FARAI CHIDEYA, host:
This is News & Notes. I'm Farai Chideya.
The president got a heck of a reception this weekend during his trip to Baghdad, and Oprah is back with a call to lose weight, starting with her own 60-pound gain. It's all on today's Bloggers' Roundtable with Rob Redding of the Redding News Review, K. Tempest Bradford of the Angry Black Woman blog, and Ron Scott, a blogger for The Detroit News. Hi, folks.
Ms. K. TEMPEST BRADFORD (Blogger, Angry Black Woman): Hey, Farai.
Mr. RON SCOTT (Blogger, Detroit News): Hello.
Mr. ROB REDDING (Blogger, Redding News Review): How are you, Farai?
CHIDEYA: You know, this wasn't really on our agenda but Ron, I hope you don't mind me asking you about this. We were just talking with Keith Reed, our economics contributor, about the possible distribution cutbacks at The Detroit News. Do you guys have any knowledge that that kind of ax on distribution is really going to fall?
Mr. SCOTT: Yeah. As a matter of fact, yesterday, many of us heard about it, and earlier in the week about possible two-day circulation. It's just reflective of, Farai, what you've been talking about in relationship to the economy. There's just a fallback. People are in a situation where distribution is directly reflected to advertising and also the purchase of the newspaper, and it's just really a challenge. So yes, we've gotten an indication of that. Probably, we'll be doing a lot more online. But once again, the revenue stream is certainly challenged.
CHIDEYA: I'm sorry to hear that and definitely, we are trying to keep track of all of our people in media who are in the trenches. I want to move on to politics. There is an incident that causes some people to roll their eyes, some people to laugh, some people to get upset. And I'm talking about the shoe and the president. President George W. Bush went to Iraq this weekend to make a final visit to the country. He was having a press conference and a journalist, a Middle Eastern journalist, threw a shoe and almost hit him in the head. That gesture is considered a strong insult in Iraq, and ABC News's Martha Raditz interviewed the president right after it happened. Let's listen to his response.
(Soundbite of ABC News interview)
President GEORGE W. BUSH: I thought it was interesting, I thought it was weird, I thought it was unusual to have a guy throw a shoe at you, but I'm not insulted. I don't hold it against the government. I don't think the Iraqi press corps is all terrible. And so the guy wanted to get on TV and he did. I don't know what his beef is. But whatever it is, I'm sure, you know, somebody will hear it.
CHIDEYA: The beef included calls that America had killed Iraqi children. So Rob, what do you make of this incident?
Mr. REDDING: Well, I think it's unfortunate. The office of the presidency of the United States is an important office, although the man is a joke that's holding it. I think he's a ruler, a dictator and a tyrant. I've said that time and time again about George Bush, but he deserves respect because he's the president of the United States. As far as him trivializing it and saying that it's just a guy that wanted to get on television, it's an oversimplification. I think it's an unfortunate incident, and I think that he is trivializing it by saying that, oh, it's just a guy who wanted to go on television. I don't know what his point was, but I'm not insulted by it. That's because he doesn't understand, and has never understood, why people are so upset at him.
CHIDEYA: Tempest, when you heard about this, watched it, whatever it is you did, and of course, it's become quite viral now as a viral video, what was your reaction?
Ms. BRADFORD: Well, although my first, gut reaction is probably to laugh, really, the first thing I wondered about was, where was the Secret Service? It seemed like this guy had time to, you know, throw two shoes at the president, and the Secret Service didn't seem to be in play there. That was actually the first thing that I thought.
I agree that, you know, him trivializing it, saying, oh, I don't know why a guy wanted to throw a shoe at me, that shows either he's just being sort of facetious, or he's completely clueless, because I'm sure that guy felt that he had a lot of legitimate reasons. One of which he screamed at the president. He said, you know, here you go, you're on your way out, and I'm going to throw a shoe at you because you've killed Iraqi children, you've, you know, killed my family, etc. I don't agree. I agree that he should not have thrown a shoe at the president, regardless of his feelings. But I can definitely understand why he, you know, felt that he could do that.
Mr. SCOTT: Farai.
CHIDEYA: Yes.
Mr. SCOTT: This is Ron. I just want to jump in. I love the name of Tempest's blog. I just have to say that. Anyway, the thing of it is, I think, just not too far from there, there had been a bombing near the Green Zone, not too far, a car bombing. And it just emphasizes that George Bush was suggesting that this was democracy at work, while there's still a battle, there's still a war going on in that area, and I think it's not that he's clueless. I think he's just basically a little bit arrogant and really does not respond to the genuine feelings that people have who have been involved in, really, a terrorist act, a battle, for all these many years. And I just think he is not emphasizing the human cost that this has been reflecting.
CHIDEYA: I want to go to back to something that Tempest said. I'm reading this from U.S. News, their Web site. And they say, White House reporters are worried that the Secret Service and the Bush press office will now impose even more restrictions on correspondents and photographers in an effort to prevent such an incident from happening again. So there's also a lot of talk about what kinds of restraints should be on journalists and observers when it comes to the incoming president. Do you think that incidents like this should cause a rise in security? Tempest, or whoever wants to jump in.
Mr. REDDING: I think they should, because Barack Obama definitely has some concerns here. He is the first black president coming in. We've seen the racist surge, the Baracktion level(ph), as I call it, across the country. This is a concern. And as far as George Bush goes, one of the things that he also made - which is why I think he's just clueless and doesn't get it - is because he also made a comment from the podium, from the lectern, talking about the middle fingers that he always sees when he's driving by and kind of trivialized that as well. That's the reason why I say this guy just doesn't get it.
CHIDEYA: Well…
Mr. SCOTT: Well I…
CHIDEYA: Please, go ahead.
Mr. SCOTT: I'm sorry, Farai. I think, basically, that the thing is, we're talking about a particular ideology here that is being reflected, that goes back to Bill Kristol and all these guys that, they basically do not consider other parts of the world and some of the people in those parts of the world as, you know, consistent with the values that they hold dear here in America. And I think that leads to a certain amount of arrogance and elitism, and the specter of empire.
But in terms of the restrictions on the media, I think while there should be some increased security, I'm always concerned about how that plays out in terms of who's restricted and how, and who's credentialed and how. I think there needs to be at least some rethinking of the security factors, but I think that in terms of legitimate media concern, we need to know as much we can, especially in these crucial times around the world. So I just think you need to balance the two much, much more tepidly.
CHIDEYA: We have been hearing from Ron Scott, who blogs for The Detroit News. And you're listening to NPR's News & Notes. I just want to bring everyone's names back to the table in case folks are tuning in to our Bloggers' Roundtable midway through. So we have Ron, also K. Tempest Bradford of The Angry Black Woman blog, Rob Redding of Redding News Review. Of course, I'm Farai Chideya. This is NPR's News & Notes. And we have a lot to talk about.
One of the things that's come up that, you know - the bridge for me in these topics is the idea of security, and the security of the incoming president. The inauguration is officially on fire, in the sense that it's bigger than anyone. And someone who I know in Washington, D.C. is just really concerned - I mean, for the public safety of people who come to D.C. without any infrastructure, without a booked hotel room, without transportation within the city. But there are some people who are getting the red carpet rolled out for them, and getting one of those key protected seats at the inauguration.
And one of them is a group of Tuskegee Airmen, invited by the president-elect to the inauguration on January 20th. And of course, they made history during the World War II as the first black military pilots, but when they came back home, a lot of them had to go straight to the back of the bus. And one of the airmen, John L. Harrison, said that this invitation compensates for some of the discrimination that they had to endure. Rob, do you think - I mean, obviously, that's his opinion, and he is a Tuskegee airman. But do you think that getting your due late in life is something that can heal the wounds of the past?
Mr. REDDING: Certainly, it helps. I don't think that it will definitely heal the wounds, I think that's a bit of a stretch. I mean, there's so many folks that have fought the struggle. The Tuskegee Airmen, of course, they waged a valiant fight to integrate the armed forces and to serve their country. This does go a long way. I'm glad to see that Barack Obama understands the significance of this moment and has wanted to include them in it.
CHIDEYA: Tempest, it's actually Senator Diane Feinstein of California who sent the invitations. Do you think they should have come directly from the president-elect?
Ms. BRADFORD: Well, I think it depends. I mean, basically, if the president-elect has asked, you know, senators and representatives to reach out to people...
CHIDEYA: And she's running the whole inauguration...
Ms. BRADFORD: Right. You know, so...
CHIDEYA: You know, from the Senate's side.
Ms. BRADFORD: Right. So in that case, it seems like it is appropriate for it to come from her, because, you know, when she's inviting someone to the inauguration, it is also an acknowledgment from Obama. I mean, probably no one is coming to this inauguration without Obama and Obama's people knowing about it. So you know, I think that that is appropriate.
CHIDEYA: I'm going to just transition us, Ron, to another topic. Now, these are two interrelated topics that really have to do with health. And one of them is Oprah Winfrey, who we'll get to in a second, the other one is Obama, the smoker. He was busted by Tom Brokaw in "Meet The Press" for dodging the question of whether or not he had quit smoking, and here's how he responded.
(Soundbite from "Meet the Press")
Mr. TOM BROKAW (Host, "Meet The Press"): Have you stopped smoking?
President-elect BARACK OBAMA: You know, I have, but what I said was that, you know, there are times where I've fallen off the wagon. Yet, well I....
Mr. BROKAW: Well, wait a minute. That means you haven't stopped.
President-elect OBAMA: Well, the - fair enough. What I would say is that I have done a terrific job under the circumstances of making myself much healthier, and I think that you will not see any violations of these rules in the White House.
CHIDEYA: His main thing has been, I will not smoke, or people will not smoke in the White House. But whether or not Michelle has to put him in a headlock out in the yard is another question entirely.
(Soundbite of laughter)
CHIDEYA: So Ron - because Michelle has been his biggest public critic, of all people. She's like, if you see my husband smoking, just give me a call on the celly and...
(Soundbite of laughter)
Mr. SCOTT: I'd like to say to the president-elect: denial, denial, denial. You got to get away from denial, and you've got to step up and acknowledge it and give full, full disclosure. Because he made it clear that when we look at health issues in the African-American community and the community in general, that smoking really is a major addiction. And in fact, it's being peddled around the world. I think it's growing in China by leaps and bounds, in Africa and so on. So within that context, I think, you know, he really needs to get engaged in some cessation programs.
Some people have suggested - they've seen him, you know, chewing on Nicorette and so forth. So I certainly hope that this public attention brings to our minds, and to his mind, the necessity of being around for his girls and others in the future, and similarly with Oprah. I mean, these are two major factors in the African-American community and the community in general, and I see that all the time. It is just really something that we take for granted. But these kinds of things are really, really - should I say something that's already known - really killing us, and I hope President-elect Obama listens to his wife.
CHIDEYA: We'll fold in the Oprah topic right now because Tempest, Oprah is going public again. You know, a lot of people in the chattering classes and the supermarket check-out lines had been seeing various depictions of her gaining weight over time. And first, it was like, oh, I just have a thyroid problem, and then, you know - now she's said that she has quote, fallen off the wagon - her words - of healthy living. And her good friend Gail King even went on "Good Morning, America" to talk about Oprah's struggle with weight. Ron seems to say, look, these people - Obama and Winfrey are role models. They have an obligation to deal with these issues. What do you think?
Ms. BRADFORD: I think that because Oprah is a public figure, and because her battles with weight have been so public and out in the open, not necessarily that she has an obligation, but I think that for her own peace of mind, it is good for her to talk about it. It's good for her to deal with. I mean, just for anybody, it's good to be healthy, just in general. And as I was reading the excerpt from her article in O Magazine about this, I completely recognize the struggles that she went through. You know, you have some medical problem like, you know, hyperactive - or hypoactive thyroid, and that can start a whole snowball effect, stress - which I'm sure she's a very, you know, stressed person, because she has a lot of responsibilities - stress really adds to that.
And that can all lead up to becoming depressed. And then when you're depressed, you know, and even if it's a mild depression in that way, that can really affect what you do with your health. I have gone through some of the same stuff, so I totally understand everything that she's going through. And I think that not necessarily for any obligation that she has to the community, though that is a part of it, but she just needs to do it for herself. If she does it for herself, then she makes an example for the community.
CHIDEYA: Well, Rob, what do you think?
Mr. REDDING: I agree, she has to do it for herself. I mean, people used to walk around - I used to be 315 pounds, I'm 130 now. I mean, I've been doing it for 12 years...
CHIDEYA: Wait, wait, wait. Let's...
Mr. REDDING: Whoa.
CHIDEYA: Let's rewind. Let me just say - because you talk so fast. You used to be 315 pounds.
Mr. REDDING: Right.
CHIDEYA: You're now 130, and you lost the weight over 12 years?
Mr. REDDING: No, no, no. I lost it all in six months, and I've been keeping it now for 12 years.
CHIDEYA: Oh, my goodness.
Mr. REDDING: Under a doctor's close supervision.
Mr. SCOTT: Wow.
CHIDEYA: Oh, my gosh. Wow.
Mr. REDDING: Yeah. A lot of people don't know that about me. So this is a serious issue. Addictions, food addictions are very serious issues, and you don't get overweight by doing something other than a lot - in a lot of cases, let's just put it this way, there are issues that - medical issues that do arise and crop up that have something to do with weight gain. You know, big-boned, that's always been the argument.
But Oprah has definitely got to watch this. She's got to do a little bit better job making sure she moves her feet more than she moves her fork here. And you know, to Barack Obama, I think this is an important lie, because I like to watch people when they lie, and when they kind of take the truth and kind of twist it. And he says, well, there's not going to be any smoking in the White House.
Mr. SCOTT: Right.
Mr. REDDING: That kind of thing - that's the lawyer coming out of him.
(Soundbite of laughter)
Mr. REDDING: So I just like to point those things out.
Mr. SCOTT: I, you know, I lost a lot...
CHIDEYA: I just - I have to give you major props. Oh, go ahead, Ron.
Mr. SCOTT: No, I just said, I lost a lot of weight, too. I lost about 50 pounds like a couple of years ago, and then I've kept it off and...
CHIDEYA: Oh, my gosh.
Mr. SCOTT: Yeah, and I have to agree. One of the things that - one of my friends does now is that he encourages me, and I think for both of these figures, they need to have, really, a strong support group. I think some of us are strong enough to try to do it ourselves. But I think the support group activity is very important in our community. A lot of times, as was suggested, we fall into depression, and we try to anesthetize ourselves, and we really have to get away from that.
Ms. BRADFORD: True.
CHIDEYA: Well, I would like to ask a request of you, which is that if you can - well, I'll be in touch with you. I would love to get your stories up on our blog, or a link from your blog to ours, because I think it's an inspiring revelation that both of you have walked this path. So we have to wrap it up here, but I'm going to give you guys a ping. Thank you so much.
Mr. REDDING: I would love do that.
Mr. SCOTT: Thank you.
CHIDEYA: We were talking to Rob Redding of the Redding News Review, K. Tempest Bradford of The Angry Black Woman blog, who joined us from NPR's studios in New York, and Ron Scott, who blogs for The Detroit News, and he joined from WYCD in Detroit, Michigan.
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