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Talking head’s; comments about Haiti draw fire from both sides

By Paul Farhi

Washington Post Staff Writer

Thursday, January 14, 2010; 5:49 PM

Well, that didn't take long.

The catastrophic earthquake in Haiti has already elicited a number of controversial statements from some of America's best-known talking heads. Rush Limbaugh, the Rev. Pat Robertson and Keith Olbermann generated outrage, from the left and the right, for comments that variously tied the massive tragedy to President Obama, the Devil, and the need for health-care reform, respectively.

Mere hours after the island nation was devastated by the quake, Robertson suggested on his “700 Club” program Wednesday night that the disaster was payback for a “pact with the devil” that Haitian slaves made to gain their independence from France more than 200 years ago:

“Something happened a long time ago in Haiti and people might not want to talk about it,” the televangelist said. “And they got together and swore a pact to the Devil. They said, 'We will serve you if you'll get us free from the French. True story. And so the Devil said, 'Okay it's a deal.' But ever since they have been cursed by one thing after another.”

The comments–reminiscent of Robertson's statements blaming gays and secular liberals for Hurricane Katrina and the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks–brought widespread condemnation from other commenters on TV and online.

via Talking heads’ comments about Haiti draw fire from both sides.

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