MSNBC: David Shuster 'Inappropriate' In James O'Keefe Comments

[CatWoman]

MSNBC says one of its anchors, David Shuster, went too far in criticizing conservative filmmaker James O'Keefe for his alleged attempt to tamper with Senator Mary Landrieu's phones.

"@JamesOKeefeIII a) you are not a journalist b) the truth is you intended to tap her phones c) it's a felony d) you will go to prison," Shuster tweeted Tuesday night.

A spokesperson for the network told Politico Thursday that the tweet was "inappropriate."

"The comments were inappropriate," an MSNBC spokesperson told Politico's Michael Calderone Thursday. "We have talked to David about them."

This isn't the first time Shuster has gotten himself into trouble with the network.

In 2008, Shuster said that Chelsea Clinton was being "pimped out" by her mother's campaign, a remark he would be forced to apologize for and over which he would be suspended.

Shuster will continue to cover the O'Keefe story for MSNBC.

Watch Shuster report on the story below:


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/28/msnbc-david-shuster-inapp_n_440659.html

[ddeclue]

1. HOW is speaking the truth "inappropriate"?

:crazy:

[mod mom]

7. Parsing words. Shuster should have said "tampering" instead of "bugging".

GOP spinning this to make O'Keefe and his merry band of thugs look victimized. That's what high powered attorney are paid for. :mad:

[DefenseLawyer]

12. You are always better to say "allegedly"

but why do you think it was tampering instead of bugging? Because that's what the Defendant and defenders have said? If only my clients could frame the issues in their cases by established exactly what they did and did not do.

[mod mom]

22. Here is the affidavit:

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/documents/2010/01/affidavit-detailing-charges-against-james-okeefe-filmmaker-who-broke-acorn-story.php?page=1

paragraph # 11:

[LiberalFighter]

17. Does MSNBC know there are character limits when tweeting?

[tblue37]

26. Innocent until proven guilty. *We* can say he is guilty, but a journalist

is supposed to say "allegedly," because of the danger of tainting the jury pool if there is a jury trial. A true journalist tries to be meticulously fair about the rights of the accused. Sometimes even a really good journalist slips up--as in this case--and then he apologizes and tries to do better.

Nevertheless, this one is so obvious that I think Shuster can be forgiven for saying the simple truth.

[H2O Man]

2. Time to flood MSNBC

with support for David.

[HipChick]

6. +1000

[mod mom]

9. Here's a link to contact them:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10285339/

[fascisthunter]

11. .

[gatorboy]

3. Now lets not make the conservatives cry.

We all know they have a weak disposition towards criticism. They get the vapors. :P

[tallahasseedem]

4. Bull...

I love Shuster. Apparently the truth hurts the poor little GOP.

[malaise]

5. Did GEM$NBC take the same apporach re the lies about

ACORN. Go fuck yourselves GEM$NBC. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. Shuster :yourock:

[blm]

16. GENBC's wouldn't allow Lawrence O'Donnell back for months after he called the swifts out

during the 2004 campaign in a head to head match with one of the liars.

Gee...not difficult to figure who was carrying water for BushInc back then....the NBC newsrooms.

[onehandle]

8. Meh. a) true b) tap, tamper with, whatever c) i hope d) i reeeeeally hope.

Shuster was not out of line in any way.

[fascisthunter]

10. Bullshit! So Right Wingers on TV can say ANYTHING

and yet when somebody calls out the right wing, they get shit for it. Everyday we see the bias... people have enough of this bullshit! Write and tell MSNBC to knock off the bullshit pandering.

[NoKoolAideForMeThx]

13. I love it

Anybody who speaks the truth is OK in my book. Go David. :yourock:

[here_is_to_hope]

14. "conservative filmmaker", tired of that....

How could a guy who records some really crappy footage (and then edits in/out even more crap) be called a filmmaker at all?

Good on Schuster, his own dime, his own time, I presume.

[KonaKane]

15. If that twerp is a filmmaker, then so is my 11 year old niece

who sent me some camera phone footage of her birthday party.

[pnorman]

25. "and then edits in/out even more crap"

I had recently heard of that on DU. It was a complete surprise to me, and I'd very greatly like to know the details of the "editing". Can anyone here supply me with them, or at least give me something to do a productive Google search?

[here_is_to_hope]

28. There is more to it but

when he made those Acorn vids, he didn't wear his pimp outfit, he added footage of him going in and out wearing that ridiculous get up later.
I forget off hand what else there was but there is more.
Disgusting and an affront to those really doing filmwork.

[pnorman]

29. Thanks! That was the sort of info I was looking for!

Elsewhere on DU, I had seen mention of the audio having been "manipulated". That would be totally consistent with what we're now learning about that sleazebag, but I'd GREATLY appreciate further details. An initial Google search yielded little, but I'll try again with other keywords. Any suggestions?

[here_is_to_hope]

30. I saw the info

about his outfit on DU somewhere, I didn't know he had done that, I thought the outfit was way over the top for someone trying to do what he was.
But the poster had the tapes listed as links and they clearly showed him with and without the get up as a pimp.

[Warren DeMontague]

18. Oh Noes!

Good God- if he isn't stopped RIGHT NOW, he might suggest that Sarah Palin is a fucking imbecile, or Joe the Plumber isn't really a plumber!!! :o

[Binka]

19. I Love You

:loveya: Hello from Sonoma County:hi:

[BrklynLiberal]

20. hmmmmm Would forgetting that the President is black for an hour be inappropriate?

Or is THAT just plain STUPID!!!

[gkhouston]

21. and saying it *on the air while doing his job*, as opposed to Shuster, who tweeted something?

:grr:

[City Lights]

23. Fuck GE-TV!

Fuck them, up, down, and sideways.

Their double-standards suck.

America's corporate media should be thrown from the train.

:nuke:

[bleever]

24. I'm with David on this one.

He's right.

[KharmaTrain]

27. David Did Jump The Gun...

...but Breitbart jumped the tank and then some.

David got a little ahead of himself on this one (as did others, including myself) when the first reports came out. Yep, the word alleged should have been used here. The charges don't cite wiretapping, but tampering...and that's still a FEDERAL crime and doesn't discount the dirty tricks these ratfuckers tried to pull.

I saw David's exchange with Breitbart who refused to answer any questions and tried, as usual, to attack the messenger. Schuster should have known this would have happened...and probably did cause it ended up in some "compelling television".

The network was right to slap David's hand (which appears all they're doing) of jumping ahead on this story, but it's minor compared to the 'splainin' Breitbart will have to do in front of a Grand Jury in this and other cases involving O'Keefe. He's putting up a brave front but inside he's soiling his undies as this latest caper puts him and his money clearly involved in a criminal conspiracy.