Goldberg and Walters Think Clintons Are Too Harsh on David Shuster

By Justin McCarthy | February 11, 2008 | 15:42

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David Shuster’s suspension was a topic of discussion on the February 11 edition of "The View," as at least Barbara Walters and Whoopi Goldberg disagreed with the Clinton campaign for demanding an even harsher punishment for Shuster. Walters first expressed mixed feelings that many people rely on "The View" for news adding "sometimes we’re very wonderful and very accurate and sometimes we’re not."

An offended Joy Behar chimed "I don’t think we’re less accurate than a lot of the shows that I watch, because I watch all of them," adding "we do our research here." Barbara Walters apologetically replied "I shouldn’t have said that."

Behar apparently does not watch the most accurate shows. She made false statements about Vice President Cheney’s position on the Marriage Amendment, falsely claimed the Bush administration was behind the "Swift Boat" ads, said Republican presidential candidates "never mention health care," and claimed the current Bush administration has raised taxes. But they do their research.

Moving on to the David Shuster suspension over the "pimped out" Chelsea Clinton comments, Barbara Walters scolded the Clinton campaign for demanding that MSNBC punish Shuster even further, exclaiming: "[Shuster] apologized, MSNBC apologized. Drop it already! It’s okay. He made a mistake."

Whoopi Goldberg added she has some sympathy for Shuster because of the many times she put her foot in her mouth, and felt that his suspension was too harsh. Behar, perhaps referring to her recent anti-Catholic slur regarding the saints, joked that the Catholic Church is "always after me."

The entire transcript is below.

WALTERS: Well, you know we have heard sometimes. And sometimes I think "isn’t it wonderful?" And sometimes I think "oh heaven." That a lot of people get their news- you know a lot of women and some men- you know a lot of men watch us, who have different hours of the job. And they get their news from us. And sometimes we’re wonderful and very accurate, and sometimes we’re not. And I think "is this where they’re getting their news?" You know.

BEHAR: Why not?

WALTERS: I guess it’s like so many young people get their news from Jon- not young people, but lots of people- from Jon Stewart.

BEHAR: But I don’t think we’re less accurate than a lot of the shows that I watch, because I watch all of them.

WALTERS: I shouldn’t have said that.

HASSELBECK: And we cover it from different angles too, so it’s a little bit more comprehensive.

BEHAR: We do our research here.

WALTERS: This is what is interesting now because it’s, it’s now become a bigger story and that is the man at MSNBC-

BEHAR: David Shuster

WALTERS: David Shuster who said that, used that unfortunate word and said that Chelsea was pimping.

GOLDBERG: Being pimped.

WALTERS: Being pimped talking about her advocating, because Chelsea used to, you know, just sit in the background and she was in the audience and you’d see her smiling and now she’s taking a more active role. And he has been suspended and-

HASSELBECK: For those comments.

WALTERS: For those unfortunate comments which were-

BEHAR: Do you think he should have been suspended Barbara?

WALTERS: Well, I think what’s interesting, after that is that Hillary Clinton then wrote to NBC, to the NBC News president, Steve Capus, and she’s criticizing him. This is what she said: "I became Chelsea’s mother long before I ran for office." But she- it was as if she was advocating more than just his being suspended. Perhaps I feel this because of the years in all of you. You know, there are times, sometimes we say something unfortunate, you apologize, he’s getting suspended.

BEHAR: He apologized.

WALTERS: He apologized, MSNBC apologized. Drop it already! It’s okay. He made a mistake.

HASSELBECK: I don’t blame Senator Clinton for going after him as a mother. You know, I think any mother would, and would with duty and honor defend them against anyone making comments-

WALTERS: We understand that, but he has been suspended. They have apologized as I said, maybe I’m saying this because I did say there were times. I look at you because you and I have gone through this-

GOLDBERG: Yes we have. Yeah.

WALTERS: But when you say something you didn’t mean, and it comes out wrong, and at a certain point- the man has been suspended. It’s his livelihood. The station has apologized. As I said, Chelsea is a lovely girl. I’ve met her many times. She’s really- you know, they’ve done something very right with this leverage. She’s also an adult.

HASSELBECK: She’s only three years younger than me. Like, I would go out and support my mom too. But I also feel like, you know, there was a part of me when I got the calls, I thought okay, you know, the Clinton administration and the Clinton campaign, they know their audience here that we have. Is this just a way of getting the word out to a very specific audience? Is it strategic? So that opens up complaintville.

GOLDBERG: Here’s the thing. This is what happens when white folks try to throw around words that they’ve heard in rap songs. [laughter and applause] It’s- you know- they’re trying- I mean, that’s the truth. He’s trying to be, he’s trying to be relevant and present and he made a mistake. It happens. I have inserted foot in mouth many times.

HASSELBECK: Yes we all have.

GOLDBERG: But the bottom line-

BEHAR: I haven’t. I don’t know what you’re talking about.

[laughter]

WALTERS: You always say "I’m a comedian." I can’t get away-

BEHAR: So has she and so has she.

WALTERS: So I- I can’t get away with that.

BEHAR: The Catholic Church doesn’t care if I’m a comedian or not. They’re always after me.

GOLDBERG: That’s right. You’re going to Hell no matter what.

SHEPHERD: Also too, I think the suspension and the apology, that’s enough.

GOLDBERG: That’s enough.

SHEPHERD: But, you know, if Hillary Clinton becomes president, the pot shots are going to be taken at everybody in her family. And are you going to want everybody- you know- where do you stop?

BEHAR: Well, that’s a good point, because once Chelsea got into the game, now she might be open season.

WALTERS: When she was sitting in the audience and smiling, that’s one thing, perhaps. But when you’re actively- go ahead. Say it! Say it!

GOLDBERG: But if someone had said that about Barack’s daughter, there would be a whole different kind of outcry. So, I mean, you know, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. I feel like the guy made a mistake. He made a mistake, and what really should have happened is she should have called him up and said "let’s have lunch. Let’s talk." But now it, you know, we’re in a debate as to whether he should be suspended. You know, I don’t know whether he should have been suspended. But I do know that it does happen sometimes in the moment, and again, he made an unfortunate decision. Should he stay suspended? I don’t think so.