Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.
Well, it's official. That feeling of unity from two weeks ago has faded, and what we're left with are old squabbles, namecalling, cries that we are both overreacting and asleep on the job... in short, it's business as usual.
We ran yesterday's second BasicAlias article to try and give full space to Ari Fleischer's comments about the situation, but he's since made comments about those comments. In the interest of being fair and complete, I thought we should run this letter:
I'm sure you have already read this or listened to the realvideo on cspan.com, but in case you haven't...
from friday's (9/28) press conference, in reference to maher:
Q: On the Bill Maher issue, we talked about this morning. But now, today, this afternoon, in relation to the USA Today story on the special ops, this is the second time from this podium that you have essentially cautioned the media and people to watch what they say, as you put it with Bill Maher. That has triggered a lot of comment and concern. Do you believe it is appropriate, as the President's spokesmen, exercising that authority, to issue that kind of warning?
MR. FLEISCHER: Terry, on two points. One, on special ops, what I indicated is there has always been an historical and delicate balance and our nation has been well served by the country and everybody, including the press, finding its way through that. So my characterization is not quite as you described it.
But on the other question about answering questions posed to me by reporters, when individual Americans say things that may not meet with the approval of people in government. You know, I've been asked from this podium, I've been asked about discrimination against Muslims; I've been asked about discrimination against Sikhs and whether the White House would speak out; I've been asked about statements made by Republican congressmen that were intolerant toward Muslims and minorities in this country. And I've never hesitated to comment or speak my mind about those issues. I was asked about what Bill Maher said and I didn't hesitate to talk about that.
It is always the right, and forever will be, of an American to speak out. It is always the right of an American to be wrong. But that won't stop me from saying, when asked by the press, if something is not met with approval from the White House as far as statements of intolerance or some of the statements you reference.
Very often, when you ask the question and the White House does not answer it, the press interprets that as a wink and a nod, saying that the White House tacitly approves it. So when you ask the question, I think you're entitled to an answer.
Q: So you stand by what you said?
MR. FLEISCHER: I stand by what I said about what he said, was unfortunate and should not have been said. But I understand, of course, in all times, it's everybody's right to say things, no matter how wrong they can be.
Q: So you then don't believe what you said, that Americans ought to at this time watch what they say? Do you stand by that specific part of your statement?
MR. FLEISCHER: Keith, I think that everybody always has to be thoughtful. I think everybody has to think through the repercussions, the implications of what they say. And I shared this morning, as well, but I had a message on my answering machine from somebody, a citizen who called up and said that the United States needs to round up all the Muslims, the good ones and the bad ones, because you can't tell the difference. And that's the type of thing -- people have to think carefully about the things that they do and they say.
And our nation, as it goes into an increased wartime footing, is going to be confronting issues that typically, thankfully, have not come up in the past,
that make people think more carefully about what they're doing. And so
that's the answer to the question.
I'm glad to read the clarifications, and I think they explain Fleischer's position in a much better fashion than his original comments.
I also got this letter, worth sharing here, I think:
Hi, Moriarity. First off, I completely agree with just about everything you and Basic Alias have said in the two articles about Politically Incorrect. In fact, keep up the good work, and don't be discouraged by the TalkBack. I think one of the major elements of articles like the two you wrote about PI is that almost everyone in the Talkback forum, no matter what site it's on, is going to disagree entirely, and generally act like a jingoist asshole. But that actually may be the entire point... that this sort of speech that shows clear and rational thinking, as well as an adherence to what America TRULY stands for, is needed right now to convince an enraged population to calm down, think things through clearly, and return to being sane human beings.
However, I'm really here to disagree with you on a minor point. So far neither you, nor Basic Alias, has noted that on the Friday before last, Bill Maher publicly explained ABC's reaction to the controversy. Because every single sponsor had pulled out of the show, ABC agreed to air the show entirely without sponsors... in other words, at a serious loss of profit. In the end ABC managed to find at least a few sponsors with the same balls of steel as themselves, but what really matters is that they agreed to air a show with no sponsors at a detriment to their bottom line just so they could stand behind Bill Maher and the their own personal adherence to the First Amendment.
Your offer to give Bill Maher a forum for his opinions on AICN if ABC cancelled his show was very nice, but I think that instead of implying that ABC will eventually cancel his show, you should instead note all of the things that ABC has done for him and his right to free speech.
Also, I was planning to give you a transcript of the part where Bill Maher explained ABC's actions in the September 21st show, but strangely, that single transcript (and no other) is missing from the Politically Incorrect website at ABC.com. I'm guessing it's just an oversight, though.
Again, this pleases me enormously. Good for ABC. Here's hoping some sense of sanity is beginning to creep into this matter. I still remain adamant that it is important to pay attention to any matters like these during times like this. Now, more than ever, we are going to see people attempt to advance their own agendas and silence those who disagree with them. It saddens me that people are going to try and piggyback themselves and their causes onto a tragedy of this proportion, and it is my sincere hope that as these debates arise, we are able to tackle them head-on instead of panicking or freaking out. In this case, it appears that everything is either resolved or on its way to being resolved, and Maher has weathered the controversy, no worse for the wear.
"Moriarty" out.
