Juan Williams Has His Say

[Madeline]

In my opinion, the voices of liberals have long been drowned out by the left. Those people are NOT liberals.

And you have surveyed NPR's programming such that you feel comfy making this declaration?

I suspect you are talking out of your ass here.

WTF is "leftist" about "The Prairie Home Companion", etc.?

I don't waste my time picking apart the schedule of some sad assed radio organization. I don't listen to it, I don't watch Beck, I don't listen to Beck, I don't pay jack shit's worth of attention to pundits on any side.

NPR took $1.8m from Soros a week before they fired Williams. Williams said nothing offensive, inflammatory or bigoted. And, you know what..... when I travel in London during rush hour, I take cabs.

I have never heard it either. BTW, link for the Soros allegation, please?

 

[Madeline]

Goes to show ya liberals are expert at whoring!

In my opinion, the voices of liberals have long been drowned out by the left. Those people are NOT liberals.

I stand corrected. They like to be called "progressives" at any rate they are first rate whores, they bend over for that old squishy ugly soros dud.

Well, this post certainly added value, Willow. By any chance do you have a POV on whether Juan Williams' First Amendment rights were violated, or are you just here to scream at anything non-conservative?

 

[RadiomanATL]

Not me. But he does have a good case of defamation.

I don't think he has any case at all.

He does indeed have a case. The NPR witch crossed the line with her smarmy little reference to Juan talking it up with his psychiatrist. She knows it too. That's why she made a half assed public faux apology. a cya apology.

Legally, in order to win, lone of the biggest things he must show is that the words of others were detrimental to his ability to earn a living in his chosen field.

With FNC giving him a $2M contract, that ain't going to happen.

It is still possible to win a case without being able to show this, but it's also possible climb Mt Everest with no gear and just a good coat. Highly unlikely.

No, he essentially has no case.

 

[RadiomanATL]

Here's a quick question for all of you, just to bring us to a discussion point:

When NPR fired Williams, did it violate Williams' First Amendment rights IYO or no?

I say "no".

No way, no how did it violate his protections under the 1st.

 

[RadiomanATL]

Here's a quick question for all of you, just to bring us to a discussion point:

When NPR fired Williams, did it violate Williams' First Amendment rights IYO or no?

I say "no".

In my opinion yes, but only because of the standards set by the Federal Government. If NPR was not an arm of the Federal Government, then no.

NPR is not obligated to give every taxpayer a platform.

Since they are not obligate to do that, then they are not obligated to give Williams a platform.

 

[Madeline]

Here's a quick question for all of you, just to bring us to a discussion point:

When NPR fired Williams, did it violate Williams' First Amendment rights IYO or no?

I say "no".

No way, no how did it violate his protections under the 1st.

I agree. I'm kinda sorta hoping the (other) cons will state their POV and mebbe their reasoning....this is a fun convo.

 

[Toome]

I love how the right seems to have decided now that a job is an entitlement, and your employer's opinion on how you're doing your job is irrelevant.

Will you be applying that principle to teachers now?

lol

I don't think there's any argument about being fired for cause. In many jobs, you can be fired without cause, but that's usually part of a 90-day or so probationary period. I think after 10 years, Mr. Williams has established his tenure and reliability. He's complied with every one of NPR's requirements when appearing on FOX News as a "FOX News contributor" rather than "NPR journalist." His comments were made as a FOX News contributor and not during an NPR broadcast. And he made it absolutely clear that he was expressing a personal opinion and was NOT trying to make any generalizations. In fact, he was arguing AGAINST O'Reilly about making broad statements about Muslims in general.

The fact that he was fired over the phone makes it pretty obvious that the NPR bigwigs weren't even interested in giving him an opportunity to explain his comments. They were determined to fire him no matter what he said.

It's not a matter of this being an entitlement. I don't think anyone has said that. It's a matter of being fired for the right reason, and this isn't the right reason. It was done poorly.

What I find curious is that if another Black journalist had been fired for similar comments, let's say being nervous around white people with strong Southern accents because of the civil rights workers who were murdered by the KKK in 1964, would your reaction still be the same?

 

[Ravi]

My bet: The most that will happen to NPR is that Schiller gets in trouble for her psychiatrist comment.

Juan Williams will slide deeper and deeper to his true nature...right wing loon. FAUX will continue to enjoy a huge audience of idiots with chips on their shoulder bent on listening to shreakers tell them that nothing is THEIR fault, it is all the fault of the liberal media (which is run by the Jooos!).

"Gets in trouble" meaning what? Williams cannot sue for slander or libel; she was clearly being sarcastic and he'd never make the actual malice showing. Isn't it a tad hypocritical to declare Williams has a First Amendment right to his speech but Schiller has none to hers? She wasn't even on the air when she said it.

It was crude, but so what? We do not allow people to sue for "hurt feelings".

Oh, she won't get sued...it was simply unbecoming behavior. Doesn't really inspire the ranks when the boss says things like that about former associates.

 

[Ravi]

Juan Williams will slide deeper and deeper to his true nature...right wing loon.

OMG now I try and refrain from name calling when I can. But you are a fucking idiot honey.

Apparently you think anyone just to the right of the Extreme far left is a right wing loon. Get a grip. Juan is a moderate liberal Democrat through and through.

No he isn't and he never has been. He's a moderate that leans left on some issues and right on many others.

 

[RadiomanATL]

Sounds like he's had a chip on his shoulder for awhile, poor baby.

You attitude about this story. Despite the WIDE spread BIPARTISAN condemnation of His firing, and they way it was done. Gives us a lot of insight into just how far left you really are Ravi my dear.

There has been pretty much Universal support for Juan and against NPR in this case across both the Liberal and Conservative media and yet still all you can do is make snarky comments and Continue to dump on Juan.

Nice.

He's acting like a baby. He blew it...he is responsible, end of story.

I have no idea how he is acting now.

But his comments definitely were not a fireable offense. He was trying to show how visceral reactions are often not the right ones. So I don't see how he "blew it" then.

If anyone screwed the pooch on this one, IMO it's NPR. They lost a valuable and respected commentator, and they're being made to look like fools. They should have waited to see if there actually was some sort of animosity towards his comments before taking action. It's not quite like the Sherrod incident, but it's close.

 

[Ravi]

In my opinion, the voices of liberals have long been drowned out by the left. Those people are NOT liberals.

And you have surveyed NPR's programming such that you feel comfy making this declaration?

I suspect you are talking out of your ass here.

WTF is "leftist" about "The Prairie Home Companion", etc.?

I don't waste my time picking apart the schedule of some sad assed radio organization. I don't listen to it, I don't watch Beck, I don't listen to Beck, I don't pay jack shit's worth of attention to pundits on any side.

NPR took $1.8m from Soros a week before they fired Williams. Williams said nothing offensive, inflammatory or bigoted. And, you know what..... when I travel in London during rush hour, I take cabs.

Actually, what he said was bigoted and in a way what you keep claiming, with no evidence whatsoever to back it up, is worse.

 

[WillowTree]

In my opinion, the voices of liberals have long been drowned out by the left. Those people are NOT liberals.

I stand corrected. They like to be called "progressives" at any rate they are first rate whores, they bend over for that old squishy ugly soros dud.

Well, this post certainly added value, Willow. By any chance do you have a POV on whether Juan Williams' First Amendment rights were violated, or are you just here to scream at anything non-conservative?

Oh my, you called Juan Williams a whore and now yer outraged cause I called progressives first rate whores? I rest my case.

 

[RadiomanATL]

My bet: The most that will happen to NPR is that Schiller gets in trouble for her psychiatrist comment.

Juan Williams will slide deeper and deeper to his true nature...right wing loon.

A liberal right wing loon?

Excellent trolling Ravi!

 

[Ravi]

You attitude about this story. Despite the WIDE spread BIPARTISAN condemnation of His firing, and they way it was done. Gives us a lot of insight into just how far left you really are Ravi my dear.

There has been pretty much Universal support for Juan and against NPR in this case across both the Liberal and Conservative media and yet still all you can do is make snarky comments and Continue to dump on Juan.

Nice.

He's acting like a baby. He blew it...he is responsible, end of story.

I have no idea how he is acting now.

But his comments definitely were not a fireable offense. He was trying to show how visceral reactions are often not the right ones. So I don't see how he "blew it" then.

If anyone screwed the pooch on this one, IMO it's NPR. They lost a valuable and respected commentator, and they're being made to look like fools. They should have waited to see if there actually was some sort of animosity towards his comments before taking action. It's not quite like the Sherrod incident, but it's close.

Did you not say that what he said was a little bigoted? (Is that like a little pregnant?)

 

[RadiomanATL]

the really bothersome thing about this seems to be that some private party was able to pay off a government entity to get someone he did not like canned.

There were thousands who wanted Dan Rather canned for his views. Anyone who went to CBS with an offer of $X and told them Dan goes and you get this cash would have been told to pound sand.

Soros bought off a US government agency with chicken feed.

Conspiracy theorize much? IMO, Rupert Murdoch stage managed another talking head into publicity -- why not condemn at least the devil we know to have been involved?

Murdoch simply exploited a situation that NPR created.

He didn't stage manage this one. He saw the opening and widened it is all.

 

[RadiomanATL]

He's acting like a baby. He blew it...he is responsible, end of story.

I have no idea how he is acting now.

But his comments definitely were not a fireable offense. He was trying to show how visceral reactions are often not the right ones. So I don't see how he "blew it" then.

If anyone screwed the pooch on this one, IMO it's NPR. They lost a valuable and respected commentator, and they're being made to look like fools. They should have waited to see if there actually was some sort of animosity towards his comments before taking action. It's not quite like the Sherrod incident, but it's close.

Did you not say that what he said was a little bigoted? (Is that like a little pregnant?)

No, I said that his feelings were a little bigoted. And he essentially admitted such during the conversation. However, he also went on to say that this is exactly why someone shouldn't go with bigoted feeling, because they are often irrational and wrong.

Context is king in this issue. And no one wants to pay attention to it.

In the issue of context, it is eerily similar to the Sherrod incident. Except that the context was right there in everyone's faces, but people are ignoring it for partisan gain.

 

[California Girl]

And you have surveyed NPR's programming such that you feel comfy making this declaration?

I suspect you are talking out of your ass here.

WTF is "leftist" about "The Prairie Home Companion", etc.?

I don't waste my time picking apart the schedule of some sad assed radio organization. I don't listen to it, I don't watch Beck, I don't listen to Beck, I don't pay jack shit's worth of attention to pundits on any side.

NPR took $1.8m from Soros a week before they fired Williams. Williams said nothing offensive, inflammatory or bigoted. And, you know what..... when I travel in London during rush hour, I take cabs.

I have never heard it either. BTW, link for the Soros allegation, please?

http://politifi.com/news/Rep-Issa-Thanks-Soros-for-NPR-Donation-1237261.html

"...Ranking Member on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, released the following statement today thanking George Soros for his generous $1.8 million endowment to National Public Radio..."

Happy now?

As I said previously, Mads, you seem very happy to form opinions before you are in possession of all the facts. You remind me of Obama with the 'beergate' catastrophe.

 

[Ravi]

the really bothersome thing about this seems to be that some private party was able to pay off a government entity to get someone he did not like canned.

There were thousands who wanted Dan Rather canned for his views. Anyone who went to CBS with an offer of $X and told them Dan goes and you get this cash would have been told to pound sand.

Soros bought off a US government agency with chicken feed.

Conspiracy theorize much? IMO, Rupert Murdoch stage managed another talking head into publicity -- why not condemn at least the devil we know to have been involved?

Murdoch simply exploited a situation that NPR created.

He didn't stage manage this one. He saw the opening and widened it is all.

Are you sure? Not only have I heard CG's conspiracy theory but I've also heard another...that Murdoch and Williams heard about the donation from George Soros and decided to force the issue by having Williams make a comment resulting in his termination to make NPR look bad...thereby renewing the "conservative" politicians call to end funding to their hated enemy...NPR.

 

[Ravi]

I have no idea how he is acting now.

But his comments definitely were not a fireable offense. He was trying to show how visceral reactions are often not the right ones. So I don't see how he "blew it" then.

If anyone screwed the pooch on this one, IMO it's NPR. They lost a valuable and respected commentator, and they're being made to look like fools. They should have waited to see if there actually was some sort of animosity towards his comments before taking action. It's not quite like the Sherrod incident, but it's close.

Did you not say that what he said was a little bigoted? (Is that like a little pregnant?)

No, I said that his feelings were a little bigoted. And he essentially admitted such during the conversation. However, he also went on to say that this is exactly why someone shouldn't go with bigoted feeling, because they are often irrational and wrong.

Context is king in this issue. And no one wants to pay attention to it.

In the issue of context, it is eerily similar to the Sherrod incident. Except that the context was right there in everyone's faces, but people are ignoring it for partisan gain.

Disagree. IMO, no matter what he subsequently said, Williams, in a position of authority, said that it is okay to be bigoted against someone because of the way they dress.

It's okay, it's understandable, and there is a logical explanation for why it is both okay and understandable.

 

[WillowTree]

Did you not say that what he said was a little bigoted? (Is that like a little pregnant?)

No, I said that his feelings were a little bigoted. And he essentially admitted such during the conversation. However, he also went on to say that this is exactly why someone shouldn't go with bigoted feeling, because they are often irrational and wrong.

Context is king in this issue. And no one wants to pay attention to it.

In the issue of context, it is eerily similar to the Sherrod incident. Except that the context was right there in everyone's faces, but people are ignoring it for partisan gain.

Disagree. IMO, no matter what he subsequently said, Williams, in a position of authority, said that it is okay to be bigoted against someone because of the way they dress.

It's okay, it's understandable, and there is a logical explanation for why it is both okay and understandable.

Why do you lie so much?