There are plenty of words one might use to describe Barack Obama. The man is ridiculously self-absorbed, pompous, condescending, a nanny statist, anti-colonialist, corporatist… I mean, the list goes on and on.

These are factual assessments of the President’s personality and management style. They’re not necessarily insults, although Obama might find some of the terms insulting.

But Time’s Mark Halperin called Obama “kind of a dick” this morning on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. Here’s the video:

The Huffington Post has the story. Halperin apologized for his comments, but it was apparently too little, too late. MSNBC announced Halperin would be “suspended indefinitely” for his comment. I think this is probably an overreaction. In the age of 24-hour news channels, sensationalism sells. This video will likely receive thousands of views today because of its shock value.

MSNBC issued this statement:

Mark Halperin’s comments this morning were completely inappropriate and unacceptable. We apologize to the President, The White House and all of our viewers. We strive for a high level of discourse and comments like these have no place on our air. Therefore, Mark will be suspended indefinitely from his role as an analyst.

A friend of mine made an excellent observation. Halperin clearly asks if there’s a time delay. Joe seems to respond in the affirmative. Had the tech staff in the booth been able to censor the word, would Halperin still have been suspended?

I don’t think Halperin’s comment was inaccurate, but MSNBC could never allow anyone with a negative view of the President share his or her opinion. Heavens no!

UPDATE: Slate’s Dave Weigel has some comments worth reading. The Plum Line calls MSNBC’s decision “way over the line.” The story’s also available over at BigJournalism.

This just hit my inbox:

BAD NEWS FOR BARRY

MORALS ARE RETURNING TO THE 2012 DEMOCRATIC TICKET

Americans have grown weary of the culture of death promoted by the extreme Leftists who have high-jacked the Democratic Party. It’s time to take the party back.

TAKE THE PARTY BACK! – SELECT HERE

The simple fact of the matter is America is a Pro-Life country. Gallup Polls reports that a clear majority of Americans identify themselves as Pro-Life. What is more, Americans by and large detest the thought of their hard earned tax dollars being spent by the government to kill other people’s babies.

Yet Barack Hussein Obama has made a career of being “pro-abortion”. In the Senate, he supported a bill that would make it legal for physicians to murder babies that managed to survive abortion. On his first full day in the Oval Office, Obama ended the Mexico City Accord, allowing him to send yourtax dollars to foreign abortion clinics. And since he took office, government funding to state-side abortion clinics has steadily increased – Planned Parenthood alone now receives well over $300 million a year!

HELP TERRY TAKE THE PARTY BACK! – SELECT HERE

In fact, our current Administration is so extremely pro-abortion, that they are willing to sacrifice seniors to kill babies. That’s right; Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid have made their position clear. They would rather shut down the government, which the Democrats claim would potentially stop Medicare & Social Security payments, than pass the House bill to Defund Planned Parenthood.

My friends, as a Christian man, I have had enough. The Democratic Party used to be a place of high ideals that supported, not destroyed life. It’s time we put a stop to the hostile take-over being waged by extreme Leftists and their “culture of death” politics. It’s time we take the Democratic Party back.

HELP TERRY TAKE THE PARTY BACK! – SELECT HERE

My name is Randall Terry. I am a God fearing, liberty loving, pro-life Democrat running for President in 2012. And I need your help.

The extreme Left and Marxist elements controlling the Obama Candidacy are doing everything they can to prevent a moral uprising of Christian Democrats; pouring millions of dollars into their campaign to continue the culture of death and delusion to Democratic voters. It is going to take a lot of money to get our message of moral, life affirming Democratic ideals to the voters. If you feel as I do, that the Democratic Party can be saved, please send your best possible gift now.

HELP TERRY TAKE THE PARTY BACK! – SELECT HERE

God bless,


Randall Terry