David Gregory Ties Clinton's Oklahoma City Bombing Limbaugh Speech to Aurora Massacre

NewsBusters.org> ^ | July 22, 2012 | Noel Sheppard

[Kaslin]

There has yet to be any evidence circumstantial or otherwise to indicate that James Holmes had a political motivation or enticement to murder innocent people at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, Friday.

Despite this, in the middle of a panel discussion about this massacre Sunday, NBC Meet the Press host David Gregory brought up former President Bill Clinton's words following the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that most at the time felt were directed at conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh (video follows with transcript and commentary):

David Gregory Ties Clinton's Oklahoma City Bombing Limbaugh Speech to Aurora Massacre

DAVID GREGORY: Secretary Chertoff, you’ve worked in a political administration, you deal with counter-terror threats but you’ve also paid attention to somebody who thinks about threats around the country to political dialogue, the coarsening of dialogue across the media spectrum from entertainment to-- to news and commentary. And I-- I was thinking, harkening back to President Obama’s words after Gabby Giffords was shot and then to Bill Clinton back in 1995 after Oklahoma City, and I’ll put something he said up on the screen. He said--back then, President Clinton--“We hear so many loud and angry voices in America today whose sole goal seems to be to try to keep some people as paranoid as possible and the rest of us all torn up and upset with each other. They spread hate. They leave the impression that, by their very words, that violence is acceptable.”

GREGORY: Let me emphasize as we sit here today, we know nothing about motivation in this particular case, political or otherwise. But President Clinton’s words back in 1995 could be true today, couldn’t they, about how some of the public discourse can fall on more vulnerable ears?

Irrespective of Chertoff's answer, absolutely nothing has surfaced to suggest Holmes had any interest in politics or exposure to talk radio.

As such, Gregory was making an accusatory implication - and for those familiar with Clinton's words directly at Limbaugh - without any basis in truth or fact.

Given all the recent erroneous rushes to judgment by liberal media members - including ABC's Brian Ross wrongly claiming Friday that Holmes was a Tea Partier! - will these folks ever learn to avoid wading into uncharted waters without the facts?

Or would that be too much like journalism?

[SkyDancer]

More reason that the MSM should quietly head into the sunset.

[occamrzr06]

This is from (media) the people who keep asking, “What is the one thing......” (insert whatever the hell they are pushing).

There has to be some right wing angle to this.

It couldn’t be the unintended consequences of left wing agenda.

[nhwingut]

Translation: Even though there is no connection. Conservatives still need to shut up.

[popdonnelly]

There’s no rational reason why Limbaugh always gets the blame for these things. We might just as readily blame David Gregory.

[silverleaf]

You’re right David, The OWS movement, bless them, is a big part of “the public discourse”. Do you think scenes of street anarchy might influence vulnerable minds to act on that anger?

[NoLibZone]

Shooter dressed like a character from a Hollywood film and not like Rush Limbaugh.

In jail , he continues to emulate what he has seen on screen.

[1raider1]

Might it be that the viewership numbers are down to the core? That is, only libs are watching and these shows have painted themselves in to a point that they dare not risk further losses by being even somewhat objective?

[Jim Scott]

The left, which controls most of the media, is doing what they always do and straining to find a way to associate a tragedy with conservative political views. It's despicable and I can only hope that it will backfire, as it should. David Gregory knew full well that James Holmes had no political motives for his rampage in Aurora but he is desperately trying to tag conservative views and conservative talk radio with violence.

The irony is that in almost every case of politically-motivated violence, it is leftists doing the damage, not conservatives. I think the fact that conservative support for the Second Amendment that liberals want gutted (if not removed) explains the fact that they use acts of bloodshed via guns to link conservatives to violence that ends in bloody deaths. I also think that the attempt falls flat, as it should. To the probable chagrin of liberals, Americans are not all Homer Simpson clones and can separate the acts of a madman from political points of view.

[txrefugee]

Clinton rode the OKC bombing to a second term when his poll numbers were sliding. Gregory and the rest of the Leftist media will make certain to prop up Obama’s failing presidency on the bodies of the 12 Colorado dead.

[Eva]

There is no rational reason to blame Rush Limbaugh because there is no chance that Holmes ever listened to Rush. He was a registered Democrat and OWS nut. He had been preparing for this attack for months, not just a few days since Limbaugh brought attention to the planned politicization of the movie.

I actually had been reading about the plans to turn the movie plot against the Republicans for months. I believed, like Rush, that the writers of the script were participating the Democrat slant. The earlier movie was definitely pro-Republican and I assumed, wrongly, that the Democrats were not going to let that happen, again.

[FLAMING DEATH]

He’s right. There is much rhetoric that contributes to a culture of confrontation and violence. For example:

“I want you to argue with them and get in their face.”

“We’re gonna punish our enemies...”

“If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun!”

—Barack Obama

[Inwoodian]

Quelle anus!

[God luvs America]

and Hollywood...

[snarkytart]

Please stop it, please. There is ZERO evidence he was part of any political movement including OWS.

[Jack Deth]

Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah.....

I remember the left twisting and jumping through hoops trying to tie G.Gordon Liddy and his radio show to Oklahoma City.

Didn’t work then. Won’t work now.

It’s beyond knee jerk. Plunging into the deep end of PATHETIC. And so ingrained into their psyche, you can time it.

And I am getting damn sick and tired of it!

[mardi59]

“Never let a crisis go to waste”.

The liberals have taken that to heart in major ways. For obama to even go to Aurora after this horrible crime tells me he needs an “look, I’m concerned, I care” photo-op.

The libs will use this to take our eyes off obama corruption, security leaks, and Fast and Furious. The msm is going to beat this to death.

[LachlanMinnesota]

It is time to resurrect the term “yellow journalism.”

David Gregory, George Stephanopolous, and Brian Ross are yellow journalists.

[bmwcyle]

OKC bombing investigation was was covered by our AG of the US. We have never learned the complete truth.

[tumblindice]

David Gregory: just another MSM alphabet Demo-puppet-stooge