Putz Head News Today

To describe congressman schumer in a private meeting. we all agree on that, right? the specific charge is that you called him a putz-head and for those not familiar with yiddish, i read an excerpt from the dictionary of yiddish, putz he says is, one, a term of contempt for a ass, fool, or jerk, or two a term for a simplen the or yokel. an easy mark. it literally means the male sex organ but it thats rarely used. so it gets down to one simple issue. did you use the word to describe your opponent?...

Good, but they are rarely this specific kind of challenge for the moderator to keep a straight face. >> the statement he made, yeah, its a slur, its a vulgarism, it doesnt bother me. thats not the issue. >> have you ever called anyone a putz yourself? >> i may have, but i tell you something, i wouldnt lie about it. >> that was 1998. >> he lied about it. >> he did lie about it. that was the issue. 1998, the incumbent senator from new york was a republican, hed already been elected three times, he...

Joining us now in his first interview since becoming minority leader in the senate is senator chuck schumer. great to see you. >> great to be here. >> a little "this is your life." >> i remember that well. one interesting thought. so damato came out and it was reported he called me this name, putz-head. he said "i never would, i dont lie." and his slogan against me "too liberal for too long." we came back at one with him which we used the whole campaign "too many lies for too long." and he denie...

Dictionary of yiddish, putz he says is, one, a term of contempt for a ass, fool, or jerk, or two a term for a simplen the or yokel. an easy mark. it literally means the male sex organ but it thats rarely used. so it gets down to one simple issue. did you use the word to describe your opponent? >> yes, i did and i used it in the context of being silly and foolish. >> did you mean it as a term of contempt for your opponent? >> a term of foolishness. >> yes, i did call him a putz-head. political de...

President, but they just lost seats in both houses of congress. theyve only got two-seat majority in the senate. their new president has the lowest approval ratings of any president-elect in the modern era and their incoming president, incidentally, i know its a sore spot, he lost the popular vote by more votes than any incoming president ever in the history of this country. and so, democrats are thunder struck that they lost, but theyre not exactly starting from scratch here. and the new guy ta...

Senator chuck schumer. great to see you. >> great to be here. >> a little "this is your life." >> i remember that well. one interesting thought. so damato came out and it was reported he called me this name, putz-head. he said "i never would, i dont lie." and his slogan against me "too liberal for too long." we came back at one with him which we used the whole campaign "too many lies for too long." and he denies it and guess who pulls out the rug from under him? ed koch who was totally on damato...

Has been everywhere. he has done everything. he has spoken to everyone. and tonight, turns out, it is newly newsworthy to remember the moment in gabe pressmans long, long career when he was moderating a debate in a particularly pungent, particularly consequential election. and in so doing, in being the moderator of that debate, that meant he had to explain, during the debate, on live television, the meaning of the word "putz." and he did it expertly and nobody laughed. there was one little laugh...

>> the latest issue that you brought up, congressman, involves a yiddish slang word that you, senator damato, used to describe congressman schumer in a private meeting. we all agree on that, right? the specific charge is that you called him a putz-head and for those not familiar with yiddish, i read an excerpt from the dictionary of yiddish, putz he says is, one, a term of contempt for a ass, fool, or jerk, or two a term for a simplen the or yokel. an easy mark. it literally means the male sex o...

>> he did lie about it. that was the issue. 1998, the incumbent senator from new york was a republican, hed already been elected three times, he was running for a fourth term and along came this feisty democrat challenging him for his seat and that democrat was so aggressive, he raised so much money, he went after senator al damato so relentlessly that it drove the senator to distraction. hes a three-term senator that everyone thought was so tough but he lost it. he calmed his opponent a putz-he...

It doesnt bother me. thats not the issue. >> have you ever called anyone a putz yourself? >> i may have, but i tell you something, i wouldnt lie about it. >> that was 1998. >> he lied about it. >> he did lie about it. that was the issue. 1998, the incumbent senator from new york was a republican, hed already been elected three times, he was running for a fourth term and along came this feisty democrat challenging him for his seat and that democrat was so aggressive, he raised so much money, he w...