by digby
DONAHUE: That’s right. As a Catholic, I believe that everyone has the capacity to come to Jesus, to come to know Jesus, and to be saved. It’s not the function of some sort of genetic code. You know, this same guy came up with this idea of the “gay gene”, all right? I remember when that conversation was going on, gays were all of the sudden worrying if people would start aborting kids if they found out the DNA suggested that the kid might be gay. God forbid we run out of little gay kids. So all of the sudden, they became pro-life. Now here we have a situation where some of the atheists, they may want to have…to abort the kids if they thought in fact there was some type of religious-inclined gene. God forbid they might have a kid who believes in God
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Update: Media Matters caught Donohue yesterday on Kudlow and Company:
BEINART: It’s absurd. It’s absurd we’re talking about this issue given the magnitude of the problems facing the country. What those women said was absolutely disgusting.
UNIDENTIFIED GUEST: Agree.
BEINART: I would never defend it in a million years. But I think the question — there is —
KUDLOW: Then why didn’t he fire them and keep them fired, Peter?
BEINART: It seems to me there is —
KUDLOW: Keep them fired.
BEINART: There is —
CONWAY: Absolutely.
KUDLOW: I mean, you know, this reflects on Mr. Edwards’ judgment.
BEINART: Let me say. If you were to go through — if I could just — if I could finish —
KUDLOW: This reflects on his character, Peter.
BEINART: If you wouldn’t mind —
KUDLOW: Why didn’t he keep them fired? That’s my question.
BEINART: If you wouldn’t mind letting me finish, Mr. Donohue. You have made anti-Jewish, anti-gay comments —
DONOHUE: I didn’t say a word. What are you talking about?
BEINART: Bill Donohue has made anti-Jewish, anti-gay comments —
DONOHUE: No, I haven’t.
BEINART: — which are as bad as what these women — you said that the secular Jewish Jews in Hollywood hate Christianity. That’s a horrible, bigoted —
DONAHUE: Wait a minute. Wait, wait.
BEINART: — statement, so it seems to me the question becomes —
DONOHUE: Peter. Peter —
BEINART: — what is our standard here?
DONOHUE: Peter, the Jewish Forward said in 2004 that Jews run Hollywood. Are they anti-Semitic?
BEINART: You said they hate Christianity, Mr. Donohue.
DONOHUE: Oh, we like the movies that are coming out of Hollywood. They’re very nice to Catholics.
BEINART: No, no. Did you say that or not?
DONOHUE: They’re very nice to Catholics.
BEINART: You said that secular Jews in Hollywood hate Christianity.
DONOHUE: What world do you live in? What world do you live in? Have you seen what they — what movies they make about Catholics?
BEINART: Yeah. Do you defend that statement?
DONOHUE: I defend the fact — there’s two parts to the statement. One part is, right out of the Jewish Forward: Jews run Hollywood. If you think it’s the Chinese, make your case. And do they make nice movies about Catholics, or do they make lousy movies?
BEINART: You said they hate Christians.
DONOHUE: What kind of a — well, oh, I’m telling you —
BEINART: You say — you made a blanket statement about secular Jews in Hollywood that hate Christians.
DONOHUE: No, I’m talking about — no, I’m talking about the movies that come out of Hollywood, and the predominant ones — you got [director Martin] Scorsese. He’s not Jewish. It’s the people in Hollywood. There’s a mindset about this, and I think you should talk to The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times, which have said that the Hollywood studios are dominated by Jews. I tried to even qualify it more than that.
BEINART: You’re bobbing and weaving more than Edwards.
DONOHUE: I’m not going to put up with it. I’m not the issue here, Peter.
KUDLOW: I want to — I want to get Frank —
DONOHUE: You want to take me on on this, I’ll take you on any day of the week.
KUDLOW: Hang on a second, Bill. I want to get Frank —
PRESS: Hey Larry, this proves why this issue is not going to win.
KUDLOW: No, Bill Press, please. Let me bring in Frank Luntz, who’s been very patient and extremely well-mannered.
Watch the video at the link to see Donohue almost blow his top.
Good for Peter Beinert. He was prepared with the proper information to challenge Donohue’s standing to accuse other of religious bigotry. The NY Times and most of the rest of the media failed in their duty to put this man in the proper context as someone whose history of anti-semitic, anti-gay and other extremely controversial rhetoric renders his accusations against others for bias and bigotry suspect at the very least.
If David Duke shows up at their door complaining about affirmative action, do they rush into print?
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