On last night's Hardball NBC's Jonathan Alter managed to shoe-horn an anti-Bush jab during a discussion about Don Imus. When substitute host David Gregory asked Alter to comment on what the Imus flare-up meant for the overall discussion about race, NBC's contributing correspondent made a tortured argument that the uproar over Imus was a sign of "a thirst" from the public for the kind of accountability that they're not getting from the Bush administration.
The following conversation occurred on the April 10th Hardball:
David Gregory: "Jonathan, let me start with you. We talked a little bit earlier on the phone about whether this incident has created a race moment for America. Do you think that is the case? And how would you define that?"
Jonathan Alter, NBC News contributing correspondent: "I think it has created what you could call a teachable moment, the same way that, a couple of weeks ago, when Elizabeth Edwards' cancer recurred and Tony Snow's did, you know, we had a kind of a national conversation about surviving cancer. And I this does give us a chance to talk about the coarsening of discourse in America, about accountability. As, as Reverend Sharpton said, what does accountability mean? Does it necessarily mean firing the person? Or is sometimes changed behavior enough form of, of accountability? You know, David, in the YouTube culture that we have now, everything that somebody says is going to get replayed, and replayed again. And the question becomes, what's the response? And I think something that has happened in the, just in the last couple of years, there has been such a negative reaction against President Bush's failure to apologize, failure to seem like he is being accountable to where the people are, that we've got more of a thirst for people apologizing when they screw up, and then changing their behavior as a result of having been called to account."
—Geoffrey Dickens is the senior news analyst at the Media Research Center.















Editor at Large

Comments Policy
Generation Gap Ho's of the Hardwood!
April 11, 2007 - 17:22 ET by linkeroneI personally feel Mr. Imus made a terrible public mis-speak, but that is exactly what it was, nothing else! Today, with the " in you face messages" speared at us every second, from every direction, many of us get caught up in "Heat of the Moment" discussion, and may blurt out something that was not thought out, was not scripted, the consequences of which were not considered and the injury was unintended. That's Life.. Get on with the Game, forget the Blame!
The Rutgers ho's of the hardwood need to accept the apology, and move on.. It never was about them individually, or as a team, It was nothing more than a satirical comment on the athletes of today, their tattoos, exaggerated hand talk, mussed hair, body piercings, sideways hats and bad boy / girl rap & tap. It's not about the team, it's a comment about a generation of discontents that are willing to publically prostitute themselves for their 15 minutes of fame!
In a desperate attempt to use
April 11, 2007 - 17:22 ET by Sonny LykosIn a desperate attempt to use this as an excuse to trash Bush was the "motivation." However, he resulting comment is one I'd expect from an incoherent insane person. Therefore, MIcheal Savage is correct when he states: "Liberalism is a mental disorder."
BDS
April 11, 2007 - 17:38 ET by gfrrmanThis is nothing but BDS from the MSM. I think these half-a**ed "journalists" sit around thinking of ways they can insert BDS into every occasion. It's like "AGW" alarmists where everything causes "golbal warming". It also shows that these "journalists" really have nothing to say of substance other than BDS. They can't figure out how pathetic and simpleton they look.
"Eventually, Socialists run out of other peoples' money...." MARGARET THATCHER
You think they're "deran
April 11, 2007 - 18:04 ET by Del DolemonteYou think they're "deranged" now? If a Republican wins the White House in 2008, they are going to be outright lunatics.
It'll be bad enough for them that they can't blame Bush any more for the sun going down at night, but if socially liberal Rudy gets elected, they'll be stunned.
*Twit!* A word discribing Jon
April 11, 2007 - 17:38 ET by bassndude*Twit!* A word discribing Jonathan Alter.
*Pimple!* A word discribing David Gregory.
There it is plain and simple. A pimple interviewing a twit. After the show, the proud parents showed all their admirers the result of their love. A newborn *Piwit*.
Save a SeAL, club a liberal!!
Hmmmmmmm....I can't ever reme
April 11, 2007 - 17:40 ET by Clear thinkerHmmmmmmm....
I can't ever remember our president using the term 'nappy headed hos'. Mr. Alter needs to do some research.
The liberal MSM has become an enemy of the USA.
Jonathan Alter is such a pa
April 11, 2007 - 17:51 ET by radiofitz34Jonathan Alter is such a panty waste. Hmmm where did I hear that before? Ha.
Alter is crazy as always..he
April 11, 2007 - 17:50 ET by bigtimerAlter is crazy as always..he will never change.
To attempt to even connect President Bush to this is just twilight zone land...which is where the die hard looney leftists life and thrive.
I would be embarrassed if I were him, but they know no embarrassment, no shame, nothing, because they are just empty headed vessels...in all ways possible, with an agenda to carry out.
I call them evil..the enemy within.
As an aside, isn't noticable
April 11, 2007 - 18:40 ET by Chris NormanAs an aside, isn't noticable that MSNBC - like the rest of the MSM Television news, always goes to the same old MSM guests - like Alter, no matter the subject? The same old guests with the same old opinions with nothing new to add - blah, blah, blah...
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
- Arabian Proverb
...that we've got a thirst fo
April 11, 2007 - 19:27 ET by PeskyDane...that we've got a thirst for people apologizing when they screw up...
When people have their heads this far up their own posterior they cease to see anything and the only thing they hear is the sound of their own voices echoing back to them.
Where has this guy been? The problem is that there is too much apologizing going on today. I'm not sure why the left had decided to eat one of their own here, nor do I really care. Same thing with Larry Summers. I'm just annoyed at this pattern repeating itself endlessly: Someone gets publicly offended and bangs their rattle against the crib, the other person apologizes, and then the offended party screams even louder because they don't think the apology was enough. Well I say enough. Stop acting like a bunch of wussies. If the men on the Right had as much of a spine as Ann Coulter, then the grownups could take back the House and Senate in 2008. Hey, I can dream.
apologizing
April 11, 2007 - 20:51 ET by iveseenitallOK Alter. Let's see how much "apolgizing" will go on from the left now that the Duke kids have been proclaimed "innocent". Liberal administrators and teachers condemned them. The press condemned them. Nifong condemned them.The feminists condemned them. All without evidence.Unfortunately, cries for the left to "apologize" will fall on deaf liberal ears. Liberals are hypocrites.
NEVER,NEVER trust a liberal
Well now this one serious men
April 11, 2007 - 21:09 ET by JABWell now this one serious mental leap if I have ever read one:
"When substitute host David Gregory asked Alter to comment on what the Imus flare-up meant for the overall discussion about race, NBC's contributing correspondent made a tortured argument that the uproar over Imus was a sign of "a thirst" from the public for the kind of accountability that they're not getting from the Bush administration."
I wish good luck to any cognitive individual that can make make common sense of that statement/Paragraph...geese, stupidity reigns supreme these days.
"To bad Ignorance isn't painful..."
From now on, I think that NBC
April 11, 2007 - 22:41 ET by USA4freedomFrom now on, I think that NBC should talk to Snoop dogg for their insight to politics. Do these people even think about what they say? Just the other day I chipped my tooth on some hard candy and I know it was that dam George Bush. Let me explain. If GW, would ease up on Cuba, then we would be able to get sugar cane cheaper, I in turn would buy better candy because now I can afford it, better candy= better teeth. Also if he would just “give” all of us that universal health care (that works so well in England) then my teeth would be nice and healthy. Now if he would just sign Kyoto before Cuba goes under water and kills all the sugar cane.. see above..
These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc.
Ronald Reagn- 40th Anniversary of D-Day
removed
April 12, 2007 - 08:58 ET by blackrain4xmasI removed my own post because I think it might have been offensive
-my apologies
blackrain
April 12, 2007 - 09:16 ET by gfrrmanblackrain, NO it doesn't make ANY sense at all, except for the fact when one is lied to 24/7/365 by the MSM. Fact and agenda are two different animals. "Stupid is, as stupid does." For instance, when J. Jackson tells blacks that they can't get ahead without the govt hand outs, that keeps them on the Democrat plantation and down they will stay right in that gutter never able to get ahead. But that's where he wants them. He doesn't want them to get off the Democrat plantation because that takes away his power. But yeah, it's still all Bushs' fault, even before he got into office. Hell, everything is Bushs' fault no matter when it happened.
"Eventually, Socialists run out of other peoples' money...." MARGARET THATCHER
Hey Alter, that's what elec
April 12, 2007 - 11:21 ET by JacksonCalhounHey Alter, that's what elections are for. 2004 didn't go your way. 2006 did. The system works.
leftist's... intellectual belching… total morons!
April 12, 2007 - 18:52 ET by PlaceboWhat else can be said about this Wally’s pretentious, pseudo-gee I’m smart … a-h. Typical leftist intellectual belching… morons!