Kevin McCarthy offers his first sacrifice to the MAGA cult

[marmar]

Kevin McCarthy offers his first sacrifice to the MAGA cult
His gift to Tucker Carlson is one of many capitulations to the far-right extremists in the party for Kevin McCarthy

By HEATHER DIGBY PARTON
Columnist
PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 22, 2023 9:01AM (EST)


(Salon) Last week, America received proof beyond a reasonable doubt that Fox News is a dishonest institution that spread Donald Trump's Big Lie knowing full well that he did not win the election. In a court filing from the defamation case brought by Dominion Voting Machines against the company, it was revealed that all of the top brass and their stars were fully aware that the election had not been stolen yet remained terrified of losing their deluded audience (which they had been instrumental in brainwashing) so they parrotted Trump's bogus claims. In this specific case, they spread the falsehood that the Dominion machines were rigged for the Republicans. As Dominion argued in the filing:

"Not a single Fox witness testified that they believe any of the allegations about Dominion are true. Indeed, Fox witness after Fox witness declined to assert the allegations' truth or actually stated they do not believe them, and Fox witnesses repeatedly testified that they have not seen credible evidence to support them."

And they had the receipts. The emails from the likes of owner Rupert Murdoch, and stars such as Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham and Tucker Carlson are unequivocal proof that these people are all liars. For their part, Fox News dismissed Dominion's findings as "a lot of noise and confusion."

....(snip)....

This filing was a shocking set of documents that, in a normal, healthy democracy, would finish Fox News as a credible media company to the remainder of society that didn't already know it wasn't. But America is not a normal, healthy democracy and it could not be clearer that it isn't by the fact that just days after that stunning revelation, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced that he saw fit to give unfettered access to 41,000 hours of Capitol surveillance footage from the Jan. 6 insurrection to none other than Tucker Carlson.

....(snip)....

The real problem is that this release could compromise some of the ongoing criminal trials. Carlson will almost certainly try to create a counternarrative of January 6, which won't be hard to do since most of his audience probably never even saw the hearings or read anything about what actually happened. Instead, they've been fed a steady stream of lies, particularly from Carlson, since that fateful day. ...........(more)

https://www.salon.com/2023/02/22/kevin-mccarthy-offers-his-first-sacrifice-to-the-maga/

[bucolic_frolic]

1. I don't see how you just take public property national security footage and privatize it to Fox News

Taxpayers paid for all that evidence. Kevin doesn't own it. Anymore.

[CrispyQ]

3. I wondered about that too.

Hoping someone has an answer better than IOKIYAR.

I am so fucking sick of republicans. I look around our planet & see rivers drying up & if you don't live in an area that's in danger of wildfire you live in an area in danger of flooding & our republican congress continues to stick their head in the sand on climate change. I honestly believe that the Republican Party could change the global narrative on climate change if they would just pull their arrogant, ignorant heads out of their asses.

[SalamanderSleeps]

30. I think you have found something here.

"I honestly believe that the Republican Party could change the global narrative on climate change if they would just pull their arrogant, ignorant heads out of their asses."

But, here is the rub.

They do not cheer anyone on.

They can't because they suck.

They just want to win.

So, now they have adopted a "We Fights Dirty" attitude, just like every other losing team in history.

[Artcatt]

28. What's wrong with that knucklehead!?

Oh, yeah….

[Katinfl]

31. I wonder about that also.

Why does he have the sole authority to release tapes that are property of the US government? Because he's the Speaker? I have not heard anyone say how it is that he gets to make that decision on his own. I must be missing something.......please explain.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

2. The security ramifications should have been enough to prevent releasing the recordings.

[Evolve Dammit]

8. exactly! But maybe they want that info for the next one? Tucks can share with Vlad and the Maggots

[doc03]

4. Coming soon a special on Faux with an edited version of J6 showing COPS escourting

seditionists in and out like a group of tourists.

[CrispyQ]

5. The other news outlets should be screaming "Unfair!"

IIRC, Fox didn't cover the insurrection so they don't have any video of their own. ???

[mopinko]

6. this was 1 of his secret promises to the magats.

i wonder what else he gave away.

[Delphinus]

9. We,

or a security department, really need to know.

[Bev54]

7. It really is time to go after cable companies to have it removed from

the mainstream lineup.

[mopinko]

11. the least they could do it take it out of the news category.

stop pretending it’s anything but angertainment.

[Prairie_Seagull]

15. I am going to borrow angertainment and never give it back.

[mopinko]

25. it's yours. i stole it. i think it's sarah silverman's word.

[thatcrowwoman]

19. ☝🏽☝🏽☝🏽☝🏽

Angertainment, indeed. Exactly the word we need.
Chef’s kiss to you, mopinko.
🕊thatcrowwoman

[mopinko]

26. see my reply above.

[thatcrowwoman]

36. Chef's kiss to Sarah, also. 😉 nt

[uponit7771]

34. THIS !!!! ☝🏾☝🏾☝🏾 Take the from the WH news pool etc, stop treating them like legit journalism

[mopinko]

35. def lock them out of the wh press room.

[flying_wahini]

10. All Kevin had to do was say No. That man hasn't a brave bone in his body.

In my opinion, the very act of taking it after Capitol police pushed back
proves Kev was in on it, the whole enchilada.

Trumps guys are gleaning the footage for editing probably as we speak.

Some of the truth will surface but I bet a lot will be removed forever.

[EmmaLee E]

27. Brave?

He hasn't got a bone in his body. Spineless.

[librechik]

12. Is anybody suing McCarthy? Is there anything else we could do?

Seems like McCarthy is depriving other networks from using those tapes, which belong to us, the citizens. How can he do this unilaterally? Kevin wasn't even on the committee!

[bluestarone]

13. THIS is setting the groundwork for all future news items, IF

The OTHER news media doesn't DO SOMETHING NOW! THEY better start speaking up now! I DO NOT understand why they are not SCREAMING!

[NoMoreRepugs]

14. There are 2 America's - one where sane rational Americans live, the other where conservatives live.

[frogmarch]

16. It reminds me of the original

Invasion of the Body Snatchers movie - except that in it, Kevin was one of the good guys.

I watched it on the Ovation channel.

[FakeNoose]

17. This is part of the "deal" that got McCarthy elected as their Speaker

I want to know what all he promised. And to whom did he promise it?

[lambchopp59]

18. I'd like to see Fox off the hook if:

They absolutely, undeniably and completely without subterfuge had to admit to their faithful audience, twice per hour for one year, loudly, with captions, had to tell their viewers that they lied to them. Repeatedly. Ad nauseum. No "buts, ifs or ands", saying it slowly enough that every idiot watching that swill cannot in any way shape or form, miss the message.
Just like the errant child on the blackboard; 10 000 times spell it out: "We lied to you"...
Or be removed from broadcasting altogether.

[Duppers]

20. Great idea! Thank you!

[calimary]

21. How does your new leash fit, Kevin-boy?

[Prairie_Seagull]

22. This is not a serious man.

Last edited Wed Feb 22, 2023, 12:56 PM - Edit history (1)

He is playing with the levers of government like it's a damn video game. He can have his crazy, asinine views but treat the job with respect. Guess that ship has sailed.

Taking this action into account, what else is he capable of?

Leaking happens, this was way, way more in your face than that and he is way to close to the presidency to do this shit. This action belittles the job.

This is not a serious man.

[orleans]

23. i think his FIRST sacrifice was getting rid of the metal detectors at the capitol nt

[crickets]

32. 👆👆

[hadEnuf]

24. How is shit like this allowed to happen?

Are we somehow powerless against these seditious assholes?

[Midnight Writer]

29. Now they can study police tactics, pinpoint the security cameras, map the secure areas

Casing a joint was never so easy.

[Samrob]

33. One or two staffers should sue the hell out of FOX, Carlson, and McCarthy for endangering their

safety and lives by sharing information about their total movements during J6. Surely there is some lawyer out there that would be able to make a reasonable case out this terrible move by McCarthy. We all know that FOX and the GOP makes it easier to believe a lie than to believe the truth.