Kerry Defends Wife's 'Shove It' Comment

“We have to turn back some of the creeping, un-Pennsylvanian and sometimes un-American traits that are coming into some of our politics,” she said. Morning television shows broadcast the remarks.

When a reporter from a conservative Pennsylvania newspaper, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, pressed Heinz Kerry what she had meant by “un-American” she said repeatedly, “No, I didn’t say that, I didn’t say that.”

She then turned away only to return moments later. “You said something I didn’t say, now shove it,” she said, pointing her finger at the reporter. —Kerry Defends Wife’s ‘Shove It’ Comment (The Pittsburg Channel | AP)

I don’t usually cover politics except to comment on something related to journalism or rhetoric.

I’ve noticed that some of the coverage of this story identifies journalist Colin McNickle simply as a reporter, when in fact he is the editorial page editor at the Trib-Review. He’s covering the convention as a columnist, not a news reporter. While a columnist isn’t expected to fair to all sides of an issue, one does expect all journalists to get their facts straight. In the video, McNickle seems to be calmly reading from his notes, which would suggest he is double-checking before running with the story.

Some reports don’t have McNickle asking Heinz Kerry about what she meant by “un-American activities” — his question is quoted or paraphrased without the word “activities” included. But it’s aparently his use of the word “activities” — and its association with McCarthyism — that sets Heinz Kerry off. But she also denies having said “un-American,” which the tape clearly shows she said.

Still on my vacation blog pause, but I managed to get a few minutes online.