Sherrod: I'm a Victim of Breitbart, Fox 'Racism' (Considering Legal Action)

[kpete]

Source: Media Matters

Sherrod: I'm a Victim of Breitbart, Fox 'Racism'

July 21, 2010 11:40 am ET by Joe Strupp

......................

She also said Fox News never checked the facts with her before posting a story and the video clip.

"Not before they reported it," she said of Fox's negligence. "They have called me today and initially I had said yes (to an interview), but I thought about it and I did not think they intended to be fair in their reporting. They are going to say what they want to say regardless of what I say."

....................

"They intended exactly what they did. They were looking for the result they got yesterday," she said of Fox. "I am just a pawn. I was just here. They are after a bigger thing, they would love to take us back to where we were many years ago. Back to where black people were looking down, not looking white folks in the face, not being able to compete for a job out there and not be a whole person."

..............

Sherrod said she is considering legal action, perhaps against Breitbart, Fox or the federal government:

Read more: http://mediamatters.org/strupp/201007210037

[davidinalameda]

1. hope she sues the hell out of them

[Po_d Mainiac]

42. Impossible task....they are all Hell.

But I hope she kicks the shit out of their wallet.

[calimary]

129. Oh PLEASE!!!!! Dear God PLEASE!!!!

Lawsuits against them are LONG overdue and should be mounted for slander, libel, character assassination, malicious mischief, THE WORKS!!!!!! Throw EVERYTHING at them! Bring them DOWN!!!! Tie up so much of their money and attention on lawsuits that they can't afford to send glenn beck anywhere on "assignment" and are forced to reneg on sarah palin's pricey contract. Hell, they lie every time they run a damn promo!!!! ("Fair and Balanced!!!" - MY ASS!!!)

[deminks]

2. This lady knows. She has more sense than most around her.

:patriot:

I salute her.

[glitch]

5. She's good people, I too salute her.

:patriot:

[laughingliberal]

3. K & R nt

[Solly Mack]

4. k/r

[jaxx]

6. Wow she took them to the cleaners.

I hope she sues them both.

[Windy]

7. she absolutely is! That is why she did not take the job offered to her

If she does, her damage claim is lessened.

I bet she won't have to work another day in her life and Fox News will be further exposed as the propaganda outlet that they are...along with the right wing bloggers!

[seattleblue]

18. No that won't work.

You can't refuse a job and keep damages going (especially appointee jobs). Her damages would be limited to a few days and under federal rules she is being paid for those anyway. She would have to show her ability to get a job has been damaged and since she has been offered another job that is pretty much out the window unfortunately.

[Chef Eric]

19. It's not about her lost wages.

It's about her having had to endure defamation of character, as well as death threats from lunatics who were stirred up by the ridiculous things that Bill O'Reilly said.

[seattleblue]

23. To win damages in a defamation of character suit you have to show

your ability to get employment or similar employment has decreased. Those are the rules of law. Death threats would be almost impossible in a court case to tie to a specific person or entity. If she sued Faux or somebody similar they would be entitled by court rules to bring in the White House, up and to President Obama. To protect themselves they would have to testify she suffered no loss of character in their view.

[Tempest]

27. What???

Your ability to get employment has NOTHING to do with getting damages in a defamation of character lawsuit.


If you have been defamed you may seek both actual damages, to recover the harm that you have suffered, and punitive damages to punish the person who made the remark (and serve as an example to deter others).

If the defamation improperly accused you of a crime or reflected on your profession, the court or jury can assess the damages. For other types of defamation you must prove some actual damage to be able to recover.

http://resources.lawinfo.com/en/Legal-FAQs/Defamation-of-Character/Federal/what-damages-can-i-recover-from-a-defamation.html

In this case her harm was her forced resignation and the humility she suffered. And since the defamation was directed at her profession, she can get damages for that as well.

[gordianot]

45. Exactly correct. Someone at Fox meant her harm and it almost worked.

Being close to retirement age she has plenty of options, I hope she takes to the speaker circuit, writes a book, goes to court and makes Fox think twice in the future. Her greatest fear was what will her Grandchildren think, a question begging to be answered in court? She is a hero in the age of nasty smear politics. This story should not and will not go away soon.

[seattleblue]

55. I would like to see some links to successful damage awards

on your theory in similar cases. Courts do not reflect bar exam questions in the real world.

[Wednesdays]

96. Good grief, I'm not even a lawyer

and I found this via a 5-minute google search.

Any mention of employment in these? :shrug:
http://www.findlaw.com/12international/countries/nz/articles/852.html
http://chicagopersonalinjurylegalblog.com/2010/06/couple-accused-of-being-swingers-wins-defamation-suit.html

[Tempest]

104. Thanks.

I just got back and saw your post.

[seattleblue]

120. Correct you are not a lawyer

So you may not know that the law of defamation in the U.S. is not remotely close to defamation in other English law based countries. The other link has nothing remotely similar to the Sherrod case. Let's she if she actually filed and under what theory.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

68. That's "slander per se".

If ya get slandered at your profession. Special type.

Yes I do have a law degree and remember that from torts class.

[mzmolly]

8. Go Sherrod! I'd love to see discovery in this case reveal a Brietbart connection

to Faux.

[reformist2]

26. It would also force out Breitbart's "source", if there is one LOL

[wordpix]

124. better yet, to Faux AND Rove

[struggle4progress]

9. Sue Andy for every penny he's got, Shirley. He knowingly and maliciously

spread a false story defaming you. He did it for purely political reasons and with reckless disregard for the truth. The effects go far beyond loss of a job: you are now dealing with all manner of threatening and hostile communications from mentally-ill people around the country. Andy did what he did in a cold calculating way; any reasonable person could have foreseen the result; and Andy in particular could have seen the result, because he does this all the time

[DebbieCDC]

10. I hope she sues 'em for everything including Breitbart's birth certificate

IF he can produce one that is

[Plucketeer]

11. Such a courageous gal. CLEAN THEM OUT!

It's the only thing they'll feel.

[skyounkin]

12. I really and honestly hope she sues the hell out of them

If it were me I would hope that I would have the courage that I now wish upon Ms. Sherrod.

Sue them. It's the only way we will send a message to them that we have had enough, and it will send a message to their future targets (don't be fooled, this WILL happen again) that they will not have to fight alone.

[DeSwiss]

13. K&R

Sue the shit out of them!

[Booster]

14. Oh, please, please, plears, Ms. Sherrod. Sue them and maybe

then we can get back the Fairness Doctrine. Without it, our news is just The National Enquirer on a daily basis. Make up shit and when it's debunked just say "oh, well".

[Jumping John]

15. I hope she sues and pursues her dream to make

the South a better place. The quantity and quality of the compassion exhibited by Black People has always amazed me. And so has the pettiness of people like Beck and Breitbart and also Fox.

Quoted from the site:

SHERROD from her NAACP address: "It was 45 years ago today that my father's funeral was held. I was a young girl at the age of 17 when my father was murdered by a white man in Baker County. In Baker County, the murder of black people occurred periodically, and in every case the white men who murdered them were never punished. It was no different in my father's case. There were three witnesses to his murder, but the grand jury refused to indict the white man who murdered him.

-snip -

My father wasn't the first black person to be killed. He was a leader in the community. He wasn't the first to be killed by white men in the county. But I couldn't just let his death go without doing something in answer to what happened. I made the commitment on the night of my father's death, at the age of 17, that I would not leave the South, that I would stay in the South and devote my life to working for change. And I've been true to that commitment all of these 45 years."

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/shirleysherrodnaacpfreedom.htm

[wordpix]

125. pursue your dream, Shirley! Sue Faux and Breitbart, and as for the admin

I am sure you can work something out there. :evilgrin:

[scarface2004]

16. i have video of brietbart!!!

in a park with underage boys....very disturbing!!

[Rozlee]

17. I was watching Faux at the VA earlier (not by choice)

and the bastards weren't one bit repentent about having run Ms. Sherrod through the wringer. Instead, they were focusing on browbeating the White House on their terrible treatment of her (it was terrible) as if the whole fiasco had started there to begin with. They analyzed and reanalyzed the Administration's "rush to judgement" over and over, ad nauseum, as if they themselves were pure and white (they are white) as the wind-driven snow. Those assholes are spinning like the Tasmanian Devil on crack. Ms. Sherrod is correct to stay away from them. They'd be trying to get her to admit to voter intimidation at the poles in 08 and then shout her down when she denied threatening to kill anyone's cracka baby. FAUX hasn't admitted it's culpability at all or offered any retraction that I heard. She needs to lawyer up for a lawsuit and not go anywhere near them.

[tsuki]

46. O'Reilly kept the story going saying that she refused to go on Fox

News to correct it. He intimated that there was something to it and she could not defend herself. At least that's the way I saw it.

[Politicalboi]

69. The same reaction will happen

If some nut does something to Obama. They'll be like "What caused this man to do this?" "Was Obama to blame?" "Stayed tuned with all the breaking wind, I mean breaking news here at Faux. Up next, Did Al Gore really eat all those babies?

[klook]

93. Pree-cisely

There is nothing to be gained from making an appearing on POX TV. She would just have to sit through a withering assault from klansmen in suits and Aryan blondes in red dresses, demanding that she explain decades of white suffering at the hands of "reverse racism."

[DimplesinMI]

20. Good for her...HIT THEM HARD...Shirley!

n/t

[SoapBox]

21. Yes, Yes, Yes...do it Shirley!

...and, folks, if you didn't see that Keith did a "special comment" on tonights
show, you've simply GOT to WATCH IT! Hopefully it will be on the MSNBC site, here,
or on YouTube.

Also...Rachel's show was amazing tonight as well.

[ProudDad]

22. In Great Britain

She could send them to jail...

[tclambert]

82. Suddenly I am willing to drop my opposition to special rendition.

[ProudDad]

132. ...

:rofl:

[xchrom]

24. Recommend

[tabatha]

25. Go get the scum!

[nc4bo]

28. Good! nt

[rurallib]

29. If there is a god, Sherrod will end up owning FUX

and Breitbart. I won't even suggest what she should do after that.

[blaze]

30. Legal action would be wonderful... but

Hasn't Faux News already won the right to lie? http://www.foxbghsuit.com/

We need the Fairness Doctrine!!!!

[TxVietVet]

31. It's just a matter of time before it turns violent .

I've said it before, and the conservanazis are going to keep pushing the envelope until they get a reaction they will not like. Right now, Ms. Sherrod should sue. Sue Fox Noise, sue Andrew Ain't-too-bright and tell the Federal Government that if you don't give me a job with lots mo' money, that she will sue them also.

I can't believe the Obama government fell for this conservanazi trick. It's disgusting.

As long as the conservanazis don't get their way, they will push until they get a violent action from either side. IN their case, I think they want someone on the Progressive to attack.

Probably, it will be some goofy-assed conservanazi teabaggin' kkklucker redneck with a gun start shooting Democrats.
That's just the way I see it.

If the mid-term elections don't give the conservanazis a lot of seats in both Houses of Congress, I'll bet some teabaggin' kkklucker will take action and kill/injure several folks.

[reformist2]

32. Sadly, you're probably right.

This is going so badly for them, they're beside themselves with anger. Some are even starting to question whether *they* were set up. I'm not kidding..

[TxVietVet]

38. I believe you.

Things are going so badly for the conservanazis, they will convince themselves that they are the "victim" of attacks.

[Tempest]

34. It already has

The guy who flew his plane into the IRS building, the guy who killed three cops because he believed the government was going to confiscate guns and last week the guy who shot it out with the cops on his way to kill people at the ACLU in S.F.

[Rozlee]

36. Don't worry, the asshats will get a lot of seats

But, the banked racist hatred that the right has always had on simmer has run over big time now that we have a black president. It was all so nice and cool as long as the black man knew his place. At the VA today, when I had to listen to all this shit on FAUX, these old vets in their 70s and 80s and their spouses started going off about how Obama is a Muslim. I gave out a loud "SHIT!" and stalked off. I will be so happy to see these segregationist, Civil Rights era of racists die off over the next twenty years. Racism will always be as American as apple pie, but these pre-Civil Rights era bigots are especially virulent and need to die ASAP.

[Cherchez la Femme]

33. Don't consider suing them, Ms. Sherrod

JUST DO IT!

[proud patriot]

35. this is going to be interesting

:think:

[RetroLounge]

37. K&R

RL

[myrna minx]

39. K&R n/t

[Johonny]

40. we all are

their actions of knowing spreading lie as the truth have damaged all of American society. She isn't the first person to be vindicated after the fact. Hopefully she is sympathetic enough a figure to finally put this type of BS news reporting to rest.

[ShadowLiberal]

41. I'd love to see her sue Breitbart's pants off for slander

In politics most people would just lose in the court of public opinion by suing someone over slander, but I don't see that happening here. There's plenty of evidence that Breitbart maliciously edited the video to slander her. And then considering how widespread Breitbart's slander ended up, because Breitbart gave his malicious video to news media outlets he knew would agree with his cause, that's got to show that Breitbart acted to spread his slander far and wide across the country.

I hope Breitbart ends up in jail just like the last racist right wing nut who posted videos he heavily edited to make ACORN look bad.

[mitchum]

53. Hold on there! I want her to take him for every penny, but I definitely want the pants to stay on

[DesertDiamond]

77. I agree! I mean, ewww! ;-)

[sabrina 1]

67. He has already admitted that he did it for revenge

against the NAACP for accusing the Teabaggers of Racism. I saw a clip from an interview he did in which he more or less said he wasn't interested in her specifically, but he was angry about the Teabagger Racist charges, and having held the tape for a month, he decided to use it.

Before that interview gets disappeared someone needs to grab it and save it.

Also, who edited the tape? Someone needs to ask him that, like maybe the MSM?

[Turborama]

85. Hi Sabrina. Is this the interview you mean?

In it he tells John King that he had been holding onto the tape waiting for the right moment to use it.

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rU2igzWD5Ms

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVs_dyguHBY

Don't worry about the interview disappearing, Think Progress have it. ;-)

Here's the transcript...

KING: Mr. Breitbart, the column you wrote that started this story begins with the word "context is everything" and you describe the Tea Party episode and then you get to this video of Shirley Sherrod. And before we hear her, this slate that we see in the video and it reads this.

It says "On March 27th, 2010 while speaking at the NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet, Ms. Sherrod admits that in her federally appointed position overseeing billions of dollars she discriminates against people due to their race. In the portion of the speech you have online she does no such thing. She talks about an episode that was in 1986, 23 years before she came to work for the Department of Agriculture. Is there a factual mistake in that posting?

ANDREW BREITBART, PUBLISHER, BREITBART.COM: This story is about the NAACP. This story is about the NAACP falsely accusing the Tea Party of being racist and --

KING: Have you --

(CROSSTALK)

BREITBART: When we provided exculpatory evidence to show that Congressmen Cleaver (ph), Carson (ph) and Lewis (ph) lied about the "n" word incident, the mainstream media was not there for us to show our exculpatory evidence that absolutely shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that the three of them lied in order to malign a group of millions --

KING: But what does that have to do with Shirley Sherrod? What does it have to do with Shirley Sherrod --

BREITBART: It has to -- this tape is about the NAACP. Its race (ph) on debt is about nondiscrimination and when Shirley Sherrod is talking there in which she expresses a discriminatory attitude towards white people, the audience responds with applaud -- with applause and the NAACP agrees with me and it rebuked her and the audience. So the entire conversation about race right now in this country is because the NAACP brought up without evidence, again, and including the false narrative that the "n" word was hurled at three black congressmen, this is asserting that the NAACP condoned racism and was caught on video. And the more video that we've seen that we haven't even offered, there's even more racism on these tapes. This is deeply problematic.

KING: I'm happy to look at those tapes, and I promise I will look at those tapes if you post them, but I want to come back to another -- you say context is everything. We believe facts are important, too --

(CROSSTALK)

BREITBART: If that -- if it is the case and it can be shown to me that the incident that she's talking about was done many years ago and not in her current context, but as a reporter you tell me how you confirmed that the incident that she's talking about was 24 years ago? You tell me as a reporter how CNN put on a person today who purported to be the farmer's wife?

What did you do to find out whether or not that was the actual farmer's wife? I mean there -- if you're going to accuse me of a falsehood, tell me where you've confirmed that this incident happened 24 years ago. This is Shirley Sherrod trying to save her job when her problem is with Vilsack (ph) and the USDA and the NAACP, both which have rebuked her and forced her to leave her position.

KING: I think she has legitimate questions as do we for Secretary Vilsack (ph), the NAACP, the Agriculture Department and perhaps even the Obama White House. But did you reach out to her when you posted this to ask her -- I have this tape. I think it shows what I -- what you believe to be damning conduct or questionable conduct. Did you reach out to her and say what incident are you talking about? When did this happen?

BREITBART: This was not about Shirley Sherrod. This was about the NAACP attacking the Tea Party and this is showing racism at a NAACP event. I did not ask for Shirley Sherrod to be fired. I did not ask for any repercussions for Shirley Sherrod. They were the ones that took the initiative to get rid of her.

I do not -- I think she should have the right to defend herself, but what you see on the video are people in the audience at an organization whose sole job is to fight against discrimination and they're applauding her overt racism that she's representing.

(CROSSTALK)

KING: When did you come -- when did you come into possession of this tape?

BREITBART: In March of this year.

KING: And do you have the entire thing because she says where you cut it off, she goes on to say there's no question -- there's no question she says that she was uncomfortable around this white farmer, that in her view he was expressing her superiority and you air the portion where she says so she found him a white lawyer, one of his kind.

There's no question you can watch the portion that you have on the Web site and start to think about what are her motivations. But she says she's trying to tell a parable and that she goes on to say that she realized she did have prejudices, that she had her own prejudices here. I'm going to play the last snippet.

(CROSSTALK)

KING: Let's listen to one piece of the tape that -- this is on your Web site --

BREITBART: Yes, I added that --

(CROSSTALK)

BREITBART: We kept that because it says that she says that it's not just about race, it's also about rich versus poor. That was the exculpatory part, but she did express racism --

KING: So what happens next? What happens next? She says -- I want you to listen to one of the things she said --

BREITBART: I didn't fire her. I didn't fire her. This is not about Shirley Sherrod. Will you give the opportunity for the million strong Tea Party that CNN and the mainstream media has maligned as racist. Will you give us --

KING: I have not maligned the Tea Party as racist --

BREITBART: I said CNN. I did not say John King. You have given air to the NAACP charges and the Congressional Black Caucus charges that the "n" word was said 15 times by 15 different people by Congressman Carson (ph) and Congressmen Carson (ph) and Lewis (ph) and Cleaver (ph). I can prove to you beyond a shadow of a doubt that they created this out of whole cloth.

It is a lie, and I want the opportunity to show America that the mainstream media just like the journalist which organized and colluded against people and even said blame people on the right of racist to destroy their lives in order to stop the breaking of the Jeremiah Wright (ph) story. So racism is used by the left and the Democratic Party to shut up opposition, and I'm showing you that people who live in glass houses should not be throwing stones.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KING: A lot more on this story to dig tonight, including more of our controversial conversation, I guess it's fair to say with Mr. Breitbart. But first let's get a first impression from our panel before we dig much deeper in the hour ahead. With us tonight our CNN contributors Roland Martin in Chicago, CNN contributor Erick Erickson -- he's the editor-in-chief of RedState.com, the conservative Web site -- he's in Atlanta -- and here with me CNN senior correspondent Joe Johns.

Joe, I'll go to you first because you are among our reporters, Andrew Breitbart saying how do we know these things. We have spent all day reporting this story. Is this farmer legitimate? Did this incident happen 24 years ago? Looking at the property records, talking to everybody, your first impression?

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Well my first impression is that phrase "context is everything" is really important. And one of the contexts we haven't explored very much is the context in which the Department of Agriculture decided they're going to get rid of this woman because when you look at agriculture, they have a history. They are notorious over decades for having discrimination lawsuits from women farmers, black farmers, Hispanic farmers. It goes on and on. This is the context in which she makes these statements as a political appointee and she serves at the pleasure of the president.

KING: We'll continue to look at that. That is one how the Agriculture Department and the White House reacted as part of it. Roland, the first thought?

ROLAND MARTIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well it's sort of hard for Breitbart to continue to deny photos, statements, placards, things among those lines as it relates to the Tea Party, so to continue to try to tar and feather the NAACP when they were factually correct makes no sense whatsoever and simply does not advance his argument at all.

KING: Erick?

ERICK ERICKSON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: You know this is a difficult situation. I'm actually reminded of the Rush Limbaugh situation when he tried to buy the St. Louis Rams and for three days actual reporters, journalists, news anchors used quotes of his and sabotaged the bid and only after the bid was sabotaged said oh those quotes were made up. They were from the left after 20 years on the radio. This is a similar situation with Shirley Sherrod. It's very clear she's opinionated (ph) person. She realized that she was wrong. This was a poor versus rich issue, not black versus white, but she's a casualty of this game the left and right play these days tarring and feathering people as racist who aren't (ph).

KING: Let's stop the first block there. We'll continue this conversation. Everybody is making interesting points. Many more questions to be answered -- when we come back you will hear from Shirley Sherrod. You will hear in an CNN exclusive from the cabinet member who fired her and is standing by this decision. And we have just been told the president was briefed on this decision, and he stands by his agriculture secretary. Also hear more from our conversation with the controversial Andrew Breitbart -- a lot more digging to do on this story. Stay right there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KING: A lot more to talk about in this story. Shirley Sherrod, an Agriculture Department official fired or she says pressured to resign in the state of Georgia because of a story that started on a conservative Web site -- more of her story. You'll hear from her directly in just a minute. First though let's continue my conversation with Andrew Breitbart, the conservative blogger who started this controversy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BREITBART: The tape with Shirley Sherrod most offensively and it affirms why the Tea Party is such an important movement in this country. She says that people should get jobs in the government because you can't get fired. That's why the Tea Party is upset. It is because bureaucrats like Shirley Sherrod think that when they get into a position of power that they can hire people and not fire them --

KING: That is --

BREITBART: That is a problem with the Tea Party --

KING: That's a very different argument and you did post that second video of her talking about that. That's a very different argument, though. What she is saying here -- you write a column about in your view people falsely accusing the Tea Party of racism. And I read your column and I understand your point.

Her point is she thinks that you are now falsely accusing her of racism. That actually what she said was yes, I had my prejudices and I felt them and I dealt with them and I confronted them and I learned a powerful lesson from that.

BREITBART: If the other video is so important to you in order to push this story, why aren't you doing your reporting? You're going off of her word that the farmer's wife is the farmer's wife. What type of extra reporting have you done on this? You're going --

KING: I can tell you -- we're doing quite a bit of reporting --

(CROSSTALK)

KING: All day long. I can assure you of that.

(CROSSTALK)

BREITBART: You show me then what is the exculpatory evidence? What exists on that video that will help make that racist -- her racist sentiments go away and the fact that when the audience accepts her racist statements she doesn't say, wait, come on. I'm not racist. There was a racist moment between them that if the tables were turned and you had a white person talking that in a racist way, talking about blacks being the other kind and about a story line about being racially prejudicial in terms of a hiring, in terms of an advice- giving situation, there would be no talk right now about exculpatory evidence.

This was the NAACP affirming a racist sentiment, and there's more racist sentiment in the video that if you want me to go out there, this was never about Shirley Sherrod. If you want to make this about Shirley Sherrod, we'll put Shirley Sherrod saying racial and racist things. This is about the NAACP and the double standard.

KING: If the NAACP is allegedly going to release the entire tape sometime later today, but do you have the entire tape?

BREITBART: We just got it in the mail. We were sent two separate videos by a person who is worried about having a journalist type of allensky (ph) attack against it, so he -- I'm protecting this person. He sent me these two videos and he's now sent us the full video.

And if I get the OK from the people who have the rights to the video to put it up on the Internet, I have no problem with it. Again, I have -- my problem is not with Shirley Sherrod. My problem is with the double-standard in the media that it's willing to play up that the Tea Party is racist without any evidence. This is my evidence to the NAACP that they condoned racism at a freedom dinner around a group that's supposed to be about non-discrimination.

KING: Let me ask you lastly. You say you received, if I heard you correctly, in March you received the earlier portions of the tape?

BREITBART: Yes -- no, I was aware of the two -- I was aware of the two of them. They were transferred to me this weekend, but I was aware -- I was made aware of the tapes in March.

KING: They were transferred to you this week. I was asking in the context if you used them in the context of getting into the Tea Party/NAACP racism debate. I was asking whether -- essentially whether you had them in your drawer waiting for a moment to use them or in the midst of this debate you had in the back of your head (INAUDIBLE) someone told you about these tapes.

(CROSSTALK)

KING: Let me go find them.

BREITBART: I -- the reason why there was no context for me to put this thing out here. The last thing I want to do is talk about race right now in a hot summer where whites and blacks -- I like to call them Americans -- are suffering from the economic malaise that this country is going through. It is the NAACP and the Democratic Party that keeps asserting over and over trying to negatively brand the Tea Party as racist over and over absent evidence. It is un- American.

KING: I want to circle back to this lastly. That is a bigger issue and it is a legitimate question you raise. Shirley Sherrod feels though that you rushed to judgment against her maybe without airing the entire tape --

BREITBART: I'm not rushing to judgment --

KING: -- that the NAACP might --

BREITBART: -- against her.

(CROSSTALK)

BREITBART: It's not about Shirley Sherrod. It's not about Shirley Sherrod. I can say it 20 times. It's about the NAACP.

KING: But she lost her job.

BREITBART: This is -- I did not fire her. If she has a case, then Vilsack (ph), you should be interviewing Vilsack (ph) -- KING: We're trying.

BREITBART: You should be asking -- you should be asking the NAACP why did you not just rebuke Shirley Sherrod, but she -- they also rebuked the audience. The piece is newsworthy unto itself.

KING: Andrew Breitbart, appreciate your time. This is a feisty issue. We appreciate your coming to talk to us about it.

BREITBART: Thank you.

KING: Thank you. Take care.

http://archives.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1007/20/jkusa.01.html

He also said pretty much what you paraphrased to Hannity...

I posted a clip of it in the videos forum where he says it's about revenge without actually using the word: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x487629

And Mediate have the full interview and transcript on their site. In it he tells Hannity he had known about the tape since April...

Hannity: Hang on. I want get some facts on the table. I want your opinion and everything else associated with it. You have had this tape since April?

Breitbart: I didn’t have the tape, I had recognitions that it existed and the man told me about it. He tried to send me and it came on a disc and it didn’t show up. I said this is annoying. So when the NAACP thing happened, I found his number, I called him and he sent me to — me two excerpts of the video.

Full interview (looks like it's Mediaite's copy embedded there): http://www.mediaite.com/online/andrew-breitbart-on-hannity-i-could-care-less-about-shirley-sherrod/

He's being very careful about saying how long he's held the tape for but it's obvious he has been holding it for months and is trying to squirm his way out like the disgusting maggot he is.

[sabrina 1]

116. Yes, yes, thank you so much. That is the interview.

I am so glad it has been saved as I can imagine them demanding that everything be scrubbed as they scrubbed O'Keefe's blog.

I should have known you'd be able to find it :-)

I will bookmark this post, it is excellent, in fact it should be an OP for the record if nothing else.

Yes, he's trying to hide exactly when he got the video and from whom. I wouldn't be surprised if it was O'Keefe.

What's remarkable is how angry they are at the NAACP for shining a light on racism. If they are not racists, why does it bother them so much? They seem to feel threatened by any mention of it?

And his silly denials about the Tea Party when there is evidence all over the place.

I hope he keeps talking because the more he does, the more he demonstrates to the media why he is such a worthless 'source'. Hopefully he is now on everyone's radar as someone to be avoided at all costs.

I'm still hoping that one day those he smeared in the ACORN stunt will get some justice, and that the media will do its job and investigate this 'movement' and who is behind them. I think that some of those think tanks, like Morton Blackwell's non-profit status badly needs to be looked into which is why Blackwell tries to back away when the media starts noticing them.

Thanks again for another great post ... :-)

[Douglas Carpenter]

43. kick and recommend!!

[The Hitman]

44. Must SUE!

Probably not slander, but def. false light.

http://www.thepoliticalcarnival.net/2010/07/jonathan-turley-can-sherrod-sue-over-edited-naacp-tape/

Think about what this would cough up. They wouldn't let this see the light of day. CHECK-MATE Breitbart.

[madmax]

47. K&R

[FlyByNight]

48. Go get 'em Ms. Sherrod

"They have called me today and initially I had said yes (to an interview), but I thought about it and I did not think they intended to be fair in their reporting. They are going to say what they want to say regardless of what I say." If only the White House would take notice...

Faux News, (Not-so)Breitbart, etc., are not to be given respect. They're in it ONLY for money/power: how to acquire it, how to wield it, how to keep it. Nothing more.

As KO said in his special comment: it's a freakin' war out here. When will the White House stop bringing knives to gun fights?

:shrug:

[Bryn]

49. I hope she sues to get Fox off air for good!

K&R

[orbitalman]

50. I commend BrightFart and Faux to Hell, immediately. nt

[lakers4life24]

51. Long Time Lurker First Time Poster

I used to can't stand the Right Wing and was willing to put up with it. But for the past two years after Obama was elected, i have seen nothing from the Right but Smear Campaigns, Character Assassinations, Deliberate Misinformation and Lies, Outright and Blatant Racism, threats of violence, Continued Obstruction, and ABSOLUTE LUNACY and now this whole Sherrod thing has really ticked me off. Frankly, I am disgusted by it and by the entire Right Wing. I can understand why America is in the HELLHOLE that it's in now. Obama was right when he said that the Right drove this country into a ditch.

[pamela]

52. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[bergie321]

62. Welcome

[Enthusiast]

73. No question the right wing

drove the country into the ditch. But it's worse than that. They are undermining the very fabric of our nation and many Democrats are aiding them.

[white cloud]

97. Welcome

WELL SAID AND I AM THE SAME. TIRED OF ALL THESE ATTACKS AND LIES

TAKE FOX AND THE CROOKS TO THE CLEANER

[nvme]

54. its just sad

This just demonstrates how this administration bends over backwards to do the right thing. When a clip is published demonstrating a member of the administation appears to be making racist statements, the key players demand a resignation.

Unfortunately, the publishers of that story had an agenda. They used altered and misleading clips to manufacture this outrageous fictional event. Fox acted in a malicous, callous and reckless fashion. It did so to plead to its viewers over black on white discrimination. They used fabricated evidence.

Sadly, there is no entity that oversees "news"outlets.

So her remedy is the courts. I pray she does sue and wins.

Now as far as the administration, Shame on you for being reactionary. I know the administration goes through great pains to placate the right. I know the administration wants those on the right to feel the government will protect their interest as well. but it has to stop. we have to stop ceding ground.

[pinto]

56. Yep. "They were looking for the result they got yesterday."

Go for it Ms. Sherrod.

[rhett o rick]

57. Also the victim of the Obama administration's quick action to push her under the bus.

I want a Pres that will fight Fox, not do their bidding.

[pinto]

63. Gibbs passed on an apology numerous times today for the short sighted response at USDA.

And noted that the media played a role in it, as well.

The real perp in the thing here is Breitbart, first and foremost.

[rhett o rick]

117. It is not like this is the first time the Obama admin has let the right-wing influence them.

I want an administration that will fight back. Pres Obama still has an opportunity to do the right thing and it sure as hell isnt having Gibbs "apology numerous times". The President needs to fire Vilsack immediately and come out publically and say that what Mr. Vilsack did is not within the principles of the Democratic Party. He should further state that Mr. Breitbart will be investigated for slander, and that the media, specifically Fox where co-conspirators here.

I am so very sick of having an administration that wont fight back.

[Skittles]

58. I stand behind her

these bastards cannot be allowed to get away with their dirty tricks - ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

[G_j]

59. K&R

[donal dubh]

60. here's hoping she wins big.

But Breitbart being sued into poverty won't satisfy me. I would really enjoy seeing him explaining his actions before a committee exploring the responsibilites of the media to accuracy. And if he were in leg-irons? so much the better...

[boppers]

61. Breitbart 0. He tried to score, and destroyed his own career.

He's lost all credibility. Poor guy.

[tclambert]

84. But does he care about credibility? That's an old-fashioned journalism concern.

What matters today is the entertainment value. And sponsorship. If you want to go after bad "news" media, you have to go after their advertisers.

[cascadiance]

64. Kerry started this pattern of GOP "hit squads" when he DIDN'T sue the swift boaters!

I remember then that after the election, after Bush had won, he really didn't have a lot to lose by going after those swift boaters, and making them PAY for engaging in slander and defamation of character. If the pattern had been set then where those who chose to play a part of the GOP hit machine were made to PAY heavy consequences for such attacks, it might have made Breitbart, Fox drones, and others think twice before going after Dems when they are fabricating truths.

But since time and time again, it is the Dems that pay for the GOP's slander attacks, even by their own doing, it continues to encourage the wingnuts to use this in their playbook more and more.

Someone has to play hardball, and demand that heads roll at Fox if they want to continue to call themselves a news organization. If Rather's and others heads rolled at CBS, then so should some at Fox!

Shirley, do what Kerry and others chose not to do and sue these bastards until they get shoved in today's debtor's prisons...

[Dystopian]

65. KandR

peace~

[DFW]

66. I have an idea for what she can do re: the government

Get an agreement not to sue them for $50 million, in return for their going after Fox and Breitbart with
everything the Justice Department can muster. Lots of bad publicity for both, make sure the issue of the
falsification and defamation is in the news for weeks. If there's any way the FCC can do anything at all
about a cable station, have them do it. If not, get creative.

As for Fox and Breitbart, get the best lawyers in the country to take it on a big pro bono basis, and have her
say she'll keep enough to live on and give the rest to the SPLC or some other such organization, and maybe
re-fund ACORN back into existence. How nice would that be, to know that it was done with Murdoch's money?
Whatever the settlement, Murdoch will always have enough left over to continue, but maybe with a warning that
from now the Federal Government will be watching for lies about people and the harm done.

[lib_wit_it]

71. I don't know how viable your plan is, but it sounds good to me. Fox news and friends are

toxic.

[DFW]

130. Probably not very

But it can't stop me from dreaming!

[wordpix]

123. sounds good to me!

[Politicalboi]

70. Maybe if we all

File a complaint to the FCC EVERYDAY about Faux it will sink in.

[Enthusiast]

72. K&R

Sherrod is right. After watching how Fox characterized the whole incident yesterday I'm sure she's right. They pulled this entire stunt with an intent to harm Sherrod, black people in general and the Obama Administration.

[democrank]

74. Bless Ms. Sherrod and her courage.

We need more folks like her, people willing to take a stand no matter what, rather than "leaders" ever willing to cower in the corner every time there`s a hint of a threat.

[LawnKorn]

75. Sue the pants off of them. Expose the right wing racists for what they are

Those phony right wing media operators need to be exposed for the racist tools that they are. Fox and Breitbart are not in the news business, they are in the advancement of the right wing political agenda.

Sue them!

[LawnKorn]

76. K&R

[SalmonChantedEvening]

78. Big Kick. nt

[drm604]

79. Do it.

Sue them. Not just for yourself but for your country. For all of us.

[barbtries]

80. i say go for it

has fox changed their story or apologized for it? i heard a clip on npr and the woman talking was just so outraged at this black woman's racism! it was disgusting.

[florida08]

81. yes they would Shirley

They knew exactly what they were doing. I'd like to see a class action suit with Acorn, Van Jones and Shirley Sherrod along with anyone else who has been racially defamed by Breitbart and Fox. Beck saying Obama has a deep seated hatred for white people should be played over and over again on air. Am sure there are plenty of good lawyers who would take the case. Hannity, Limbaugh, and Beck all promote racial division but what Breitbart did was libel.

[Keystonecops]

83. Bring back the Fairness Doctrine

Good luck suing Fox. Right wing media has hid behind freedom of speech while suppressing free speech and right of reply from anybody who disagrees with its unAmerican views.

I say bring back the fairness doctrine!

[Hubert Flottz]

88. I couldn't agree more...

The MSM has gone to the dogs...

[reformist2]

90. Yes. At worst, it will make viewers change the channel...

For many Fox News viewers, this will be a major breakthrough.

[sendero]

86. I'm as angry as anyone..

... about this but I'm sure most of you know, it is almost impossible to win a suit against a media outlet. You have to prove they intentionally ran the story knowing it was false and with malignant intent.

It's basically impossible to prove.

[donal dubh]

108. I only wish you weren't making so much sense...

but this case might have legs. Breitbart et al. have shown a history of these tactics (Acorn, Jones..); they have publicly declared their intent (this goes on incessantly - a wish for the Obama admin to fail); they have caused others harm before( again the Acorn and Jones events). What more should a good lawyer need?

[border_town]

87. Sue the crap out of them

Then, take their crappy money and donate it to the NAACP.

[chemenger]

89. When are people going to realize that FOX News is not news ...

It is a willing tool of the ultra right-wing political machine. You are better off relying on MAD magazine for your news source than relying on FOX News. It is a farce ... a sham ... a joke ... an affront to basic human intelligence.

[Mad_Dem_X]

91. Give 'em hell, Shirley!

I would love to see her sue Faux News.

[joanmj]

92. Go for it!

[activa8tr]

94. This is a very good thread and deserves a full reading. I hope she

takes them all to the cleaners.

Let's see for Breitbart a cool 10 million

Hannity: 50 million

O'Reilly 51 million, (because he's still dancing around and pointing fingers at her)

The morning Fux newsfolks, 10 million a piece

Newt Gingrich: (I hear he's broke with all those exwives to suppor) 52 milllion, because he' more dangerous than any of them

Glenn BUCKO $500 million.

Other Fux news "analysts" who defamed her: a cool million a piece.

Here's the TYT clips of all the Fux News slander within 24 hours.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KW5MKiETSrU

[Autonomy]

95. Why are people falling for Breitbart's hit jobs?

His videos never show what they appear to show. He should have ZERO credibility. Maybe now people will stop falling for his Josef Goebbels imitation.

[flamingdem]

98. I nominate Sherrod for "Best Person in the World" nt

[BlancheSplanchnik]

99. Ms Sherrod--you've got everyone at DU in your corner! GO FOR IT!! :) n/t

[on point]

100. I hope she gets Millions and starts a trend, Every lie should cost Fox until they are out of busines

[4mykids]

101. Why the outrage?

Ok. Go ahead rip me apart, but let's get real people. Things are taken out of context ALL the time. By the left and the right. After scouring the internet, virtually all the networks ran with this story without verifying the context. And in the grand scheme of things, and you guys are going to FREAK over this one, this is a lot less aggregious than all of the networks reporting that the Tea Partiers yelled racial slurs at Congressional members during the health care vote, when there wasn't and still hasn't been a shred of proof that it ever happened. And we all know that with hundreds of cameras and microphones present, if it had been said, even once, it would have been recorded in some form. So, back to Shirley, let's cool it with the OUTRAGE over something that if Chris Matthews or NBC or CNN had been behind, and a Republican administration had been too trigger happy on, we all know the only critcism would be about their ineptitude, oh, and their racism. Because it seems that as Democrats with a Democratic President, with a Democratic House and Senate, that seems to be all we can talk about!!! RACE!! Last time I checked their was SUPPOSEDto be a little more to this party. What about this mess we are in, and nobody is getting us out of it! Let's get a little outrage over that!....Now go ahead. Blast away. But, do me a favor. At least answer to the inconsistencies in the outrage. But do it quick before the moderators pull my post. :hide:

[Name removed]

102. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

105. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[guitar man]

103. I have a feeling

the moderators are going to pull more than your post :evilgrin:

[fascisthunter]

107. yeah sure... that's what happened

why do people try to spin what is so obvious. Do you really think people are that stupid?

[4mykids]

110. Facts vs. games

Your right, what was I thinking? Looking at things rationally and logically, from both sides would be RIDICULOUS!!! If your closed-minded and ignorant. I choose not to be. And, how exactly, did I imply that people are that stupid? When I pointed out no-one ever produced video or audio evidence of racial slurs by the opposing party in Washington? Or by pointing out that this party would be laying all the blame for this incident (with Sherrod) at the feet of the administration if it were a Republican in office? I stand by my assertions. For whatever reasons, a lot of people are comfortable having different standards for other people/parties than themselves. It gets us nowhere. Actually, considering our current situation, we are moving backward. What a waste, what a shame.

[fascisthunter]

111. your post is insane

quit fooling yourself

[kwassa]

126. You stand by your assertions? and what value are assertions?

You PRESUME that there would be video or audio evidence of racial slurs. Why do you do that? This is an assumption, one without value, for you don't know the specifics of the circumstances. Most of everyone's lives go unrecorded by anyone, even for those in the public life. Lack of recorded evidence does not mean it didn't happen.

There is no double standard here. There is also clear evidence of racism on the part of Tea Party supporters, and the evidence is all over the Internet, and has been for months.

[lib_wit_it]

133. Excuse me, you there in the glass house, but it should be "You're right..." And you've made at

least one more such error in this post.

You'd better clean up that glass before someone gets cut.

[femrap]

106. That's the only language

Murdoch understands....Wallet Talk.

I hope she takes him for so much money that his eyes bleed.

[Karenina]

112. She's taking TIME to recover and think about things

something NONE of the other actors in this debacle found it necessary to do in the Faux News heat of the moment. This woman is of "Plymouth Rock" stock (for those who understand nothing other,) experienced, weathered, evolved (all attributes claimed by those who INSIST it is IMPOSSIBLE for the TP ;-) to be racist) and she WILL HAVE HER SAY. That's my perception at this moment and I'm stickin' to it. My best case scenario is that the Administration will make the best use of her truly UNIQUE and plentiful "Skills Sets," pay her well for them and :rofl: adopt HER dedication to the American people, particularly the "have nots".

Can you decode the acronym CW, boys and girls? I KNEW you could!

[time_has_come]

109. AND Obama administration ineptitude and cowardice. n/t

[defendandprotect]

113. Technically, Fox is legally permitted to LIE . . .

didn't they gain that right in court?

Would seemingly include the right to lie in editing?

[defendandprotect]

114. Happily resolved ... ONE Swiftboating that has failed . . .but a ton have worked -- !!!

We need to go back on all of them and show the insanity of it all --

Remember Terri Shaivo!!???

Kerry -- ???

and many more --

ACORN greatly harmed -- and will impact Democratic elections next time, I imagine, as to

their organizing efforts?

And, this is all still part of the GOP crimes which came out into the open with Watergate --

AND, they have now clouded the issue of NAACP charges against T-baggers as racists!!

We've long had a sexist, racist, homophobic GOP -- amazing that they can still deny it!!

And just a PS on that last statement - -

Quite a few years back -- Clinton era? -- we had TV playing tapes from the RNC -- from the

RNC Headquarters where they had organized little racist, sexist, homophobic plays --

using their own employees -- a Negro employee emarrassed -- a female employeee embarrassed --

they played for a week or so -- they still exist somewhere.

Should have been the end of the GOP right then and there!!

IMO, only political violence and lies keeps the GOP in play --

[DRex]

115. K&R Sue those sick bastards out of business.

[War Pigs]

118. the only way to fuck these people up without going to jail

tie up this asshole's time and money :evilgrin:

[WillyT]

119. K & R !!!

:kick:

[felinetta]

121. I think it is almost her obligation to expose them nationally with a lawsuit. Please,

Ms. Sherrod, please press charges against Breitbart and Fox. 
Someone needs to do this.  It seems the media is unwilling to
or just blames the democrats.  What they did is despicable and
Fox needs to be shown nationally for what they are about and
what their radical agenda is.  They are bigots, liars and in
the lap of corporations. They are not a news organization. 

[wordpix]

122. I so want her to sue Breitbart and Fox, I'll chip in some $$$ for that one

[Fuerfrei]

127. No you're not Sherrod.

You're a victim of your own stupidity. You said something extremely stupid with a camera watching. She should get her job back, but Fox should not be in trouble for playing her own words.

[lib_wit_it]

134. You'll give her her job back? How very white of you.

:sarcasm:

[bobburgster]

128. Hope she focuses on the media in her suit.....

they are the culprits causing all this crap to happen.

[diane in sf]

131. Sue their asses off Ms. Sherrod!!!