Jeri Thompson: Fox's Wallace owes Palin an apology

Politico ^ | 2/5/10 | Ben Smith

[pissant]

Jeri Thompson blasted Fox News host Chris Wallace on the Fred Thompson show today, calling his joke that he hoped Sarah Palin would sit on his lap during an interview with him "inappropriate" and "insipid," and demanding "action from Fox.

Thompson, the wife of the former senator and presidential candidate, told POLITICO's Jonathan Martin that the remark, to Fox Business's Don Imus, amounted to misogyny, and that she was tired of seeing it from "these dirty old men" on Fox, a network that she said ought to be respectful of conservative women.

"Sarah Palin is now part of the Fox family," Thompson said on the show. "She deserves you all watching her back -- and I do not mean it literally."

Wallace, she said, "owes her an apology."

"Not only is she a national figure – she deserves the respect that any other man would get in that situation," Thompson said, saying that her inbox was full of complaints from conservative women over the segment, and that the Palin group Team Sarah, as well as the anti-abortion Susan B. Anthony List, were dismayed by the segment.

"I hope that Fox does something about this, and they actually take this on, because it is not funny," Thompson said.

[pissant]

Yikes. That’s 10 foot pole material.

[Lorianne]

It seems his comment was just an off hand remark at the end of a show.

THE QUESTION was inappropriate (but then what can you expect from given the source ... what a doofus).

Chris will probably apologize and Palin will probably accept and that’ll be it.

[Servant of the Cross]

This kind of PC overreaction is what the sissy libs do. Not conservatives. Reminds me of:

Rush's reaction to the Rahm retard stuff.

This Chris Wallace "lap" stuff was started by IMUS. Wallace just tried to respond to IMUS in a funny way. I thought he did.

Um, Jeri try the decaf.

[DariusBane]

Well, come on, he was on the Imus show, and you never know what that twisted up old narcissist is going to ask you. In that situation you have a nano second to decide whether to go along with Imus or to take a different tact. Sometimes with that old pervert you are better off just humoring him or it’s just going to get worse. So he was in a tough situation. Wallace could just say something like that and move on. Poor taste. Yes. All That? NO.

[pnh102]

Yes—but it plays into the bimbo stereotype too.

The only people who believe that women on our side are bimbos are leftists. Why should we care what they think?

[I see my hands]

"Sometimes a joke should just be left as a joke"

No. This is war, patriot, and every blink of an eye needs to be scrutinized and exploited.

Traitors dispatched to the narrow mattresses.

[Petronski]

Try the veal.

[pissant]

Then FR ought to aplogize for all the Palin, Malkin, Bachmann, etc comments regarding their hotness. I wouldn’t recommend holding your breath though.

[Onerom99]

Palin overreacted to Rahm. I don’t think Jeri is overreacting here.

Wallace was totally out of line.

[Texas Eagle]

And don’t forget to tip the waitresses.

[maggief]

I don’t think Brennan’s “500-mile screwdriver” would touch ‘em.

[Hot Tabasco]

I saw the interview and the entire segment was harmless......In fact, I find Chris Wallace one of the best guys on FOX who not only knows how to conduct a professional interview but also has a sense of humor........

Mrs. Thompson needs to chill out.....

[Las Vegas Ron]

Cool, an updated version!

[Colonel_Flagg]

It bothers me because she is a happily-married mother of five, and Wallace knows it.

Amen. But even if Wallace didn't know it, he could still try to be a gentleman. It appears there are fewer and fewer around nowadays. The honorable thing to do would be to apologize.

[trumandogz]

Wallace crossed the line and should be fired or suspended.

[Hot Tabasco]

Chris should apologize and simply admit that his “joke” was bad,

Did you actually see the segment or are you relying strictly on what you read?

[pnh102]

And if a male executive publicly said the same about a female executive in a business context, would you think that appropriate too?

Funny. I don't recall myself saying that Wallace's behavior was "appropriate" or not.

[caww]

Yep your right....besides Palin can and does handle her own fights quite well...otherwise she just “plows thru” the nonsense.

[paulycy]

I guess I wasn't paying attention 'cause I missed this little "joke" but I did notice that Wallace tried two or three times to do some gotcha questions, and once tried to do a hit and run negative comment but she wouldn't let him. She owned him entirely.

It's at least possible that Chris Wallace learned today first-hand that Sarah is not the dumb simpleton she is described as in the media circles he inhabits.

GO SARAH!

[jim from nebraska]

Chris was just responding to Imus being a ass making a joke. But one of the things I hate about dems is how they take everything so serious. Lighten up a joke is a joke. I love fred and jerri but I hope people can learn to just laugh.