Post Goes for the Jugular of Roberts' Children - (how tacky, but how predictable!)

TRADITIONAL VALUES COALITION.ORG ^ | JULY 25, 2005 | Editor, TVC

[CHARLITE]

Washington, DC – Traditional Values Coalition Executive Director Andrea Lafferty complained today that an article in the Washington Post about the clothes worn by Supreme Court nominee John Roberts’ children was “unfair and disappointing.”

Mrs. Lafferty said in a letter sent to Post Editor Leonard Downie, Jr. that the Post has now set a new pecking order for “unfair journalism which ignores substance and slides right into chortling about form.”

“If you can’t come up with something disgusting about the actual nominee or his wife then rough-up the kids some and see what happens,” Mrs. Lafferty said today.

Post fashion writer Robin Givhan complained about “the nostalgic costuming of the children” at the President’s announcement

“Just when it looked like there was an opportunity for a substantive debate over Mr. Roberts qualification for the Supreme Court, the Post drags it down to ‘your mother dresses you funny’ school yard banter.

“Maybe the cynics over at the Post are not impressed with the President or the White House but a family about to see their father nominated by the President of the United States for America’s highest court will probably want to dress-up for the occasion. Most Americans would understand what the Post views as some sort of cynical ploy and deception.

“There are clothes you wear to the playground and clothes you wear to meet the President, Mrs. Roberts and her adorable children understand that which has apparently eluded the Post.

“Let’s raise the bar on this debate back to where it is the nominee who is given a vigorous public examination. And let’s leave the rest of the family alone.”

[Mad Mammoth]

The kid is a spoiled brat and you cannot tell the difference between a brat and man.

Oh Hell man, why not just grab the nearest two by four and beat the kid senseless then? Break a few bones pal, show us what it is to "be a man", ok?

Get that macho gland radiated next week, how about it?

I wouldn't let you around any kids of mine unless they were armed with tasers to defend themselves.

You've got anger management issues if you ask me.

[SunnySide]

Agree with you. Even though I don't think pre-school age kids should be standing right next to their father at the podium with the President I still thought this four year old boy was a hoot. He cracked me up. It was innappropriate but no one had a stroke or died over it. Gawd some people need to lighten up and move on to bigger fish to fry in this crazy world.

[KosmicKitty]

How absolutely gauche!!

I decided to with hold comment and let her fashion sense (or lack thereof) speak for itself

Guess her job at Vogue was to go out for coffee and pastries

[John Lenin]

[HereInTheHeartland]

"Post fashion writer Robin Givhan complained about “the nostalgic costuming of the children”

Another example of someone who hates traditional family oriented values.
These people want to destroy our culture and replace it with a socialistic, homosexual, co-habitating, etc. culture.

[Shawndell Green]

"Smacking a child "up side the head" isn't appropriate, that is the realm of a bully."

I respectfully disagree. My dear old dad used to give me a cuff on the back of the head when I got out of line. After he smacked me, he would tell me to cut it out. The fact that he hit me in the head instead of the fanny was not important. He did not hit me hard enough to do any real damage, just enough to get my attention. It was not so much the pain of the cuff the got my attention, it was the suddenness of it and the fact that he had quite a reach, so he could let me have it from quite a distance. Because my Dad never gave me any warning before giving me a smack and because some very minor stuff could bring that cuff my way, I was always very careful to behave myself around my father and was not willing to try any crap at all, lest it bring a swat. My mother, on the other hand, used to give us kids many many warnings, with the result that we never obeyed her the first time she told us to do anything. Sometimes, after repeated warnings she would get so mad at me that she would end up giving me a real hard spanking on the fanny.

Norther my mother nor my father was a bully or abusive. Both were trying in their own way to get me to behave. But the result was that my father only very rarely every had to swat me and I was always perfectly behaved in his presence. My mother gave me many more spankings and did lots of yelling and the result was that I obeyed her when I felt like it.

If you do not want to smack your kid up side the head, that is your call. I have a sweet daughter who is spoiled, but she is well behaved and I have never had to spank her or yell at her to get her to behave. Her mother did have to give her a very few spankings in order to get her to understand that she had behave while being home schooled, but after they came to an understanding she was no problem. The reason that my wife had to spank my daughter a time or two was that previously she had spoiled her and let her get away with too much, but once my wife decided to home school my daughter, my wife figured out the bible was right and that to spare the rod was to spoil the child.

Thanks for your opinion, anyway.

[Liberty Valance]

Good Grief!
This was at the WHITE HOUSE!
The BUSH White House
http://www.evilconservativeblog.com/files/whitehouse.htm

[Jagman]

I think going for the juggler is entirely appropriate for children...

[Shawndell Green]

"At age 4, however, he was not mature enough to muster the skills necessary to be on his best behavior at all times."

Sure, I understand that. Still, I can remember being told as a very little kid when it was important to behave myself at important times and I did so. This kid was wild and a spoiled brat from the very first moment.

I remember seeing Rudy Giuliani's kid act like a spoiled brat on camera and lost a lot of respect for Rudy at that time.

There are degrees of being a brat and this kid and Rudy's kid were both about maxed out.

[Shawndell Green]

"I think you're assuming a lot about their family dynamics from one instance of an overly tired little boy just being, well, a little boy!"

Maybe. As a curmudgeon, I have a very low tolerance for loud, obnoxious, bratty children.

[AD from SpringBay]

It must have stunned the Post to discover some people dress their children to look like children and not like the latest iterations of MTV's mook and slut.

[Shawndell Green]

"And tell us how you know that the child wasn't properly disciplined later ... OFF camera."

If he had been brought up right, he never would have behaved so horribly while ON the camera. You don't teach a kid good manners with one spanking. You teach a kid good manners by being firm and consistent in what you let him get away with each and every day. Not much different than training a dog really, but most folks are not very good at training dogs either.

[mplsconservative]

The speech was at, what, 8pm? 9pm? Likely after his bed time, and from what I understand, the White House is the perfect place to be spoiled if you are a youngster. (Even during Clinton's time.)

Yes, at age 4 my son was tucked in by 8pm most assuredly. We're firm believers in keeping a schedule.

Once in awhile a special event comes up that requires us to keep him up past his bedtime.

At that tender age, it didn't ever involve having my husband nominated to the SCOTUS and a White House visit complete with national face-time on TV, however. (o: Heck, I might have been the one break-dancing from just sheer nerves! I truly believe the child was on extreme-overdrive and once that happens no amount of "the look" is going to put that toothpaste back into the tube.

I thought the children were adorable, dressed very well and the boy's behavior made me chuckle. I noticed the President was amused as well.

Some folks here just wear their panties a notch too tight, or I suspect, are new sign-on disruptors trying to throw Freepers into a "frenzy". (Note to them: People on the Right DO have a sense of humor!)

[Sloth]

It's very traditional (and yes, nostalgic) for little boys to wear shorts even to formal occasions until about ten or so.

Traditional among blind people who can't see what they look like, perhaps.

[Shawndell Green]

"How many of the 4-year-olds that you have known through the years (including yourself) were guests at the White House for dinner and then were expected to stand still and quiet in a huge room with lots of lights, cameras, and action ... well-past their bedtime and, of course, too young to understand the significance of the event?"

Even when I was four years old, when my parents told me that we were going over to house of my mother's boss and that I was to behave myself while there or else, I behaved myself while at the boss's house. Not all four year old children act like wild Indians. My church is full of well behaved and quiet three, four, and five year olds. Not much one can do with the two year olds though.

The kid was an absolute brat. He behaved horribly. Stop rationalizing the kids behavior just because his parents are republicans.

The kids are cute, the mother dressed them so that they were picture perfect. The old man is a double genius and I hope is as conservative as Scalia. But none of that changes the fact that the little boy was very very bratty and that shows that his parents have done a lousy job of raising him thus far.

[Shawndell Green]

"He was playing peek-a-boo between the columns of the Communion rail."

That is not the same as biting your mother's hand when she grabs yours to keep you from marching around while the President is speaking, is it?

[kayak]

Well, all of us aren't perfect like you are.

And, with that, I shall end this brief dialog between us. My parents taught me that it's useless to debate with someone as unyielding as a telephone pole. Nothing I say will change your mind and nothing you say will change mine so further comment is unnecessary.

[mplsconservative]

Sure, I understand that. Still, I can remember being told as a very little kid when it was important to behave myself at important times and I did so. This kid was wild and a spoiled brat from the very first moment.

I agree that children need to learn very young to behave at important times. It's not always easy, I know, but consistency is key as you have emphasized. On that point I think that you are correct.

We'll have to agree to disagree regarding this situation.

You posted earlier about many young children maintaining good behavior throughout Latin mass. Not being Catholic myself, I assume that the service is probably two hours or so in duration. For that amount of time, the childrens' patience is very commendable, and please excuse my ignorance if my timing is incorrect.

My point is, that I am willing to cut the Robert's family some slack. They are literally being thrust into the tumult with this SCOTUS nomination. This is a remarkable appointment and Mr. and Mrs. Roberts are entering a (hopefully) turning point in history. Children pick up on their parents' stress, I know mine does, no matter how well I try to hide it at times.

Please refrain from calling Jack Roberts a wild and spoiled brat. It doesn't reflect well on your 15 day membership on FR.

[Fred Hayek]

The self declared party of tolerance is comparable to a bunch of catty junior high girls.

[Shortstop7]

It was probably Jeffy Birnbaum......he makes me ill every time I see him on.