Martin Bashir Scolds Ogling Secret Service Agent for 'Making Sarah Palin Relevant'

April 20th, 2012 5:01 PM

As NewsBusters reported earlier, David Chaney, a now fired secret service agent involved in HookerGate, boasted on his Facebook page in 2008 as having ogled former Alaska governor Sarah Palin while guarding her.

On MSNBC's Martin Bashir Show Friday, the host scolded Chaney for "making Sarah Palin relevant" (video follows with transcript and commentary):


After addressing some new developments in the secret service scandal, Bashir said, “David Chaney, 48-year-old second generation agent, has been identified as being forced into retirement, one of three agents already separated from the agency in the wake of the scandal.”

“And from that,” Bashir continued, “well we arrive at his Facebook page, and a photo of Mr. Chaney standing in the line of fire for then Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin. What’s more, he comments that, ‘I was really checking her out – if you know what I mean.’”

After commenting about this, and playing some clips of Palin on with Fox New’s Greta van Susteren Thursday evening, Bashir derided the former Alaska governor for “going right after the canine cuisine and the president.”

“But there you have it,” he continued, “suddenly dragged into a sex scandal, one in which Ms. Palin is among the victims, and one in which she can make the president the villain. No wonder she’s smiling.”

Bashir concluded, “So Mr. Chaney, a thank you to you for opening our president up to blackmail at the hands of a Colombian prostitute, and for putting a stain on the reputation of the secret service, and, for at least a day, making Sarah Palin relevant.”

Makes you wonder if there are standing orders from MSNBC executives that any story dealing with Palin has to insult her no matter how far the stretch.

I guess that's how they think their commentators will be "relevant."

They're sadly mistaken.