Media Myopia: Huma involvement with Islamist mag for a decade no biggie

Media Myopia: Huma involvement with Islamist mag for a decade no biggie

The MSM can’t stop talking about Donald Trump having brought onto his campaign the Chairman of Breitbart News.

But Hillary’s closest aide being for 12 years an editor of an Islamist magazine that among other things blamed the US for 9/11? Meh!

On today’s With All Due Respect, guest co-host Alex Wagner seconded the excuse that the Clinton campaign is shopping. Said Wagner: “as you and I have both worked on magazines, we know that there are a lot of editors who do absolutely nothing but are listed on mastheads anyway.”

John Heilemann similarly argued that while his title at Bloomberg Politics is Managing Editor, he doesn’t do any managing or editing. He went on to assert that not many voters care about Huma Abedin “one way or the other.” Added Heilemann: “I know people on the right will hate me for saying that.”

Heilemann and Wagner’s excuses don’t pass the smell test. For purposes of argument, let’s assume that in fact Huma didn’t do much work at the mag. But Huma surely knew what the magazine was about and what was in it: her mother was the editor-in-chief! So what was in it? Among other things, an article in essence blaming the US for 9-11. Another implying that women wearing suggestive clothing brought sexual violence on themselves. Another arguing that “single or working moms and gay couples with children should not be classed as a family,” etc.

While dismissing the importance of Huma’s involvement with the mag, Wagner did acknowledge that her mother being editor-in-chief could be problematic for the Clinton campaign. But that misses the point, which is that Hillary Clinton has chosen as her longtime, closest adviser someone from a family that espouses these kinds of views. And far from rejecting her heritage, Huma chose to associate herself with that radicalism by, at the very least, having her name displayed as an editor for more than a decade.

ALEX WAGNER: As you and I have both worked on magazines, we know there are a lot of editors who do absolutely nothing but are listed on mastheads anyway. That is what the Clinton campaign is saying about Huma Abedin being an assistant editor of this Muslim journal, her mother, however, is the editor-in-chief. This magazine said things that were directly in opposition to Hillary Clinton and a lot of the values that a lot of Democratic voters share, a lot of American voters share. And I think that could be a potential problem for the Clinton campaign.

. . .

JOHN HEILEMANN: You know, I believe I’m called the managing editor of Bloomberg Politics —

WAGNER: — and that actually means nothing.

HEILEMANN: — and I manage nothing and edit no one, so there’s that. And I don’t think many voters in the middle of the electorate care about Huma Abedin one way or the other. I’m sorry to say. I know people on the right will hate me for saying that but I think it’s true.

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