MSNBC Sees Gun, Shoots Self

I imagine many of you have seen this by now.

Several conservative bloggers, including Hot Air, RedState, and NewsBusters, have taken MSNBC to task for not identifying a man with a gun at an Obama event as an African-American in a segment that discussed the "racial overtones" of those packing heat at presidential town halls.

A combination of fancy editing and fast talking, both done stupidly because it's MSNBC (If a moron can make it in this business, hey, why not you?).

As expected, MSNBC just sloughs it off:

An MSNBC spokesperson responded to POLITICO: "Contessa was speaking generally and not about that specific person with the automatic weapon."

UPDATE: Bill Wilson, president of Americans for Limited Government, is now calling on MSNBC to fire those involved with the broadcast.

What's more surprising, that MSNBC did it and maybe doesn't even realize it, or that the Right expects accountability from someone paying Keith Olbermann six figures to do anything that requires continuing to breathe?

Don't get me wrong, it isn't as if I'm simply excusing it. But, consider the source. Their marketing slogan should be, MSNBC, the network that takes irrelevancy to the next level better than any one else around!

The Newsbuster's guy assigned to watch them regularly is the saddest guy in the bunch in all this. He or she deserves a raise.

Comments

[katablog.com]

what msnbc did was dirty rotten and certainly not journalism. they purposely used a picture inappropriately to prove a point they wanted to prove which was not portrayed.

It's amazing how much more lazy and how much more blatant the MSM continues to grow. They no longer hide they are in the tank for IWon and they certainly no longer research any of their stories. Someone behind a desk somewhere dreams up a story and they run out write it and grab some film (doctor it up a bit) to show, then call that "news". What a joke.

[Ran]

"Contessa was speaking generally and not about that specific person with the automatic weapon."

The dude's AR-15 is NOT an "automatic" weapon. It merely LOOKS like one. It is a civilian low-pressure base-model .223 cal. "semi" that is, in fact, no match for a real automatic assault weapon. Damn... you'd think he was carrying a Squad Auto and a box of links.

Look, NBC has a long sordid "hystery" of gun ignorance and outright lies when it comes to weapons.

Bl**dy public schools.

[anon]

The media crossed a final line with the OBama election. Yes, they've always had a liberal bias, but they still played by a basic set of rules, but once they jumped in the tank to advocate for Obama's election, they've turned a corner.

All of those rules are out the window, when dealing with the MSM, any conservative should assume that everyone from producer to fact checker to anchor is a Daily Kos type liberal fanatic.

Never, ever expect anything other than the media totally attempting to portray conservatives as crazy and evil and skewing every story to match their own bias.

[WAHOO WILLIE]

I expect nothing better from the msm, especially from MSNBC.....or any other leftie. But I gotta say that we should not be supportive of anyone who would carry a weapon in such proximity to POTUS. First, it just feeds the left with more 'ammunition' and secondly it just begs a tragic ending to a simple misunderstanding.

[WAHOO WILLIE]

Besides, the 223 is a puny round for anthing larger than a fox

[crosspatch]

There simply doesn't seem to be any down side to this sort of "reporting". It seems they can simply make things up, spread rumors, misrepresent facts, pretty much whatever. They have now got to the point where since they are pretty much "preaching to the choir" anyway or they think anyone with any brains has fled and doesn't watch anymore and the viewers left are so stupid they will believe anything.

I don't know why the competing networks don't call them on it.

[Jay Stevens]

Because most of the competing networks are just as bad.

Look at it this way, this illustrates why we "generally" cannot trust the MSM.

[Tailgunner]

MSNBC DELIBERATELY concealed the fact that the man with the rifle was African-American so they could make a false allegation that gun carriers were white racists.

It was deceptive, dishonest, deliberate and a damn lie besides.

MSNBS should be their new name from now on.

[david r]

The MSNBC website has Obama action figures and T-shirts. They should change their name to Pravda USA.

[mark l.]

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/ratings/

i was going to crack on msnbc, but looking at these ratings, CNN is just simply going bust.

it's pathetic, I know, but if I'm an msnbc exec, i cash in on liberals who love to get their red meat, even if it is heavily salted. they have to hype this crap, or they go back in the tank.

money trumps honesty.

[Koblog]

MSNBC: Liars to the people.

[Mycroft]

Seems like there should be a Defamation of Character suit here. Either the black protester that was filmed, but edited to support the racist story, or the white protesters that were shown on camera. The deliberate editing of the black protester video demonstrates malice and fraud. Seems open and shut, but then I'm not a lawyer.

[Ran]

"But I gotta say that we should not be supportive of anyone who would carry a weapon in such proximity to POTUS. First, it just feeds the left with more 'ammunition' and secondly it just begs a tragic ending to a simple misunderstanding."

Wahoo, you're right, man. "Carrying" at an NRA meet, that's one thing. A health-care rally? You nailed it.

[BRENT E. WHITE]

this is how riot's are started.brewer should be fired.msnbc is always playing the race card and americans are getting sick of it.

[Mike2Cents]

Ran & Wahoo -
Appreciate hearing you guys addressing the 'why bring guns' angle.
But I think with all the ink these guys are getting, the 'open carry' movement or whoever they are will encourage more of it. I'm curious if these guys have been approached by anyone at the rallies there to protest Obama/Health Care, etc. and asked to leave.
Perfectly legal and their rights should be respected, but that doesn't preclude anyone from telling them they're being obnoxious.
And they are.
(And when they bring along the Jefferson 'tyrants' quote, it's an even more unsettling presence.)

[FeFe]

Could MSNBCsaw be courting white racist viewers? Police profilers say those who commit crimes most often return to the scene to gloat from watching law enforcement or love to see their deeds covered by the media. Not that the media finds it hard to resist sick and twisted stories to poke with a 'news' sticker. That noted journalist, Jesse R. Griffin in Alaska, taught me that asking questions is best, and I think one must ask if Contessa believes she is identifying with her base in giving a shout out to white racists? Is Toure indeed a self-hating black man so often described by the left as a minority who doesn't succumb to their social programs/money for votes statist plantation policy but in reality is the blind black man in Klan's clothing from peer pressure?

Will President Barack Hussein Obama II address these pressing social concerns in his after school special beer garden in the shade or are we forever to be lectured on the evils of smoking? But who will pay for S-Chip? Obama is smoking for the children! Michael Jackson would be be pleased. Jesse R. Griffin too if he wasn't a quitter.
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20090819/LIFE18/908190360/Obama+joins+back-to-school+TV+special

[FeFe]

When one considers the desperation MSNBCsaw hosts must mask at every water cooler in town, would it be beyond their agents 20% to mention there might be merchandise sales in appealing to Barack Obama's other half. You know, that typical white grandmother racist half?
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/ratings/