C-SPAN’s Host of Problems
The problems of C-SPAN’s Washington Journal telecast – the program is a platform for anti-Israel and anti-Semitic callers who are rarely, if ever, interrupted or challenged by Journal hosts – routinely include serious lapses by the hosts. This was exemplified by Steve Scully’s day at the office on Feb. 27, 2011.
Early in the telecast, Scully selected and read, without comment, a defamation of Israel in the form of a Tweet that recommended Rev. Desmond Tutu of South Africa as an advisor to President Barack Obama because he “can help Obama recognize the apartheid that is taking place in Israel.” Scully did not not respond at all, let alone to note that this apartheid canard’s aim has been to de-legitimize Israel. Neither did the host point out Tutu’s history of anti-Israeli, anti-Jewish positions (see, for example, the CAMERA Op-Ed “Carter’s Elders of anti-Zion”).
Scully’s disconnected manner may have led him into rumor-mongering following a 9:48 AM call about the presumed departure of Libya’s leader Muammar Gaddafi: “I saw the other day that he [Gaddafi] does have Jewish roots. Technically he could go to Israel because of his – either grandmother or …”
Is there any substance to the Gaddafi-has-a-Jewish-grandmother story or is it the latest variant on the recurrent libel alleging that infamous Jew-haters like Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Gaddafi and Nazi leader Adolf Hitler have Jewish ancestors? Scully does not bother to inquire.
The host’s lack of awareness or interest on this day included a failure to recognize the 9:48 AM caller (“This is my second time today. Thank you very much.”) as the same person who had called at 7:06 AM. Never mind that C-SPAN supposedly enforces a 30-day rule to prevent individuals from calling more than once a month, Scully ignored the caller’s admission.
Just another day at the office for another C-SPAN Washington Journal host too disengaged to actually moderate the program.
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