Romney-Trashing Reporter Joe Williams Done at Politico

Noel Sheppard
June 30th, 2012 12:10 PM
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Politico announced Saturday that recently suspended Romney-trashing White House correspondent Joe Williams is leaving the organization.

The following statement was released moments ago:

"After some cordial discussions, Joe Williams and I mutually decided that the best step for him is to begin a transition to the next phase of his career," POLITICO editor-in-chief John Harris wrote in a memo to staff, sent early Saturday morning. "Joe is an experienced and respected journalist, with keen insights into politics. After nearly 30 years in the business, he has the authority and is ready to give voice to his insights and conclusions in a new setting."

"He’ll be on leave of absence during this transition, and he’s got my gratitude for the contributions he made here, both as reporter and editor. I have told Joe—and it’s a sentiment others who worked closely with him here share—that he’ll have my support as he prepares for what I expect will be a good and prominent next chapter in his career," Harris wrote.

As NewsBusters reported last Friday, Williams was suspended for amongst other things telling MSNBC's Martin Bashir that presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney was most comfortable around "white folks."

Maybe Williams will think better of making such comments in the future.

But this still raises the question of why other media outlets aren't taking similar measures against employees making the same remarks.

Such comments occur on a daily basis at MSNBC; HBO's Bill Maher does it weekly.

Why can so many in the media get away with unfounded racist accusations quite similar or even worse than what Williams just lost his job over?

Maybe every media outlet in the nation should take a cue from Politico and address the same problem they all have.