Unacceptable.
We all remember David Feherty’s heinous remarks.
“From my own experience visiting the troops in the Middle East, I can tell you this though,” Feherty wrote toward the end of his column. “Despite how the conflict has been portrayed by our glorious media, if you gave any U.S. soldier a gun with two bullets in it, and he found himself in an elevator with Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Osama bin Laden, there’s a good chance that Nancy Pelosi would get shot twice, and Harry Reid and bin Laden would be strangled to death.”
CBS’ response to the Feherty incident:
CBS Sports quickly distanced itself from Feherty’s writing. “We want to be clear that this column for a Dallas magazine is an unacceptable attempt at humor and is not in any way condoned, endorsed or approved by CBS Sports,” spokeswoman LeslieAnne Wade said.
CBS Sports is not televising the PGA Tour this week at The Players Championship, and Feherty did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment.
“David Feherty is an insightful and sometimes humorous commentator for CBS Sports’ golf coverage,” the PGA Tour said in a statement. “However, his attempt at humor in this instance went over the line, and his comments were clearly inappropriate. We hope he will use better judgment in the future.”
So CBS thinks Feherty’s opinion of that our military is just itching to assassinate the 3rd most ranking elected official in the United States is just a mere departure from his otherwise insightful and sometimes humorous analysis.
But you know what is going to happen tomorrow, don’t you? Rush Limbaugh and all his wanna-bes on right wing talk radio are going to go absolutely ballistic over Wanda Sykes’s questionable comments at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner. No, not where she said that Rush was the 20th hijacker who missed the flight because he was strung out on Oxycontin. That is perfectly fair and no worse that what Rush dishes out on a daily basis on his show. Indeed, that comment is actually better since she was obviously joking where Rush is serious. Where she crossed the line is where she said “I hope his kidneys fail.” It is a step away from saying I hope he dies.
So tomorrow we will see the right wing go in full OUTRAGE mode over this. But when a right winger states that he knows for a fact that our military is intent on killing Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid if they were ever lucky enough to be in the same elevator with them, well, that is just fine.
It is ok if you are a Republican.
That is the lesson here. Republicans can joke all they want about the deaths of liberals. But God help you if you joke about the death of Republicans.
It IS okay if you’re a Republican.
Because, why?
Because we all know that the bullies are the ones with the thinnest skins.
Wanda Sykes, not Rhonda.
I have to say though, Rush Limbaugh oxycontin jokes are still as funny now as they were years ago. I saw pieces of her performance last night and she never fails to entertain.
Also, its important to note that this is the same dinner where President Bush made a video of him looking around his office for WMDs.. “Nope, none there.”
Hahahaha hilarious…. how many 20 year old boys have been butchered in Iraq over that little joke?
good point Lanuit
George HW Bush is synonymous with Country Club Rethuglicans. He’s the chairman of that ‘First Tee’ trust, the one that shows black kids playing golf, as if Bush and his billionaire pals actually gave two shits about that, and has milked that for all that is worth.
Feherty is just publicly saying what all those PGA and country-club Rethug types are thinking. Ya see, Dubya is just a regular guy b/c he hasn’t gone into hiding like the war criminal that he is.
Feherty’s remarks do not read like a joke, and it is hard to envision a context in which they would be treated as such. Even a media conglomerate should have some standards and fire someone for even suggesting such a thing.
No doubt, the Golf Channel, where Kelly ‘Lynching Tiger’ Tilghman is still employed, would snap him up.
I’m not sure why all the violent Republican rhetoric is considered comedy. I don’t find it that funny. I don’t find wishing Limbaugh’s kidneys to fail all that funny either, so I guess I just don’t get death humor. It just always seems like whenever people like Coulter (poison in Justice Stevens’s creme brulee, McVeigh blowing up the NYT building), Limbaugh or now Feherty make jokes about killing people we’re supposed to give them a break. Al Franken had a term for it in one of his books “kidding on the square.”
Where is the email address for CBS sports?
Jason,
I was looking around the various CBS sites and I didn’t see an obvious way to send feedback. They have all kinds of blogs and forums. Perhaps the best bet is to contact the local CBS station.
Well said UI-can I be a dittohead to you?
Sure, Joanne.
Yay, my first fan.
This is a modification of an old band joke. I was told this joke many years ago by a friend that had made a living as a musician for many years. Apparently there are several stereotypes of various band members (bass players live with their girlfriends because they don’t have a job, etc.). One of the best stereotypes was that of the “chick singer” as a diva.
The joke goes like this:
You got a band manager, a club owner and a chick singer but only two bullets. Who do you shoot? (pause for effect…) chick singer, twice.
So it is a modification on an old joke (at least 30 years old).
Good blogging, LG! Nice to learn something just before bedtime.
violent Republican rhetoric is considered comedy
This is part of the wink and nod given to repub rhetorical excess — everyone knows it isn’t comedy and nor was it meant to. When they claim it was supposed to be funny, the usual media suspects say Oh Ok and go on to the next thing. Because the usual media suspects don’t want to be bullied themselves, I guess.
who is wanda sykes? I thought that woman at the podium was a welfare to work example!
The wingnuts have now set the bar for how they should comport themselves when Ted Kennedy departs. Remember, Rush is the one who said that the health care bill will be called the Ted Kennedy Memorial Health Care Act.
…….. and that is funny. C’mon people get a sense of humor.
Someone once wrote, “First, recognize that for what it is: deflection. Supporters of the GOP and the right wing generally excel at that, just as much as they excel at projection. That their expected and usual first response deflects attention away from condemnation of Feherty is revealing.”
http://tinyurl.com/po6cys
Pot, kettle. Deflection and projection combined, within 48 hours. Nice work.
Let’s see. An independent citizen who has no role in politics or even political commentary is suppose to reflect on the GOP while someone invited to an official event doesn’t reflect on the Press or the Democrats laughing at it.
That doesn’t even pass the plausible test.
I think the gentleman should apologize to the soldiers who respect authority and uphold the Constitution. The joke seems to be in poor taste regarding our military and they deserve more respect.