Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch agrees with star Glenn Beck; says President Obama made racist statement

What a difference an election can make.

In May 2008, News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch sang Barack Obama's praises, calling him "a rock star" and the likely winner of November's presidential contest. That was an endorsement which meant something, given Murdoch's reputation as a supporter of conservative politics and bankroller of both the right-friendly Fox News Channel and New York Post newspaper.

Back then, punditizers like me figured Murdoch had read the tea leaves, expected Obama to win, and wanted to make sure the new administration didn't immediately take on his lengthy list of American TV stations and media outlets.

So what to make of Murdoch's recent statement agreeing with Fox News superstar Glenn Beck when he calls the president a "racist....with a deep seated hatred of white people and white culture."

(UPDATE: A spokesman for News Corp. has told Politico Murdoch does not think the President is racist.)

Murdoch made the statement in an interview with an Australian broadcaster -- which he, by the way, owns a piece of -- where he also talks about charging consumers for online content -- also an about-face for a mogul who initially tried to take down the Wall Street Journal's pay wall after he bought the company.

Slate's most-excellent media columnist Jack Shafer points out that Uncle Rupert has a long history of lying in public statements when it serves his interests, and the only thing you can really trust, is his actions.

So I'm expecting him to walk back these comments the next time he needs some kind of government exemption to keep his TV empire intact here in America.

Check out his words here; comment comes at about 18 minutes:

Comments

[Mike]

what's with using the word retarded? shameful. it's demeans people with special needs and makes you look like a total tool.

[Bobray]

People will always see an event through whatever bias they have. I was born and raised in New Orleans and now live in Florida. I really am amused when some media types, who never cared about N.O. before the storm, use an evert such as Katrina to further their political bias.

FACT: New Orleans proper is very poor and very black. FACT: New Orleans being below sea level, was always expecting for the "big one" one day. FACT: When the storm did happen, the poor and black were impacted most. It wasn't a plan by George Bush, it was a reality of the population makeup.

Unfortunately the big one did come. And the story that's not really told, it was selective in where it caused damage. For the most part, the poorest areas of the city were flooded. Metairie, the West Bank, other suburbs were spared. Those areas are thriving today in a way I'd never seen before the storm.

Who's to blame? Well, mother nature caused the storm. Not George Bush. Were the local and state politicians prepared? No. Should the federal response been more aggressive? Probably.
But I went back only a few months after the storm, when the city still reeked of mold and mildew and looked like an atomic bomb went off. Sure, much property was lost. But the fact that thousands and thousands didn't lose their lives amazed me. This wasn't traditional hurricane damage of wind and rain. Where the residents could come back to something resembling normal. The flooded part of the city were gone. Not inhabitable. And unfortunately that fact impacted the poor more than anyone.

The feds can take a lot of blame for not responding in the aftermath. But, the local/state gov't didn't have a proper plan in place before the fact, and they (mostly Democrats, by the way), shoulder much of the blame for not being prepared.

[David]

Bobby makes some very interesting points here -- Louisiana has a LONG history of corruption, often directly at the expense of its residents.

Retired Congressman Billy Tauzin once issued this description of his home state: "Half of Louisiana is under water and the other half is under indictment."

For a look at just how corrupt this state is -- and it is right up there with Illinois, which spawned our current President -- here is an interesting article that covers things quite nicely:

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/051010/10louisiana.htm

Katrina presented an interesting challenge -- it required an efficient response from the state/local government BEFORE it hit New Orleans. However, neither the mayor nor the governor were up to the task, and from that point, it became an exercise in finger-pointing.

I've had relatives in Louisiana since the late 1600's, and have made several trips to New Orleans. The reality is that this is a city that should NEVER have been built. It's lower than sea-level, for god's sake, and will ALWAYS suffer major damage in the event of a major hurricane.

Having a corrupt local government certainly didn't help matters, and yet, Nagin was re-elected.

Remember, if you cannot help yourself, life is going to be tough. Not everyone in N.0. was an invalid, and given that they lack ANY form of decent local leadership, it's no shock that this was a complete disaster.

Even more pathetic, 4+ years after Katrina, the city of New Orleans is no more prepared to handle the next big hurricane.

[Bobby]

Among liberals, particularly those on the Far Left, it's become sort of an article of faith that Bush personally used Katrina to destroy New Orleans.

No matter that for decades, under presidents both D and R, hundreds of millions if not billions of dollars were allocated to New Orleans and Louisiana to bolster levees and ensure that if a Cat 5 hurricane came their way, disaster wouldn't ensue.

And do you know why such a high percentage of those dollars never made it to the levees? Because of widespread corruption, on the federal, state and local levels.

In particular, members of Congress representing Louisiana often chose to divert those funds to their own pet projects.

And the level of corruption of various Louisiana governors (mostly Dems) and mayors of New Orleans (mostly Dems), who let infrastructure and education and law enforcement and everything else in New Orleans atrophy until it was in the sorry state that it was in in the early '90s.

Yes, federal forces could have and should have acted more quickly.

But as others have pointed out, Governor Weepy Blanco and Ray "Chocolate City" Nagin are far more to blame for New Orleans' post-Katrina crisis than anyone on the federal level.

In yet another measure of who's to blame, check out who was re-elected after the Katrina disaster - yep, Ray Nagin, who had failed the city so miserably. So even the people of New Orleans apparently don't or won't act in their own self-interest.

[Tallaman]

Eric and Lin, You both astound me with your naivette - your comments are juvenile. Do you really think Bush should have personally piloted a helicopter or truck loaded with drinking water to the Superdome after Katrina?

After the failure of the city and state government to prepare or respond, the feds have an entire bureacracy designed to handle emergencies, and other than ensure funding, sign emergency orders and stay out of the way, no president plays an active role in it.

The mayor and the governor should have had much more personal involvement, and both failed. I recall a photo showing dozens of buses sitting in a flooded NO parking lot that could have been used to evacuate.

To suggest Bush did not carry out his role because the victims were black is silly. The failure was primarily local and race had nothing to do with it. Race is too often used as a crutch when no other reason to blame holds water.

[Fred For Freedom]

Its American as apple pie-to blame our elected government for any and every thing that occurs.
Its time that persons of the same position on issues-seek to improve their collective position-and not cast blame before engaging corrective actions.
The government is not a gaint parent for "its childrenlkie adults in America."
Grow up-is the goal to be taught our youth.

[DoctorDoom]

Lin,

as usual you and eric spout the company line and make no response to the arguemnts presented to you.

Give specific examples of a recent disaster on teh scale of Katrina that included a corrupt city and incompetent mayor, a governor who delayed asking for federal help due to her own lack of a plan that turned out differently.

You will not be able to.

Being poor sucks. My point is do everything you can to not be poor. Millions of illegals pour into america and make billions of dollars. Why can many of our own citizens not do so. Are the all so disadvantaged they cannot succeed?

If you cannot protect yourself and your family, danger will find you and the government will not protect you.

Let me ask you, do you sleep with your windows open and your doors unlocked at night because the government law enforcement will protect you? Or, do you make efforts to protect yourself?

You want a nanny state - I will take care of myself thank you.

And I will succeed more than others who rely on government

[Lin Young]

Dr. Doom: Not everyone is always going to be able to care for themselves in an emergency. That is why moral, decent people through the centuries have agreed that the measure of a society is how it treats its most vulnerable citizens.

The issue with Hurricane Katrina was that the federal government chose not to respond to Katrina in the way that the federal government has traditionally responded to hurricanes before and since Katrina.

That is why people have said that it was a racist response.

You may argue that people should be self-sufficient, but you cannot make a credible argument that our government can pick and choose which people it demands self-reliance from during an emergency.

Our government responded differently to Hurricane Katrina than it did to any hurricanes before or after Katrina.

Because Katrina affected a predominantly black population, it is logical to conclude that racism was at the heart of the government's failure to provide the same level of support to the victims of Hurricane Katrina that it had provided to predominantly white victims of previous hurricanes and that it has since provided to predominantly white victims of subsequent hurricanes.

Eric is one in a line of people who have thought that a government should serve its citizens. And he right, the government is us. If you think it is not a moral duty for members of society to help their neighbors in a time of need, then I don't want you in my neighborhood. Maybe that's why you don't use your real name.

And I think there are a lot of other people who have walked this earth who would have rather not had you in their neighborhood either.

In honor of the children, the elderly, the sick and those in hospitals and nursing homes who were not evacuated and who died after several days of not receiving water, food and other aid after Katrina struck, I offer these quotes:

"The most certain test by which we judge whether a country is really free is the amount of security enjoyed by minorities," ~John E. E. Dalberg, Lord Acton, The History of Freedom in Antiquity, [1877].

"A decent provision for the poor is the true test of civilization,"
~Samuel Johnson, Boswell: Life of Johnson

"...the moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; those who are in the shadows of life; the sick, the needy and the handicapped," ~ Last Speech of Hubert H. Humphrey

"A nation's greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members," ~ Mahatma Ghandi

"Any society, any nation, is judged on the basis of how it treats its weakest members -- the last, the least, the littlest," ~Cardinal Roger Mahony, In a 1998 letter, Creating a Culture of Life

[DoctorDoom]

Eric,

You illustrate the points so clearly.

Let me sum up your points in 4 words. . .

"The government that failed..."

Government fails all the time. All I am saying is don't put yourself in a position to have to depend on the government. Get an education and a skill, get a job so you have a car and money to drive out of harm's way, or buy a bus ticket.

Posturing about the change that needs to occur is all well and good, but it helps no one - ever.

I am amazed that anyone would be against self-reliance. What do you have against people getting an education?

Your point of view seems to be that if someone is unable to succeed it is someone else's fault.

You have a better chance of dating Halle Berry than you have of the feds making sure you are taken care of.

Should something like Katrina ever happen again? Of course not. Will it? Absolutely. When those who have the ability to leave impending devastation can, the one's who do not have those means will be left behind. That is the lesson of Katrina.

[Eric Deggans]

Seems to me that it is easy to talk about being self reliant when it isn't you sitting on a rooftop hoping someone will save you after a disaster.

You speak of government as if it is some distant bogeyman or helper. It is not.

Government is us. Especially when it comes to natural disasters, government is your neighbors, and friends and fellow residents helping each other. Or not.

The governmental boards which failed to keep the levy system in New Orleans in good condition were composed of local residents.

The city officials who mistakenly calculated that the Superdome could hold massive crowds after a flood were also local residents.

A government's Job One is protecting its citizens -- from outside attack or natural disasters within. It's the ultimate expression of neighbor helping neighbor.

I don't think those of you touting the self-reliance banner would tolerate an ineffective police force or fire department in your own backyard.

So why are you willing to tolerate the biggest failure of emergency services in recent memory?

[Realist -- it's what's lacking in DC]

Doctor Doom summed it up so well I am going to quote him again:

"The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina should be taught to every kid in America. If you fail to secure your free public education, if you fail to develop a skill and a work ethic, you will most likey end up poor. And sooner or later you will be standing on a symbolic rooftop, waiting for help."

Without a focus on education, more than likely you will end up poor. In a sense, poor people are not in control of their own destiny, and often have limited choices. Too many people in NOLA did not have the ability to evacuate -- THE ABILITY TO GET OUT OF HARM'S WAY -- because they were poor.

You should never depend on government assistance in an emergency. They have proven their incompetence repeatedly.

As far as Murdoch's comments are concerned, it sounds like he is manipulating the media.....who of course, prefers to do the manipulation themselves. No harm, no foul.

[DoctorDoom]

"There is no question the Bush Administration was slow in getting relief to the hurricane zone. That is legitimate criticism. But Gov Blanco did not have a disaster plan in place, did not have enough state police and National Guard to secure a city the size of NOLA and did not push for federal healp soon enough.

However, NOLA is not about race it is about class. If you are poor, you are powerless, not only in the USA but anywhere on earth. If you do not have the money to protect yourself fROm danger, danger is going to find you. All the political gibberish and posturing on either side is not going to change that.

The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina should be taught to every kid in America. If you fail to secure your free public education, if you fail to develop a skill and a work ethic, you will most likey end up poor. And sooner or later you will be standing on a symbolic rooftop, waiting for help.

Chances are that help will not be quick in coming."

[Ted Kennedy, the liberal lyin']

Now remember kids, it's NOT NICE to criticize President Obama. You're talking about a man who, along with winning a No-Bell Prize, is well on his way to curing cancer, world hunger, the AIDS crisis, and Nancy Pelosi's mysterious frozen face.

And as far as anon's post @6:33 pm regarding "I'm not even sure it's possible for black people to be racist". My friend Mr. Louis Farrakhan would respectfully disagree with you!

[Dan]

BSsniffer: blithering idiot, complete moron, embarrassment to America.

[Pat]

"Entitled?"

[Super Scribbler]

Get a grip people, Rupert Murdoch is one of the very few capitalists still growing his businesses in Obamanation.

The WSJ is the only major newspaper gaining readers. Fox News Channel is on fire. FBN got Imus. Fox Entertainment tops the age demos. Fox Newsradio is growing. Fox 13 is first like other News Corp local stations.

I agree with Murdoch, who agrees with Beck, who opines the president hates whites and unlike Obama, they're entitled.

[Ken]

Careful, Eric. Your biases are showing. "Right friendly Fox News Channel?"

I bet you'd never say or write "Left friendly MSNBC."

[Pat]

Murdoch and FOX are using every tool in efforts to undermine the President. They-as a collective group-are destroying our country.

[politically incorrect]

Who cares what an 85 year old pirate wanna-be thinks/says and I care even less what a drugged out,former alkie,schizophrenic ego maniacal, semi illiterate fool spouts off to those even less informed? No thanks, I'll get my news from reliable sources and not infotainment shows/networks.

[Rick]

Ray Nagin, the notoriously inept Democratic mayor of New Orleans ...

[Rick]

You're not seriously saying that George Bush caused Hurricane Katrina, are you? He's a lot of things, but he's not Mother Nature.

You're not seriously blaming Bush for causing New Orleans, a city that was already below sea level before the arrival of a Cat 5 hurricane, to "fester and die" are you?

Remember, it was Ray Nagin, the notoriously inept Democratic governor, who waited until the last minute to ask his citizens to evacuate, and Democratic Governor Kathleen Blanco whose leadership vacuum hurt her state's people even more.

You're not seriously excusing that idiot Kanye West's racist statement about Bush because poor Kanye was "emotional" are you? Is that also Kanye's excuse for having tantrums on awards shows?

And I know you'd rather avoid the subject but even you would have to admit that Obama has allied himself closely with folks who have made racist statements, like the notorious Rev. Wright, and Van Jones (who said "white companies" plotted to poison black neighborhoods or some such nonsense).

[anon]

[good point about New Orleans Eric. if those people had been white there is no way Bush would have left them to die like that. Bush was racist.]

I'm really not sure if it's even possible for black people to be racist. But the first time I heard that kind of allegation was when I read my then husband an article that an old boyfriend had written. Maybe every husband is jealous of old boyfriends, I don't know. All I know is that he accused my black former boyfriend of being racist.

I still can't understand what my former husband was basing his allegation on.

As far as Barack Obama calling his white grandma a "typical white person" - after she made comments that hurt his feelings because the comments were racist - I have to say Obama was right. His grandma was a typical white person who is racist and maybe doesn't even realize it. I called my own mother racist. And she was. On her deathbed, despite the fact I had been married to a white man for 18 years, my mother still made an issue of the fact that I had dated a black man 25 years earlier. And by "issue," I mean she made it sound like it was akin to murder. That's pretty outrageous. But it's also part of why I'm not sad my mother is dead.

If someone wants to persuade me that black people are racist, they are going to have to come up with some concrete examples. But this thing of hurling unsubstantiated allegations that blacks are racist if they bring up the fact that whites are racist is just outrageous.

And saying that Obama made a racist comment is the same as calling him racist, which he is not. It was not a racist comment for Obama to call his grandma a racist, it was just a statement of fact. Since when it is racist to state a truth?

That would be like calling me racist for stating that my mother was racist. But how would that work since both my mom and I were white. Just because Obama is black and his grandma was white, doesn't make him racist for calling her one. It just doesn't work.

And both Murdoch and Beck are totally crazy to call Obama a racist with a deep seated hatred of whites. Obama is half white. His mom and grandparents were white. Did he need to marry a white woman to prove he didn't hate whites? He himself is, after all, half white. Look at the way the guy smiles and how relaxed he is, does he look like a guy who hates himself?

[Eric Deggans]

If Barack Obama had allowed a predominantly white populated city to fester and die after a disaster the way George Bush let New Orleans suffer after Hurricane Katrina, I think Glenn Beck would be the first pundit on air accusing him of racism.

But -- you're not seriously comparing an emotional reaction to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina to Obama criticizing a police officer for an arrest even the Cambridge police department admitted was a mistake?

Are you?

[Rick]

Interesting that most in the media didn't blink when, in a nationally televised Katrina fundraiser, that idiot Kanye West said, "George Bush doesn't like black people."

So it was okay for a black rap star to say that a white president was a racist, but it's not okay for a popular white broadcaster to say that a biracial president is racist?

I think that Kanye and Beck were and are both wrong.

But even you would have to admit that Obama has allied himself closely with folks who have made racist statements, like the notorious Rev. Wright, and Van Jones (who said "white companies" plotted to poison black neighborhoods or some such nonsense).

[Robin 'Roblimo' Miller]

Boolean algebra is a useful tool in situations like this:

IF "Beck + Murdoch" = "white people" THEN "BHO hates white people" = TRUE

IF "BHO's surfer buds from high school" = "white people" THEN "BHO hates white people" = NOT TRUE

A more accurate corollary statement:

IF "Beck + Murdoch" = "dickheads" AND "BHO hates dickheads" THEN "BHO hates Beck + Murdoch" = TRUE

[rriddler]

I must have missed something. I fast forwarded to the 18 minute mark, but I never heard him call him a racist. He does say that Obama made a very racist comment, which is true.

Obama has called his Grandmother a "typical white person", which certainly is a racist comment.

Although I disagree, I guess by the standards that you apply to others, this would make Obama a racist.

[BSsniffer]

Rupert Murdoch: Communications giant, media visionary, aussie-american hero.

[Murdoch -- Australian for Retarded]

wow, does that man hate democracy or what!

what an insult to our first amendment.