First they came for the Clintons and I did nothing …
by digby
Uh huh:
Roger Eugene Ailes (born May 15, 1940) is president of Fox News Channel, and chairman of the Fox Television Stations Group. Ailes was a media consultant for Republican presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George H. W. Bush and for Rudy Giuliani’s first mayoral campaign (1989)…
Days after the 9/11 attacks, Ailes gave President George W. Bush political advice indicating that the American public would be patient as long as they were convinced that Bush was using the harshest measures possible. The correspondence was revealed in Bob Woodward’s book Bush At War.
But, you know, he’s fair and balanced so it’s all good.
Speaking of Ailes you have to read this amazing interview in The Hollywood Reporter if you missed it a couple of weeks ago. There’s a ton of fascinating stuff in there but in keeping with the topic of this post:
As the country enters a presidential campaign season with dynastic implications, Ailes has a dilemma: How much oxygen does he give the fringe GOP candidates who could torment likely frontrunner Jeb Bush and potentially aid Hillary Clinton in the process. It’s not a question he answers directly. “I just don’t think I should weigh in on it, even in the press because people will think, ‘Well, that’s the way he’s making the network go.’ But it looks like Hillary is going to do whatever she wants,” he says, “and the press is going to vote for her.”
Asked if he thinks Ted Cruz, the intransigent Texas tea party candidate, has a chance of securing the GOP nomination, Ailes deflects: “Listen, we elected Warren G. Harding. Anybody has a chance. You don’t know who you’re going to be running against. If the other guy falls on his rear end, you could win.”
It’s not as if he’s hiding his agenda. In fact, it’s blithely assumed by the reporter and everyone else that he’s trying to help the Republican get elected. He makes no bones about it and any sentient being who watches Fox can see it.
And that’s perfectly fine. But Stephanopoulos, who also worked as a political operative and retired from that profession just five years after Ailes (about 20 years ago) is a whore because he gave some money to Clinton’s charity.
This has to be the most hypocritical right wing scandal to date. And it may just backfire. These smug jerks are going after Villagers by name now.
On the other hand … never mind …
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