454 HOW ATWATER SLIMED THE DUKE! Would a white hopeful get slimed as The Other? Just ask Michael Dukakis: THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2011

Possible correction—Schultz in love: Doggone it! We may have misunderstood one part of Ed Schultz’s eighteen-minute love-song this Monday.

We’re not sure if we misunderstood what he said; with Schultz, it’s often hard to tell. But we think it’s worth reviewing the part of the love-song we mean. Did Schultz mean to suggest or say that a group of midshipmen at the Naval Academy love their commander in chief?

That’s how we understood his comments on Monday night. Today, we’re no longer sure.

In fairness, let’s review what Schultz said on the “love boat” theme. Tomorrow, we’ll review his remarks about an important concept—“American exceptionalism.”

How did the love boat theme unfold? As we noted yesterday, Schultz began his 18-minute love ballad saying this:

SCHULTZ (5/2/11): Good evening, Americans! And welcome to the Ed Show, tonight from New York City, a city where thousands of Americans were killed on September 11, 2001.

And tonight, the mastermind of that attack, Osama bin Laden, is rotting at the bottom of the Arabian Sea. Got to ask you: How’s that for change you can believe in?

This is the Ed Show. Let’s get to work!

[videotaped topic teases]

SCHULTZ: Great to have you with us tonight, folks.

This is the story that the globe is paying attention to. There is no question about it. It’s the story that we are all fired up about.

I’m fired up about this guy, right here: The president of the United States.

You know, I wish I had five hours to talk to you tonight and have fun with this, because we’re going to talk about American exceptionalism tonight. And before we start with the president, we’ve got to thank those Navy SEALs and those military guys that give it all, their all, all the time for the United States of America.

Tonight, we’re going to show you some interesting footage about how they love this country, how we responded to all of this, and, of course, we just can’t forget what they have said about our president.

None of what follows is meant, in any way, as a criticism of those Navy SEALs or any other military personnel; our criticism is aimed at Ed Schultz. But as Big Ed opened Monday’s program, he seemed to say he was going to show us what “those Navy SEALs and those military guys…have said about our president.” Two minutes later, Schultz played videotape from the Naval Academy, after which he characterized a chant a group of midshipmen engaged in:

SCHULTZ: “I believe that we have won.” How about that spirit? That spirit!

Do you think those folks at the Naval Academy, the way they were feeling last night—do you feel that they love the president of the United States? Do you think they pay attention to all the political rhetoric that’s going on, or are they focused on being great servants to this country in the military? That’s what they’re all about.

This was a huge moment for our military. This was a uniting moment for this country. And they put aside all the political divide that was out there. And I have great respect for the way the president has done this, because some of the details that are coming out are so doggone interesting. This guy that didn’t have any military experience had to make some pretty tough calls…

Watching the program Monday night, we took Schultz to be saying that “those folks at the Naval Academy” “love the president of the United States.” We took this to be the point where he shared “what they have said about our president.” Watching that tape again yesterday, we weren’t sure that was what he meant. Did he mean that they love the president? Or did he mean that they are just doing their duty—that their sense of duty is motivating them, not some love for the president?

Truth to tell, we’re not sure what Schultz meant. (It’s often that way with Schultz.) Plainly, that videotape from the Naval Academy seems to be the “interesting footage about how they love this country, how we responded to all of this, and, of course, we just can’t forget what they have said about our president.” We can find no other place in Big Ed’s love song where he discusses “what they have said about our president.”

But did Schultz really mean to imply, in Il Duce fashion, that these young people “love the president?” Today, we aren’t sure, one way or the other. In real time, we thought that was the most astounding part of a long, astonishing segment. After yesterday’s re-viewing, we thought we’d suggest that you watch the tape and judge Big Ed’s meaning yourself.

You’ll see Schultz engage in a long love song—in a remarkably awful piece of “journalism.” Tomorrow, we’ll review what he and one other liberal said about an important topic—American exceptionalism. Above, you can see Schultz introducing the topic up in his opening comments. (“I wish I had five hours to talk to you tonight and have fun with this, because we’re going to talk about American exceptionalism tonight.”)

Big Ed was in love—but what did he mean? Lovers are often less than precise. We thought we knew on Monday night. As of today, we aren’t sure.