but sorta along the same line
MSM is covering O's failures by lighting the fire of racism. BigGov highlights NAACP racism in response to NAACP"s claims of racism in the Tea Party and we get this sleight of hand subject-switch.
Heard it here first: Vilsack will become a verb representing a premature, unwarranted, panicked, politcal firing. "He was Vilsacked after he was thrown under the bus for something he did not do."
They do have shades of Dan (the man) Rather do they not
This will backfire. A lot of people that voted for O do not care to be called racists. This thing could seriously hurt Dems and MSM. There is no adult in the room without George Will. Wonder if he walked out or wasn't invited?
Great strategy: Vote for Democrats so we can call you racist!
One trick pony.
Well, what? Cesarean section? Dinner table scene from "Alien" ? Enquiring minds want to know.
Well james, I keep thinking the same thing, ,but it's going to have to be a real doozy of screwup to be able to get him out. It's going to have to be so huge that the media cannot ignore it or distort it. And it's gong to have to be someone so pissed that they aren't willing to take a bribe to shut up and with enough evidence that the case still stands even if he has an accident.
Plus, I think they have gotten the "plausible deniability" thing down pretty good like in the Blago case. There's a big bubble of buffoons around him ready to fall on their swords.
I agree though, his level of arrogance is unprecedented in recent history even by Clinton. It has got to be their downfall.
The facts. Andrew gets a partial video and posts it on his website calling a USDA official racist. Faux New's website picks up the story and puts it on their site. Based upon the erroneous post on Faux News, the White House and the USDA ask for her resignation, which is given. The NAACP also issues a condemnation. The next day, the white farmer is interviewed and the story starts to unravel. Andrew needs an excuse and comes up with the one he is going after the NAACP to show how racist they are and erroneously claims there is cheering when Sherrod says she was not going to help them on the tape. The NAACP retracts their condemnation and blames Faux News. Bill O" apologizes on the air for believing Andrew and the USDA offers to give her a better job. Andrew has still not listed his source of the partial video.
Yeah, that's why you keep trolling here to rack up the negative votes and scores.
Hahahhahahaa.
Andy posted the video to show the REACTION of the crowd.
And Fox New didn't run ANYTHING until AFTER SHE HAD BEEN FIRED. Can you even get BASIC facts right??? Do we need to add Breitbart Derangement Sydrome to Bush and Palin Derangement Sydrome too??
Lib definition of neo-nazis: National Guard troops. You know, the ones Obama sent to the border.
I just hope it happens while America is still relatively solvent.
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