What will happen to this liberial,, I bet nothing.
Totenberg on Gen. Boykin: “I Hope He’s
Not Long for This World”
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 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
