Mark Halperin Suspended After Calling President Obama a ‘Dick’ on Live TV

Was he suspended for calling Obama a dick, or was he suspended for saying the word "dick" on the air? Because the whole story about the censors suggests the latter

LuckyDan said:

Whoa! Wait! He's been fired?

I believe MSNBC would fire him to keep on good terms with the WH - they're that chicken**** - but I thought he was suspended.

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Sorry, I stand corrected.

celticwar17 said:

I bet if he said George Bush was a dick a few years ago... he wouldn't have been suspended. msnbc liberal bias.

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Perhaps you missed that MSNBC suspended Ed Schultz for calling Laura Ingram a slut, on his radio show, not MSNBC?

Zyphlin said:

Was he suspended for calling Obama a dick, or was he suspended for saying the word "dick" on the air? Because the whole story about the censors suggests the latter

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Right. It was a poor choice of words. Halprin should have used "dillhole".

pbrauer said:

I don't think he should have been suspended, but the 1st amendment has no place here. Freedom of speech is a contract between the government and the people that they can't shut you up. Of course a network can fire anyone who says something they find objectionable.

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But, then again, the 1st Amendment is a civil right and a citizen cannot violate the civil rights of another citizen. It's illegal, per the Constitution.

apdst said:

But, then again, the 1st Amendment is a civil right and a citizen cannot violate the civil rights of another citizen. It's illegal, per the Constitution.

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Oh, that pesky Constitution again. Wasn't BO a Constitutional Professor at Hahvahd? Funny - someone at the WH should have known about that...

Is it worse to call someone a Nazi, or a dick?

Gina said:

Perhaps you missed that MSNBC suspended Ed Schultz for calling Laura Ingram a slut, on his radio show, not MSNBC?

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Shultz was suspended for a week. Halperin has been suspended indefinitely. "indefinitely", is corporate speak for, "yer ass is fired".

I've been suspended indefinitely and believe me, I never had any illusions about coming back to work at that company. :rofl

Ockham said:

apdst said:

But, then again, the 1st Amendment is a civil right and a citizen cannot violate the civil rights of another citizen. It's illegal, per the Constitution.

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Oh, that pesky Constitution again. Wasn't BO a Constitutional Professor at Hahvahd? Funny - someone at the WH should have known about that...

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You guys need to read that amendment again, this has nothing whatsoever with the 1st Amendment.

pbrauer said:

You guys need to read that amendment again, this has nothing whatsoever with the 1st Amendment.

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So, the 1st Amendment isn't a civil right?

Cole said:

[video]http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/david/mark-halperin-calls-obama-dick-live-tv[/video]

Too funny. Whichever side of he aisle one may be on. The precious part was how the Hosts reacted. Halperin genuinely trusted them that his comment would be edited out....

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I loved this: "my mom's watching so we will know if it worked". I laughed my ass off at this segment. Much <3 for almost live TV.

apdst said:

So, the 1st Amendment isn't a civil right?

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Nah dude... it's just our imagination.

If you work for somebody else and you violate their personnel policies & procedures, you're going to pay for it, possibly with your job. The constitution does not protect employees who violate their terms of employment. Free speech means one cannot be imprisoned for calling the president a dick, or for criticizing the government itself. Free speech doesn't cover embarrassing one's employers or breaking company policy.

pbrauer said:

You guys need to read that amendment again, this has nothing whatsoever with the 1st Amendment.

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Indeed, it's not a violation for MSNBC to fire him simply for what he said.

He wasnt suspended for having an opinion...he was suspended because rightly or wrongly (re his opinion on the presidents behavior) it is ionappropriate as a journalist or network employee to call the president of the US or anyone a 'dick' on live TV. What he thinks, what he says at the bar, what he says on a golf course...no ones business but his own.

I agree...president Obama has a repeated habit of being a snarky, smarmy little dick when he lectures and preaches to others about hard work and responsibility. He is a hypocrite of the highest order and has shown absolutely zero value as a leader...frankly I just dont think he has it in him. Still...ask the 'man on the street' and they can respond that way. A journalist or employee of a major network cannot.

The only caveat of course being that it was MSNBC and 1-they have too few viewers to notice and 2-if they got rid of all their POS deadheads they would have a helluva lot of dead air to fill.

DiAnna said:

If you work for somebody else and you violate their personnel policies & procedures, you're going to pay for it, possibly with your job. The constitution does not protect employees who violate their terms of employment. Free speech means one cannot be imprisoned for calling the president a dick, or for criticizing the government itself. Free speech doesn't cover embarrassing one's employers or breaking company policy.

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Not to beat this episode to death, but Halpirin's biggest offence was that he trusted the two hosts. He wasn't going to make that comment initially and he did so only after Scarborough assured him it would be trimmed/clipped out. Came across as almost of fun spirited dare. The way MSNBC handled it was probably predictable but a little wormy. Scarborough had as much or more culapbility for the incident as Halpirin. (But the best part genuinely was when the female host went into a semi-shock giggle fit....:2razz: )

The good news is that I doubt this did any harm to Halpirin's career. He seems to me a standup guy who takes broadsides at both the Left and the right. Enjoy his column in Time each week.

And you're right about the Constitution/Free Speech angle.....doesn't even remotely apply to this incident.