Sherrod to sue Breitbart...

[R13]

Good for her, she'll probably win.

(CNN) -- Former Agriculture Department employee Shirley Sherrod said Thursday she will pursue a lawsuit against conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart.

Breitbart posted an edited video clip of Sherrod appearing to say she discriminated against a white farmer looking for assistance. The clip showed her addressing a chapter of the NAACP.

"I will definitely do it," she said when asked whether she was considering legal action. Sherrod made her remarks during an appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists convention in San Diego, California.

Breitbart "had to know that he was targeting me," Sherrod said. "At this point, he hasn't apologized. I don't want it at this point, and he'll definitely hear from me."

Breitbart did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He has said he released the Sherrod video because he believes it shows the NAACP itself tolerates racist behavior within its ranks -- an accusation that came after the civil rights group made a similar charge against the conservative Tea Party movement.

"This was not about Shirley Sherrod," Breitbart told CNN's John King.

Brent Bozell, head of the conservative Media Research Center, said Thursday Sherrod was the one who needed to apologize.

"Andrew Breitbart is going to be fine. He's done nothing wrong," Bozell said.

"I wonder if Ms. Sherrod, who is such a champion of transparency, will publicly disclose who is putting her up to this. And I also hope this champion of honesty will stop lying about Fox News," which has been accused of pushing the story before full details emerged, he said.

"I'm also waiting for Ms. Sherrod to publicly apologize for accusing anyone opposed to nationalized healthcare of being racist," Bozell said. "Last time I checked, that was more than half the country."

The controversy surrounding the clip led to a rush to judgment and Sherrod's forced resignation. However, it was later determined that her speech, unedited, focused on how the incident changed her outlook and made her realize people should move beyond race. The incident occurred 24 years ago, before Sherrod began working for the USDA.

She received an official apology from the USDA and a phone call from President Barack Obama once the full text of her remarks came to light.

Sherrod has since been offered another position at the Agriculture Department.

Obama said earlier Thursday that Sherrod "deserves better than what happened last week." Speaking at a National Urban League conference in Washington, Obama called the claim of racism against her "bogus."

"Many are to blame" for the reaction that followed, he said, "including my own administration."

Her whole story, Obama said he told Sherrod, "is exactly the kind of story we need to hear in America (because) we all have our biases."

Sherrod plans to sue Breitbart - CNN.com

[1inStripes]

The question is, what grounds will she be filing the lawsuit under?

[R13]

Slander/Defamation of character would be my first guess.

[1inStripes]

I don't see how slander is going to work. I didn't see his report, but it doesn't seem like he said anything that she didn't say. Yes, he twisted it around, no doubt about that, but it was something she admitted, even if it didn't happen today. She has more grounds to sue the agriculture department/administration for firing her over a poor news report IMO.

[R13]

He doesn't have to actually say something for it to be slander though. I'm not sure about the online laws, but he purposely edited the footage for her to come off as racist, then it resulting in loss of her job. IMO with those facts, then all of the coverage around this, she should win easily. But yes, she could and should sue the dept. too.

[1inStripes]

1. saying of something false and damaging: the act or offense of saying something false or malicious that damages somebody's reputation


2. false and damaging statement: a false and malicious statement that damages somebody's reputation

[R13]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_light