John Boehner blames FOX for elevating fringe characters to the mainstream

[Argus]

This is interesting in that Boehner was an arch conservative Republican speaker of the house and an arch-enemy of the Democrats.  Yet here he is explicitly blaming the conservative media for shifting the ground under American conservative politics and elevating a bunch of screwballs to a level of importance they'd never have previously reached. 

"Besides the homegrown 'talent' at Fox, with their choice of guests they were making people who used to be fringe characters into powerful media stars. One of the first prototypes out of their laboratory was a woman named Michele Bachmann," Boehner wrote in an essay using excerpts from his upcoming book published Friday in Politico Magazine. "Bachmann, who had represented Minnesota's 6th Congressional District since 2007 and made a name for herself as a lunatic ever since, came to meet with me in the busy period in late 2010 after the election." 

Bachmann, a conservative firebrand who came to Congress during the rise of the Tea Party, wanted a seat on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, Boehner wrote. 

"There was no way she was going to get on Ways and Means, the most prestigious committee in Congress, and jump ahead of everyone else in line," he said. "Not while I was Speaker. In earlier days, a member of Congress in her position wouldn’t even have dared ask for something like this. Sam Rayburn would have laughed her out of the city." 

Bachmann threatened Boehner, he said, telling him if he didn't give her what she wanted, she would unleash the forces of conservative media on him. 

“Well, then I’ll just have to go talk to Sean Hannity and everybody at Fox ... and Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin, and everybody else on the radio, and tell them that this is how John Boehner is treating the people who made it possible for the Republicans to take back the House," Bachmann told Boehner. 

"I wasn’t the one with the power, she was saying. I just thought I was. She had the power now," he wrote. "She was right, of course." 

Boehner on Bachmann: Right-wing media made 'people who used to be fringe characters into powerful media stars' | TheHill

Boehner also discussed longtime Fox News chief Roger Ailes and Fox News Chairman Rupert Murdoch in the essay, saying Ailes got "swept up" in conspiracies about former President Obama and Murdoch "cared about ratings and the bottom line."

"When I was first elected to Congress, we didn’t have any propaganda organization for conservatives, except maybe a magazine or two like National Review," Boehner said. "The only people who used the internet were some geeks in Palo Alto. There was no Drudge Report. No Breitbart. No kooks on YouTube spreading dangerous nonsense like they did every day about Obama."

"And of course the truly nutty business about his birth certificate," Boehner writes talking about the birther conspiracy theories spread about Obama.

"People really had been brainwashed into believing Barack Obama was some Manchurian candidate planning to betray America. 

Mark Levin was the first to go on the radio and spout off this crazy nonsense. It got him ratings, so eventually he dragged Hannity and Rush [Limbaugh] to Looneyville along with him."

Boehner says he called Hannity 'a nut' during tense 2015 phone call | TheHill

Edited April 2, 2021 by Argus

[Guest]

Every now and then I put on Patriot radio on Sirius and listen to Mark Levin for a few minutes.  I have to rush back to the BBC for a cleansing.  The guy is certifiable.  He probably has high blood pressure too.

[Shady]

John Boehmer has no credibility.  I don’t remember him saying anything when he was on Rush Limbaugh’s show.  And if he criticized MSNBC equally I’d at least find him objective.  He just has a personal vendetta.

[Shady]

Imagine a network elevating fringe characters! ??

 

[Shady]

MSNBC’s Joy Reid! ??

 

[Shady]

Imagine if Fox News had somebody in prime time insisting that the entire American system needs to be blown up! ??

 

[BubberMiley]

17 hours ago, Shady said:

MSNBC’s Joy Reid! ??

 

That's the craziest thing you could come up with that she said? That you insurrectionists didn't have a leg to stand on? That's your weakest whataboutism yet.

[BubberMiley]

17 hours ago, Shady said:

Imagine if Fox News had somebody in prime time insisting that the entire American system needs to be blown up! ??

 

They do. Now imagine if they stirred up a riot where a cop was killed....

[BubberMiley]

So complaining about using a noose as a prop of intimidation, stating the fact Trump lost the election by a significant margin, and saying we need significant electoral college reform is as crazy as... say ... constantly trying to drive a wedge to break up the country?

The whataboutisms are getting weaker and more pathetic every day. :lol:

Edited April 3, 2021 by BubberMiley

[Argus]

Matt Gaetz is one of the more detestable of the new Republicans FOX has elevated to a much higher level of importance than his competence would deserve. He's been a regular on the show for some time now, stridently defending Trump and denouncing Democrats. He's Shady with a jaw! But suddenly FOX has forgotten his name ... for some reason.

This is, hands down, the most shocking scandal involving a sitting member of Congress in at least a decade. But Fox News remains on the sidelines, too nervous to cover the story.

Rupert Murdoch's Republican propaganda outlet likely knew it had a major problem on its hands with the Gaetz story when he appeared on Tucker Carlson's show Tuesday night just as the scandal was breaking, and seemed to try to drag the host into the swamp.

"You and I went to dinner about two years ago, your wife was there, and I brought a friend of mine, you'll remember her," Gaetz said. Carlson, reportedly "pissed" about the interview, quickly denied remembering any such female friend and acted confused. He later told viewers the Gaetz segment was one of the "weirdest" interviews he had ever done.

And now Fox News is trying to flush the whole sordid story down the memory hole. But it's not going to work. The Republican bottom feeder, who has been groomed for right-wing stardom by Fox News, where his obnoxious and ignorant antics were celebrated, is now facing his time in the barrel.

 

https://crooksandliars.com/2021/04/fox-news-completely-silent-gaetz?utm_source=ground.news&utm_medium=referral

[OftenWrong]

Hmm, a lot of emotional vitriol in that last one. The hallmark of progressives. We conservatives do not react right away to unsubstantiated claims.

That's not to say it's unbelievable, but in today's climate it's sensible to wait and allow a little old thing called due process.

[Argus]

Okayyyy.

 

Edited April 3, 2021 by Argus

[Michael Hardner]

37 minutes ago, Argus said:

And now Fox News is trying to flush the whole sordid story down the memory hole. But it's not going to work. The Republican bottom feeder, who has been groomed for right-wing stardom by Fox News, where his obnoxious and ignorant antics were celebrated, is now facing his time in the barrel.

Aww... you hate to see it.

Wait, what did I write ?  Let me look back... ah... my mistake...

You love to see it.  

It doesn't matter though.  Most of us who are already wizened aren't surprised and the chucklf*cks who fell into this moral quicksand won't believe it anyway.  This is all part of the healing, I suppose.

[Right To Left]

On 4/3/2021 at 11:49 AM, Argus said:

Okayyyy.

 

Hmmm, what would Hollywood conservative - Vince Vaughn have to say about this!

 

[Shady]

Cruz is a LEGEND!

Somebody needs to punch this old wine drinking chain smoker right in the face, and tell him to sit down and STFU.  He was part of the problem.
 

[Argus]

On 4/9/2021 at 10:47 PM, Shady said:

Cruz is a LEGEND!

A legendary self-promoter despised by his own caucus? A legend for fleeing to the Bahamas when his constituents were freezing in the dark? A legendary suckup who spent four years kissing the ass of a man who publicly attacked his wife and father?

 

[Shady]

35 minutes ago, Argus said:

A legendary self-promoter despised by his own caucus? A legend for fleeing to the Bahamas when his constituents were freezing in the dark? A legendary suckup who spent four years kissing the ass of a man who publicly attacked his wife and father?

 

You mean the guy Boehner voted for in 2020!? ??

Your hero voted for Trump last November!  But yes, the swamp hates anyone that pushes against it, that’s why it’s so rare to see it happen.  I get it though, whether it’s Trump or Cruz, you let personality mean more than policy, when policy is much more important.

[Argus]

2 hours ago, Shady said:

You mean the guy Boehner voted for in 2020!? ??

Your hero voted for Trump last November!  But yes, the swamp hates anyone that pushes against it, that’s why it’s so rare to see it happen.  I get it though, whether it’s Trump or Cruz, you let personality mean more than policy, when policy is much more important.

What's wrong with despising both men as dishonest, immoral cowards and bullies?

[OftenWrong]

6 hours ago, Argus said:

A legendary self-promoter despised by his own caucus? A legend for fleeing to the Bahamas when his constituents were freezing in the dark? A legendary suckup who spent four years kissing the ass of a man who publicly attacked his wife and father?

 

Clearly the man understands politics very, very well.