Sep 15 2009
Terry Moran is a Jackass
OK, I’m going to break my unstated and inconsistent rule about commenting on day-to-day political and media spectacle here to rant a bit about uber-dick Terry Moran, ABC news journalist. The story goes like this: Obama is being interviewed by ABC news, no doubt relating to health care or somesuch, and in an off-the-record moment after the interview is apparently chatting about stuff when he calls Kanye West, of award-show-interrupting fame, a “jackass.” Well, if it was off-the-record, how could we possibly know this? Because Terry Moran, former White House reporter, Bush ass-kisser, and Nightline host decided to tweet this little tidbit to his Twitter account. Three cheers for transparency, right? Oh, he of course added his own very professional snark to the tweet, noting “Now THAT’S Presidential!” (What’s the implication here? That Obama isn’t otherwise “Presidential” – whatever the eff that means – or that Obama is not living up to the gravitas of the office in the very serious manner of Richard “Go-Fuck-Yourself” Cheney?) Needless to say, the principle of off-the-record communications is so crucial even to a cub reporter interviewing the local dog catcher that Moran had to delete the tweet and ABC apologized (did Terry Moran?), and I guess we’re all supposed to pretend that this sniveling right wing tool simply didn’t know how to work that crazy Twitter machine, la di da.
But Terry Moran is very much a guy who demonstrates endless concern for the journalistic profession when outright propagandists and warmongers like Judy Miller and Michael Gordon want to either rev up the war-machine or keep it running, and O Lawd how sacred is the concept of a journalist’s anonymous sources when they are brutal little DC despots seeking revenge on (the non-making-a-fool-of-himself) Joe Wilson for having exposed their sicko prevarications. In this piece, for instance, Terry Moran gets all pomo on the modern-day fetish for journalistic “objectivity,” wondering how-o-how can a journalist not want his or her country to kick ass and take names, and is it really a feasible proposition that Michael Gordon should have to deny his firepower fetish when it’s his job to write news articles informing propagandizing the public about the little war he so loves? Quoth Moran, sounding for all the world like your average pomo theorist: “There is no such thing as a person who is so untethered to any community–national, racial, religious, etc–that she or he is able to gain a truly ‘objective’ view of things. We are all contingent creatures.” This in defense of a snarling jingoist like Michael Gordon, whose kooky theories on Iranian involvement in Iraq made Curtis LeMay sound like John friggin’ Lennon. Oh, the tension inherent in Moran’s profession! One suspects that this philosophical conundrum derives directly from Moran’s tendency to puff up his chest and distinguish himself from all the supposedly “anti-military” journalists who presume that “the American projection of power around the world must be wrong.” I know, I haven’t ever seen one of these exceedingly rare creatures either, but I may have been distracted by Katie Couric crushing on some Navy SEALs or something.
And this guy’s gonna tweet off-the-record statements about Kanye fucking West by the President? And say “oops, my bad?” Come on, now. I’m not all “Oh, let’s respect the Office” and all this other imperial presidency nonsense that so many liberals are now spouting, nor do I find the whole Kanye West thing anything other than a matter of monumental irrelevance and supreme unimportance. But come on, now. The great philosopher of journalistic objectivity in wartime and defender of the sacred character of the anonymous source is printing off-the-record remarks by the President of the fucking United States on his Twitter account?
ABC should fire that fucking guy effective yesterday. Come on, now.
I randomly found your blog, but I completely agree. Terry Moran was formerly ABC’s Chief White House Correspondent and you mean to tell me that HE — of all people — didn’t have the slightest forethought about what he was tweeting. And then, as you pointed out, there’s his additional swipe: “Now that’s presidential,” which reveals the motive, or at the inherent intent behind his broadcast of the president’s sidebar comment.
His firing can’t come a second too soon.
I totally agree with you! Terry Moran you are FIRED!!!!!! and not a moment too soon!
I too found your blog by accident, and really have no idea who you are, but totally agree with your comments. Terry Moran displays the ‘gottacha’ journalism that our poor Ms Palin disliked so much. Journalists that ‘commentate’ like this belong on Fox, or sitting next to Glenn Beck, Jack Caffrety, Bill O’Reilly, or any of them on either side of the fence who spout off their ‘I am right and all of you should listen to me’ commentary.
Kayne West is a jackass. And his lame attempt at an apology (if you can call it that, I would call it trying to save his ass) on the Leno show last night just continued to point it out. And I do wish that the President went on national TV and formally called him a Jackass….that IS Presidential in my book, the same lind of Presidential example that we need. The current state of affairs needs this kind of Presidential ‘lecture’ (as Leno mentioned when he asked Kayne what his Mother would say if she saw his behavior…’would she give you a lecture’)….these little boys in big boy pants – i.e. Chris Brown, Bobby Brown, Kayne West – need some stern lecturing and namecalling to get them to understand the magnitude of their irresponsible behavior. Kayne was so remorseful that following his interview, he wandered off to sing with Rianna and Jay-Z in another display of arrogance and disregard for the rest of the world. I am sure the President told his own two girls that Kayne is a jackass, and men of his kind are not the type that they want to associate with in their future. Only trouble lives there, not good…as Kayne tried to tell us.
For someone as accomplished in his journalistic career (ie: former Chief White House Correspondent for ABC), covering historical events such as this past presidential election, the current wars, and even such catastrophic events as hurricane Katrina, this man might as well have been working for The National Enquirer. How embarassing for his coworkers at Nightline to even be associated with him. What a colossal way to discredit the network. If he is incapable of maintaining his journalistic integrity with the President of The United States, of all people, what else can be expected of him….I agree, OFF WITH HIS HEAD!!!
Moran might be a d-bag, but why don’t we all just pull back on the fired and mass apology stuff of both Moran and Wilson. People are too sensitive nowadays. I’m sure Obama’s people will not give as much access to Moran (that’s his punishment) and Wilson will be dealt with behind the scenes by the other House members. Plus it wasn’t too long ago that W. was called stupid, an idiot, a liar (by Reid), a total failure (by Pelosi), booed in the chamber and burned in effigy. So we shouldn’t all of the sudden get so thin skinned and defensive.
Patrick: You forgot to mention Van Jones. Just sayin’… As for “fired,” whatever. Don’t worry. I won’t be starting a campaign. I really don’t care that much. The point is that his behavior is half-assed at best. Maybe along with our thicker skins we can pick up some off-the-shelf consistency.
I agree. What a bubble-brained thing to do. The press is always chasing down the president, and then when he makes chats with them and makes an off the cuff comment about an event most people thought was totally deplorable, Moran decides to tweet it. And he calls himself a journalist?? I am not watching Nightline anymore
I worked with Terry at WEENY in Horsehead, NY in the late 70s an he was an arrogant ass hole then.