MSNBC/Slate: Why we pulled Monday's Ted Rall cartoon ('cause Rall's a wuss?)

Slate/MSNBC ^ | 5.3.04

[mhking]

Item did not meet MSNBC standards of fairness and taste

MSNBC.com pulled a cartoon by syndicated political cartoonist Ted Rall on Monday.

Rall’s cartoon, distributed widely by United Press Syndicate to scores of newspapers and Web sites, concerned the late Pat Tillman, the NFL player who quit football to join the Army. Tillman was killed last month in Afghanistan.

[MattAMiller]

Could it be any more obvious that Rall just can't get over being beat up by the jocks in High School? Where would the Democratic party be if it weren't for people who spend there lives brooding over the mistreatment they exprienced in small town High Schools?

[cricket]

This in part from Andrew Sullivan/Daily Dish/Fronpage Magazine May 3 :

PROTEST RALL: The hate-monger is syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate. It's not censorship or "McCarthyism" for people to complain about any syndicate that peddles the poison that Rall lives off. Today's disgusting diatribe against Pat Tillman is so vile, so utterly devoid of any motive or argument but personal malice and hatred, some form of protest is surely merited.

Email the vice-president for print syndication, Lee Salem, and tell him what you think of Rall's cartoon. Please, please, be civil. His email is lsalem@amuniversal.com. He needs to hear from you. - 7:14:41 PM

[henbane]

Rall is plenty pissed that Rangers like Pat Tillman punched a lot of tickets for Rall's Al Qaida buddies in Afghanistan.

Rall is one sick-minded creep.

Ted Rall with Taliban pals in Afghanistan

posted at No Ted Rall on Air America [Rall re Air America: "its execution sucks"]

[Keith in Iowa]

>>Item did not meet MSNBC standards of fairness and taste

MSNBC has standards of fairness and taste? I'm shocked and awed.

[walford]

Actually, I'm thinking of posting a bunch of copies of Rall's cartoon on my college campus with a caption underneath:
"Is THIS what you believe?"

I think that this cartoon should be widely disseminated to let the general population know how the Left really thinks. I just saw it on Fox News.

Probably most are too generously willing to give the benefit of the doubt to think that a significant number of people regard those who are willing to put their lives on the line this way.

These people need to be exposed for who/what they really are, because their champion, JFKerry is planning to put Rall's mindset into practice as policy.

Afghanistan had NOTHING do do with 9/11?! Sheesh!

[veronica]

Ted Rall is a PIG.

[BushisTheMan]

Item did not meet MSNBC standards of fairness and taste

MSNBC has standards? Fairness? Taste?

Did you see who was sitting right next to Al Franken at the MSNBC table this past weekend at the Correspondents Dinner. Al "the Freak" Franken.

[walford]

Al Franken was sitting next to himself?

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

Or one of his brothers. How would you like to be a Tillman family member and happen to see something like this?!! By the way, did you read Rick Reilly's editorial in the latest Sports Illustrated? It's more of the same crap and totally dishonors the sacrifice of our guys over there.

[bfree]

He is a cowardly POS. I firmly believe the left is the enemy and should be treated that way. I have NO tolerance for garbage like this. If he meets his end soon, I would celebrate.

[American freedom fighter]

Ted Rall's cartoon which was thought to be humor was a slander to a Real Hero, and to the memory of Pat Tillman who gave his life for all Americans even you Ted. If you choose to be against a war to fight against terror that is your problem. You really don't have the right to slander other people who choose freedom over terror.

[bfree]

Rick Rielly is disgusting, do you have a link to his article?

[DoctorMichael]

Mentioned on FOX Newz tonight.

[weegee]

I think the difference in this case was that Rall made leftists look bad. He didn't say anything here that he hasn't claimed thousands of times in the past.

Ted Rall is a self-declared anarchist-socialist. He is antiAmerican government. Nothing the US government does (apart from disolving itself to be replaced by a socialist utopian pipe dream) will meet with Ted's approval.

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

No, my son got a free subscription through his school and I read the last page. Reilly's editorial. I wish I hadn't read it because it ruined my afternoon. We are living in a society filled with people who think Bill Clinton was a good president and an okay guy. Reilly is just one of many and it makes me wonder how much longer this Republic of ours has before it disintegrates into something black and evil.

[Dragonspirit]

Completely offensive.

Look at some of the comments these idiots at the DUmp are saying!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=1521565

[new cruelty]

I am amazed this crap passes as an acceptable cartoon. Does rall even collect money for this kind of stuff?

[atomicpossum]

Al "the Freak" Franken.

Al "Jazeera" Franken.

[jpl]

I hope Pat Tillman's brother bumps into this piece of crap alone in a back alley some day.

[litany_of_lies]

Yes, a polite but pointed e-mail to Mr. Salem would be in order.

Here's mine, touching on an aspect that I haven't seen commented on yet:

SUBJECT: Ted Rall Owes Pat Tillman's Family an Apology and a Retraction

Mr. Salem,

I am sure you've had your share of strident e-mails today about Mr. Rall's cartoon, and I won't add to the decibel level.

I will note, however, that Pat Tillman chose NOT to be a public figure after he entered the Army. He granted no interviews, and even refused every opportunity presented to him by the Army to help promote military service in general as a result of his decision.

It is my belief that Tillman and his family (which similarly avoided interviews and PR) have, by their conduct, earned the RIGHT to be spared the personal criticism and vitriol that seems to be the inevitable by-product of standing up for and believing in ANYTHING in America today (right or left, conservative or liberal, etc.).

So, I believe that what has been lost in all of the "de-syndicate Rall" furor is the simple lack of even the most basic decency on display. "Going after" those who are lionizing him in the news and sports media is, I suppose, fair game--incredibly ignorant, in my opinion, but fair game nevertheless. But going after Mr. Tillman personally, as Mr. Rall did ("idiot" "sad"), and certain other columnists have, is, for the reason I noted above, simply and obviously out of bounds.

If Mr. Rall doesn't see the difference, you as a presumably decent human being should be the one to pull the plug on him without having to hear from hundreds or thousands of denigrators to do so.

Regards,

---

There, I feel (a little) better.

If Ted Rall were around in the 50s, the best gig he could hope for would have been the Workers World Daily.