MSNBC Runs Entire Segment On Clinton’s Socks: ‘The Former President Was Showing Off A Little Leg’
MSNBC Runs Entire Segment On Clinton’s Socks: ‘The Former President Was Showing Off A Little Leg’
Today MSNBC decided to forego substantive discussion of terrorism and instead focused on the fact that former President Bill Clinton’s sock had slipped and part of his “white” leg was showing during his interview with Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace. The MSNBC host asked her guests, “Is this a travesty or what?” Watch it:
Full transcript below:
HOST: Well, people haven’t just been talking about Bill Clinton’s red face in that Fox News interview and all the anger and the finger pointing, but some have been focusing on Clinton’s white legs. The former president showing off a little leg during the sitdown with Chris Wallace. We’re going to show you that, and that’s left some — see, there it is, a little glimpse of leg. Well, how does this happen? … I mean — is this a travesty or what?
[SNIP]
RON CHRISTIE: Yes, I do have longer socks on. And the fact of the matter is —
HOST: How high do they come? To your calf or knee?
CHRISTIE: They’re almost up to the knee. You don’t have to worry about any leg showing here.
HOST: Very good. Because I prefer modesty in all of my interviewees.
CHRISTIE: Exactly.
HOST: Julian Epstein, Ron Christie, that was fun.
CHRISTIE: Thanks.
HOST: If I had been doing that interview, I’ve got to say, I would just say, “Oh, Mr. president, your leg is showing,” or it’s sort of like telling someone they have spinach in their teeth. Come on, it’s not cool to let someone go around with spinach in their teeth, same thing with leg.
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you have to be kidding me.
September 26th, 2006 at 11:23 amThe only travesty is that some people think that Clinton’s sock drama is newsworthy for MSNBC.
Go MSM… Hooray.
September 26th, 2006 at 11:24 amPerhaps Olbermann will raise a little hell over the stupidity of his colleagues.
September 26th, 2006 at 11:24 amUgh.
September 26th, 2006 at 11:25 amWHAAAAAAA???!!!
September 26th, 2006 at 11:25 amAre you kidding me? Let’s not talk about war, or terror or the midterms or anything else important. Let’s focus on Clinton’s leg. Unbelievable!
America’s Least Wanted
this is absolute nonsense. with all the turmoil in america and around the world this is what my and everyones tax paying money is going to for the news. these folks are looking more foolish by the day. as they were talking about socks. 18 people died in suicide bombing in kabul. they give a 2 second sound bite and resort back to there rhetorical bs.
September 26th, 2006 at 11:25 amHuman-like characteristics are strange and novel to the Fox news people.
September 26th, 2006 at 11:26 amThe whole f–ing world is falling apart,& they make fun of Bill’s socks. SHEEEESH
September 26th, 2006 at 11:27 amIt’s a travesty all right.
Whenever someone tries to discuss actual matters of substance in a mature way, the high-schoolers in the MSM fall over themselves to point their fingers and cry “Look at that nerd!”
September 26th, 2006 at 11:27 amletters@msnbc.com
There you go, people.
September 26th, 2006 at 11:28 amletters@msnbc.com
September 26th, 2006 at 11:28 amthe fact is that clinton did do more than bush did in the 8 months. let’s not forget when clinton left he left a memo on obl with battle plans along side that was the document saying that obl planned to use planes and fly them into buildings. i also believe that was close the headlines. and what did bush do? absolutely nothing. in fact didn’t go to crawford. 2 oct dick will be in billings mt. to lobby for republicon rehberg and bet your bottom dollar burns will be there.
September 26th, 2006 at 11:29 amWhy are neocons are obsessed with Clinton’s anatomy?
September 26th, 2006 at 11:31 amWho cares if his leg was showing or not? It’s what he had to say to Wallace that was important. If I were the newscaster in this sound bite, I’d be embarrassed with myself for even bringing this up.
September 26th, 2006 at 11:32 amYes Hillary forgot to tell Bill to wear the long black socks with his suit, so his legs showed > now FOX will just talk about that trivia > lol. The Repubs wanted to see Clinton’s penis, during the Monica scandal, so seeing his leg makes them horny perhap?
September 26th, 2006 at 11:32 ammore proof our “media” is brain dead. please include a link so we can email MSNBC and complain about this BS.
i only wish you were kidding, this is disgraceful. any petitions to ask the former owner of cnn to buy back? i cannot think of one serious news outlet in the United States besides public tv, and even then, you might find some right wing “concept” discussion of who has the best opinion with the least amount of actual experience or facts.
why is it i have to read foreign news to find out what is actually going on?
can someone name one news station, just one, that actually provides FACTUAL news as opposed to this drivel? it is ridiculous, insulting and should be criminal. they either need to advertise as entertainment news, or they need to report the news. where the hell is the accountability? standards? how stupid do they think we are exactly?
pretty damn stupid. it’s insulting to intelligent thinking americans that we do not have access to factual, unbiased news right now.
this should disturb all americans, no matter what party you support.
they think we are so stupid that the govt can lie to us – repeatedly-the media will air it, without question, and then try to ditract us with talk of…
socks?
please fire these people. immediately. or put them on the “teen people” beat so they can find an audience for their astute fashion reporting.
September 26th, 2006 at 11:36 amHey, a man’s socks say a lot about him. I mean, isn’t that why we invaded Iraq? Those anti-sockists, I mean really, who wouldn’t?
September 26th, 2006 at 11:37 amWhat are they thinking. Who cares about if Bill Clinton leg is showing.
There is more important things to talk about than a leg. This is a joke.
September 26th, 2006 at 11:39 amNo one watches MSNBC
September 26th, 2006 at 11:40 ami woke up and turned on the tv in bed, and this was the first thing i saw. Incidentally i went to bed after watching James Inhofe give a rant on CSPAN, and have now come to the conclusion that he is insane. anyway, now i want to punch things.
September 26th, 2006 at 11:42 amHell this aint nothin, my socks don’t ecver match and often one has a hole in it.
September 26th, 2006 at 11:43 amAnd what is TP doing right now?
TP = kettle
September 26th, 2006 at 11:43 amlol Jay
September 26th, 2006 at 11:43 ami noticed the sock thing, distracted for a split second and thought “pull your pant leg down, bill”… but just for that second… then i got engrossed again in his words and actions…
September 26th, 2006 at 11:44 amand now i think that HE also was so into that conversation he didn’t even notice, never a thought about his g-damn pant leg hiked up…
as it should be…
but i did have another thought, “he must be a very busy guy – no time for a suntan”…
i bet boner’s legs aren’t white…
…
they keep saying ‘Host’…who…is the woman?????…she’s a CLASSIC IDIOT!!…
September 26th, 2006 at 11:45 amSTOP TAPE…DUH…..you have a hair out of place lady…..
You have just GOT to be shitting me.
September 26th, 2006 at 11:45 amThis country is doomed.
For he last couple mornings, MSNBC has devoted plenty of time to Clinton’s supposed outburst and basically played the role of Fox PR department. they have gone out of their way to make Fox look like the innocent, fair and legitimate network and make CLinton look angry and out of control.
Numerous guests have talked about how legitimate the interview was and how legitimate the questions were. I have yet to see one second devoted to how legitimate Clinton’s answer was or how legitimate his criticisms were.
September 26th, 2006 at 11:46 amMy email:
Dear MSNBC,
You have hit a new low. A former president criticizes a current president. This is huge news. The substance of what he said was also extremely newsworthy. Real journalists would do the research to see whether he was right or not. Real journalists would report their findings.
Is that what you did?
No.
Instead, you devoted an entire segment to President Clinton’s socks. No, not even the cat. Really, his socks.
Is there a special stupid pill that you are required to take before you go on the air? Is the stupid an ingredient in your hair bleach?
Please stop embarrassing yourselves and our country. Do research. Report news. If you are unsure of what this means, dig up some Edward R. Murrow tapes. THAT was news.
September 26th, 2006 at 11:46 amThey are pointing out how stupid newsmedia can be.
September 26th, 2006 at 11:47 amThey aren’t the ones who blathered on about someone’s socks.
The power of money, republican money, when they can use valuable (?) airtime to put forth shit like this.
September 26th, 2006 at 11:47 amAmerica hits a new low with the likes of MSNBC.
Who was the host?
September 26th, 2006 at 11:48 amMaybe some media outlets as well as the Republican base in the US will begin to care about the real issues after this country becomes the next province of China. That is, after Taiwan.
They already own a lion’s share of US IOU’s (debt).
They already produce most consumer goods for the United States.
And they could easily take on the 7-11,000 fully equipped troops that the US Defense Department has left to deal with things ‘other than Iraq.’
September 26th, 2006 at 11:48 amThe story here is Clinton facing down his detractors, calling bullshit, and doing so with eloquent passion. The story here is the debunking of a smear campaign by the target himself, and forcefully so.
And they report on his ankle?! These reporters are at best too dense to grasp the importance of the moment and at worse intentionally concealing the story.
September 26th, 2006 at 11:50 amThis is ridiculous, but — Doesn’t Tweety (on MSNBC) faint over Bush’s legs when he shows them?
September 26th, 2006 at 11:51 amFunny, I didn’t even notice his socks or his leg. I was listening to what he was saying. Silly me.
September 26th, 2006 at 11:51 amIf musing about his socks is the degree which they had to stoop to, then they are obviously in serious trouble.
September 26th, 2006 at 11:53 amYou know, I have come to a startling new conclusion. America’s media is not liberal, it is not conservative, it is not neocon. America’s media is in fact, stupid. Totally, and completely thick. There are greater levels of sheer dense on America’s news channels, then there are in most black holes.
I mean come on, the guy showed a little bit of leg? What kind of idiots do you guys have running your news?
September 26th, 2006 at 11:54 amKeith Olberman NOT included…but ‘Todays WORSE PERSONS IN THE WORLLLLLLLD,…MSNBC AND THE ‘HOST’……..(papers flying)….lol.
September 26th, 2006 at 11:57 amShrill and spewing bull shit is on with yet another photo op and QA right now….I’m leaving the computer and all new’s off for the day….Time to go out again today and “do my part in pissing off the relegious right” in my moving bill board…BTW I am getting lot’s of thumbs up and happy waves from people in agreement with my bumper stickers…..Still no new responses about the upside down flag……Blessings all, get out and do something to spread the word to stop the war’s and removing this administration from office…..Become visable……
September 26th, 2006 at 11:58 ami bet noron ephron is all giggly with self-satisfaction this a.m. it was her razorsharp eyesight that spotted the offending flesh, resulting in her latest huffpost yammerings that led to the msnbc segment. .
September 26th, 2006 at 11:59 amNow we know why they have to constantly shout “Liberal Media” in order to catapult reality.
September 26th, 2006 at 12:01 pmUmm, I vaguely remember ‘highwater’ jokes, from…umm, 3rd grade.
September 26th, 2006 at 12:06 pmYou know what the male Democrats should do in response? Run a campaign add as follows:
It has come to our attention that certain journalists think that Democrat legs are important in an election. As such we felt obliged to respond.
Curtains go up, music starts to play and the leading Democrats start doing the cancan.
September 26th, 2006 at 12:12 pmTwo issues at work here:
1. Item taken from Repub talking points memo on Clinton’s interview with Wallace. Why else are we seeing this in several places today. It’s their attempt to turn a serious interview of a serious man into fluff and nonsense.
2. Trying to fill 24 hours “news” programming
September 26th, 2006 at 12:18 pm[...] Oher MSNBC coverage via ThinkProgress: MSNBC Runs Entire Segment On Clinton’s Socks: ‘The Former President Was Showing Off A Little Leg’ » [...]
September 26th, 2006 at 12:24 pmGo the the MSNBC home page @msnbc.com . There is a link at the bottom for contact us.. enjoy
September 26th, 2006 at 12:31 pmNow THAT’S what I call hard-hitting journalism. What a bunch of morons!
September 26th, 2006 at 12:38 pm“TV must always have a robust respect and awe of the President, unless he is a weak-willed Democrat.”
That is one of the decency rules in The Department of Homeland Decency: Decency Rules and Regulations Manual. Smear Clinton for any and everything, because he the weak-willed one in this confrontation and it lets everyone continue to adore Bush, the resolute one.
We’re marching proudly backwards to our future. Check it out at http://www.homelanddecency.com
September 26th, 2006 at 12:42 pmHave they renamed themselves the Onion Network?
September 26th, 2006 at 12:43 pmThat’s not his leg, (doh!).
September 26th, 2006 at 12:44 pmNever a fan of MSNBC, I am dismayed by their new strategy to attract viewers. With dismal ratings plunging further, some bone-head intern (the perky college journalism major) probably drew the dreary job of background info. Noting the offers our former President received from sundry women to hit their knees or thinking old hippie women and aging feminist spinsters might get a thrill from President Clinton’s limb, I think MSNBC failed miserably to put a fresh perspective on an interesting story.
September 26th, 2006 at 1:02 pmTRAVESTY: 1674, from adj. meaning “dressed so as to be made ridiculous, parodied, burlesqued” (c.1662), from Fr. travesti “dressed in disguise,” pp. of travestir “to disguise” (1592), from It. travestire “to disguise,” from L. trans- “over” + vestire “to clothe” (see wear).
September 26th, 2006 at 1:07 pmOH my god!!! We are all doomed!! Clinton showed his ankle!!!
September 26th, 2006 at 1:14 pmWell, this is MSNBC. They want to distract, look at Clinton’s socks rather than the fact that he was the most embarrassing president ever. That he gave away more military secrets than Benedict Arnold. That terrorism today is empowered because of his inaction.
Yup, liberal media say look at his socks, not his “legacyâ€.
September 26th, 2006 at 1:22 pmI just removed MSNBC.com from my bookmars and brain. Idiots. All of them.
September 26th, 2006 at 1:22 pmDoes anyone know who the “host” was?
Who was the host?
September 26th, 2006 at 1:36 pmAs Triumph and myself have already asked:
WHO THE HELL WAS THE HOST ?
September 26th, 2006 at 1:48 pmWho was the host?
One thing we know is that they read conservative legal loon Ann Althouse – that was the only thing she wrote about in her post on the interview.
http://althouse.blogspot.com/2006/09/clinton-on-fox-news-sunday.html
September 26th, 2006 at 2:00 pmWTF is going on with the media? who cares abotu his freaking sock! UGG! They will never get it, never.
September 26th, 2006 at 2:04 pmBut Keith Olbermann’s Special Comment makes up for MSNBC’s trivial pursuit…
…he was magnificent last night commenting on Clinton’s point about the Bushites NOT having done anything about bin Laden…
…until AFTER 9/11, and how media had given Bushites a free pass…
…and declared NO MORE would Bush be given a free pass…
Great stuff!
September 26th, 2006 at 2:06 pmIs this how MSNBC “balances” Olbermann?
KO comments last night were jaw-dropping in their directness.
September 26th, 2006 at 2:28 pmIf you missed it, pick up a transcript or watch the video at C&L.
He is the only news anchor out there who is alerting America that the Emperor has no clothes.
Personally I didn’t think the sock was such a big deal compared to when Clinton bent Wallace over a chair and ritually ass-raped him on national tv.
September 26th, 2006 at 2:31 pmHappy Guy,
September 26th, 2006 at 2:34 pmPlease post references to your claims, otherwise, it’s time to FLUSH…
You mean when Clinton lost control. He has no self control when it comes to showing his legacy of shame. Just like he has no self control with his penis. He can’t handle the truth just like people on liberal websites.
ROTFL, ROTFL, ROTFL, ROTFL, ROTFL, ROTFL, ROTFL, ROTFL, Truth
September 26th, 2006 at 2:46 pmHow much lower can they go?
see, there it is, a little glimpse of leg. Well, how does this happen? … I mean — is this a travesty or what?
Answer: no longer sniffing at his crotch, now they’ve developed a sock fetish.
September 26th, 2006 at 2:51 pm24 hours of news, you have to fill it with something…
September 26th, 2006 at 3:13 pmyou guys do realize that fox now knows of your copyright infringement by having this video on your site, and that you will be notified shortly to remove it. right? you morons
September 26th, 2006 at 4:09 pmyou guys do realize that fox knows of your copyright infringement by your having this video on here, and that youll be notified shortly to take this down. right? u dorks
September 26th, 2006 at 4:13 pmUh oh, not the the faux police!
The rightwingnuts are sucking third hind tit on everything.
September 26th, 2006 at 4:29 pmListen to them wail grasping onto Clintons leg as they are being sucked down the sewer of corruption and lack of credibility.
the host was contessa Brewer
September 26th, 2006 at 5:23 pmCan I roll to disbelieve?
September 26th, 2006 at 6:15 pmI think MSNBC understands the situation perfectly. If FOX or CNN can make a big deal of unnewsworthy material, MSNBC’s move was completely satirical. The fact is no one in their right mind could care less about Clinton’s sock, and same goes true for some the blame game/ partisanship played by FOX (e.g. gay issues, shaivo). But, this emphasizes how easily news gets spun into seemingly “worthwhile” stories, all the while, caring less about the actual honest and relevant part.
September 26th, 2006 at 7:06 pm#
You mean when Clinton lost control. He has no self control when it comes to showing his legacy of shame. Just like he has no self control with his penis. He can’t handle the truth just like people on liberal websites.
ROTFL, ROTFL, ROTFL, ROTFL, ROTFL, ROTFL, ROTFL, ROTFL, Truth
Comment by Happy+Guy — September 26, 2006 @ 2:46 pm
It again comes down to one simple fact. Republicans like this can’t get laid. It ends in November. If he wasn’t scared he wouldn’t be here posting. Self control = drunk until 40.
September 26th, 2006 at 7:43 pmYeah, and Wallace showed a little brain.
September 26th, 2006 at 8:21 pmMAYBE MSNBC HAS BEEN PLAYING THE “ROLE OF FOXNEWS PR” BECAUSE CLINTON TRULY DID COME OFF LIKE AN ASSHOLE DURING HIS INTERVIEW.
AND NO, IT’S NPT BECAUSE OF HIS EXPOSED PIECE OF PRESIDENTIAL LEG FLESH.
YOU THINK YOU’RE SO CLEVER.
September 26th, 2006 at 8:57 pmMy god. I’d expect to see that stupid report on FOX News, not on MSNBC.
September 26th, 2006 at 9:03 pmContessa Brewer is as dumb as a bag of hair.
September 26th, 2006 at 9:25 pmPasty, fishbelly white to some.
Dashing man-meat to others.
September 26th, 2006 at 10:07 pmHappy Guy: “[Bill Clinton] can’t handle the truth just like people on liberal websites. ROTFL …”
You couldn’t find your own ass in broad daylight if we gave you a hand-mirror and illustrated directions — and that’s probably why you don’t recognize the truth that’s repeatedly bitten you there.
September 26th, 2006 at 10:38 pmDo you guys ever just take somethng as a bad joke and move on? I know it was pretty stupid segment, but is it really worth getting this worked up about. Does everything have to be serious? I have seen more than enough coverage of this issue, this was pretty dumb, but thats it just a dumb segment in a much broader picture.
September 26th, 2006 at 10:44 pm[...] Wow, MSNBC actually ran a short segment on Clinton’s exposed leg – even asking opinions of guest commentators. There’s a clip of it here [thanks to Think Progress] with lots of comments from blog readers. Technorati Tags: Bill Clinton, Fox News Sunday [...]
September 26th, 2006 at 11:59 pm# 72. CMN:
Contessa Brewer; Well who woulda thunk it?
September 27th, 2006 at 1:06 amWe are living in the age of insanity. The planets must be lined up in some cosmic pattern that causes primates to think and act like utter dumbasses.
The subject of the interview is terrorism, 9/11, and who’s responsible. So, the discussion must obviously be “hey, look I see a little skin above his sock”
At the Vatican – “Hey look, the pope wears a dunce hat”
September 27th, 2006 at 4:10 amIn New Orleans – “Wow, their pool guy must be on vacation, it’s dirty”
In Somalia – “Hey look at that skinny little kid, I wish I had his figure.”
At a nazi death camp – “Hey do these ovens broil as well as bake?”
I see they airbrushed out the SKUNK stink waves coming off Wallace.
Fancy turd-polisher.
September 27th, 2006 at 4:11 am[...] I of course had to get this news from the Internet, because you know what MSNBC was running? An entire segment about Clinton’s socks. [...]
September 27th, 2006 at 8:23 amwho cares about his leg showing? this is not news and this is why i believe that nothing on the MiddleSchoolNBC is worth shit.
September 27th, 2006 at 12:27 pmHey everybody watched it, you even show it here … proves msnbc’s point .. rrrrright?
September 27th, 2006 at 1:02 pmI’m curious as to how this is a case of “the liberal media” doing the distracting when this was pretty much the only thing Ann Althouse, a conservative, wrote in her blog ( – as already mentioned by Gary Denton)
I also fail to see how Bill Clinton being a philanderer proves or disproves he is incapable of wielding full executive power.
September 29th, 2006 at 1:58 amWas clinton making a pass at Chris Wallace. He was putting his hand on Chris leg, knee, ????? Was he looking for a replacement for Monica or is he going to Omaha to look for one at the Girsl Club Inc.
October 3rd, 2006 at 9:28 am