Shuster asked guest Kevin Jackson if the recent allegations of supposed racist activity at healthcare reform protests on Capitol Hill this weekend, as well as vandalism at the offices of some Democrat members of Congress, were proof that right-wing rhetoric was getting out of hand.
"Well, I've been to many Tea Parties around the country, and I've yet to see anybody, any real violence towards anybody," said Jackson. "So, I think it's a bit overstated."
When Shuster asked if Jackson had been at the Capitol Saturday when members of the Democratic Black Caucus were supposedly "greeted with derogatory racial slurs," he calmly responded, "Wasn't there for that, but saw the video about it, and determined that a lot of what they were saying had happened actually hadn't occurred" (video embedded below the fold with partial transcript and commentary, h/t NB reader Thomas Campbell):
Shuster later asked if Jackson was okay with how President Obama is depicted in signs at Tea Party rallies, "whether it's the Hitler mustache, or being depicted as like the Joker."
Jackson marvelously responded:
It's par for the course. Every President that's been elected has gone through something like that. Bush has been, was demonized as a, as a gorilla, as a chimpanzee, as a cowboy, cowpoke, and a host of other things. In fact, he was depicted as Hitler many, many times. I did a blog about how Bush was depicted as Hitler more than Obama was. So, that's just par for the course. That's what happens. One side wins, the other side goes after him. So I don't see any difference between him, between Obama and any other President in this respect.
Shuster clearly didn't like this answer, and pressed Jackson to give examples of Republican offices being vandalized when Bush was President.
Jackson then asked the pivotal question that real journalists would be asking if they weren't acting as advocates: "Do you have the actual evidence of the people who threw [bricks into Democrat office windows]?"
Exactly. At this point, all we have are allegations and nothing else.
Until arrests are made and the background of those involved in these incidents is brought to light, it is irresponsible of Shuster or any so-called journalist to blame Tea Partiers or anyone else.
Sadly, this should be obvious to a member of the press, but in this day and age when news outlets are filled with advocates pushing an agenda, journalistic integrity is no longer the rule.
Those interested in learning more about Jackson should visit his website "The Black Sphere."
