Thank you Eric for highlighting this issue. I have heard several longtime political journalists say that this leak had to have been approved by Mitch. The media has been reporting on this as if Mitch is standing up. What he is doing is proving what a cowardly weasel he really is but I haven’t seen anyone in the media say that. Most refuse to call out these Republican macho men for their abject abject cowardice. I have seen more than one report that privately Republicans are telling people that they are too terrified to vote for impeachment or conviction because they are afraid they will get killed or their families will. Some even cried. The only person I have seen berate them as pathetic, abject cowards is Rick Wilson.
However no one in the media, not even Rick Wilson, has pointed out that Democrats face the same risk of assassination and have for a long time but Democrats have refused to be cowed even after the plot to kidnap and assassinate the Gretchen Whitmer, the Democratic governor of Michigan was revealed. I have not seen anyone praise the incredible courage that Democrats have consistently showed. Nancy Pelosi is a top target and was long before the delicate Mike Pence was put on the list. Last night Michigan Rep Elissa Slotkin said she has gotten many death theat as have. her husband and kids. She made the point that the risk for her is high because she lives in central Michigan which has been a hotbed of right wing extremist militias for decades. (Tim McVeigh had contacts with the Michigan Militia.)
The media should not only be mocking the faux macho boys in the Manly Men Party and they should be loudly praising the courage of the Mommy Party. Nancy Pelosi, a 5’5” eight year old woman has guts than all these sniveling cowards combined. I have long believed that a major appeal of Republicans is that they are perceived as the party of strength and courage. Now is the time to put a stake through the heart of that masquerade and give credit to Democrats for being the party with the courage to stand up for our democracy.
Republicans and media are not changing but Democrats can. Midterms are right around the corner. Democrats have to approach 2022 with the same vigor as the presidential election. There are eight competitive Senate races and the chance to pass our lead in the House. Hard work is one way to expose Republican hypocrisy. Has Stacey Abrams been given a lucrative lifetime contract as Head of the DNC yet?
Whelp, at least the media’s moved on from their “Dems in Disarray” narrative.
And McConnell’s legacy will be only one tick better than Trump’s. It is mind boggling these people still think they have reputations and legacies to protect, when, to paraphrase Adam Schiff, they are tied with a cord of steel around Donald Trump for all of history.
Is the primary gripe here about how disingenuous McConnell and other republicans are, or about how the press jumped on the idea that the republican wall might be cracking? The wall is probably not cracking -- because so many republicans are as rotten as Trump or because opportunists like McConnell see opportunity in pretending to turn over a new leaf. The press was generally supportive of the possibility that republicans might be coming to their senses, and in doing so supporting the idea that republicans were wrong before. Good for the press. But the press got it wrong, sort of a good wrong. Republicans are instead just as bad now as they were before.
Mitch McConnell is Lucy and our failed political press is Charlie Brown in this Kabuki story.
The press will never acknowledge that the Republicans are bad faith actors as it would mean A) that they’ve been wrong for the 40-plus years that they have been enabling them, and B) that the lazy Both-Sides gambit goes to the trash heap. Our pundits will never allow this to happen, it exposes the whole house of cards.
Rachel Maddow's line about what they do, not what they say, gets lost like Charlie Brown trying to kick the football. Eric, you are not surprisingly spot on about the press catnip.
Man, you just killed my buzz :) The fact that McConnell did not change his mind about bringing the Senate back early to hold a hearing and vote, you knew it was nothing more than bluster. Trump will never change and nor will McConnell. I think you're right, it's a setup for the Republicans to vote down conviction because McConnell's primary goal is to deny the Democrats under Biden any wins whatsoever. The more things change...
Yes. They realize the majority of their voters are legit cultists. They are walking the tight rope. Acting disgusted with Trump but not going all in on sanity either, because of the support Trump still has among GOP voters. Mitch is more upset over the 2k checks boxing him in and likely costing him his majority, then he is the coup attempt. 100%
Eric, couldn't agree with you more about McConnell playing the press. Have we all learned nothing from this man's long history as Senate majority leader? In some ways, at least to my mind, he is as bad as Trump, just way sneakier. He appears to be intelligent and knowledgeable, but I struggle to come up with one action of his in the last 12 years whose motivation wasn't solely to cement the power of the GOP and prevent any political outcome that could possibly give credit to the Democrats----no matter what the benefit or damage to the country might be. This is from my interpretation of political coverage (although I am pretty much a news junkie) so please let me know if there are any positive actions (for the country, not for the Republicans) of McConnell's that I have missed.
Thanks Eric. Your analysis is spot on. McConnell has only one interest: self-interest. As the majority leader he was an autocrat. Now he "leaks" some chum for the press and they fall for it. Funny, why not stress that he did not recall the Senate?
My hope is that the investigation into whether GOP actively assisted the violence and murder that occurred on January 6th reveals what we all suspect, and the press covers it properly and thoroughly. Focus on the cancer in our government, not the chattering of cowards.
First words on McConnell's "today" thinking I've read with which I agree - and of course they're yours.
How any journo in his/her right mind could believe for a nanosecond that this horrible and very bad old man could turn from his stance of the last god knows how many years is beyond me.
Gee, shall I forward this one to Dean Baquet, aka Pope Dean the Infallible? They can screw up a podcast and not mention the host is in a relationship with the producer, and both of them get protected, but dare they admit their lack of actual political reporting?
Meanwhile, there's this story: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/13/business/media/ny-post-aggregation-fake-news.html. And here's what I love about it: The outlets in question should never consort with anyone from the Murdoch empire because there isn't a single journalist in the group. Not one. But the lies they tell drive the narrative.
Nailed this one Eric. While Trump World may have an alternative set of facts, McConnell has happily filled the space between that and truth telling. In our former reality that would simply be called lying.
The McConnell 'leak' was so obvious as to be preposterous...but the media was all over it. How about Don Jr. 'leaking' that he doesn't want a pardon, that he has nothing to fear, nothing to hide...blah, blah, blah. And the media reports it like it is a real sentiment. Drives me crazy. The family pardons are up next, BTW, as they have been a foregone conclusion for 4 years.
Thankful that GA voters did what we needed to do to flip the Senate. Fingers crossed that will thwart Mitch’s attempts to obstruct President Biden. Although, I’m nervous about what the impeachment trial will do for Biden Administration appointments.
McConnell plays the press like a fiddle
Thank you Eric for highlighting this issue. I have heard several longtime political journalists say that this leak had to have been approved by Mitch. The media has been reporting on this as if Mitch is standing up. What he is doing is proving what a cowardly weasel he really is but I haven’t seen anyone in the media say that. Most refuse to call out these Republican macho men for their abject abject cowardice. I have seen more than one report that privately Republicans are telling people that they are too terrified to vote for impeachment or conviction because they are afraid they will get killed or their families will. Some even cried. The only person I have seen berate them as pathetic, abject cowards is Rick Wilson.
However no one in the media, not even Rick Wilson, has pointed out that Democrats face the same risk of assassination and have for a long time but Democrats have refused to be cowed even after the plot to kidnap and assassinate the Gretchen Whitmer, the Democratic governor of Michigan was revealed. I have not seen anyone praise the incredible courage that Democrats have consistently showed. Nancy Pelosi is a top target and was long before the delicate Mike Pence was put on the list. Last night Michigan Rep Elissa Slotkin said she has gotten many death theat as have. her husband and kids. She made the point that the risk for her is high because she lives in central Michigan which has been a hotbed of right wing extremist militias for decades. (Tim McVeigh had contacts with the Michigan Militia.)
The media should not only be mocking the faux macho boys in the Manly Men Party and they should be loudly praising the courage of the Mommy Party. Nancy Pelosi, a 5’5” eight year old woman has guts than all these sniveling cowards combined. I have long believed that a major appeal of Republicans is that they are perceived as the party of strength and courage. Now is the time to put a stake through the heart of that masquerade and give credit to Democrats for being the party with the courage to stand up for our democracy.
Republicans and media are not changing but Democrats can. Midterms are right around the corner. Democrats have to approach 2022 with the same vigor as the presidential election. There are eight competitive Senate races and the chance to pass our lead in the House. Hard work is one way to expose Republican hypocrisy. Has Stacey Abrams been given a lucrative lifetime contract as Head of the DNC yet?
Whelp, at least the media’s moved on from their “Dems in Disarray” narrative.
And McConnell’s legacy will be only one tick better than Trump’s. It is mind boggling these people still think they have reputations and legacies to protect, when, to paraphrase Adam Schiff, they are tied with a cord of steel around Donald Trump for all of history.
Is the primary gripe here about how disingenuous McConnell and other republicans are, or about how the press jumped on the idea that the republican wall might be cracking? The wall is probably not cracking -- because so many republicans are as rotten as Trump or because opportunists like McConnell see opportunity in pretending to turn over a new leaf. The press was generally supportive of the possibility that republicans might be coming to their senses, and in doing so supporting the idea that republicans were wrong before. Good for the press. But the press got it wrong, sort of a good wrong. Republicans are instead just as bad now as they were before.
Mitch McConnell is Lucy and our failed political press is Charlie Brown in this Kabuki story.
The press will never acknowledge that the Republicans are bad faith actors as it would mean A) that they’ve been wrong for the 40-plus years that they have been enabling them, and B) that the lazy Both-Sides gambit goes to the trash heap. Our pundits will never allow this to happen, it exposes the whole house of cards.
Rachel Maddow's line about what they do, not what they say, gets lost like Charlie Brown trying to kick the football. Eric, you are not surprisingly spot on about the press catnip.
Man, you just killed my buzz :) The fact that McConnell did not change his mind about bringing the Senate back early to hold a hearing and vote, you knew it was nothing more than bluster. Trump will never change and nor will McConnell. I think you're right, it's a setup for the Republicans to vote down conviction because McConnell's primary goal is to deny the Democrats under Biden any wins whatsoever. The more things change...
Yes. They realize the majority of their voters are legit cultists. They are walking the tight rope. Acting disgusted with Trump but not going all in on sanity either, because of the support Trump still has among GOP voters. Mitch is more upset over the 2k checks boxing him in and likely costing him his majority, then he is the coup attempt. 100%
Eric, couldn't agree with you more about McConnell playing the press. Have we all learned nothing from this man's long history as Senate majority leader? In some ways, at least to my mind, he is as bad as Trump, just way sneakier. He appears to be intelligent and knowledgeable, but I struggle to come up with one action of his in the last 12 years whose motivation wasn't solely to cement the power of the GOP and prevent any political outcome that could possibly give credit to the Democrats----no matter what the benefit or damage to the country might be. This is from my interpretation of political coverage (although I am pretty much a news junkie) so please let me know if there are any positive actions (for the country, not for the Republicans) of McConnell's that I have missed.
Thanks Eric. Your analysis is spot on. McConnell has only one interest: self-interest. As the majority leader he was an autocrat. Now he "leaks" some chum for the press and they fall for it. Funny, why not stress that he did not recall the Senate?
My hope is that the investigation into whether GOP actively assisted the violence and murder that occurred on January 6th reveals what we all suspect, and the press covers it properly and thoroughly. Focus on the cancer in our government, not the chattering of cowards.
First words on McConnell's "today" thinking I've read with which I agree - and of course they're yours.
How any journo in his/her right mind could believe for a nanosecond that this horrible and very bad old man could turn from his stance of the last god knows how many years is beyond me.
Gee, shall I forward this one to Dean Baquet, aka Pope Dean the Infallible? They can screw up a podcast and not mention the host is in a relationship with the producer, and both of them get protected, but dare they admit their lack of actual political reporting?
Meanwhile, there's this story: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/13/business/media/ny-post-aggregation-fake-news.html. And here's what I love about it: The outlets in question should never consort with anyone from the Murdoch empire because there isn't a single journalist in the group. Not one. But the lies they tell drive the narrative.
Nailed this one Eric. While Trump World may have an alternative set of facts, McConnell has happily filled the space between that and truth telling. In our former reality that would simply be called lying.
Mitch to Democrats, "Heh heh heh heh heh heh". With that self satisfied smirk.
The McConnell 'leak' was so obvious as to be preposterous...but the media was all over it. How about Don Jr. 'leaking' that he doesn't want a pardon, that he has nothing to fear, nothing to hide...blah, blah, blah. And the media reports it like it is a real sentiment. Drives me crazy. The family pardons are up next, BTW, as they have been a foregone conclusion for 4 years.
Thankful that GA voters did what we needed to do to flip the Senate. Fingers crossed that will thwart Mitch’s attempts to obstruct President Biden. Although, I’m nervous about what the impeachment trial will do for Biden Administration appointments.