CNN Gives Platform to Anti-Palin Author McGinniss, Who Blames Palins for Death Threats
On Monday's Piers Morgan Tonight, author Joe McGinniss blamed Sarah Palin and her family for inciting the death threats made against him. After he moved in next door to the Palins, something he called a "non-issue from the start," he claimed that Sarah Palin "incited that hatred" of death threats made against him for writing a critical book of her.
"The Palins march right up to the border of inciting violence, and stop there and then stand back and say, we had nothing to do with it, if anything happens to anybody," McGinniss told Piers Morgan. CNN granted the author almost 20 minutes of air-time in two separate interviews Monday and Tuesday.
Although the interviewers were tough toward McGinniss, CNN at least took the time to vet his book full of nasty gossip and rumors about the former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate. They gave no air-time to Gary Aldrich's claims about President Clinton in 1996, reviewing his book as full of "second-hand, unsubstantiated sexual rumors about and bitter attacks against President and Mrs. Clinton."
McGinniss also downplayed his moving in next door to Palin while he was writing a book about her, saying that he promised to respect their privacy. "So it was a non-issue from the start," he claimed.
[Video below. Click here for audio.]
"I was never obsessed with Sarah Palin. I went out to write a new book about Alaska. She happened to be governor. John McCain happened to pick her as a vice presidential candidate. That made her synonymous with Alaska."
McGinniss' defense of his credibility became almost comical late in the interview when he told Morgan that he wrote of Palin having an affair, not of her being a "sex cheat" as Morgan claimed he wrote. The exchange went as follows:
PIERS MORGAN: In the book, you describe Sarah Palin occasionally as "a clown, a nitwit, a rabid wolf, a lap dancer, a bad mother, a drug abuser, a sex cheat, a bulimic and a religious nut case."
JOE MCGINNISS, "The Rogue: Searching for the Real Sarah Palin": I don't think I used the word bulimic.
MORGAN: Right. Right. Other than that, the rest of it's all –
MCGINNISS: No, and I didn't use the word sex cheat. Don't attribute to me words that I didn't write.
MORGAN: But you accused her of cheating in a sexual way.
MCGINNISS: I mentioned that "the National Enquirer" had printed a story about an alleged affair that she had.
MORGAN: Do you think she had the affair?
MCGINNISS: I have no idea except what I read in the the National Enquirer and --
MORGAN: But as a prestigious journalist – let me ask you, as a prestigious journalist, do you just willy-nilly repeat National Enquirer scoops even if you can't substantiate them?
MCGINNISS: No, but I substantiated this.
MORGAN: So it is true?
MCGINNISS: I substantiated it by talking to many, many people.
MORGAN: So it is true?
MCGINNISS: Yes, it is true.
MORGAN: So she was a sex cheat.
MCGINNISS: She had an affair.
MORGAN: Is that the same as being a sex cheat?
MCGINNISS: That's your terminology.
MORGAN: Is it or not?
MCGINNISS: She made a mistake.
MORGAN: Okay. She cheated sexually.
MCGINNISS: If you want to say that.
MORGAN: I don't want to say that. Did you say that in the book?
MCGINNISS: No, I didn't.
MORGAN: You just said you did.
MCGINNISS: I said she had an affair. No, I didn't. This is like Monty Python.
MORGAN: You substantiated the affair, but that doesn't make her a sex cheat.
MCGINNISS: Well, that's not language that I used.
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Comments
When are the Palins going to
Submitted by ricklail on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 3:50pm.
When are the Palins going to file suit? This guy is such a liar. He needs to be sent to the poor house. Here is my letter to the editor on the Palin book. http://www.newbernsj.com/articles/palin-100448-book-gosh.html
Perfect!
Submitted by Antisocial-ism on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 6:37pm.
Perfect!
Don't you get the feeling...
Submitted by vote24 on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 6:43pm.
Don't you get the feeling that this is the guy, the patsy they have chosen. To see how far he can stick his neck out. He has the look. Certainly plays the role. Daring someone to spark. This is some amazingly scary stuff.
Moron talks to
Submitted by dr-go on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 3:45pm.
moron.
Moron talks to Moron
Submitted by ProudAmerican58 on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 5:34pm.
and manages to sound less mornic.
What a wuss
Submitted by grammajane on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 3:47pm.
Poor poor jerk. When something negative happens to one of these whining poor liberal example of writers, it's ALWAYS some one else's fault. If he is such a top notch investigating "author" why doesn't he find out who sent the death threats and have them arrested?? Wonder how the poor thing "sleeps at night". Maybe williams or gregory could ask him that.
Sounds like the Anthony Weiner defense.
Submitted by drsamherman on Fri, 09/23/2011 - 11:27pm.
He won't call the police or report the "death threats" because he would have too much explaining to do.
So very expected for a stalking, obsessed piece of slime to portray himself as a victim. He is the using the "victim deserved it" mentality.
Morgan was loving it.
Submitted by NeoKong on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 3:53pm.
PIERS MORGAN: In the book, you describe Sarah Palin occasionally as "a clown, a nitwit, a rabid wolf, a lap dancer, a bad mother, a drug abuser, a sex cheat, a bulimic and a religious nut case."
He was waiting all week to be able to say that. I'll bet he played it back on a loop over and over while sitting at home.
Yeah, because it's totally the Palins' fault McGinniss is an...
Submitted by Phryj1 on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 3:57pm.
...amoral, slimy creep who essentially stalked and spied on Sarah Palin and her family.
Blaming everyone else for the fallout of your own actions is very big among left-wingers these days.
Progressives seem to be completely averse to facts and logic. Apparently, reality has a conservative bias.
Well, let's be honest.
Submitted by almostacowboy on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 5:44pm.
If the Palins didn't live next door to the house he rented, he couldn't have written the book. Therefore.....it has to be their fault. I mean, who else is there to blame? [sarcasm key off now]
You reap what you sow!!!
Submitted by ripper58 on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 3:57pm.
A-hole
Remember, Piers Morgan used to be editor-in-chief at several...
Submitted by Phryj1 on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 4:04pm.
...tabloids. Yellow journalism is his stock-in-trade. Apparently, so is CNN's.
Progressives seem to be completely averse to facts and logic. Apparently, reality has a conservative bias.
Well it does make sense...
Submitted by retrocon on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 6:38pm.
Doofis McGinnis himself said very clearly:
"I have no idea except what I read in the National Enquirer..."
with sources like that, i could write a heck of a "factual" novel:
"Vampire boy abducted by space alien posing as John Edwards love child"
Should be good for 400 pages of properly attributed research materials, at least.
typical
Submitted by RD King on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 4:22pm.
Death threats if real and any at all, he brought upon himself and might I add most likely deservedly.
What a lying scummy petty
Submitted by Beukeboom on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 4:23pm.
What a lying scummy petty person who cannot accept the blame for his own actions so he blames others.
Morgan called him a "prestigious journalist"?!? What drugs has Morgan been taking to take such a leave of his senses?
typical lefty weakling. he'll
Submitted by sometimesright on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 4:28pm.
typical lefty weakling. he'll keep taking pokes and pot shots at a person, kicking one in the shins and taunting the whole way. sock him in the jaw then he cries FOUL! his idea of a death threat is probably someone wanting to kick his @$$ if they ever saw him on the street. Sarah's husband probably made the threat that being the case and i'd sell tickets to watch the show.
Exhibit "A".
Submitted by almostacowboy on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 5:45pm.
"Why dueling should be legal."
Typical coward, they can dish
Submitted by rockyracoon on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 4:36pm.
Typical coward, they can dish it out, but they can't take it. No too unlike alleged "comedians" like Leibovitz who always use the fall back position, "but it was only a joke."
Facts are like kryptonite to the liberal.
Jeffery MacDonald
Submitted by Eagle101 on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 4:42pm.
FREE JEFFERY MacDONALD!
How many.....
Submitted by almostacowboy on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 6:53pm.
free ones do you have? Can I get one for my dog?
Collect the whole set!
Submitted by Beukeboom on Wed, 09/21/2011 - 10:13am.
Collect the whole set!
Does anyone care what this
Submitted by goon on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 4:46pm.
Does anyone care what this clown has to say, and to blame the Palin's for death...
Man this guy is dumb
Submitted by Bobbygn on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 4:47pm.
Of course it is the Palins fault that this troll received threatening emails etc. It was the Palins that he was stalking and trashing. If he had been minding his own business he would remain as insignificant as he actually is.
I dont think anyone in the Palin family has to suggest or say "get this guy." There is plenty of people sick of him who can think for themselves.
To list to this guy whine and bellyache on nation TV disgusts me. The guy is a total waste of skin. .
This guy is trashing Sara
Submitted by marpel on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 4:54pm.
This guy is trashing Sara Palin because he's in love and/or lust with Sarah Palin. I tell you, there are nutjobs out there who become so taken with women, and if rebuffed, they'll trash the living daylights out of the girl..It's happened to me. We've only seen the reaction on the requited side of things.
You think I'm joking? I will swear by it...
"Deep within my heart lies a memory. A song of ol' San Antone..."
This sleazeball bastard,,who harassed them..
Submitted by NJRightWinger12 on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 4:57pm.
Is complaining? What friggin balls! Isnt he the doofus that came up with all those lame-assed conspiracy murder books about 20-25 years ago with those awful two word generically bland titles, like "Blind Faith", "Cruel Doubt", "Fatal Vision"? I HATE when the title has nothing to do with the story!
McGinnis or should it be Guinness as in stout
Submitted by wall street john on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 5:00pm.
What a piece of garbage.
I like the interview. It was like watching the skit from Abbott and Costello.
I didn't say that you did, but you said no I didn't say that you did, well did she or didn't she I don't know I didn't say that humma da humma da
ONE NATION UNDER GOD AND VERY PROUD OF IT
Stalker Journalism...
Submitted by bigdaddy on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 5:07pm.
...feeding this guy to the wolves would be animal cruelty and libs would even blame Palin for that.
I wonder if Todd Palin ever has a "Michael Corleone Moment" where he daydreams about "taking care of all the family business" Guiness staked out on an ice floe in polar bear country, Bill Maher handcuffed to a tree in Brown bear country, and that jackass that knocked up his daughter clad in a Lady Gaga steak suit, being chased by a wolf pack...
That's a good description of it
Submitted by Galvanic on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 5:16pm.
The guy lives next door to the Palins so he can stalk them. He cites some Natl Enquirer article and 'substantiates' it with alleged confirmations from 'many, many people,' but didn't name one.
This guy doesn't rise to the level of even the lowest Natl Enquirere reporter.
Compare the use of the
Submitted by buddyc on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 5:08pm.
Compare the use of the National Enquirer here to the use of the National Enquirer's John Edwards story?
Only in America
Submitted by Mister Orange on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 5:13pm.
And a few other countries who think the solution to expressive freedom is death.
WHO CARES if Palin screwed
Submitted by buddyc on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 5:25pm.
WHO CARES if Palin screwed Glenn Rice. She wasn't married. I like it that she enjoys hetrosexual sex. She is attractive and alive. Better Glen Rice, a real man, than Obama taking it up the a$$ from some little boy inbred crack addict, Larry Sinclar. Obama was married at the time. Also better than rug munching Hillary Clinton who lesiban preferences are well documented. Ask Huma Abedin what kind of sex Hillary likes? Which one straps it on?
Sarah likes normal real sex. Obama and Hillary are perverts.
Next point?
Do I dare ask when Morgan with have Larry Sinclar on his show? I want to know how good of homosexual lover Obama is?
wallowing in trash
Submitted by kata on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 5:33pm.
I see Mr. Morgan is enjoying being back in his own element.
This guy needs an old-timey
Submitted by the struggler on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 5:45pm.
This guy needs an old-timey bed warmer full of hot coals smacked up side his head.
creepy
Submitted by okiehawk44 on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 5:56pm.
Joe McGinniss is one creepy guy.
Not just creepy....
Submitted by Diesel on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 7:02pm.
....child molester, creepy!
Moreover,
Submitted by HockeyKid on Wed, 09/21/2011 - 7:41am.
he's never denied being a child molester. Nor has he ever stopped, insofar as available evidence indicates.
"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me
Anyone on the internet can
Submitted by tombaker on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 6:38pm.
Anyone on the internet can claim they received death threats. Heck I just got 17 of them last month. Yippee.
If he had received any death threats, they would have been investigated, and its not very hard to track down postings or phone calls in this day and age. Nice attempt at victim-hood. Now the real question.
By dictionary definition, would it not be fair to call this guy a celebrity stalker?
Moving next door to someone goes well beyond anything every known on Journalism or any other type of writing.
Sounds like a nosey gossip to me.
Submitted by BTW Biological ... on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 8:07pm.
He just sounds like the lone person in small town who knows some trash talk about everyone and usually one person in particular. Yes and the gossip is known by everyone, so they say. Think Harper valley PTA.
Yet the new book on Obama is all lies, I tell you!!!
Don't they have laws against
Submitted by Dan Diego on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 9:44pm.
Don't they have laws against peeping tom perverts in AK, this creep should have been labeled a sex offender and run out of town.
HA! the book isn't selling.
Submitted by LAM SON 719 on Wed, 09/21/2011 - 12:31am.
HA! the book isn't selling.
And I love how
Submitted by HockeyKid on Wed, 09/21/2011 - 7:49am.
the 5-star comments on Amazon read like a publisher's blurb (when they actually manage to spell the author's name correctly...)
Makes me wonder what percentage of his sales are shell buys from his publisher.
"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me
This has to be one of the
Submitted by killa37 on Wed, 09/21/2011 - 12:49am.
This has to be one of the most inane 'conversations' I've ever read - and that's saying something, because there is no short supply of idiotic verbal exchanges.
I like the fact that this troll moved next door to the Palins to write a book about Alaska!!! Funny guy!!!!
Maybe he should have just walked between a baby bear cub and it's pissed-off grizzley mother!!! Then we wouldn't have to think about his sorry ass anymore...........
Sad Joe
Submitted by HockeyKid on Wed, 09/21/2011 - 8:04am.
McGinniss is pathetic. He made his name in the '60s with a book that was nothing but a sad derivative--even the title rips off another author's work ("The Making of a President 1960, by Theodore Harold White), more like a high school student than an adult--that only succeeded because it was a negative look at Nixon (a standoffish guy at best), and he's been dining out off it ever since.
When his political cache died off (quickly), he tried his hand at the travelogue genre when it was hot. That wasn't a great success, so he tried potboilers when they topped the bestsellers list. In each case, his work was pedestrian at best.
Now he tries to cash in on PDS. As usual, he's unoriginal and late to the game--a follower hoping there's still enough water in the well for one more dip.
"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me
Joe-you have it all wrong-
Submitted by JIMMY1660 on Wed, 09/21/2011 - 12:31pm.
folks in Alaska do not threaten anyone.
if you cross the line-you are not found.
Bears love Liberals-especially ones who terrorize a family.
You were lucky!!!
And what dirt did you dig?
Nothing. and you are nothing.
Turn around is fair play, creep...
Submitted by USMC8411 on Wed, 09/21/2011 - 5:56pm.
"I was never obsessed with B. Hussein O'bama. I went out to write a new book about Kenya. He happened to be a former resident along with his entire family, with 2 of them living here illegally. Guilty whites happened to pick him as a presidential candidate. That made him synonymous with corruption."
No book like that, huh, you creep?