Countries Where You Could Go To Jail For Calling The President A Dick -- Joshua Keating
Just in case you've been wasting your morning reading about actual important things, journalist Mark Halperin has been indefinitely suspended from his gig as a commentator on MSNBC for referring to President Barack Obama as a "dick" on television this morning. (To be fair, he actually only called him "kind of a dick.")
People can disagree about whether the network's punishment was too harsh -- I would imagine it's something of a badge of shame at MSNBC to not have been suspended at this point -- but as he kicks back this 4th of July weekend, Halperin should be thankful he doesn't live in one of the many nations where much milder insults can land you in prison.
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My Comment: I have always enjoyed listening to Mark Halperin's analysis and punditry of the American political scene. But while his comments on President Obama were definitely in bad taste .... what he said pales in comparison to what MSNBC hosts called President Bush when he was in the White House.
Is there a double standard at play .... you betcha.