Pelosi, House Dem Women Jeer At Reporter’s Question About Age (VIDEO)

[DonViejo]

Source: TPM



DAVID TAINTOR 11:12 AM EST, WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2012

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and her female Democratic colleagues jeered at NBC News reporter Luke Russert's question about the age of House Democratic leaders. Russert asked if Pelosi's plans to stay on as House minority leader prevented younger Democrats from moving into leadership positions.

"Let's, for a moment, honor it as a legitimate question, although it's quite offensive, but you don't realize that, I guess," Pelosi said. She added that, throughout her time in congressional leadership, she has been focused on electing younger members to the House.

Watch the exchange:

Read more: http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/pelosi-house-dem-women-jeer-at-reporters-question

[myrna minx]

1. This from a kid who received his job solely due to nepotism?

What an unprofessional, self important jerk.

[calimary]

10. A card-carrying member of the Lucky Sperm Club.

That's the only reason he's at the lofty heights of a network-level Capitol Hill correspondent this soon, without doing the grunt work that you do to learn your trade, by doing your time toiling in the vineyard and earning your stripes.

[valerief]

2. Baby Russert is such a puke. nt

[Arugula Latte]

3. Luke Russert -- little no-talent snot & legacy hire of a sell-out GOP-whoring father

[SpankMe]

20. Why hold back? Tell us what's REALLY on your mind. n/t

[truebrit71]

27. ^^^This^^^^

x 100000000000

[freshwest]

44. It needed to be said! Thanks!

[blueclown]

55. This post deserves its own topic

Well said, well said.

[vaberella]

71. I concur. n/t

[Seedersandleechers]

4. What a rude dumb ass Luke turned out to be.

[nolabear]

5. Oh Jesus. What a child! She totally outed that as a sexist question too.

If Russert doesn't get dressed down and ridiculaed even further for that stupid question he's going to miss a real growth opportunity.

[ProudProgressiveNow]

22. +1 nt

[triplepoint]

80. There Are Some People On This Planet...

Who are Sooooooooooooooooooo stupid that they don't EVEN know they're stupid, and russert is the poster child for stupid.....If dumbya and dan quayle had a kid, russert would be that kid...

[Renew Deal]

6. I think it's a poorly worded legitimate question.

A better way to ask it is "Have you considered stepping aside to allow other members the opportunity to fill leadership roles?"

[markpkessinger]

13. The question was both ageist and sexist...

Consider this: Mitch McConnell is also over 70. But would any reporter even consider asking him such a question? Never.

[Renew Deal]

17. They should

Last edited Wed Nov 14, 2012, 04:27 PM - Edit history (1)

There's been a lot of talk about leadership fights in the senate.

Even Pelosi had a leadership challenge at the beginning of the last term and everyone knows that Hoyer wants her job. The problem is the way the question was asked. Framing it as an age thing is an issue.

[Ineeda]

42. And Hoyer was born in 1939, which makes him even older.

[markpkessinger]

66. I don't see the position of minority leader (or House Speaker) as something...

. . . that should be treated like that of a middle school hall monitor, where you want to make sure everybody gets a "turn." Unless it is shown that Ms. Pelosi has handled the position badly, I see no reason to change leadership merely for the sake of changing it. I have not always agreed with Pelosi (particularly when she pronounced impeachment of Bush to be "off the table&quot , but I will give her credit for this much: she has delivered her caucus every time she has been asked to do so.

[Bibliovore]

79. I'm in complete agreement, especially with your first two sentences.

Further, it's not like others in the senate aren't also accruing experience both as senators and in related leadership positions, such as chairs of committees. Pelosi herself generally knew how to do her work before she got there. If some sort of younger training is needed, it should happen before someone gets the job, not by putting them in the role before they're ready for it or instead of someone who is more ready for it.

[all american girl]

24. That's what I want to know

Is he going to ask the same question to Boner, McTurtle, and Reid? No, it's only to the woman in charge.

[JoeyT]

31. +1

Hell they acted like it was a hate crime to even mention McCain's age.

[BainsBane]

41. +1000 nt

[dawn frenzy adams]

46. You're right.

I also think it is a legitimate question. I think the democratic leadership in the house and senate have performed poorly in responding to the right-wing.

[obamanut2012]

84. Pelosi was a very effective Speaker and is a very effective Minority Leader

[LanternWaste]

51. You wording leaves out the issue of age, which was a premise of the original question.

You wording leaves out the issue of age, which was a non-conditional premise of the Russert's question.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. Hopefully they'll kick his ass out of the pool. n/t

[JHB]

8. Luke needs to be reminded of how cute he looked in his jammies...

...when he came into his daddy's cocktail parties full of Washington media people and politicians to kiss him good night.

Because that's the reason he's standing there pretending to be a journalist.

[Berlum]

9. Russert (R) is flinging poo for the ongoing Republican War on Women

[SemperEadem]

11. my sentiments exactly

I want to see him ask mitch mcconnell that question. In fact, I fucking double dare him to say it.

[all american girl]

25. I'm skipping straight to triple dog dare him

[volstork]

30. That would create

a slight breach of etiquette

[all american girl]

56. LOL

[pacalo]

12. I liked her answers!

"Oh, you always ask that question -- except to Mitch McConnell."

"So you're suggesting that everybody (over 70) step aside?"

[patrice]

21. Those are perfect responses. Perfect. nt

[ProudProgressiveNow]

23. +1000 nt

[Tumbulu]

32. me too!!!!

[Roland99]

15. She's only two years older than Senate Minority "leader" McConnell

Wanna bet little Luke doesn't ask sonofaMitch if he's gonna step down??

[JitterbugPerfume]

16. Jerk

[patrice]

18. Nancy doesn't need your coaching about her political network, Luke. Age Discrimination memes are in

play.

So petty, pathetic, divisive, resentful, entitled, angry does it, huh, from a guy whose is working because of his crony connections, while he waits for his next trust fund check.

Maybe some of those younger folks you're alluding to Luke, should do what so many from your side of things have been yelling about the rest of us doing for a very long time. Get out there and earn it.

I know lots of young Americans who are.

Wondering here if little Luke Russert has one fucking clue, not only about age discrimination, but about what it means to be long-term unemployed, perhaps even blackballed, in this country and here he is begging favors for god knows whom, who if we take them to be of little lukey boy's cohort, could be a bunch of mediocreats, who in their recent career track may have been known to support privatized Social Security and union-busting and the whole phony-Libertarian bag on the principle that it's "better" for people to do it without help from government, so, Little Luke don't you think that'd include nepotism and cronyism for elitist mediocracies who are hostile to older generations.

....................

How offensive can he be?

[patrice]

19. Watch age-discrimination and hostility memes flood the ethersphere now. nt

[truebrit71]

26. What a fucking tool....

And a classy dressing down handed out to that sniveling little turd by Ms Pelosi...

[MADem]

28. Does he want her DEAD?

He only got HIS job because that is what happened to his old man.

Talentless little fucker. Hack. Get these little shits outta the press corps--they Do. Not. Belong.

[Divernan]

29. The question none dared ask of NBC re hiring young Luke

A question for Mr. Russert: "Some of your NBC colleagues privately say that your decision to exploit nepotism and legacy to report for NBC prohibits the network from having far better qualified & experienced reporting and hurts the profession of journalism and the network in the long term."

"What's your response?"

[BainsBane]

40. touche

and exactly my thought every time I see him. The worst is when they turn to him like he's an expert on something. What a joke.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

81. Ask him that on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/LukeRussert

I hate that he quotes lefty Bruce Springsteen in his little "about me" thing at the top of his page. Ugh!

[AzDar]

33. Nancy handled that masterfully...proving yet again, that this position should be hers.

And, good lord...Russert is an idiot.

[Beacool]

34. I don't like Pelosi, but her age should not be an issue.

It is sexist. Did anyone question Mitch McConnell's age? He is only two years younger.

[Chorophyll]

38. McConnell's younger than Pelosi???

Um... bless his heart.

[Beacool]

67. He was born in 1942.

Pelosi was born in 1940.

[Chorophyll]

69. I think Republicans just seem older as a rule.

Odd that they're both around the same age as the Beatles, isn't it?

[Beacool]

72. Wow, I hadn't thought it that way.

Yeah, the Beatles would be senior citizens.

[Chorophyll]

73. A couple of 'em are, anyway.

::insert rueful smile here::

[No Vested Interest]

54. Luke Russert is too young to realize

that women get better as they get older.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

35. who are the rising leaders in the House?

Heard Frank Rich tell Tavis Smiley that the GOP has Jindal, Rubio, and Christie. Then added the Dems don't have stars of the future as they only have Hillary & Biden.

I argued with the tv, but this seems to be a new talking point from the Left.

[tblue37]

50. Alan Grayson, Elizabeth Warren, and too many others to name! nt

[No Vested Interest]

53. Martin O'Malley, Tim Kaine. etc., etc.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

59. It's just odd to hear this stuff. I thought back to the Convention

and Deval Patrick. Also Julian Castro & Elizabeth Warren

"Deval Patrick says President Obama should recall Congress through Christmas to avoid fiscal cliff"

http://www.boston.com/politicalintelligence/2012/11/14/deval-patrick-says-president-obama-should-recall-congress-through-christmas-avoid-fiscal-cliff/g5o6R5axwS6OrQ8selTqdO/story.html

[SleeplessinSoCal]

62. I think they're thinking broad vision - especially in the case of Christie.

Grayson is far too Leftist to be a leader nationally. But he's strong and he's a leader in the party.

[Coyotl]

36. This kid asking the question, what an incredible talent he has. Noone before has ever

had that many Congresswomen laugh and jeer at them all at the same time.

[Chorophyll]

37. To invoke Bill Maher (whom I like about 50% of the time),

call 911! An old* woman is kicking a young man's ass in the Capitol Visitor Center!

*not old

[PADemD]

60. You meant to say "mature", didn't you?

[Chorophyll]

68. That works!

[BainsBane]

39. that twerp pisses me off every time I see him

The only reason he has that job is because of who his dad was. Think of all the far better qualified reporters who could have that job if not for nepotism.

[sammytko]

43. well, she looks great! n/t

[MrsBrady]

45. I love her thoughtful response. n/t

[SaveAmerica]

47. It's called using your experience to lift qualified people up

Glad they didn't let him get away with that.

[Glitterati]

48. I loved ALL their responses to him!

I think that could be called an "Official Congressional Whoa!"

I don't think there was one Congresswoman on that stage that didn't want to throttle that little snot.

[tblue37]

49. Do the OLD WHITE MEN in either house of Congress ever

get asked such stupid questions?

[Zoeisright]

52. That pimply little hack does NOT deserve that job.

Nepotism at its worst.

[JoePhilly]

57. Understand ... Luke's dad had the decency to DIE and make room for "little Russert" at NBC.

Maybe that's what Luke means about bringing in younger people ...... ???

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

58. Mock the question if you like, but ...

... it's just a reflection of a reality in the workforce. You may not hear a well-warned HR person say it, but you can see the "Geezer Warning" light in their eyes at the interview.

Nancy will attack the issue head-on when it comes to her position. Let's see her attack the issue of ageism in the general workplace.

Congress is, of course, a different world.

[CBHagman]

61. I liked her reply!

I haven't noticed similar questions to men in leadership positions.

For what it's worth, in 2008 the GOP's nominee for president was over 70, and this year they chose a man in his 60s, and of course Paul Ryan (40s) was regarded as a youngster by media standards.

That said, I don't care for the open nastiness towards Luke Russert. Pelosi schooled him here, and maybe it'll take.

[Volaris]

63. That the Once and Future Speaker didn't absolutely TEAR HIS HEAD OFF...

speaks to how good at her job she actually is.

And she just about did. Watch it again, and watch her EYES. Theres a moment where she ALMOST goes there.

[progressoid]

64. Hey, Luke...

[Megahurtz]

65. Bet That Bastard

would have never asked that same question to a man's face. Bet.

[vaberella]

70. Sexist/Agist asshole!!! Down with Luke Russert!! I want a public apology.

He would never ask the other men this. Ugh...I loved how Nancy handled...like she was reprimanding a stupid child.

[spooky3]

74. Talk about "entitlements"!

What a nasty and disrespectful question to ask, and it shows a complete lack of understanding of the seniority system in Congress. I don't see the question as legitimate in any way.

"Lukey, dear, let me explain something to you about earning your way to a position of respect and authority..."

[GitRDun]

75. What a dumb question!

Forget the discrimination aspects of it. WTF does the Democratic leadership's age have to do with anything coming up on the docket!?! I sent a complaint to NBC today on this very topic. All they do now is look for headlines...real journalism is dead there! Their journalists are intellectually incapable of asking serious questions of anyone!

[CrispyQ]

76. Outstanding!

And done with more tact than Russert deserved.

[Lunabelle]

77. How come they never ask these questions of the men?

It isn't just age discrimination, it is sex discrimination as well!!!

[PMcDee]

78. A legacy "journalist".

I once heard him refer to the Mariana Islands as the Marinara Islands.

[Javaman]

82. Isn't luke russert still in diapers? nt

[Ash_F]

83. She's not not even among the top 100 eldest in the house

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_oldest_living_members_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives

What an inane question.

edit - woops that list includes retired members. There are actually only 37 older people in the house. Still she is no where near the top. Inane in any case!