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Home Page > Blogs > News blogs > Periscope > Irish journalist who heckled President Obama should be fired - Cheap-shot journalism should have no place at the White House

Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

Irish journalist who heckled President Obama should be fired - Cheap-shot journalism should have no place at the White House

Posted on Saturday, June 16, 2012 at 07:01 AM

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The Irish-born journalist Neil Munro who heckled President Obama yesterday in the Rose Garden displayed not only bad manners but also a lack of professionalism that should get him fired.

Munro’s Twitter feed says he was “Born Irish, then became a Cold War bridegroom” – whatever that means.

Journalists have a job to do and the rules are pretty much defined, the White House press corps rules even more so, given the importance of every speech and the need for ground rules.

President Obama was making a major speech on immigration policy. Munro, educated at University College Dublin, was there for the micro-site the Daily Caller run by failed right-wing talk show host Tucker Carlson.

The protocol could not be clearer, especially in the Rose Garden. The president speaks, the journalists listen and then there are usually a few questions.

Munro disdained all that protocol to put himself in the upper class twit category (Kings College old chap) by interrupting the president and heckling him on immigration.

Reading his resume with its right wing musings you know it was a very deliberate move by Munro who will enjoy a brief flicker of flame, especially on the far right with this move.

These are the same people who made a brief hero out of an obscure congressman who shouted ‘You lie’ at President Obama during the State of the Union address. The same people who no doubt educate their children to be respectful of adults and always remember to be polite — except when it comes to the president of the United States.

When it all dies away however, Munro will be back to well-deserved obscurity, and hopefully his editors, who are unlikely to fire him, will too.

If it were someone I employed I would certainly let him or her go or deliver a stern warning. There has to be a modicum of decency, a set of social rules that are followed in such circumstances, irrespective of who the president is, Republican or Democrat.

Munro didn’t know about them or decided to ignore them. His pathetic excuse that he was trying to be first to ask a question doesn’t wash – in fact it is an obvious lie.

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Bythebay | Jun 19, 2012, 10:43 AM EDT

Republicans set the heckling standard as the 2000 election returns were being counted in Florida and effectively destroyed the election, making it an illegitimate one.

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BulldogMania | Jun 19, 2012, 09:45 AM EDT

Union members have been disrupting republican political rallies for decades, while republicans sat back and allowed this orchestrated nonsense to go on. NO MORE folks! Obama will be heckled EVERYWHERE he goes this election cycle. The republicans have finally organized and plan to answer back, shout for shout. I can't wait to watch the liberal media meltdown. They've remained silent for decades when it was done to republicans...wanna bet they go ballistic when it's done to their creation - Obama.

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IronMountainMovies | Jun 19, 2012, 09:43 AM EDT

Not a lover of the nut jobs in the Tea Party or America's right but it seems to me that the whole reason America is in such a mess from Iraq to Afghanistan and beyond, is because the protocols you speak of Niall, were adhered to far too much by a compliant and obedient media. A president should be fearful of the fourth estate, not manage it.

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weeknocky | Jun 18, 2012, 11:13 PM EDT

Writing history seems to be the fad of the present generation. So some reporter asked a question and upset the president. Did he commit a crime? No. The only thing he did was tick off "Mr. Never had a job but knows how to run your life" Obama. Sorry, I don't find this behavior unacceptable when the president is ignoring the constitution to make a political play.

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BrianO | Jun 18, 2012, 07:14 PM EDT

jmchrstal, you might want to subscribe to the daily caller before you cancel your subscribtion.

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jmchrystal | Jun 18, 2012, 05:32 PM EDT

I was so discussed at this low class act, I cancelled my subscription with the DAILY CALLER. Maybe if enough people did this they get the hint that acting like a Murdock publication wont do!

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newyorklass | Jun 18, 2012, 05:27 PM EDT

Wow -- people just can't let politics take a backseat to protocol. I don't give two hoots who is speaking.....there is such a thing as manners. I don't care that that jerk is Irish or anything other than. Does one who's speaking appreciate being interrupted until they are finished speaking???? I would think it's just common courtesy -- no matter who is speaking or where it takes place.... at least that's what I taught my child, and I hope she will always remember that. Get over yourselves.

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Stevekeefe | Jun 18, 2012, 05:19 PM EDT

Irish Center has more than enough home grown political and economic problems (in Ireland) to focus on...so, frankly, mind your own damn business.

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sharlot | Jun 18, 2012, 03:04 PM EDT

Would you say the same if George W. Bush was President? I don't think so--

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borefield | Jun 18, 2012, 02:39 PM EDT

IrishLM, I agree with your observations, Irish Central has become a mouthpiece for The Obama re-election. It truly is sickening. Obama and his crew as well as Michell have no interest in the Irish, Irish Americans or have an inclination to assist the Irish community in any way. Wake up Niall, you are hurting your own people. All your journalists are left wing biased small minded people. I am seriously thinking of opting out of this web site.

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BulldogMania | Jun 18, 2012, 02:11 PM EDT

HYPOCRITE ALERT! Reporters did this to President Bush and other republican presidents all the time and everyone thought it was fine. This guy is a national hero...he had the guts to stand up to the lies and distortions of the Obama clan. God bless him!

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VonLiebenitz | Jun 18, 2012, 01:42 PM EDT

Fair play to him while he,s at it why does,nt he ask Obama to justify the passing of the N>D>A>A that allows the systematic detention and questioning of anybody including american citizens without a shred of proof.Or the proposed TPP which we only heaed about through a supposed leak(more like a litmus test to see how many people are asleep and awake and to see how they respond to corporations getting a huge increase in protection from government interference and rights to resources anywhere in international waters.This man is a hero in my book.What about the journalistic code of providing neutral an unbiased coverage of issues?Well then why does,nt the main stream media report the real news and not just crap about the latest celebrity or racist drivel about an intervention in Syria to protect those oil pipelines?Or any coverage of the occupy movement? A huge global movement yet it gets no coverage whatsoever?.Ah the indignation of the main stream media about this issue just shows which side your really on.The leaders of the world are systematic failing their electorate.Hard questions need to be asked and to be answered.If you cant then move fool then get out of the way.

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rainbowbrew | Jun 18, 2012, 11:31 AM EDT

As far as Obama stripping hte constitution and Bof Rights I find a progaganda statement by the GOP. The GOP did us in with the Patriot Act which had been the argued and not passed Drug war act. Also ROPers have reduced the 4th amendment to shreads ie the police can take anything they want in a raid, and they are not the judge or jury. Sorry I have seen more destruction of the paper that is supposed to lead us by the GOP than anybody. fake wars on people called the Drug war was started by the GOP. The prohibition of some drugs was a GOP plot to gain more money for the owners of the Pharmas and oil companies. henry Ford buiilt a Hemp car and was going to run it on hemp fuel (alcohol), but the GOP engineering a fail alcohol prohibition to keep the fermentation of alcohol and thus lead us away from that to oil. Sorry the GOP has hurt too many people through the drug war and I would not vote for their evil ways.

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redhand32 | Jun 18, 2012, 10:33 AM EDT

He's the right guy for the right wing uncouth, wears his ignorance as a badge of honor !

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redhand32 | Jun 18, 2012, 10:32 AM EDT

This (for want of a better word) "journalist" is simply embedded in the right wing nut "ignorance is a badge of honor" uncouthness and lack of class, and civil respect by the extreme right wing nut Tea Bag, 2nd Amendment solution 'Don't Tread on Me' White Entitlement crowd (i.e. "I've got mine; go get yours lazy black welfarers and brown skinned immigrants") which collectively and individually regard anyone who can spell their signs correctly, had post HS education as "elitist." This "news" person works very well for all the Ford F150 drivin, flag waving, Creationist believing, global warming and other science denying, "hom skooling" Fox "News" bedroom butinsky, Patriot Act Civil Liberties, put the military on the streets with indefinite detention because it makes us safe believing, cut spending during recessions slopeheads. For the rest of us who go beyond lookin at the purty pictures and read the text too, he's not so good.

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