@jbarro yes, Fox News' Todd Starnes. Said he is "One of the most intelligent talk show hosts in the country" http://t.co/wkDpchF45h
— Jeremy Hooper (@goodasyou) January 29, 2015
Hat tip, commentor Howard Beale IV. Per Mediaite:
Rachel Maddow… broke news that the American Family Association has officially fired notorious evangelist Bryan Fischer after a controversy involving the RNC and Israel. Fischer is notorious for having some––well, let’s not sugarcoat it––crazy views on gays, “homofascists,” more crazy views on gays, and… yeah, basically a lot of gay stuff…
At issue this time is an RNC trip to Israel that was apparently being paid for by the American Family Association, of which Fischer is the director of issues analysis.
Or, rather, he was. Until today…
Update- 11:11 pm EST: For the sake of clarification, Fischer has been fired as a spokesperson and director of issues analysis, but is still a radio show host for the AFA.
1,250. That is the number of posts we wrote chronicling Bryan Fischer's bigotry before the AFA finally fired him http://t.co/E98rK10p07
— Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) January 29, 2015
Background on “The GOP’s Favorite Hate-Monger” here:
… Fischer’s radio show has become an obligatory stop for Republican presidential candidates, prominent Republican politicians and top social conservative activists.
As the AFA’s leading talk show host, whose voice is heard on affiliates in the early primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, Fischer frequently hosts likely presidential candidates who are looking to make inroads among Religious Right voters. Former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty, former House speaker Newt Gingrich, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann and businessman Herman Cain have all appeared on Fischer’s radio show. In addition, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour were both guests on Fischer’s show while they were weighing runs for the presidency…
Last year at the Values Voter Summit, which was co-sponsored by AFA Action, Fischer shared a stage with Huckabee, Bachmann, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and Indiana Rep. Mike Pence.
Many GOP members of Congress have also been guests on Fischer’s radio show, including: Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina, Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas, Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey, Rep. Steve King of Iowa, Rep. Jack Kingston of Georgia, Rep. Raul Labrador of Idaho, of Mississippi and Rep. Tim Huelskamp of Kansas. Among the major conservative activists who have appeared on Focal Point are Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, David Barton of WallBuilders, Phyllis Schlafly of Eagle Forum and Amy Kremer of the Tea Party Express. …
Of course the Talibangelical Reicht Religious Right will no doubt cry out against the martyrdom of another victim of the PC police, but at least a few of the much-courted low information voters might notice the noise enough to look at what they’ve been passively supporting.
Here’s the relevant clip from Maddow’s show [warning: continuing autoplay]:
Baud
That’s amazing. He’s so vile. But I’m sure both parties are the same something something.
raven
Her lead up to this story last night was the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen her do.
OzarkHillbilly
Didn’t sleep worth a tinker’s damn last night. Heading for STL in about a half hour. Gonna be a long day.
Mustang Bobby
“Hello, Bryan? Yeah, Rupert Murdoch here. How would you like to stop by my office for a little chat? Yeah, Mike Huckabee’s gone, so…”
SRW1
What? Was he too vocal or not vocal enough about the fact that in the eyes of talibvangelicals Jews will die in a fire anyway?
bemused
Ha. Joe trying to shut up Sam Stein, Gibbs and Robinson on Mitt implementing Obamacare in Mass. “Romney didn’t consult Republicans!” Then he hurried on to next topic.
Buddy H
So he’s still got a radio show for the AFA. Will he be able to control himself and stay on message, or will his resentment bubble up and make behave passive-agressively on-air about his employers?
dslak
Of course Barro has never heard anyone speak positively of Fischer. Barro rubs shoulders with the financial elite, and is only concerned with what they’re saying and who they’re listening to (and who’s listening to them).
Fischer’s message is for the rubes. Or does Barro think Middle Americans vote Republican due to an abiding love of Wall Street?
Howard Beale IV
@Buddy H: We’ll just have to see what this lower level demon has to say on his show today. They did scrub their spokespreson section, removing Fischer rather quickly (tho he still shows up in Google’s cache)
jayboat
There is still some time left in this, the first month of our shiny new teapublican congress, the world’s greatest deliberative body, to drag a few more chickens into the room.
NotMax
@OzarkHillbilly
Welcome to my world. :)
Gypsy Howell
Am I missing something about this story? It sounds like a big nothing.
raven
@Gypsy Howell: Compared to the endless prattling about “Sully”?
Elizabelle
@raven: Good morning.
Not interested in Bryan Fischer. He sounds like a culture warrior poutrager. Happy to join 98% of the public in ignoring him.
I think Sully does merit a thread or two. Yes, he’s a drama queen, but he’s been a blog pioneer and his links are well curated.
And I found Balloon Juice through Mr. Sullivan. Appreciate that.
I think Sully’s suffered a lot for seeing some of his delusions about conservatism shattered. And he may well be burned out.
raven
@Elizabelle: I never really knew who he was and don’t care now.
Elizabelle
Have we heard from Gin and Tonic? His town, Sciutate, MA made the NY Times for being unusually storm-tossed. And not just this week.
Pounded Again, Coastal Massachusetts Town May Consider a Retreat
Elizabelle
@raven: I think that’s a good strategy for Mr. Fischer and his ilk. Walk on by. Don’t open the door.
kc
So . . . he’s still got a job, a paycheck from the AFA, and a microphone provided by the AFA?
chopper
@Elizabelle:
i think he posted in the thread below, at least recently. sure he’s fine.
Elizabelle
@chopper: Good to hear. Thank you.
rikyrah
whomever does Budweiser’s ads for the Superbowl is worth the money. their Superbowl ad is playing when you click on videos at youtube, and dammit, I get a lump in the throat everytime I see it.
Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (formerly Mumphrey, et al.)
How long before Mr. Fischer gets caught with his pants down with a rentboy, do you think?
kindness
How long before the right blames Fischer’s demotion on the Kenyan Userper? Delicious schadenfreude. I’d make popcorn but it’s too early out here on the left coast.
Good day to rubberneck the intertubes.
@dslak:
Why yes, that is their world view. How do you think we ended up with 2008?
Calouste
@Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (formerly Mumphrey, et al.): Reminds of a comment by Dan Savage which went along the lines of: “These people talk more about gay sex than I do, and I am a gay sex therapist!”
catclub
@rikyrah:
In some world that would mean you are buying more of their beer? Are you?
rikyrah
@catclub:
I don’t drink beer. At all.