Thursday, May 10, 2007

Where's the Coverage on Al Sharpton's Anti-Mormon Remark?

The MSM is filled with examples of bias, from the types of stories which get covered to the language, placement, and photos used to cover an event.

The lack of coverage of Al Sharpton's anti-Mormon remarks is an example of bias by lack of reporting.

Civil rights activist Al Sharpton, who led the charge to have radio host Don Imus fired for making racially insensitive remarks, is now under fire for a comment about Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's Mormon faith.

During a debate on religion and politics at the New York Public Library with atheist author Christopher Hitchens, Sharpton said, "As for the one Mormon running for office, those that really believe in God will defeat him anyway, so don't worry about that. That's a temporary situation."

On the campaign trail in Iowa Wednesday, Romney fired back, calling Sharpton's comment "terribly misguided." (Watch Sharpton's comment and the controversey that followed )

"It shows that bigotry still exists in some corners," Romney said. "I thought it was a most unfortunate comment to make."

Asked if he thought Sharpton is a bigot, the former Massachusetts governor said, "I don't know Rev. Sharpton. I doubt he is personally such a thing. But the comment was a comment which could be described as a bigoted comment.

"Perhaps he didn't mean it that way, but the way it came out was inappropriate and wrong."

Sharpton said his remarks were being taken out of context and that he was responding to an attack by Hitchens, who, he said, had charged that the Mormon Church supported segregation until the 1960s.

"In no way did I attack Mormons or the Mormon Church when I responded that other believers, not atheists, would vote against Mr. Romney for purely political reasons," Sharpton said in a written statement.

He also accused Romney's campaign of engaging in "a blatant effort to fabricate a controversy to help their lagging campaign."

I found this story on Memeorandum, buried about halfway down the page.

Can you imagine the furor such a remark would have caused had it been made by Rudy Giuliani or John McCain? Even if Sharpton was "taken out of context," that's never stopped the MSM from tarring Republicans with the term "bigot." Why kid gloves with Sharpton?