MSNBC Analyst Blames Hillary For Not Talking About Vince Foster's Death
December 18, 2007 -- 12:32 PM EST // //
Media figures often make themselves look very silly when defending themselves against criticism, but I think I've found the most absurd and self-parodic example of this genre that's ever been produced.
Fittingly, it comes to us from MSNBC, which has done some of the most absolutely God-awful commentary on Campaign 2008 that's been done anywhere. Media analyst Steve Adubato hits Bill Clinton for blaming the media for unfair coverage of his wife, writing:
What’s really ironic about Clinton’s argument is that it has been the Clinton campaign that has been exceedingly secretive about disclosing the former First Lady’s records when she was in the White House. Bill and Hillary want the media to focus on are only the positive aspects of her experience but won’t say a word about such topics as “Travelgate;” “Whitewater;” exactly how Vince Foster died; missing billing records; or Hillary’s role as architect of the failed effort for universal healthcare.You have to be seriously lacking in self awareness to criticize Hillary for not talking about Vince Foster's death in the same article that claims that the media is being fair to Hillary. Also, part of this happens to be factually false: Hillary actually talks on the stump about her health care failure. You may not like what she says or think she goes into enough detail, but she does talk about it.
Just to be clear, I'm not defending all of Bill's media criticism here, and Camp Hillary of course bears blame for its own screw-ups. Still, Bill's basic underlying point -- that the records of the contenders get too little attention while poll numbers, haircuts, and cackles get too much, frequently at Hillary's expense -- is glaringly apparent to everyone except for the pundits and commentators who spend all their time talking about such things.
Anyway, this might not have been worth bothering with if weren't a reminder that this sort of recurrent nonsense, combined with the duo of Chris Matthews and Tucker Carlson, has made MSNBC truly unbearable this campaign season -- worse even than Fox, if that's possible. And this blog's coverage of Campaign 2008 wouldn't be complete without giving the above honorable mention as easily the most ridiculous media self-defense we've seen yet.
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