Posted on 07/16/2004 2:45:01 AM PDT by kattracks
WASHINGTON - Whoopi Goldberg lashed out at Republicans again yesterday, branding them hypocrites for trying to "punish" her for joking about the President.Fired from her gig as SlimFast spokeswoman, the salty entertainer hit back at Republicans who threatened a SlimFast boycott over sexual puns she made about President Bush's name at a Democratic fund-raiser.
"America's heart and soul is freedom of expression without fear of reprisal," she said in a statement.
"I find all this feigned indignation about 'Bush bashing' quite disingenuous," she said, noting the Bush administration has savagely gone after critics like former Sen. Max Cleland, Iraq whistleblower Joseph Wilson and ex-terrorism chief Richard Clarke.
"For the Republican Party to pretend this is new to them seems a little fake," she said.
"The fact that I am no longer the spokesman for SlimFast makes me sad, but not as sad as someone trying to punish me for exercising my right as an American to speak my mind."
The Bush-Cheney campaign has been making a lot of hay out of Goldberg's set at last week's celebrity gala at Radio City Music Hall, professing shock at her blue jokes.
Bush campaign manager Ken Mehlman called the event a "hatefest" that proves John Kerry doesn't "share the same values" as the rest of America.
Kerry, who is trying to woo swing voters, did not stand by his celeb supporters. On the defensive, he distanced himself from Goldberg and said through spokesmen that he thought her comments were inappropriate.
Running mate John Edwards was asked about the flap yesterday by Fox News. "They weren't speaking for me, and they weren't speaking for John Kerry," he said, adding the ticket is "focused on our positive, optimistic vision of hope."
Mehlman has repeatedly demanded that Kerry's camp release a video of the event, even going so far as to promise not to use the footage in ads.
Kerry campaign manager Mary Beth Cahill said tartly that he could have the video after Bush releases his military records and details of Vice President Cheney's secret energy task force.
Diversity promoter Asa Khalif, who has made headlines for accusing celebrities of insensitivity, cried foul in the Goldberg firing. "I smell racism from beginning to end," said Khalif, head of Racial Unity USA in Pennsylvania. "SlimFast must realize that black women have every right to voice their views."
Originally published on July 16, 2004
If you can call pointing out lies "savagely going after' anyone.
... but not as sad as someone trying to punish me for exercising my right as an American to speak my mind."
While the rest of us are not to be allowed the same freedom? Goldberg and her ilk don't seem to realize that Americans don't have to put up with her kind of nastiness and also have the right to speak out.
Which we did.
High five to all the Freepers who helped derail this slut's left wing gravy train.
Amazing that these idiots think that they can say and do whatever they want and that no private citizen has the same ability to criticize them or withdraw their business from the sponsors of this trash. It is absolutely incredible that they think this has anything to do with the constitutional right to free speech.
Whopi seems to think freedom of speech means freedom from responsibility too. Without "reprisal" indeed.
I almost posted a thread a couple of days ago about how long
it would take for her to start whining about being a "victim".
Exactly. Free speech for me, but not for thee.
---Running mate John Edwards was asked about the flap yesterday by Fox News. "They weren't speaking for me, and they weren't speaking for John Kerry," he said, adding the ticket is "focused on our positive, optimistic vision of hope."---
Yeah, he hopes their campaign isn't dead in the water before the convention is even over.
In a free-market, capitalistic society, we also have the right to express our opinions and Slim-Fast didn't want you making an impact on their profits via your association.
They have that right.
You "entertainers" never learn, do you? WE, the public can make or break you. If we don't want to listen to your brand of B.S., we don't have to.
Buh-bye, now!
Show me the video!!
"America's heart and soul is freedom of expression without fear of reprisal"
Tell that to Trent Lott...
Boy, she can dish it out, but can't take it. Or did she not know that with freedom of expression also comes responsibility. Or that freedom of speech is not a one-way street.
"YOU ARE WHO YOU ASSOCIATE YOURSELF WITH"
"NEVER BRING A KNIFE TO A GUNFIGHT"
congrats freepers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GODSPEED!!!!!!!
Sucks being a peasant,huh? Welcome to your preview of a Dem(on) controlled America.
"fear of reprisal" FROM THE GOVERNMENT, YOU MORON!
Take some responsibility, fer cryin' out loud.
Here's the fact of the matter: Whoopie, you area an employee of Slim*Fast. You represent them, like it or not 24/7. For that matter, you represent everyone else you endorse 24/7. We are working on them right now...
Here's how it works: Businesses make their money marketing and selling their product to consumers. The more, the merrier. This is not an election. You do not "win" if you get more than 50% of the vote.
In this case, nearly 50% of the public found your comments to be outrageous in connection with a Democratic fundraiser during an election year. You are an employee of Slim*Fast and they are paying you to represent them, so it is natural to connect your statements with their product.
If you are a business, and say some 40% of your consumer base tells you they are going to stop buying your product, it's not a time to gloat about the 60% that will still continue to buy it. It is an UNMITIGATED DISASTER!
YOU LOSE! End of story...
I was watching FOX last night and watching O'Reilly (who I really though was an idiot for calling the Harvard Law graduate a "spoiled pinhead".) talk to two people who both thought that Slim*Fast had overreacted.
Slim*Fast responded appropriately considering the consumer backlash they faced. No business wants to watch their sales plummet by some 50%.
Whoopie is perfectly justified in her criticism. After all, we ALL know that the left has NEVER, EVER tried to boycott advertisers on conservative radio talk shows.
"Kerry, who is trying to woo swing voters, did not stand by his celeb supporters"
Where's the footage?
Whoopi-G's vulgarity
Kerry smiling and laughing
Whoopi-G's vulgarity
Kerry smiling and laughing..
She talks about free speech, but they won't even release video of the actual events, which is censorship and free speech suppression at it's most blatant.
"I smell racism from beginning to end," said Khalif, head of Racial Unity USA
Who didn't see that coming?
Sounds like whoopie needs a WAAAAAAAAAAAAAmbulance.
Act like scum of the earth, then whine and snivel and play the victim.
We have freedom of reprisal from government. That does not there will not be consequences from your actions. We also have freedom to choose what products and people to support and are exercising it.
And no, Whoopi, it is not new. I seem to remember plenty of other boycotts. How about those pushing an orange juice boycott (unsuccessfully) because it was advertised on Rush Limbaugh?
Slimfast did what it had to do.
Who says boycotts don't work ?
BUMP
Looks to me like Slim Fast just gave her a big can of Whoop-$SS. Well deserved
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