MSNBC Anchor Touts Weiner's 'Transparency,' Dismisses 'Stupid' Scandal
MSNBC's Thomas Roberts spun furiously for Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) Thursday, dismissing the Twitter controversy as a sideshow undeserving of the media's attention.
"He's being pretty transparent," opined the daytime anchor, turning to Republican strategist Joe Watkins. "Joe, wouldn't you agree?"
After Watkins agreed but suggested Weiner's refusal to clarify whether he is the man in the photo does not help his case, Roberts followed up by parroting the Democratic congressman's dodge: "Well why waste taxpayer dollars on something kind of so stupid?"
For a compilation video showing Weiner's lack of transparency and inability to cooperate with the media, see below the fold:
In the face of overwhelming video evidence, Roberts's dismissive tone and leading questions belie his status as a neutral anchor.
A transcript of the segment can be found below:
MSNBC
News Live
June 2, 2011
11:05 a.m. EDT
THOMAS ROBERTS: Alright, so this is the Twitter pic heard around the world. Richard, I'm going to start with you because, you know, the nickname for Richard is, you know, whatever. Anyway, what do you think about how he can button this up?
RICHARD GOODSTEIN, Democratic strategist: Listen, look. First of all, he's not really denying it. And the woman on the receiving end is not saying she was offended at all. This kind of speaks to how the prurient interest has taken over and eclipsing discussion of really serious issues. There are two models for handling this. One is to kind of slow walk things or semi-deny. And the other is to do what Senator Vitter did when he was caught with prostitutes, which is just stonewall. And he just got re-elected by a sizeable margin. Look this is the South Park kind of version of politics. I just think we're past it. It's kind of a shame. One of these days, Congressman Weiner will look back and wish he had done it differently, but he'll get through it.
ROBERTS: He's being pretty transparent. Joe, wouldn't you agree?
JOE WATKINS, Republican strategist: He's being very transparent about it. Of course, you know, it does hurt when you say I can't say with certitude that it's not me. And certainly the late-night TV shows have had great fun with it. Jon Stewart is absolutely hilarious. He's brilliant and funny and made some very very good points. If you look at it, he didn't go to law enforcement to see if he was hacked, he hired a private agency.
ROBERTS: Well why waste taxpayer dollars on something kind of so stupid?
WATKINS: Well I understand. It's a silly, silly thing. The upside for the congressman is that certainly he has 100 percent, or close to, 100 percent name ID out there now nationally, though it's not the kind of name ID that you want.
ROBERTS: That's right. Gentlemen, thanks so much for joining us this morning. Richard and Joe, we do appreciate your time.
--Alex Fitzsimmons is a News Analysis intern at the Media Research Center. Click here to follow him on Twitter.
- Alex Fitzsimmons's blog
- Login to post comments
Comments
It is painfully obvious to me that Wiener doesn't want
Submitted by nonncom on Thu, 06/02/2011 - 3:09pm.
the exposure (pun?) that would come from turning this over to the FBI or whomever.....he's afraid of what they might really dig up....from CNN "Wiener gets steamed after being grilled by the press"...LOL....I will say this....the guy in the picture, if not Wiener, as Jon Stewart says, leans hard to the left....according to Stewart, that's where the similarity ends....two hard left leaning Wieners....
Weiner painted himself into this corner
Submitted by Galvanic on Fri, 06/03/2011 - 9:49am.
By explaining away the incident as a hacking (a Federal crime), he opened up the obvious question: Why haven't you reported this to law enforcement (LE) authorities?
Investigating a crime is never a waste of taxpayer dollars, unless of course, the "victim" already knows that no crime was committed.
In his quixotic daily press interviews to clarify the situation, he always gets confronted with that key question, and his obfuscation becomes an de facto admission of guilt.
And his supporters say this guy is intelligent?
Yes those undershorts were
Submitted by eaglewingz08 on Thu, 06/02/2011 - 3:15pm.
Yes those undershorts were pretty transparent. I'm sure that MSLSD also gave Larry Craig's foot tapping explanation the same Good Housekeeping Transparency Seal of Approval, and also gave it to Mark Foley's conduct as well.
I am also pretty sure that MSLSD is NEVER concerned about how much money the federal law enforcement agencies would have to spend to crucify a republican/conservative official of sexual or other misconduct. Somehow, and for the life of me given the mainstream media's astonishing lack of bias, I cannot recall a single instance where financial considerations were used by the mainstream media as a reason NOT to investigate potentially criminal or ethical misconduct by a republican/conservative official whether federal, state, or local. Given how fair and balanced our liberal friends are, please point out and/or link to such a defense for republicans/conservatives.
You'll never find it. And if any conservative raised such a defense they'd be laughed and mocked at, and would be skewered for not putting the public interest over mere monetary considerations.
I also read that Weiner said yesterday, that this scandal was the "tip of the Al Queda sword". Is that his nickname for his privates? Is Weiner saying that if it's proven that the photo is of him (unaltered) and he is the one that sent it, then Weiner, or Weiner, Jr. is the tip of Al Queda's sword?
Last, I guess, that since MSLSD believes that Obama is the most transparent President in history, Weiner's bold faced and brazen lies and evasions would constitute the same high level of transparency for MSLSD.
Christopher Lee
Submitted by CobraMan on Thu, 06/02/2011 - 3:23pm.
"Well I understand. It's a silly, silly thing."
So, I take it that the Christopher Lee shirtless photo scandal was a silly, silly thing too?
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
eleven posts on the Weiner scandal at News Busters.
Submitted by lrgon on Thu, 06/02/2011 - 3:33pm.
New Busters deicated nearly all of its lead headlines to salacious story.
Where is the distinction between NB and the sensationalistic Liberal press that distracts Americans for endless weeks on stories about O.J Simpson, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lojan or Charle Sheen? Does the future of the Republic of the United States hang in the balance unless conservative news sites follow the lead of the Mainstreamers in "reporting" the titilating stories associated with a political jerk like Weiner?
Where is NB in exposing the licentious behavior of public education and demanding that the Department of Education be toppled due to their promotion of lewdness and subversive indoctrination practices in the nation's public schools?
Why don't you go read the "Mission Statement"
Submitted by Blonde on Thu, 06/02/2011 - 3:38pm.
Furthermore, if you want to further a cause, quit whining and do it.
Blogs are free. Start your own. Otherwise, quitcherbitchin.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
Ya don't like it? LEAVE!
Submitted by Beukeboom on Thu, 06/02/2011 - 3:43pm.
So please let us know who's holding a gun to your head forcing you to read AND respond to the Newsbusters entries. We'll quietly send law enforcement over to rescue you.
apf2 doth protest too much, methinks. [h/t to Bill S.]
Huh?
Submitted by CobraMan on Thu, 06/02/2011 - 3:49pm.
"New Busters deicated nearly all of its lead headlines to salacious story."
Have you actually READ any of those NB articles? They are about the liberal media's hypocritical response to the indecent in question, which is what NewsBusters was created to do, expose liberal hypocrisy in the media. Things like "exposing the licentious behavior of public education and demanding that the Department of Education be toppled due to their promotion of lewdness and subversive indoctrination practices in the nation's public schools" isn't their mission. There are numerous other blogs that are dedicated to that mission.
If you DO wish to raise those subjects yourself, NewsBusters does offer a Forum for just that purpose. There's nothing preventing you from starting a thread in that Forum which would allow you to express your concerns.
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
and as long as the media keep
Submitted by motherbelt on Thu, 06/02/2011 - 6:53pm.
and as long as the media keep displaying their bias on this issue, NB will keep talking about them. Point to one posting here that only involves gossip and has nothing in it about the media's treatment of this issue, and you might have a point.
A silly and sophomoric
Submitted by Jack Bauer on Fri, 06/03/2011 - 7:24am.
A silly and sophomoric strawman post. Pretty fake too. As others point out the stories here are about the media's treatment of Weinerbait -- as opposed to say, a Republican flashing his wedding tackle to all and sundry.
However, if you have a current lead or story demonstrating liberal media bias about the topic which seems to be exercising you, why not suggest it to the editors at NB?
Click the big CONTACT button atop the website.
All of the above Mr Obama? --- How about ALL OF THE BELOW, instead.
A silly and sophomoric strawman post.
Submitted by Tugboat Phil on Fri, 06/03/2011 - 7:28am.
Yes, Jack, but that's what Mr. Soros is paying him to do.
Hey TP, I can do that if
Submitted by Jack Bauer on Fri, 06/03/2011 - 2:31pm.
Hey TP, I can do that if Soros pays me too -- under another net name. Then answer my own post and rip me a new one.
All of the above Mr Obama? --- How about ALL OF THE BELOW, instead.
In no way am I agreeing with
Submitted by Mazzi on Fri, 06/03/2011 - 8:23am.
In no way am I agreeing with the original poster, but I wanted to mention that the contact button has never worked for me. I always get auto-responses saying that they won't accept my emails. (Maybe it's just me?)
The last tiome I tried, (as long as I may have someone's attention) was to mention how little coverage Obama got for being a buffoon last week, when toasting Queen Elizabeth.
He apparently later joked that he thought that "God Save the Queen" was a "soundtrack" to his speech.
Obama (and his dreadful wife) have embarrassed our nation so many times with the Brits that we are surely the laughingstocks of the UK.
http://arizonateaparty.ning.com/profiles/blogs/better-than-snlobamas-queen
Mazzi, works for me in Google
Submitted by Jack Bauer on Fri, 06/03/2011 - 2:31pm.
Mazzi, works for me in Google Chrome. Just tried it in IE... works again for me.
Sounds as if you might have to adjust your acceptance of cookies onto your PC. Just a guess.
All of the above Mr Obama? --- How about ALL OF THE BELOW, instead.
In the liberal Bizarro world
Submitted by Beukeboom on Thu, 06/02/2011 - 3:36pm.
In the liberal Bizarro world which includes MSNBC and all talent working for them, liberals who obfuscate and equivocate (of which Weiner is doing) are "transparent."
A simple solution, in the name of national security...
Submitted by Djinn1975 on Thu, 06/02/2011 - 3:53pm.
A U.S. congressman claims one of his accounts has been hacked. FBI should immediately investigate the security threat. Before the dust of this investigation settles, I believe some real Weiner transparency would emerge.
MSM Wraps Weiner In Blanket....
Submitted by bigdaddy on Thu, 06/02/2011 - 4:36pm.
...to protect him from "stupid" scandal.
"You can't fix stupid." --
Submitted by Beukeboom on Thu, 06/02/2011 - 4:55pm.
"You can't fix stupid." -- Ron White
Oh it's his transparency. And here
Submitted by hbnolikeee on Thu, 06/02/2011 - 4:55pm.
I thought it was his WEINER. Perhaps he's wearing transparent pants.
Perhaps something from the
Submitted by Beukeboom on Thu, 06/02/2011 - 4:56pm.
Perhaps something from the Lady Gaga collection?
Perhaps,
Submitted by hbnolikeee on Thu, 06/02/2011 - 9:52pm.
If his shorts were made out of meat...
why would anyone conservative or liberal-
Submitted by JIMMY1660 on Thu, 06/02/2011 - 7:05pm.
defend this scum bag Weiner?
Why even address his Pickle-
he is a low life=
→ Weiner calls Cops on CBS!!
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Thu, 06/02/2011 - 8:35pm.
Drudge links to Weiner's office calling the cops on a CBS reporter.
Put on some more popcorn. This is getting good.
~Shades of Dede Scozzafava
Submitted by Wrathful Brunette on Thu, 06/02/2011 - 8:41pm.
Who happens to work for Andrew Cuomo now. What is with these crazy New Yorkers calling the cops on people who ask them questions?
→ I don't know
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Thu, 06/02/2011 - 8:45pm.
This, from a man who refuses to call the FBI when his Twitter account is hacked, exposing him to excruciating ridicule.
Go Figure
You know the way the dems put out targets for
Submitted by hbnolikeee on Fri, 06/03/2011 - 12:12am.
making fools out of their opposition? The birth certificate, 67 borders, etc. These are all things to distract, dilute and misdirect and of course marginalize.
Could we be getting Weinered?
11 Reasons to have a picture of a bulging wiener
Submitted by Andrew_M_Garland on Fri, 06/03/2011 - 12:51am.
(1) Digital pictures don't cost much.
(2) It is proof of your sincere desire.
(3) The wiener is incidental. The clean underwear is attractive.
(4) If you got it, flaunt it.
(5) There is a nasty rumor that congressmen are less endowed than senators.
(6) If you are bad at poetry, what else can you send?
(7) It will be a souvenir as you get older.
(8) The picture of the red Camaro didn't work.
(9) You are unwilling to send your credit card number.
(10) She may show hers, if you show her yours.
(11) It really is a remarkable and beautiful example of bio-engineering.
They need to Change "Lean Forward"
Submitted by scottyusmc on Fri, 06/03/2011 - 8:02am.
They need to Change "Lean Forward" to "Bend Over"
MSNBC gives Weiner a BJ....no surprise.
Submitted by Truth Detective on Sat, 06/04/2011 - 2:07pm.
MSNBC is a total joke. There's no news there, just DNC spin. MSNBC: Lean to the Left.
CORRECTION: MSNBC is a joke
Submitted by Beukeboom on Mon, 06/06/2011 - 10:53am.
CORRECTION: MSNBC is a joke with no punchline.