Republican Attendees' Racist Attack on CNN Camerawoman

[JB Books]

Disgusting.

CNN's Wolf Blitzer spoke out about the racist attack on a network camerawoman at the Republican national convention on Wednesday.

On Tuesday night, two attendees threw nuts at a black CNN camerawoman and said, "this is how we feed the animals." Multiple witnesses saw the incident, and police immediately removed the two attendees from the convention center. CNN confirmed that the incident happened via a statement released on Tuesday, but did not have further comment at the time.

Blitzer described the "very ugly exchange" on Wednesday afternoon, in the first time that the network addressed the incident on-air. He said that the incident was "truly shocking" and "hit home" for people at the network.

"It's just an ugly reminder that there is an element of hatred that still exists in our country," he said.

Speaking to Blitzer, CNN political analyst Donna Brazile said that she hopes the two attendees have their convention credentials revoked.

That same afternoon, CNN's Don Lemon was incredulous that another news outlet reported the incident before CNN did. "Another network http://lnkd.in/p7uWrP tweeted & reported the camerawoman story before #CNN did. Wait, what?!!" he wrote.

 

[ignerntbend]

Even I can see it was just a couple of bad apples, though you might say there's a certain culture that allows for this.
As for CNN's hesitance to report the story: they don't want to seem all imbalanced.

 

[EFsDad]

it seemed to me the story was likely true.

To be clear, I had not witnessed the incident myself and felt there were details I didn’t know that would take some time to “flesh out.”

 

[EFsDad]

 

[EFsDad]

http://www.examiner.com/article/yahoo-s-god-s-gift-to-journalism-fired-over-gop-racist-remark

Yahoo's 'God's gift to journalism' fired over GOP racist remark

David Chalian
August 30, 2012
By: Andrew Moran

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Yahoo's Washington Bureau Chief David Chalian was fired by the online media company after he was recorded at the Republican National Convention saying the GOP was "happy to have a party with black people drowning."

Chalian was terminated by Yahoo after he made the hot-mic remarks Monday during ABCNews.com’s webcast coverage of the Republican National Convention. His comments were made in reference to Republican officials holding the convention at the same time Hurricane Isaac wreaks havoc in the north Gulf coast.

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Yahoo has already taken down his blogging profile and issued a statement Wednesday that includes an apology:

“David Chalian’s statement was inappropriate and does not represent the views of Yahoo!. He has been terminated,” the statement reads. “We apologize to Mitt Romney, his staff, their supporters and anyone who was offended.”

Later in the day, Chalian also published a note of apology on both his Facebook and Twitter pages, in which he called his joke “inappropriate” and “thoughtless.”

“I was commenting on the challenge of staging a convention during a hurricane and about campaign optics,” stated Chalian. “I have apologized to the Romney campaign, and I want to take this opportunity to publicly apologize to Gov. and Mrs. Romney. I also regret causing any distraction from the exceptional coverage of the Republican convention by Yahoo News and ABC News.”

Following the announcement of Chalian’s termination, some of his fellow colleagues in the press defended Chalian. Washington Week editor and PBS correspondent Gwen Ifill Tweeted her support for the former Yahoo reporter.

“One mistake does not change this,” wrote Ifill. “@DavidChalian is God’s gift to political journalism. #IStandwithDavid.”

Ifill immediately received criticism from Twitter users, who mocked her with #GwenIfillDebateQuestions. Some of the Tweets include:

“Mr. Romney Did you enjoy hunting black children for sport as a teenager?”

“President Obama, what did it feel like when you freed the slaves?”

“Mr. Romney, why did you kill that poor woman with cancer?”

“Mr. Obama, how do you stay so humble when you’re clearly the best person in the world?”

In responding to her “new Twitter detractors,” she posted a link to a recent National Journal article titled “Why (and How) Romney is Playing the Race Card.” It concludes that the Republican Party and Mitt Romney are actually racist.

 

[Dale00]

"It's just an ugly reminder that there is an element of hatred that still exists in our country," he said.

Yes there is, but it crosses party lines. Ignorance knows no boundaries.

 

[dennishoddy]

Another attempt to troll the folks here. = FAIL!

 

[Glocktogo]

I'm not going to defend the remarks, because they're stupid and offensive. However, has anyone actually interviewed the two offenders and heard them say the taunt was directed at her race? It seems to me "this is how we feed the animals" could have just as easily been directed at the liberal mainstream media. Quite frankly, if any group in the US runs around acting like a pack of wild animals, it's the mainstream media reporters, regardless of their race!

 

[ignerntbend]

Well, the story is true, and its ugly and depressing. I just don't think you can judge everybody there by a couple of drunken idiots.

 

[dennishoddy]

The two party system makes me sick. That's pretty much all I have to say.

So, whats better?