CNN's Soledad O'Brien is a Racist

Submitted by Bob Fertik on April 5, 2006 - 6:52am.

On 3/13/06, I called Soledad O'Brien out as a fascist for trying to portray Russ Feingold as crazy for proposing the censure of George Bush.

Today O'Brien also revealed herself a racist - and she needs to be called out on it and both apologize and make amends.

This morning she did her second interview in a week with Cynthia McKinney on McKinney's scuffle with the Capitol policeman. And from the very first second, it was clear that O'Brien's goal was to play prosecutor, judge, jury, and executioner.

If there was a tree handy, O'Brien would have hung McKinney from it.

O'Brien's first interview helped make the minor scuffle into a national "scandal." No doubt egged on by the Republicans who control Congress, the Capitol Police are considering criminal charges so they can turn attention away from Tom DeLay and his corrupt Republican cronies.

Of course, no attorney would let their client undergo pre-trial interrogation on TV. But O'Brien thought she could boss and shame and harass McKinney into making a statement in defiance of her attorneys. Why did O'Brien think she could do that to McKinney?

Because McKinney is a black woman.

That's racism.

I've watched O'Brien nearly every morning for as long as she has been the anchor. She has never gone after a guest the way she went after McKinney.

If O'Brien wants to play Grand Inquisitor, that's fine. But let her start with people who've committed real crimes: like George Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Bill Frist, and Tom DeLay.

If O'Brien wants the simple truth, here are some interviews she should do immediately:

George Bush: why exactly did you want war in Iraq and lie to Congress and the American people to start it?
Dick Cheney: why exactly do you support torture?
Donald Rumsfeld: why exactly did you allow chaos and sectarian death squads in Iraq?
Bill Frist: why exactly did you "diagnose" Terry Schiavo by video?
Tom DeLay: why exactly did you corrupt the entire Congress by selling every bill to the highest bidder?

These are the questions that really need answers in America today. If Soledad O'Brien is a journalist, she would ask them. If she's just going to try to destroy the career of an "uppity" black Congresswoman, she's a racist.

Soledad?

Share your thoughts with O'Brien here:

http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form5.html?2

Update 1: Joseph Cannon nails it.

So let me get this straight: Dick Cheney shoots a guy, refuses to accompany his victim to the hospital, and refuses to speak to a sheriff or any other outsiders for 15-or-so hours, by which point there is no way to determine objectively whether or not he was shnockered at the time of the incident.

None of which bothers our right-wing friends.

More recently, House member Cynthia McKinney, unrecognized by a Capitol Hill policeman, is grabbed from behind. She whirls around and either slaps the man or pokes him or pushes back; accounts differ. In fact, accounts differ to a suspicious degree: In one version, she whacks him with a cell phone. Sean Hannity says she punched the cop. I'm looking forward to the variant where she takes out her bullwhip and starts tossing ninja stars. In all versions, the bottom line is the same: It was okay for the cop not to recognize her, but unforgivable for her not to have known that the guy grabbing her from behind was a cop.

And that incident, according to our right-wing friends, constitutes an offense to God and man.

Update 2: Will Pit Bull O'Brien take on Rep. Jeanne Schmidt (R-OH), who was just caught lying repeatedly on her resume? How about Rep. Jim Ryun (R-KS), who refuses to explain his sweetheart deal on a Capitol Hill townhouse from Tom DeLay's former Chief of Staff (now soon-to-be-indicted) Ed Buckham?

JC Watts

Submitted by Necco on April 5, 2006 - 7:45am.

I'm sure she interviewed J C Watts when he shoved the ticket underneath the badge of an airport security guard just after 9/11.

Does anyone remember the interview? I don't. I just thought I'd ask because to me, it would seem to be much more offensive for JC Watts to be disrespecting airport security, just after 9/11.

I must have also missed her interview with former Indiana Rep. David McIntosh. His problem was apparently made to go away by putting a gag on airport security.

Either Soledad's a racist, or I've missed out on some of her really hard-hitting interviews. Please tell me that she's not another one of those newshounds who reported that the pins are required. According to the House Sergeant At Arms Office, they're not. Does everyone wear them? No. McKinney has refused to wear hers for more than ten years.

Hey, Soledad: Where's the video tape, why isn't it being released, and what is the cop's name?

These are the questions Soledad should have been asking, that is, if she weren't just there to rip into an outspoken black congresswoman.

I suppose the question I really want answered is whether she really is a racist or whether it's just that she's on the BA payroll like some other 'journalists' were. One thing's for sure: She's not a real journalist, IMHO.

Hey, Soledad - Roll the steenkin video tape!

Opinions expressed on this site are the sole intellectual property of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of other administrators, bloggers, moderators, or members of democrats.com.

Very rough interview

Submitted by Gordon20024 on April 5, 2006 - 11:13am.

I too was surprized by the personal attack at such an early hour. To get a little background on Soledad I looked up her bio on cnn.com.
This is part of what I found: She has been named to PEOPLE magazine's "50 Most Beautiful" in 2001 and PEOPLE en Espanol's 50 most beautiful in 2004. O'Brien also was included in Crain's Business Reports' "40 under 40" and Essence magazine's "40 under 40," both in 2004. O'Brien was named to Irish American Magazine's "Top 100 Irish Americans" on two occasions.
She is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. O'Brien also serves on the board of directors for The Harlem School for the Arts.

Soledad is Irish-American, Afro-American and Cuban-American (Hispanic). And she's won awards for her beauty. (?)
I would have expected a more compassionate person, a more understanding person. Not a pit bull lunging at the guest's throat.

Brutal

Submitted by bettyhatesbushs on April 5, 2006 - 11:42am.

That interview was BRUTAL! I felt really sorry for McKinney. Evidently O'Brien doesn't recognize her African American or Irish roots, only the rightwingnut anti-Castro Cuban Republican ones!

I thought McKinney's lawyer was going to explode. In fact he should have!

Liberal media, my ***!

Shame on her!

Submitted by truthseeker on April 5, 2006 - 4:04pm.

Shame on her! How despicable. Most Beautiful People - ha! She's ugly as sin inside. She couldn't hold a candle to Cynthia McKinney in looks or intelligence.

Another example

Submitted by bettyhatesbushs on April 5, 2006 - 6:56pm.

of corporate-controlled journalism run wild!

Let's not go overboard here

Submitted by idealistlefty on April 5, 2006 - 6:57pm.

There is a great article in the AJC today by Cynthia Tucker (http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/tucker/stories/040506.html).
She writes,

"Perhaps the fact that one-third of young black men have police records is not a problem. Maybe the fact that 70 percent of black children are born outside the bonds of marriage is no big deal, and a 72 percent unemployment rate among black male high school drop-outs in their 20s does not signal a crisis. Maybe the serious decline in the marriage rate among black adults does not suggest the demise of a community.

No, indeed. The biggest problem facing black America involves a white cop who wouldn't give a black woman her props."

I am from Cynthia McKinney's district, and that woman (and her father) never misses a chance to use the race card, which makes it less effective when real racism does occur. She should have been wearing her congressional pin - plain and simple.

I consider myself to be quite liberal, but that doesn't mean I have to stand behind a bad cause, and that is what I see this one to be.

Do you think that Tom DeLay ever wore his pin?

Submitted by bettyhatesbushs on April 5, 2006 - 7:01pm.

I think NOT!

Maybe………….but that

Submitted by Jim on April 5, 2006 - 7:49pm.

Maybe………….but that guy’s job is to know who is in government.

A pin is easy to forge. A face is not.

Also remember the non symmetry in the statistics here:

Black people ARE discriminated against. Want to hear the number of times I here the N word coming from Republican mouths? That being the case, Blacks are going to be alert yet interpret some incidents incorrectly. They are only human.

White people ARE not discriminated against. (Even with Blacks who are racist you never frequent their establishments, right?) That being the case, ANY situation you view as Blacks overreacting, you count as a statistical “HIT”.

Why not put yourself in the other guy’s shoes? Assume for just a moment that you were hassled more than the “next guy” throughout your life. Now someone grabs you from behind when you know damned well you would NOT be grabbed IF you were a tall skinny blond woman.

Anyway, as I noted here: http://www.democrats.com/node/8437#comment-54595 I’m happy to be in the minority on this, but if Republicans gain traction on this by fishing with the race card then we all deserve the death and debt a continued Republican reign will bring.

I see your point...

Submitted by idealistlefty on April 5, 2006 - 9:00pm.

but I specifically brought in Cynthia Tucker's column to negate comments like yours. Tucker is a black journalist who calls them like she sees them. As an voter in Cynthia McKinney's district, I have seen her in action since I was in highschool. I'm telling you, she is not the cause to rally around. Look, she is always looking for a way to get her feelings hurt...and she frequently finds one.

Do I agree with pressing charges against her? No way. Do I think GOPers are jumping at this chance to move attention away from Delay? Totally. I just wish she had an ounce more grace in her zest for public attention.

I don’t think I follow.

Submitted by Jim on April 5, 2006 - 10:14pm.

How does her article “negate comments” like mine?

My comments were made within a particular political framework not street corner black vs. whites:

If Delay was grabbed by a Black Woman Officer, ya wanna bet the same voices playing the race card by demanding that the race card not be played, would ALSO cry foul there?

It would again be an attempt to take a stab at Black People in order to raise the blood pressure of certain white voters.

False conflict is great for Conservatives. Pointing to blacks, illegals, etc. is a great way to take people’s minds off their crappy incomes due to bums at the top.

Test your bias folks:

The story is tilting towards the Uppity Black Woman frame.

YET

Imagine the story was about a Big Black Woman Officer grabbing Delay from behind.

Now the story's ability to get certain people's blood boiling would be the same.

Be honest.

Jim

Submitted by RDillon on April 5, 2006 - 10:27pm.

Sorry to change subject, but I wanted to ask the best place you know to look up jobs/wages and the amount of high paying jobs replaced by service jobs info for West KY.

I only have access to

Submitted by Jim on April 5, 2006 - 10:50pm.

I only have access to national numbers (thanks to Bill) and I'm hoping to post a forum on the subject soon.

If you like I can direct you to that general information. IF you really need specifics for KY then perhaps someone else can chime in. Otherwise it's google away!

Sorry I can't be more help.

You could try and check with

Submitted by Bill Harding (not verified) on April 5, 2006 - 10:53pm.

You could try and check with some of your larger local Unions.

Thanks

Submitted by RDillon on April 5, 2006 - 11:13pm.

I went back and read through the rules and whatnot. Sorry about the way I have created, I guess I didn't understand what it was saying when I first joined. Sorry to all the other members too. Thanks for calling it to my attention.

Rich...check your library...see if they have a...

Submitted by grinch on April 6, 2006 - 5:56pm.

complete copy of the latest census. That info is all in there. If the library doesnt have it...they can get hold of a copy by borrowing it from a larger library--call your reference librarian.

A mind once expanded can never return to its original dimensions.

Anne Hathaway: 1556-1623

No excuse

Submitted by bettyhatesbushs on April 6, 2006 - 7:39pm.

for the way Ms. McKinney was treated. We know this administration is all about intimidating minorities anyway.

Let's see if I have this

Submitted by Visitor on April 5, 2006 - 10:42pm.

Let's see if I have this correct: you are a 3-hour member on a private blog, and you choose to tell the owner of this site, a respected political blogger, that his information is garbage? And then to add insult to injury, you quote some right-wing muck-raking journalist? Does that about sum it up?

I am not even going to give you the standard "newbie" advice about looking Democrats.com over and learning something about us before opening your big fat mouth. I'm tired, and it has been a long day.

Let's just say that you will need to re-register with a different e-mail address to get back on. Next go around, try to be more respectful and courteous. Bub bye...

You go Bill ;) Proud member

Submitted by dinamic on April 5, 2006 - 11:03pm.

You go Bill ;)

Proud member of the reality based community.

Who cares?

Submitted by cleo on April 5, 2006 - 11:21pm.

Why is this news? People are dying in Iraq. New Orleans is still in shambles.And then, oh this mega-assault occurs and Soledad is on her crusade again. Once again, just remember her description of the smell at the Superdome. She however if trapped there would have defecated only rose petals. She was an elitist little witch then and now continues on with her righteous indignation. I will bet that she expects everyone to recognize her. She has to talk about this because anything more complicated makes her little brain hurt. If she cared about anything, maybe she should be home nurturing her little dears instead of filling the airways with her prejudice.

Well, little Missy Miss Miss Miss

Submitted by Necco on April 5, 2006 - 11:23pm.

(Gawd I hate it that little Petunia got banned before she could read this...but that's life.)

And now, for the rest of the story:

Black Capitol police suit back in court
By Askia Muhammad
White House Correspondent
Updated Dec 9, 2003, 04:15 pm

Black U.S. Capitol Police threaten second lawsuit (FCN, 08/15/2003)

WASHINGTON (FinalCall.com) - Black officers in yet another federal law enforcement branch are returning to court in order to settle racial discrimination allegations against their employer.

Attorneys representing more than 350 Black U.S. Capitol police officers headed back to court Dec. 5, pursuing their two-year-old discrimination lawsuit after 11 months of fruitless settlement negotiations.

"It is unfortunate that nearly a year of valuable time and significant client funds were wasted after Defendant’s in-house counsel professed a desire to settle this case" in January 2003, attorneys Joseph Gebhardt and Nathaniel Johnson wrote in a letter Nov. 14 to a U.S. District Judge, requesting a hearing in order to return their case to the active litigation calendar, according to a published report.

They say the U.S. Attorney’s office has dragged its feet, and that the Capitol Police Department refuses to provide any payments to the numerous active and retired officers. They allege that the department also refuses to create an oversight board to monitor the settlement reached in any agreement, and refuses to provide a forum for the officers, the Capitol Police Board and its Chief to hold quarterly meetings "in order to engage in high level discussions on ending discrimination and retaliation."

(...)

"You have, basically, a renegade police department up here, that’s been operating under the protection of Congress," Charles J. Ware, the attorney who first represented the U.S. Capitol Black Police Association, said at the time the suit was announced.

I wonder if that's what McKinney was referring to...

Here's a little Quicktime movie you might want to see

And here's another take on it:

Cynthia McKinney plays with real heart in `Left' field
By Bill Conroy,
Posted on Wed Apr 5th, 2006 at 10:12:42 PM EST
All the Cynthia McKinney bashers now feasting on the blood of scandal, including a wide swath of the mainstream media, may soon find themselves choking on that blood.
That’s just a prediction based on my seat in the peanut gallery, but I’m prepared at this point to throw a few more shells into the fray.

In an interview on CNN Wednesday night, McKinney’s lawyer confirmed that representatives of the Capitol Police actually met with the Congresswoman in the wake of the “assault” incident to apologize to the Congresswoman. That sure doesn’t sound like the action of a police department that believes one of its own was the victim of an assault – but rather, it seems to me, indicates they were concerned the police officer acted inappropriately.

McKinney’s attorney, James Myart, also raised an interesting point during the broadcast. If a crime truly was committed by McKinney, he asked, then why wasn’t she arrested on the spot? When’s the last time you heard of someone “assaulting” a cop and being allowed to walk away?

It doesn’t add up.

Then, an even more revealing moment occurred on the broadcast when the chief of the Capitol Police, Terrance Gainer, admitted on camera that the Capitol police officer struck first by grabbing McKinney as she was attempting to enter the Capitol office building. That’s an amazing concession, because it is evidence that the police officer initiated the “assault” on McKinney, a U.S. Congresswoman, who arguably was caught off guard and might well have reacted instinctively, in self defense, seeking to put distance between herself and a perceived attacker.

Add to that, the fact that:

1) The pins weren't required;

2) That McKinney hadn't worn hers in a very LONG time;

3) That the officer expected her to recognize him when he didn't recognize her;

4) That they're REFUSING to release the video tape;

AND

5) That they REFUSE to release the name of the cop...

Now you know why it will be settled quietly behind closed doors by a grand jury.

But it has kept the Culture of Corruption coming from the GOP off the boob tube long enough for us to hear about this bs, infinitum.

Opinions expressed on this site are the sole intellectual property of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of other administrators, bloggers, moderators, or members of democrats.com.

What about Bob Fertik's obvious racism?

Submitted by mlktoast on April 6, 2006 - 1:07pm.

“… O’Brien thought she could boss and shame and harass McKinney into making a statement in defiance of her attorneys. Why did O’Brien think she could do that to McKinney?

Because McKinney is a black woman.

That is racist.”

If Soledad O’Brien was 100% Afro-Cuban (like her mother) and she had asked the same tough questions of McKinney, Fertik most likely would not have called her racist. He would have called her a "Bushite" or something equally clever. So, why can’t O’Brien ask a black woman tough questions?

Because O’Brien is not a black woman.

That is racist.

Admit it, you would have

Submitted by Jim on April 6, 2006 - 1:50pm.

Admit it, you would have exactly the same emotional response to this story if it was exactly reversed and a big black woman officer grabbed a white congressman.

Now tell me your thoughts about Black People and Welfare.

Re:

Submitted by mlktoast2 on April 6, 2006 - 4:49pm.

What’s this? I make one comment on here (my first, actually) which goes against the consensus, suddenly my account stops working, and I have to re-register with a new screen name? Oh well, a petty nuisance…

>> Admit it, you would have exactly the same emotional response to this story if it was exactly reversed and a big black woman officer grabbed a white congressman.

Um, yeah. Of course I would. As with the McKinney case, the officer would’ve simply been doing her job by making sure that someone she did not recognize did not get past the checkpoint. And if the white congressman exercised what he thought was his right to assault an officer of the law, I’d say he should go to jail too.

>> Now tell me your thoughts about Black People and Welfare.

Ah, implying I’m a racist. A clever Jim, you are.

My thoughts on African-Americans and welfare? They are just as entitled to welfare benefits as anyone else.

I’m sorry to disappoint you, Jim, but not everybody that disagrees with you is a racist.

Well excuse me too but we

Submitted by Jim on April 6, 2006 - 5:09pm.

Well excuse me too but we have not gotten to the point of disagreement. That takes time.

Your coy response to the welfare question is clever.

You are lying however with respect to the broader impact of the reversed scenario. You know for a fact that those who tilt Right would generally hear of a big black woman police officer grabbing a white Congressman from behind and respond with knee jerk irrational stereotyping of "violence prone blacks".

And please don’t try to gain political ground by bull shifting. Righties behave as I’ve described.

Just so we don’t misunderstand each other however, this is not a white/black thing. It’s a human thing. Just look at worldwide behavior.

You have entered a private site where publication privileges are just that: a privilege not a right. I did not throw you overboard however and I’m happy to converse.

...And by the way the officer was not doing his job. A face and body are difficult to forge, a pin is not. The fact that he screwed up on this means he is an easy mark to get past. He also drew every crook's and terrorist's attention to that fact by screwing up. There is also a dodgy history of this shit going on at the capitol and I DON'T LIKE IT.

And:Why are you against

Submitted by Jim on April 6, 2006 - 5:17pm.

And:

Why are you against Welfare?

Yet

Why have you taken so much Welfare?

And

Why are you a Democrat?

Hit and run posting does not bode well here.

You cried foul because you believe technical non racism and a lack of “beyond reasonable doubt” logical connections do not require you to defend positions you feel you have not staked out. Sorry but your on.

Milktoast

Submitted by dinamic on April 6, 2006 - 5:44pm.

Let me make this very simple for you milktoast. This site belongs to the man who you called a rascist. If any part of you thought that was ok to do, you don't belong here. Do you go to your neighbor's home and call him names like that? This is our home and it belongs to Bob Fertik, OK?

Read the rules and take note we do not allow name calling from posters here and I couldn't care less what you think about that. Go read the rules of the site before you post again.
http://democrats.com/rules

If you want to follow the rules, stay and post. If not go somewhere where they allow slander.

Proud member of the reality based community.

You forgot to mention

Submitted by MissHellsing on June 18, 2008 - 1:02pm.

You forgot to mention she's also is married to a white man. Thank you for saying what I wanted to say.

You claim that Blacks are just as entitled to ...

Submitted by grinch on April 6, 2006 - 5:05pm.

welfare as anyone else...yet I don't see your equal statement that they should be just as entitled to jobs as well.

Tell us all about it.

A mind once expanded can never return to its original dimensions.

Anne Hathaway: 1556-1623

Jim, another cut and run poster...

Submitted by grinch on April 6, 2006 - 5:27pm.

the writing style seems somewhat familiar to me...any idea?

Should have come in with 'burnt toast' as a name...instead of mlktoast and mlktoast2.

A mind once expanded can never return to its original dimensions.

Anne Hathaway: 1556-1623

Yeah the 0=0 comment on

Submitted by Jim on April 6, 2006 - 5:32pm.

Yeah the 0=0 comment on blacks and welfare sounded familiar.

I’m happy to give the benefit of the doubt but coyness is tiring. Threading the “I’m not a racist” needle via cold “logic” while offering zero warmth towards blacks is a bit of warning sign. Not deadly in the least but I’ve never met a fence walker with empathy so...

hey guys,

Submitted by stdyofman on April 6, 2006 - 5:46pm.

I think the moderators are going to have a buisy night. did ya ever notice that when bad news comes out about repukes, that a whole lot of them come here to spew the "talking points"

I have to hand it to you all, they do not get away with it for long.