Posted on 04/22/2010 10:27:42 AM PDT by freespirited
MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell on Wednesday defended a GEICO voice-over actor who referred to Tea Party members as mentally retarded killers.
Last week, Lance Baxter aka D.C. Douglas left the following voice-mail at the offices of FreedomWorks (audio available here):
Hi there. I`m doing a paper about FreedomWorks and I was wondering if somebody could give me a call back. I`m wrapping up and I just have one more piece of information I need to get from you guys -- just need to know what the percentage is of people that are mentally retarded who work for the organization, and are members of it. And oh -- and one final thing, wondering what your plans are, how to spin it when one of your members does actually kill somebody, wondering how, if you`ve got an actual P.R. spinning routine planned for that or are you just going to take it when it happens. Just curious. So, give me a call when you get a chance. Thanks so much.
Baxter has since been fired for this disgusting message, and O'Donnell filling in for Keith Olbermann on Wednesday's "Countdown" actually came to the actor's defense claiming he was only exercising his First Amendment rights (video follows with transcript and commentary):
LAWRENCE O`DONNELL, HOST: Members of the tea party say they`re upset about the unemployment rate, but it turns out they`ve just added to the problem.
In our number two story: the voice of GEICO insurance now finds himself out of a job over a voicemail he left for tea partiers.
Voice-over actor Lance Baxter, also known as "D.C. Douglas," says he`s been fired because of a voicemail he left for members of FreedomWorks, the tea party organization run by Dick Armey. For those keeping score at home, Mr. Baxter isn`t the voice of the gecko. He`s "the real service, real savings" guy.
Here`s his message to the tea partiers.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
LANCE BAXTER, VOICE-OVER ACTOR: Hi there. I`m doing a paper about FreedomWorks and I was wondering if somebody could give me a call back. I`m wrapping up and I just have one more piece of information I need to get from you guys -- just need to know what the percentage is of people that are mentally retarded who work for the organization, and are members of it. And oh -- and one final thing, wondering what your plans are, how to spin it when one of your members does actually kill somebody, wondering how, if you`ve got an actual P.R. spinning routine planned for that or are you just going to take it when it happens.
Just curious. So, give me a call when you get a chance. Thanks so much.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
O`DONNELL: Hey, that is a really good voice.
Mr. Baxter writing about the message on his blog, "Yeah, I know -- stupid! And certainly not constructive. Unfortunately, in my haste, I used the phrase `mentally retarded,` which ultimately drags me down to their level."
Mr. Baxter also gave his phone number on the voicemail, which got posted on the conservative Web site BigGovernment.com. FreedomWorks president Matt Kibbe elevating the rhetoric by writing an accompanying post: "Feel free to contact Lance. He was so kind to provide his number in the voicemail. Call his employer, too. Let them know that you, in fact, are not a mentally retarded killer."
In a press release, Mr. Baxter says he made the phone call because he was upset about tea partiers using gay and racial slurs against members of Congress. He also believes that his connection to GEICO is the primary reason he was targeted. GEICO pulled its ads from Glenn Beck`s show after Mr. Beck made racially-charged comments about President Obama.Mr. Baxter says he was calling as a private citizen but doesn`t blame GEICO for, quote, "protecting themselves, they have a business to run and can`t waste time getting caught up in the FreedomWorks circus."
Hey, GEICO, why are you guys firing this guy? He exercised his First Amendment right of free speech, then had the class to instantly apologize for the bad choice of words. What`s wrong with that?
Now, I understand why Marilyn Chambers could not continue being the face of Ivory Snow laundry detergent after she did a five-way behind the green door. But this guy isn`t the face of anything. He`s just a voice. Firing him is like firing a ghost. No one will know you changed the voice- over guy in your commercials.
Of the people who do know, surely some of them might prefer doing business with a company that respects the First Amendment.
Fascinating, isn't it?
MSNBC and O'Donnell have been berating, insulting, and denigrating Tea Partiers -- who are only exercising their First Amendment rights!!! -- for over a year.
Furthermore, the folks at MSNBC are constantly attacking Glenn Beck and others at Fox News for exercising THEIR First Amendment rights.
But when a man gets fired for leaving an astonishingly disgusting voice-mail message, O'Donnell is quick to come to his defense.
Color me astoundingly unsurprised.
Those interested in more on this story should visit the blog of FreedomWorks CEO Matt Kibbe at Big Government.
Watching MSNBC: so easy a caveman can do it.
During the 2004 elections he was on a MSNBC talk show as a guest when they interviewed one of the Swift Boat vets. He spent the whole time screaming "Creepy liar" at the vet.
Then after the 2004 elections he went on a PBS Political show where he stated, dead seriously, that the "blue states need to seriously start thinking about succession from the USA now"
He is a kook fringe wack job who is the about as credible a political commentator as some Aryan Nation Skinhead.
That MSNBC still treats him as a serious commentator, instead of a deranged mental case, indicates they are not at all credible as a news organization.
That Dumbass Douglas got fired because he used the Geico Gecko in his teabagging graphic that lambasted Freedomworks.
It is odd how the left is anxious to call someone retarded while defending to outrageous lengths the rights of the mentally challenged, unless their mom is named Sarah Palin.
I respect a company that respects people and likes when their people respect other people.
Why? Hopefully not because of this - I mean they did fire the guy.
Perhaps he will be hired by Progressive Insuarance.
The Geico voice actor is free to say whatever he wants.
Geico is free to fire him when he insults potential customers.
Once again the liberals want to shut down and try for sedition Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin and do not see any first Amendment issues; but let a private company react to someone they hire’s free speech being detrimental to that companies interests - and suddenly it is a 1st Amendment issue!
Oh liberals. You will never understand the Constitution because you do not WANT to understand the Constitution.
O,Donnell wouldn’t have to make the call, he would say it on air. Have you ever seen this guy when he gets unhinged?
Megan said what? And when she say this?
GEICO did the right thing. This guy is a loose cannon lefty.
“Hey, GEICO, why are you guys firing this guy? He exercised his First Amendment right of free speech, then had the class to instantly apologize for the bad choice of words. What`s wrong with that?”
Oh, geez, if I could have a nickel for every person that leftists insisted be fired, even though they apologized, I would be a very, very, wealthy woman.
The Government Employee Insurance Co (GEICO) removed all their ads from Glenn Beck and called him racist. As a regular watcher, I know for a fact that Beck is NOT racist. Therefore, their decision to enter the political world based on a falsehood disqualifies them for my business...just like the Dixie Chicks, Green Day, and half the actors in Hollywood.
And honestly, I’m certain that GEICO fired the sheeple to protect their bottom line, and not out of any pretense of doing the right thing.
Not unless Obama takes them over too. I'm thinking GM or Chrysler.
I saw that too...this is not a smart man. He leaves his real phone number after making a prank call, and even after Geico fired the guy, that suggestive Gecko graphic was still up on his website.
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