Audio: GE shareholders cheer as Fox reporter rips MSNBC
posted at 5:10 pm on April 23, 2009 by Allahpundit
Schadenfreude to cleanse the palate as a follow-up to yesterday’s post. Posing the question is Jesse Waters, O’Reilly’s ambush guy; the Hollywood Reporter accuses him of “infiltrating” the event, but Waters is a GE shareholder so that’s not strictly true. The ethical issue is whether he should have identified himself as an FNC producer given that he was clearly there with an eye to airing this exchange on the Factor. The answer depends, I guess, on whether you believe he’d have been allowed to ask the question if he had. If not, then what’s the difference between his deception and the deception of any reporter conducting an undercover investigation? And didn’t Michael Moore pull this same stunt on Roger Smith in “Roger & Me”?
Anyway. You’re not really listening for Waters, you’re listening for the crowd reaction. It’s gratifying to see how far that repulsive episode with Garofalo has penetrated in the public consciousness, at least on the right-hand side.
Blowback
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Awesome.
Johnson on April 23, 2009 at 5:12 PM
They clapped for Waters, and booed Immelt…score one for O’reilly. I think he won that round.
Chudi on April 23, 2009 at 5:14 PM
What an Obama-like answer. It deserved all the boos it got and more!
Grafted on April 23, 2009 at 5:14 PM
I’d like to see the list of standards that MSNBC follows.
jimmy2shoes on April 23, 2009 at 5:15 PM
The audience is no different then the audience across America…GE has some tough decisions, and I think they will make them
Immelt, are you willing to give up your job to protect Olbies and his friends job?
I didn’t think so…
right2bright on April 23, 2009 at 5:15 PM
We’ve more on our side than we think, even in unlikely places.
kc8ukw on April 23, 2009 at 5:15 PM
Hee Hee. Standards that they follow? Bad news reporting and below the belt humor, along with their below pathetic ratings. Keep drinking the koolaid, tool.
HornetSting on April 23, 2009 at 5:16 PM
Sadly, ethics in reporting is a lost art. Never to be rediscovered. In present day, when a journalist does practice ethical reporting, it sticks out like a sore thumb. Times have changed.
sherry on April 23, 2009 at 5:18 PM
Glenn Beck did one heckuva job explaining what may be going on with GE and its media units (in short, GE’s turning them into its propoganda machine so that its products will get bought up.)
I believe it occurred at 1pm Eastern time, playing in St. Louis just after noon. Anybody able to get that audio? Second hour I believe.
Repurblican on April 23, 2009 at 5:20 PM
That was Awesome Indeed.
Dritanian on April 23, 2009 at 5:21 PM
Times have changed, but money is still money.
The dismal ratings will prove to be the winner.
nondhimmie on April 23, 2009 at 5:21 PM
When Immelt finally admits that he is a left-wing tool and MSNBC finall admits that they are more than willing to t-bag obama, then we will talk about ‘ethics’ in reporting. Until then, seek and destroy.
HornetSting on April 23, 2009 at 5:21 PM
Um, isn’t this Huffington Post’s special talent — didn’t they disguise Biden campaign workers as innocent bystander asking McCain if he called his wife a C%^& ????
And doesn’t the media stack their ‘neutral’ audiences with Democrat party workers as non-partisan all the time?
Topsecretk9 on April 23, 2009 at 5:21 PM
“Teabagging rednecks.” Notice how its OK for leftists to use gayness as a pejorative, but not us. Freedom of speech for me but not for thee. For thee, its hate speech.
Dr. Manhattan on April 23, 2009 at 5:22 PM
oooooh… that’s gotta hurt! Nice one.
saus on April 23, 2009 at 5:22 PM
But the fat one did it for the workers silly. Not those evil shareholders. I mean come on AP, Michael Moore is a freedom fighter.
Lance Murdock on April 23, 2009 at 5:23 PM
I’ll see you that ‘awesome’ and raise you one ‘Rock On!’
tree hugging sister on April 23, 2009 at 5:23 PM
It’s about time someone confronts Immelt.
jencab on April 23, 2009 at 5:23 PM
He should have ID’d himself… I bet some of those shareholders who cheered are a little disgusted now…
how long has he owned shares?
ninjapirate on April 23, 2009 at 5:23 PM
You’re right. I failed to add in my post – but who gives a sh!t, take ‘em down.
I realized I sounded a little preachy. It’s been a long ugly day.
sherry on April 23, 2009 at 5:24 PM
Schadenfreude indeed, glorious wonderful schadenfreud that has brought a huge smile to my face!
My palate is cleansed, may I have more please!
Liberty or Death on April 23, 2009 at 5:24 PM
Some people would call that a ground swelling of support
Defector01 on April 23, 2009 at 5:26 PM
No, I was agreeing with you and just taking it a step further.
*Sends sherry a shot of tequila with lime and salt*
HornetSting on April 23, 2009 at 5:26 PM
Wait, I thought it was all some contrived setup? I’m so confused now.
TheBigOldDog on April 23, 2009 at 5:26 PM
Funny. He’s a shareholder. He asks a question in an open forum and in a respectful manner.
AND THAT’S AN AMBUSH??? WTF? Man, talk about being able to dish it out and not take it.
Sugar Land on April 23, 2009 at 5:26 PM
P.S. In addition to the applause I loved the groans an boos at the end…it’s nice to know there are still Americans out there that can recognize BS when they hear it and smell it…perhaps there is hope after all!
Liberty or Death on April 23, 2009 at 5:27 PM
*
Definitely needed!
sherry on April 23, 2009 at 5:28 PM
With so many people watching Fox its no wonder they know about Garafolo.
ctmom on April 23, 2009 at 5:28 PM
I could give a sh!t less if it’s ethical or not. The Left has been pulling sh!t like this for 50 years and it’s about time they had the tables turned on them.
TheBigOldDog on April 23, 2009 at 5:28 PM
Hurray for GE’s shareholders! It’s time for Immelt to go.
OneGyT on April 23, 2009 at 5:30 PM
Going to beat getahusband to the punch here.
“GOP News” (Fox) broke the story of Dubyah’s drunk driving arrest days before the 2000 election. They could have covered it up, but did not.
“Democrat News” (Newsweak) had a story of a Democrat President engaging in a sexual relationship with a workplace subordinate, and refused to run it.
“Democrat News” (CNN) falsely accused the US of nerve-gassing civilians in Laos and murdering jourrnalists in Iraq, and gave Saddam Hussein and his family gifts so he would let them keep their Baghdad bureau open.
And “Democrat News” totally ignored last year’s John Edwards story, solely because of his political affiliation.
Del Dolemonte on April 23, 2009 at 5:30 PM
I guess GE has the same standards and values that Obama keeps talking about.
Not sure what they are but they are definately sticking to them.
katy on April 23, 2009 at 5:31 PM
Why? He’s a shareholder and has a right to be there to keep tabs on his investment and to speak his mind and question why the company is doing itself harm by being so biased and having a half-baked D-lister espouse such hatred!
Liberty or Death on April 23, 2009 at 5:31 PM
We have demented leftists “infiltrating” what they think are hotbeds of radical conservatism all the time … like Christian Universities … and there’s a question about this guy crashing his own stockholders meeting? Tough crap if he owns stock and works for O’Reilly.
The very least we can do is fight back by doing exactly what the left does.
darwin on April 23, 2009 at 5:32 PM
Woah! Did you get the tease of what O’Reilly’s gonna break on GE tonight? HOLY SMOKES!! GE stands to get awarded huge cap-and-trade contracts if passed, Chicago-style quid pro quo for supporting Obama through NBC/MSNBC propoganda arms.
John the Libertarian on April 23, 2009 at 5:32 PM
Dude….GE just cut dividends.
The shareholders are going to cheer n/e one takin’ whacks at the board.
Republicans are less popular than freakin’ Venzuela…..GW is going down in history as the torture president that doubled the nat’l debt and opened the bomb-bay doors for the Taliban in Pakistan.
I thought you were supposed to be omniscient, Creator of Worlds.
strangelet on April 23, 2009 at 5:33 PM
Standards? Haha. That’s awesome.
Esthier on April 23, 2009 at 5:33 PM
My question is why in the hell would anyone still be holding onto GE stock anyway?
darwin on April 23, 2009 at 5:33 PM
the factor is going to be EPIC tonight. He was just talking about it with Beck on Glenn’s show.
ousoonerfan15 on April 23, 2009 at 5:34 PM
Immelt, “I believe MSNBC has some [SUB] standards they follow.”
Fixed it for ya Jeffy boy.
Does that occupation precludes being able to ask a question even if you are a TV producer. And the problem with commie-symp-Moore is that his splice and dice method of “editing” leaves out context and truth.
Branch Rickey on April 23, 2009 at 5:34 PM
oh, oh…and GW isn’t going to get that covetted Victory in Iraq award either.
strangelet on April 23, 2009 at 5:36 PM
This is awesome
youngO on April 23, 2009 at 5:36 PM
We need more like him tho. He reminds me of Mike Wallace. He was a good one for confronting lowlifes.
becki51758 on April 23, 2009 at 5:36 PM
That was the politest “ambush” I’ve ever heard.
There’s some irony to the smearing of a reasonable/sincere questioner’s motivations when the issue at hand was the smearing of the reasonable/sincere protest of the tea partiers, but I just can’t quite work it out.
TexasDan on April 23, 2009 at 5:37 PM
Allah, I know you’re in the business of ignoring what is happening to the country and being unaware of the frightening goals of the global warmists, but if for some reason you’re interested, O’Reilly and Beck just had a segment on GE standing to make billions through shady dealings (including open support of the POTUS, etc.) O’Reilly will apparently break news tonight.
RightWinged on April 23, 2009 at 5:38 PM
Or he’ll be remembered as ending the era of appeasement in the Middle East, liberating Iraq, liberating Afghanistan, steering us out of Clinton’s recession and 9/11, and protecting the homeland for 7 years straight.
If we get hit under Obama’s watch, the Dems will be banished to the wilderness for decades.
… you say to-may-to, I say to-mah-to…
John the Libertarian on April 23, 2009 at 5:39 PM
Who cares if he was there? Didn’t the Democrats do the same thing with Wesley Clark?
Ryan Gandy on April 23, 2009 at 5:39 PM
As much as I can’t stand O’Reilly anymore, I guess I’ll have to tune in tonight…thanks for the heads up.
TheBigOldDog on April 23, 2009 at 5:39 PM
Shady dealings over cap and trade. I cant wait to find out about it.
becki51758 on April 23, 2009 at 5:40 PM
How did you know it was a setup AP?
getalife on April 23, 2009 at 5:40 PM
I wish more Right leaning people would adopt the tactics of the Left — as in this example of “speaking truth to power” — now that the Lefties are running the show.
The question of ethics here is a complete red herring, not even worth addressing. A shareholder had a legitimate question and it embarrassed the power brokers. Tough shit.
cruadin on April 23, 2009 at 5:40 PM
1) No actual acts of penetration will be depicted on-air.
I think that’s it so far.
Blacklake on April 23, 2009 at 5:41 PM
This is exactly what I was going to say. So what if he’s a reporter for FOX? Should everyone in the room…ALL of the SHAREHOLDERS…have to report where they work and who they work for? No, he was there because he is a shareholder in GE, and had every right to be there.
Highlar on April 23, 2009 at 5:41 PM
Givem Hell Bill
Jdripper on April 23, 2009 at 5:42 PM
Revenge is a dish best served cold; this is ICE TEA!
Mutnodjmet on April 23, 2009 at 5:43 PM
Obama’s Iraq War had 78 casualties today? Sad.
portlandon on April 23, 2009 at 5:43 PM
What’s so hard to understand, people?
.
Stockholder: all it takes is (1) share.
At $10, damn-near cheaper than a movie ticket.
CaveatEmpty on April 23, 2009 at 5:44 PM
Guess we know who will be the worst person in the world.
You have gop news cons.
Of course, MSNBC will not send anybody to the News Corp shareholder meeting.
getalife on April 23, 2009 at 5:44 PM
O/T, but this tool Connecticut AG Blumenthal is really looking to move up in the food chain.
The man is getting on my last nerve.
HornetSting on April 23, 2009 at 5:45 PM
Glenn’s been on the GE/global warming thing since last year. Good to hear them going after it harder, on TV. I only catch clips of his tv show, or reruns at the gf’s house. Got rid of my DISH last year, Saving money, and sitting on my butt in front of the computer instead of the television…
bikermailman on April 23, 2009 at 5:46 PM
Trolls have invaded this site and have let us in on the plan should ANY ‘manmade disaster’ befall us. Blame Bush, Blame Bush, Blame Bush.
maryo on April 23, 2009 at 5:46 PM
Great minds think alike… :-)
Liberty or Death on April 23, 2009 at 5:47 PM
At $10,
damn-nearcheaper than a movie ticket.CaveatEmpty on April 23, 2009 at 5:44 PM
youngO on April 23, 2009 at 5:47 PM
Let’s waterboard ‘em.
HornetSting on April 23, 2009 at 5:49 PM
Standards at MSNBC??? I have seen better standards written on the bathroom wall.
Dire Straits on April 23, 2009 at 5:50 PM
The man has no shame. Beck demolished the guy on a matter of law over the AIG bonus confiscation. And he’s popped back up, still a moron.
John the Libertarian on April 23, 2009 at 5:52 PM
Not all tea party attendees-you know the ones they were talking about in the video-are republicans.GE has been doing business with Iran for a while. Yes Iran= state sponsored terrorism ring any bells with you, how about kidnappers of American citizens. Not to mention the oh so close relationship that Immelt has with Obama. so much for what passes as standards these days.
canditaylor68 on April 23, 2009 at 5:53 PM
Liar.
The teabaggers were 99.9% disgruntled republican cranks, Beckers and Juggalos.
strangelet on April 23, 2009 at 5:56 PM
Obama’s Iraq War had 78 casualties today? Sad.
portlandon on April 23, 2009 at 5:43 PM
It won’t be Obama’s war in the history books.
;)
The mills of history grind slow, but they grind exceeding small.
strangelet on April 23, 2009 at 5:58 PM
Joe Caps on April 23, 2009 at 6:02 PM
Yeah, but O’Reilly doesn’t quite go as far as I think he should… I don’t think he’s going to talk about wind turbines and those toxic CFL lightbulbs that are big business for GE, which is why they push the global warming myth. And I don’t know how much O’Reilly will talk about the outrage that Obama put Immelt, one of the country’s worst CEOs on his economic advisory panel.
This is scary, scary, stuff happening to our country.
RightWinged on April 23, 2009 at 6:03 PM
Sure dear delude yourself.
canditaylor68 on April 23, 2009 at 6:04 PM
So, I guess it won’t be his victory either.
Don Carne on April 23, 2009 at 6:06 PM
now THAT inspires MORE HOPE then ANYTHING I HAVE SEEN OR HEARD IN 100 days.
Don’t ask me why. Because they were in the lions den maybe. But it just does. Thanks Allah.
People ARE awake.
seesalrun on April 23, 2009 at 6:07 PM
I doubt you could make much of an argument for that being against journalistic ethics. Reporters have been doing this sort of thing since before Nellie Bly pretended to be insane in order to get the inside scoop on Women’s Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island clear back in 1887. It is a time-honored method.
Marking Time on April 23, 2009 at 6:09 PM
I couldn’t agree more. :-)
Highlar on April 23, 2009 at 6:11 PM
Liar.
disgruntled
republicandemo-rat psychotic cranks, Beckers and Juggalos.strangelet on April 23, 2009 at 5:56 PM
FIFY
Liberty or Death on April 23, 2009 at 6:11 PM
Right Wing:
In addition to my monthly “protection budget” I am stocking up on good old incandescents too. Heard there are parts of the Country that have no more access to them.
GE I heard is outsourcing the CFL’s to Chinese Factories (let them deal with the toxins), while in the meantime, our incandescent factories in Kentucky, well…you know…
Enough of this already. Don’t be scared RightWing. Get prepared. Just hearing this should make you feel better. America will not be broken. We’re going to slide for a bit, but it will not be destroyed from within.
seesalrun on April 23, 2009 at 6:13 PM
He is fired up over this and he did mention his being on that panel the other night. He has been all over GE for years.
He is bashing Obama more and more too.
becki51758 on April 23, 2009 at 6:25 PM
Yes..close an American plant and send business to China. Isnt that outsourcing? Something Obama is sooo against.
becki51758 on April 23, 2009 at 6:27 PM
So when the hell are the shareholders going to finally request that Immelt step down, or are they just waiting for GE stock to go down to about 15 cents a share?
pilamaye on April 23, 2009 at 6:31 PM
Hey Strangemutt
I participated in the Chicago Tea Party-and I’m NOT a republican, Becker, or crank.
I’m just a gal who doesn’t want to live under a socialist government.
Rational people see that as a reasonable position.
annoyinglittletwerp on April 23, 2009 at 6:33 PM
=) Agreed. Not all tea party attendees were republicans.
AP poll shows independents not sold on Obama
“Elvis is still alive” polls higher than independents’ faith in Obama’s direction
canditaylor68 on April 23, 2009 at 6:39 PM
MSNBC has standards that they follow….tehe
d1carter on April 23, 2009 at 6:39 PM
All I can do is express my opinion to your question on if he should have identified himself as a Factor producer..NO…he has the right as a shareholder to ask questions…the fact that he is a TV producer is not important. Even assuming he asked the question with an eye towards airing the response on The Factor ( But you have no way of knowing for sure unless you are a mind reader. And the commenter who asked how long he has owned his GE stock again not important…if he owns 1 share that he bought hours before the meeting he is still a shareholder with the same rights as someone who owns thousands of shares for years.
And Strangelet..Miss please tell me exactly who George Bush personally tortured? Did he hope on Air Force One and Fly to Gitmo for a weekend of drinks and torture? I rarely engage comments personally but please if you are going to accuse a person of torture please bring facts not Soros talking points
JKotthoff on April 23, 2009 at 6:49 PM
Of course, MSNBC will not send anybody to the News Corp shareholder meeting.
getalife on April 23, 2009 at 5:44 PM
Probably they will, along with the Koz Kids, Huffpo, and Code Pink.
You people just can’t stand that we are starting to use your tactics, you make me laugh.
M-14 2go on April 23, 2009 at 6:51 PM
Yeah, MSNBC has stanards that they follow. That’s why Waters posed the question.
Idjit.
Dusty on April 23, 2009 at 6:59 PM
Juggalo (…?)
Sounds bigoted, whatever it is. Inference made of course from the rest of the sentence, which is full of anger, vulgarity and sweeping generalizations.
Get thee to an apothecary.
John the Libertarian on April 23, 2009 at 7:10 PM
He even sounded like Obama! Notice how his voice went up on, and then clipped off, the word “follow.” Just like Obama does.
Alana on April 23, 2009 at 7:12 PM
Hey Strangemutt
I participated in the Chicago Tea Party-and I’m NOT a republican, Becker, or crank.
I’m just a gal who doesn’t want to live under a socialist government.
Rational people see that as a reasonable position.
annoyinglittletwerp on April 23, 2009 at 6:33 PM
Thank you Twerp, I am a conservative that feels the Government interferes too much, with everyone. The Annapolis Tea-Party was quite the mixed bag, people of all political stripes are sick and tired of this tripe. I found it healthy that both sides of the aisle could stand together, for a cause that did not involve an attack on this Nation by a foreign entity. We protested an attack by our own government.
It is not about Obama, it is about the whole system, both sides. This Country is turning into a roller coaster ride, with Cybil at the switch.
M-14 2go on April 23, 2009 at 7:13 PM
Per the GE spokesman, they were aware of his presence, having told him before the meeting that he could not record the event. They also should not have been surprised by his attendance since, per the same spokesman, Waters attended the previous shareholder meeting.
Last point…Waters did NOT bring up the topic. Per the printed article, he got involved after after another shareholder had her mic turned off.
check out the info buried on page 2. It’s quite the soap opera.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i888016761f9ec824f862a5c265de605c?pn=1
Fighton03 on April 23, 2009 at 7:18 PM
The guy is a shareholder, and asked a question.
Therefore, the only way that this could be considered unethical is if there were some sort of unwritten rule: Shareholders who might criticize the news station [or insert any other criticism; or perhaps insert just "shareholders who are conservative"] must not speak.
In other words, having a certain view would have to be considered unethical in order for it to be considered unethical for a shareholder to ask a question or make a criticism.
Which just boils down to saying that conservatives have no right to speak. Which is exactly what Huffington Post, et. al, believe.
Alana on April 23, 2009 at 7:22 PM
Bring back Jack Welch…..the stock got to $60.50 under his leadership. He wouldve gotten rid of NBC…Immeldt expanded it by buying Universal.
He has ruined the company and destroyed many many lives because GE is the kind of stock that widows and other old people hold onto for the safety of its AAA rating (now gone) and its high dividend (now gone). The stock has underperformed the market significantly in every year that he has been CEO.
Welch wouldve fired him. That was Jack’s only huge mistake was picking a horrible successor.
The Wall on April 23, 2009 at 7:26 PM
And why would they be?
Would they just have their opinions and views UNTIL they discover that someone associated with Fox News shared it?
Is that how we are supposed to be doing our thinking now?
Should his thinking what they did (and saying it) somehow discredit their own opinions in their own minds?
And I disagree with Allah that he should have divulged his job.
Shareholders are shareholders. I expect to be able to be a shareholder and speak my mind about the company without having to first divulge where I work, or my political persuasion.
Alana on April 23, 2009 at 7:27 PM
OF COURSE THE AUDIENCE CHEERED
Who do you think owns shares? The broke-ass MSNBC crowd or the CNBC auidience?
budfox on April 23, 2009 at 7:28 PM
I love watching MSNBC sink into the abyss.
Frances on April 23, 2009 at 7:30 PM
“msnbc has standards that they follow”
can’t disagree with that.
notagool on April 23, 2009 at 7:35 PM
MSNBC RIP.
BHO Jonestown on April 23, 2009 at 7:40 PM
One would think that from the boos, GE would get the point.
They won’t.
madmonkphotog on April 23, 2009 at 8:00 PM
They were sinking during the election. Totally left and totally pro-Obama. When they went anti tea party and FOX attacked MSNBC died and was buried. FOX and the American public are just setting up MSNBC’s tombstone now.=)
canditaylor68 on April 23, 2009 at 8:11 PM
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