Sarah Palin cancels TV date with Matt Lauer over Bashir comments

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has canceled a sit-down interview with Today show host Matt Lauer because his network has not taken action against Martin Bashir, the MSNBC host who said some rather unsavory things about her.

According to Fox News, "Palin has now canceled Lauer's scheduled trip to Wasilla," not because "Palin is upset with Lauer or the 'Today' show, but as a protest against NBC for not taking action against Bashir.

Palin started her book tour on the Today show and has even been a guest-host for the program.

Bashir did not direclty say that omeone should defecate in Ms. Palin's mouth. The following is a partial transcript:

Bashr on Palin's "slavery" remark: "One of the most comprehensive first-person accounts of slavery comes from the personal diary of a man called Thomas Thistlewood, who kept copious notes for 39 years. Thistlewood was the son of a tenant farmer who arrived on the island of Jamaica in April 1750, and assumed the position of overseer at a major plantation. What is most shocking about Thistlewood’s diary is not simply the fact that he assumes the right to own and possess other human beings, but is the sheer cruelty and brutality of his regime.

"In 1756, he records that 'A slave named Darby catched eating canes; had him well flogged and pickled, then made Hector, another slave, s-h-i-t in his mouth.' This became known as Darby’s dose, a punishment invented by Thistlewood that spoke only of the slave owners savagery and inhumanity.

"And he mentions a similar incident again in 1756, this time in relation to a man he refers to as Punch. 'Flogged Punch well, and then washed and rubbed salt pickle, lime juice and bird pepper; made Negro Joe piss in his eyes and mouth.' I could go on, but you get the point."

"When Mrs. Palin invoked slavery, she doesn’t just prove her rank ignorance. She confirms that if anyone truly qualified for a dose of discipline from Thomas Thistlewood, then she would be the outstanding candidate."