R. Lee Ermey apologizes for dissing President Obama. . .

[wndycty]

Score a victory for progressive pressure and decency. After reading my blog post and viewing the YouTube I uploaded many progressives turned up the heat on GEICO, Toys for Tots and the USO and guess what, Ermey walked back his comments.

I would say this is all too rare of an event on the right.

From: http://blog.windycitywatch.com/2011/01/r-lee-armey-apologizes-for-dissing.html

R. Lee Ermey apologizes for dissing President Obama. . .



Last week I posted a YouTube video of GEICO's R. Lee Ermey going after President Obama during Roe & Roeper's Miracle on Indianapolis Blvd. Holiday Extravaganza broadcast. The event raised funds for the USO and when Ermey appeared to make a pitch on behalf of Toys for Tots he launched his attack claiming the President was destroying the country in an attempt to introduce socialism.

Since I uploaded the video it has received over 435,000 hits and 4,000 comments. As should have been expected, there was a strong reaction from both the left and right. Many on the right applauded Ermey for "speaking the truth," while my brothers and sisters on the left (this is a progressive blog after all) criticized him for politicizing an event meant to raise money for the USO as he made an appeal for Toys for Tots.

Additionally, many folks took GEICO to task for not distancing itself from Ermey after it fired voice over artist D.C. Douglas for leaving a voicemail with Freedomworks critical of the tea party.

On Monday Ermey did the honorable thing, apologized and posted it on his website "My comments were misguided, and emotionally based, and for that I am truly sorry."

Ermey deserved the criticism he received for his outburst but I believe his apology should be taken at face value and accepted.

Is/should all be forgiven?

No, but he should be afforded the opportunity to redeem himself in the eyes of those he offended. Once someone makes a mistake and gets called on it he can pushback against the criticism, claim he was misquoted or just apologize.

Ermey apologized and sadly, in today's polarized politically charged environment, that doesn't happen enough.

Ermey's actions and statements going forward should dictate our long term impression of him, not this one incident. The jury is still out but it should be noted that he has previously defended Obama against the birthers.

Now that Ermey has acted what will GEICO do? What should they do? Personally, rather than firing Ermey I'd like to see them give D.C. Douglas his job back.

Ermey's full statement:
A Message from the Gunny

"I recently appeared at a fundraising event designed to collect toys and raise awareness for underprivileged children. While that event succeeded in raising thousands of dollars and hundreds of toys for this cause, I regret that I delivered a monologue that was inappropriately critical of the President. I was trying to be entertaining and simply went too far in this instance. I am mindful that my success as an entertainer relates in part to my experience in the Marine Corps, my devotion to its members, and the deep respect I have for members of all our Armed Forces. My comments should not be seen as reflecting on them or their views. I was just very disappointed in the amount of success that we were having raising toys and money for the underprivileged children this season. The poor economy has greatly hampered our efforts. My comments were misguided, and emotionally based, and for that I am truly sorry."

Semper Fi

R. Lee Ermey

[brewens]

1. Nice one for the Gunny. Not one of those backhanded apologies. n/t

[DainBramaged]

18. Oh so you support his comment?

[Teaser]

22. uh, what?

The poster complimented Gunny for actually apologizing...and not issuing a non-apology apology.

[DainBramaged]

23. Gunjob FEELS that way about THE PRESIDENT you think an apology makes any difference?

It amazes me when so-called progressives kiss the feet of Cons because they're nice. What a joke. And YOU aren't the person I asked the question of.

[Teaser]

24. What do I care

what anyone thinks of the president?

And furthermore, why should I care of whom you asked the question?

[DainBramaged]

25. Then why get involved?

:eyes:

I care what people think of the President. I may disagree with his policies, but he IS the President I voted for, and when people on this board sympathize with something a clown like Ermy says, I pay attention.

[SpiralHawk]

2. "But, of course, xCommander AWOL (R) remains a disgrace." - Gunny (R)

[SpiralHawk]

3. "As does xVP Dickie 'Five-Military-Deferments' Cheney (R) - Gunny (R)

[Ian David]

4. It's better than the typical Republican/Conservative "apology," but not good enough.

"I made a bad choice of words... I apologize to anyone who was offended" is the typical Conservative boilerplate.

Gomer Pyle Ermey says, "...inappropriately critical of the President... My comments were misguided, and emotionally based, and for that I am truly sorry."

That's better, but not, IMHO, good enough.

What he should have said was that he was not just sorry, but also that he was WRONG and/or INNACURATE.

But he sure did a good job of puffery, talking about what a super-awesome Patriot and champion of children he is!

Ermey is still a total fucking jackwagon.


Get off my couch, you Socialist jackwagon!

[emulatorloo]

12. Yeah, & I can't fit "I was trying to be entertaining" w an "Obama is a socialist with a secret plan

to Destroy America" rant.

In what way can that me construed as "entertainment" that went off track?

[Ian David]

13. If he'd said, "I was trying to be in-character for my screaming drill sergeant persona..."

... I *might* have bought it.

I mean, it's hard to top calling someone a "jackwagon."

[Ian David]

5. Geico needs to dump Ermey, and we need to dump Geico

Turning Politics into Green for Favored 'Blue' Insurers

By Andrew G. Simpson
April 28, 2005

A San Francisco-based nonprofit group that wants more consumers to support businesses that back liberal and "blue" state politics has added Progressive Insurance Co. to its preferred providers list.

The group, www.buyblue.org, is selling the notion that citizens who favor blue candidates and causes need to do more than show up at the ballot box at every election, they also need vote with their wallets by buying from blue companies when they shop.

Buyblue.org's researchers pore over documents from the Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Election Commission, political action committee and news reports, and other documents to develop ratings for companies. The closer a company's politics match those of the organization, the higher and darker is the company's blue rating.

Companies with opposite politics are rated in varying shades of red.

<snip>

But Progressive is the first and only insurance company to get the organization's 100 percent dark blue rating.

<snip>

Aside from Progressive, it has only rated two other insurance companies and neither fared well: State Farm has been given a pinkish 35 percent rating, while GEICO has been rated bright red at only 5 percent.

More:
http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2005/04/28/54348.htm

DUMP GEICO: Switch to Progressive Insurance- http://www.progressive.com/

[babylonsister]

21. And that's probably the sole reason Ermy apologized; didn't want to

lose his lucrative gig. If I had Geico, I'd dump it. :grr:

[TxVietVet]

6. His macho-Marine bu$hit finally caught up with him.

He probably realized his ass would be banned from movies and TV, the mediums he makes good money at. Probably does quiet well.
For one, I get tired of his macho bu$hit.

The insulting attack he made against the President should have been front page news and got him run out of Hollywood.

I don't disrespect his service, however he did it to impress the wannabee warriors who watch his programs. I have no doubt that he is a conservanazi.

F*cking douche bag.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

7. This guy does one or two commercials and now he's "GEICO's R. Lee Ermey"?

When I heard of this issue earlier, I assumed R. Lee Ermey was some big executive with the company, not some character actor.

[wndycty]

9. Just like D.C. Douglas. . .if you don't turn up the corporate heat there is no apology IMHO

:kick:

[Ian David]

14. He can't pay the bills on just the residuals from Mail Call. n/t

[rurallib]

8. And Arlee, maybe there wouldn't be so many in need IF

them fucking republicans you seem to love hadn't bankrupted the country and stolen those kids future.

[sharp_stick]

10. Nice apology

for a change not one marked with a pile of "if you were offended" idiocies.

[emulatorloo]

11. "I was trying to be entertaining"

You are correct that he then takes responsibility.

The "entertaining" excuse is pretty lame and weird though.

[Ian David]

15. He didn't admit that he was WRONG. n/t

[CitizenLeft]

16. well damn... I like(d) that guy! didn't know he was a RW asshole.

My favorite scene of his is in Se7en - he's sitting at a desk in the police station, talking to Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt, and the phone rings. He picks it up, says, "this isn't even my desk!" and slams it down. Don't know why, but that always cracked me up.

[Arkana]

17. WELL I BET HE COULD SUCK A GOLF BALL THROUGH A GARDEN HOSE!

[Monk06]

19. And typically the Freepers say, "Gunny, you are dead to me now"

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2651686/posts

[Skittles]

20. um........Mr Ermey?

REPUKES CRASHED THE FUCKING ECONOMY

[LeftyAndProud60]

26. remember when a Geico employee criticized the tea baggers?

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/right-now/2010/04/geico_voice_actor_fired_after.html


I don't have geico and now I never will

[Lord Magus]

27. Apology accepted, Sergeant Ermy.