Roland Martin: “Work it, Soledad!” Starting Point anchor Soledad O’Brien: CNN’s Hooters honey? Not yet. Yesterday, she did declare that she was not a refined lady. But as to being “delightfully tacky,” she uttered not a word. But, that could change, especially, if her ratings do not climb out of the cellar soon.
On a more serious note, yesterday, Soledad interviewed Jennifer Livingston, the local Wisconsin news anchor, whose dressing down on air of a meddling e-mailer has gone viral.* When Soledad asked the WKBT news host if she had to obtain her boss’ approval to take out the bully (who had deemed her obese and who had indicated that she was not a good role model), she said that her news director trusted her. Elaborating, Livingston said that she and her boss both decided not to name the e-mailer on air because her response was not about him per se, rather the “critical” culture.
Ready for some vengence, Soledad exclaimed, “Oh, let’s name him anyway, Jennifer! Because, yesterday, I was thinking, ‘If I were Jennifer, I would go ahead and name him.’ So, his name is Kenneth Krause.”
Subsequently, Soledad informed her audience that Livingston had received “a ton of support” but that Krause had stood by his initial statement. Punctuating the air with her pen, she derisively declared, “Here’s what Kenneth Krause, the evil e-mailer, said in his statement.” [Italics added for emphasis.]
In response to Soledad’s hyperbole, Livingston began to chuckle. Looking up from her papers, Soledad insisted, “I know, I know. You’re, you’re refined and a lady: And, I’m not!”
From his spot in the peanut gallery, off-cam SP panelist Roland Martin interjected, as is his wont: Perhaps, envisioning Soledad as his favorite Buffalo wing server in her orange short shorts, Martin gleefully demanded, “Work it, Soledad!”
Ignoring Martin’s gratuitous interruption, Soledad continued, reading Krause’s defiant statement that Livingston should take the opportunity to “transform” herself into a good role model over the next year and that he would be glad to give her any advice or support that she would be willing to accept. When Soledad had finished, she asked, “Is there anything that he could offer you that you would accept?”
Charitably, Livingston answered, “I hold no ill will towards him. And, I hope that people don’t bully the bully….I don’t…want to…make him an evil representation of the whole world.” Kindly, she added, “I hope that, at some point, [that] he will learn that he could have approached the topic in a much more kind way.”
As the interview drew to an end, Soledad caustically concluded, “Well, I am, I hold ill will all the time, Jennifer. So, I’ll hold ill.” Hearing off-camera snickers, Soledad stopped mid-sentence and looked to her right, protesting, “I know, I know, Will Cain [SP regular]. It’s mean! But, Jennifer is obviously a much better person than I am.”
Serious “End Point”: Don’t bully.
As to Soledad, no CNN Hooters honey yet. But, yesterday, she was a “Mean Girl”!
*Starting Point – 10/04/12 (@ 8:51 a.m. ET)
Carpe Diem 