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.

[pgkdan]

Then again, I could almost imagine Baba Walters guffawing that she hoped she could sit in Scott Brown’s lap...)

I could too...the old tramp has a history of sleeping around with Republican Senators from MA.

[True Republican Patriot]

Chrissy Wallace is apparently a Retarded Pervert!

[Grunthor]

It was a bad joke however would Wallace have made it about a male political figure?

[xzins]

Wallace was wrong. Thompson is right.

In a different age, Wallace could have been shot.

[DogBarkTree]

Thank you for posted the audio link to the Imus Wallace exchange. After hearing it myself for the first time I dont see where there should be a problem or need for apology. Imus was being Imus and Wallace only responded in a fair humor way. If we asked Sarah what she thought I bet she would take it in good stride.

[evad]

Basic rule of FR 101 hennie...

Never assume the premise

[Carley]

IPUS continued to bash Sarah this morning. He’s simply trying to gain favor with the dem hacks who come on his show. He just loves jon carry. Nuff said.

[b9]

If we asked Sarah what she thought I bet she would take it in good stride.

You Betcha!

[Tribune7]

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

Getting upset over an apparently off-the-cuff comment in a conversational context is an overreaction.

And it's not Sarah who is complaining, although now the people are talking about it she's probably going to say Wallace shouldn't have said it, and he shouldn't have.

[pnh102]

What are you, a lap dance pimp?

You offering? :)

[adc]

Something thing he DID say in the interview to her was to "try really hard to be an analyst" (paraphrased), in response to his next question. She gave it right back by saying in her. . . I know what you're doing here way, “oh, I'll try”, or “I'll do my best”. Wallace has always been the most annoying guy on FN. Condescending.

[kezzek]

Unbelievable - Wallace must apologize. I see there are plenty of double standard people posting here as well. You either understand the wrong in this, or you are part of the blinded group who continues to allow sexism and all the other isms to thrive today.

[LuvFreeRepublic]

There is an appropriate time, place and audience for “jokes”. Wallace was off on this one, but as a result there is an opportunity for Palin. Wallace and Palin should have a minimal discussion about the remark and then get into the bimbo issue, jokes about women's’ qualifications, remarks about clothing, etc. Lay it on the table and hit it it hard. Palin will then be in the position to quip back at some of the more asinine comments, like when she asked about the picture of her in the shorts.

[b9]

In politics and the world of men, women are either a fox or a dog.
Call them either at your own peril.

[OldGoatCPO]

I’d say better than 50/50 Wallace would let Scott Brown sit on his lap.

[OldGoatCPO]

Apologize for what? Did you actually listen to the exchange.

[Anti-Bubba182]

Wallace should be made to look at a naked picture of I-Man for two hours.

[dools007]

Ping and ping. I’m sick and tired of the left’s continual whining about being offended. To pretend that Palin is not an attractive woman is disingenuiness at best. In any case, if the Governor was offended I would think she would say it herself.

[Marty62]

You do not give the enemy amunition. I agree with her.

[qwertypie]

This is simply SO outrageously inappropriate, that it's difficult to articulate...

It's difficult to articulate because the description of making a mountain out of the molehill looks silly when written in words.

Conservatives should be reserved and polite in public settings, so Wallace should not have said what he said. But all of the high dudgeon that this joke amounts to discrimination is a pile of bull. As others above have said, too many GOP women have accepted, embraced an adopted the noxious and illogical position of the feminists. And then they wonder why leftism is on the march?