On Thursday's CNN Tonight, during a discussion of the controversy over TBS host Samantha Bee calling Ivanka Trump a "feckless c***," and Roseanne Barr comparing former Barack Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett to an ape, CNN.com contributor Dean Obeidallah came to the liberal Bee's defense, lauding her as "an important voice."
And, in response to conservative talk radio host Stacy Washington complaining about the double standard of liberal comedians Bill Maher and Joy Behar being tolerated when they attack conservatives, host Don Lemon defended Behar for recently painting Christians as mentally ill.
Shortly after 11:30 p.m. Eastern, as Lemon went to Washington and asked if it was enough for Bee to just apologize, she brought up the double standard favoring liberals in her response. And, even though she correctly condemned Barr's racist tweet as "ridiculous," "awful," "disgusting," and "demeaning," when the liberal Obeidallah had his turn to speak, he invented a reason to disagree with his fellow panel member because she neglected to include the word "racist" as he began his commentary:
There's a vast difference between what Samantha Bee said -- which was vulgar and provocative and wrong -- and a racist comment by Roseanne Barr. And Stacy criticized Roseanne -- didn't use the word 'racist' there.
He further defended Bee as he added: "Right now, Samantha Bee has lost two sponsors. It could result in her losing her show. I hope not. She apologized -- she's an important voice."
A bit later, Washington again complained about the double standard that Behar was allowed to stay on ABC after she lambasted Christians:
Either we care about all of it, or we don't care about any of it. So when people like Joy Behar compared, you know, hearing from God, praying to God, to mental illness, she kept her job. She was forced to apologize by the head of Disney -- she didn't even apologize because she felt bad.
Lemon then defended Behar as he jumped in:
That's a whole -- that's a whole -- context is everything. ... That's what I mean when I talk about we're going to get to a place where nobody can say anything. I saw that episode live with Joy Behar, and I thought it was like -- it's a joke. I didn't think she was comparing Christians -- but that's how it has evolved. ... She said, "It's one thing to talk to God -- it's another thing to have to -- hear voices or God talk to you." Okay, but that is not on the same level as comparing somebody to a monkey.
