Posted on 10/20/2003, 3:42:01 PM by fight_truth_decay
Eight years after NPR's Nina Totenberg, on Inside Washington, wished death upon Senator Jesse Helms ("If there is retributive justice, he'll get AIDS from a transfusion, or one of his grandchildren will get it"), on the same show over the weekend she seemingly desired to hasten the death of Army General Jerry Boykin for having supposedly expressed the view that the war on terrorism "is a Christian crusade against Muslims." Totenberg hatefully advocated: "I hope he's not long for this world."
When the other panelists were taken aback by her wish ("You putting a hit out on this guy or what?" and, "What is this, the Sopranos?"), she quickly backtracked: "In his job, in his job, in his job, please, please, in his job."
The relevant portion of the October 18 Inside Washington, a show produced at Washington, DC's Gannett-owned WUSA-TV and shown nationally on PBS stations:
Nina Totenberg of National Public Radio: "Now they've got this guy who's head of the intelligence section in the Defense Department who's being quoted as telling various groups, while he's in uniform, that this is a Christian crusade against Muslims. I mean this is terrible, this is seriously bad stuff."
Colbert King, Washington Post editorial writer: "The other thing about Boykin, he got it wrong. He said God put George Bush in the White House. The Supreme Court did it."
Totenberg: "The Supreme Court put George Bush in the White House."
Charles Krauthammer, syndicated columnist, joked: "It was 5,000 yentas in Palm Beach who couldn't read the ballot. If that was not an act of providence, nothing is."
Gordon Peterson, host: "By the way, he was showing pictures of Somalia, Mogadishu and there's a black mark in the sky and he said 'these are demons who controlled this thing.'"
Totenberg: "Well, I hope he's not long for this world because you can imagine-"
Several voices reacted in unison, drowning her out, including
Peterson: "You putting a hit out on this guy or what?"
King: "Are you Reverend Pat Robertson?"
Totenberg: "No, no, no, no, no, no!"
Peterson: "What is this, the Sopranos?"
Totenberg: "In his job, in his job, in his job, please, please, in his job."
This wasn't the first time Totenberg's mind jumped immediately to offing someone whom she found offensive. Back on the July 8, 1995 Inside Washington, Totenberg had this reaction to Senator Jesse Helms' complaint that AIDS research was getting a disproportionate share of federal research money. Inside Washington host Tina Gulland asked: "I don't think I have any Jesse Helms defenders here. Nina?"
Totenberg replied: "Not me, I think he ought to be worried about what's going on in the Good Lord's mind, because if there is retributive justice, he'll get AIDS from a transfusion, or one of his grandchildren will get it."
That comment was a runner-up in the "I'm a Compassionate Liberal But I Wish You Were All Dead Award (for media hatred of conservatives)" category in MRC's 1999 "DisHonors Awards" for the most outrageous quotes of the decade. To view a RealPlayer clip of Totenberg in action: http://www.mediaresearch.org/notablequotables/dishonor1999/welcomeaward6.asp
For what Boykin said months ago, and the hyperbolic media reaction last week, see this item in the October 17 CyberAlert:
Stop the presses! A Christian man has expressed Christian views while speaking inside some Christian churches.
A night after Tom Brokaw labeled the comments as "divisive" as he trumpeted how "NBC News has learned that a highly-decorated General has a history of outspoken and divisive views on religion, Islam in particular," the other networks piled on Thursday night, treating a few remarks made months ago by Lt. General Jerry Boykin as suddenly scandalous. ABC and CBS put up a "Holy Warrior" graphic as each teased their respective evening newscasts.
Peter Jennings touted: "The holy warrior in the American Army. God, he says, has revealed the enemy."
Over on the CBS Evening News, Dan Rather teased: "God and the U.S. military: One of the country's top Generals embroiled in controversy for saying we are at war with Satan."
For details: http://www.mediaresearch.org/notablequotables/dishonor1999/welcomeaward6.asp
WUSA-TV's page for Inside Washington:
http://wusatv9.com/insidewashington/default.aspx
"Boykin isn't burning down an abortion clinic. He isn't a member of the KKK. He is not a religious extremist. He is a three-star general who understands what he believes and has had to make peace with himself so he can make war for America," writes Ben Kraudel Staff Columnist for viewpoint@technicianstaff.com at North Carolina State University
Totenburg should be more concerned about what is on the good Lord's mind with her eternity.
It needs to be pointed out Nona Totenberg is inadvertently exposing the Liberal Lie here.
She says, "he's being quoted as telling", which is true. The point she misses is that quote she uses is not true, but made up to smear the General. Yet, she passes it on.
The General has never, ever said any such thing about this war being a "Christian crusade against Muslims"!
She is a pitiful bag - living off our taxpayer money on this horribly biased, publicly funded radio network - spinning her own web of lies!
That is why they hate him.
DE OPPRESSO LIBER
Time to defend NPR. ASAP.
To now enter a Church’s sanctity and pull statements out of context to brandish the PC club is a chilling event that cannot go unnoticed. Who are they coming after next, Pastors who preach against sin? Aren’t these the same people who wanted Ashcroft crucified for spying on Moslems in Mosques?? Hypocrites!!
Most Christians believe in the Bible’s truth and that there is only one true God. Just as Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the light; no man comes to the Father but by me.” If you believe this truth, like all true Christians do; then the conclusion is absolute. This General was only stating in essence, that he believes what Jesus said is true.
Why are the liberals at PravdABDNC so upset with the General’s words? Because the roots of liberalism is found in Communism or complete redistribution of wealth by totalitarianism. Never mind that the elitists in the press and liberal institutions make obscene amounts of money, they believe everyone else should give their money to da gummit. One major obstacle in their goal is religion, especially Christianity. Christianity’s foundation is the value of free choice and beliefs. Christianity requires that after you freely decide to give your life to Christ and that you have a higher calling. This is sacrilege to those who worship at the idol of liberalism. Enter Political Correctness to squelch those who dare to think there is anything higher than them and their institutions.
The attacks on the General serve two purposes for liberals. First it is an affront to THEIR religion, which is the national religion and it attacks GW at the heart of his Presidency. He is a unabashed Christian who believes he has a “Charge to Keep” by God. Most Christians believe that God has his hand on this country and guides this country, in spite of this country. They attack the military which is the part of the gummit that liberals hate the most i.e. Vietnam. The military loves this President and this President loves our military. PravdABDNC will not tolerate this, especially with an election coming; so enter in Political Correctness and this outrageous behavior. The only OUTRAGE is the outrage that the press can come into a Church and put religious doctrine under the PC butcher knife. Every believer should feel attacked with this squelching of freedom of religion by the 4th estate!
Of all of the places that freedom of speech and thought is essential in a free peoples, it has to occur in Church. Churches and religions from the beginning of man have been institutions that were Sacred for peoples’ expression of their deepest feelings and beliefs. It is bad enough to chill the speech in the Public Square or Universities, but to limit or ban certain types of speech or certain individuals ability to express their beliefs in Church should be an attack on every believer. One more Jihad on Christians from the clintonRat mouthpiece, PravdADNC. Maybe SeeBS can follow up and see what Generals in Muslim countries have to say. Oh yeah, they don’t have Christians in those armies. Why any Christians watch or read the lamestream media is beyond comprehension. I guess there were Jews who made the stars for Nazi Germany too?? Speaking of which, why wasn’t The Wicked Witch of NY at the World Series???
Pray for GW and Our Troops
I called my local PBS station and told them I was never again going to make a donation to their station [not that I ever did, mind you, but I didn't tell them that] because of Totenberg's remarks.
I hope that talk radio highlights this remark and everyone calls their Rep or Senator and demand that Congress immediately cut off all funding for NPR.
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