Regardless of who (you feel) is to blame for Sherrod's firing

[dsc]

the next one will be Obama's fault if he doesn't put in place a plan to deal with the next Breitbart video, and we know there will be a next one. Here is the very simple plan. Announce immediately after the video hits that since Mr. Breitbart is untrustworthy the employee will be put on paid leave pending a full investigation. If the employee is cleared, well it is done. If Mr. Breitbart happens to be right (even the National Enquirer was right about Edwards) then fire the employee. Instead of panicking at the first sight of the video have the plan in place and use it. It is too late for Sherrod in all probability. She sealed her fate when she laid blame for her firing at the White House's doorstep.

[scheming daemons]

1. Agree with everything except your last sentence

It's never too late to right a wrong.

[Sebastian Doyle]

5. So you agree he should fire VilSuck?

;)

[scheming daemons]

7. The OP didn't say that

[Sebastian Doyle]

10. No he didn't

But if you want to right the wrong, shouldn't you fire the idiot who took Breitbart's word for anything in the first place, which apparently was VilSuck?

[Vincardog]

2. The blame for her firing belongs at the White House's doorstep. Why is the President acting like

Pavlov's dog to the Faux Snewz propaganda channel?

[msongs]

4. "you like me, you really like me" nt

[ProSense]

3. Here's a plan:

ignore Breitbart. He's a disingenuous race-baiting asshole.

Simple.

[Kdillard]

9. Amen.

[dsc]

11. No that is a bad plan

say the rest of the media (ie CNN and Ms. Sherrod) had ignored Mr. Breitbart. Everyone would still think Ms. Sherrod was a racist and that her firing was justified. If you mean, to not have fired her, we would still have FOX and the right wing noise machine doing so, complete with a video we would have no way of knowing if it had been editted, because, under your prescription, those who did know would be ignoring it.

[ProSense]

13. "say the rest of the media (ie CNN and Ms. Sherrod) had ignored Mr. Breitbart...

Everyone would still think Ms. Sherrod was a racist and that her firing was justified."

It wouldn't have been a story. Fox Noise reports a lot of really bogus shit, even about the administration, that people ignore all the time.

You are suggesting that the WH gets out in front and lend credibility to Breitbart. That's preposterous.

[dsc]

14. that is exactly what they did here

by firing her. My suggestion is what would happen to me in a similar situation and what I think should happen. Suspend, with pay, and investigate. She would have been off the job for maybe 24 hours. Her job would be secure, the nation would be assured we don't employ bigots, and Breitbart would be exposed for the liar he is. Instead, Sherrod doesn't have a job though Breitbart is exposed as a liar. Your suggestion would have maybe produced her keeping her job but not exposed Breitbart.

[ProSense]

15. No, and even so

why would you be advocating a similar approach that includes paid leave?

Ignore him. Make him as irrelevant as Drudge and Malkin. There is no reason to bolster his credibility.

What's your suggestion for the third or fourth time he's proven to be a liar?

[dsc]

17. same thing

investigate, prove him a liar, keep the employee.

[ProSense]

18. Right,

continue pretending Breitbart has credibility each time. Keep his name in the news and establish him as someone to contend with.

Preposterous.

[frylock]

19. it worked great with the swiftboaters..

try again.

[ProSense]

21. Did you forget

the role the media played in hyping the Swift Liars, which was an organized huge GOP funded group?

It's interesting that anyone would argue that Breitbart shouldn't be ignored when the proper course of action should have been to ignore Breitbart.

He's a RW hack blogger. There is no need for anyone to spend time and effort giving that asshole the time of day.

[frylock]

23. no, i haven't forgotten..

i also haven't forgotten that the dems really haven't done ANYTHING to mitigate the media's role in diseminating this kind of bullshit. i understand that it's so much easier to wring our hands about the awful media and the mean things they say than it is for somebody with some influence to get up in front of a mic and call out the lying bastards.

[ProSense]

24. "dems really haven't done ANYTHING to mitigate the media's role in diseminating this...bullshit"

I don't agree. There isn't a lot Dems can do when the media reports engage in a frenzy to spread lies and the public is receptive. Reverend Wright was a perfect example. There were people on the left calling for his head as well.

Having said that, there are numerous examples from 2006 and 2008 when the media BS failed to gain traction.

There was the Kerry joke, with the left piling on, which resulted in Kerry laying low in the last couple of weeks, but had no impact on the 2006 elections.

There was the attempt to portray Democrats as weak for pursuing Iraq withdrawal, which became the Democrats' platform.

There was Bill Ayers, more media complicity.

Think about all the lies the RW tried to spread during the 2008 campaign, and today Barack Obama is President.

[Webster Green]

6. Putting people on paid leave would be panicking.

I would recommend just taking out Breitbart with a hellfire missile right now. That would make the right wing assholes think twice about proceeding with their next plot.

[Whisp]

8. it would be a mistake for the President to have a head to head spat with

the likes of the Beckerheads in this world.

They would drum up dumb shit on a daily basis to keep him busy and lower himself to their snake belly levels - he's got more important things to do (LIKE FINANCE REFORM, EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK, HATE CRIME LEGISLATION FOR GAYS. ETC... ETC...ETC... the LIST is LONG and IGNORED here)

but as so many are marinated in things like American Idol and other brainless activities, I can see why this could be exciting for some.

[Rageneau]

12. An easier course would be to stop being chickensh*ts.

Vitter is still in office. So is Craig and Sanford. The GOP doesn't let negative publicity -- even when it is earned -- intimidate them. Why should we CARE if the wingnuts care?

[dsc]

20. Craig is actually not in office and Sanford is on his way out

they are elected officials and the removal of them is a different standard. I hope the people of LA will take care of Vitter, I think he is likely to lose his primary. Alot of moral voters, who are in Vitter's base, take that stuff seriously enough that if offered a conservative choice who isn't a moral sleeze they will avail themselves of it.

[blm]

16. The WH should ASSUME the media's being scammed by Breitbart and act accordingly.

They do act as if it's news to them.

[dave29]

22. it will be Obama's fault regardless of the situation/scenario/policy decision/vote

The buck stops strong with this one