Sanford e-mails detail intimate affair with woman from Argentina
http://www.thestate.com/
The line between solid news and tabloid journalism is further blurred.
The line between solid news and tabloid journalism is further blurred.
I cringed last night while Keith Olbermann mocked the contents of emails sent by South Carolina Governor Sanford (R) to his lover. I couldn't understand why Keith felt so compelled to read the elove letters word for word. I could not find one bit of newsworthy information in his routine. I was sickened by the glint of joy I saw in Keith's eyes as he pounded away at the contents of the love letters.
Then came Rachel Maddow, the political commentator that I trust most. And she seemed to be making fun of Sanford's emails. My heart sank. I was ashamed to be a liberal if being a liberal meant that we cheered the unnecessary fire bombing of a person's love life.
The content of these emails has absolutely nothing to do with this story and they should never have been released. The story is that the Sanford lied to his staff and left the state and country without telling anyone. His affair is part of the story only because of his political positions regarding values, etc. The contents of the emails has nothing to do with anything.
Please, Keith and Rachel, if you have any sense of decency, apologize for your mocking attitude towards this man's love letters. After all, who hasn't been in love? Who hasn't spilled their guts out to someone else? Who deserves to have those musing posted all around the world?
Wasn't it enought that Sanford was beat down by his own actions? Wasn't it enough that he has been sidelined from national politics and may even be forced to resign his office?
As Abe Lincoln said, it is ususally most wise and humane to "let 'em up easy".
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For those who would absolve Rachel, I ask you to watch the video of last night's show (on DKos front page or at the link below). She refers to the emails as "bombshell emails". Those defending Rachel say that the emails are why Sanford confessed to the affair. That may be, but he had already confessed before the emails were posted on the newspaper website. The emails were proof of nothing that Sanford did not already admit to.
At 2:32 in the video, Rachel says she can't read the email "like Keith did" because she would blush so much that she'd fall out of her chair. I believe Rachel is trying to have her cake and eat it too. She wants to be above mocking the emails, yet refers to Keith's mocking of them, and indeed allows the emails to be shown on the TV screen. And she does it all with a smile on her face.
Here is video link:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/...