Instead of taking action, Republicans on the Hill went on a two-week vacation. pic.twitter.com/HZcgjU8d4X — President Biden (@POTUS) February 19, 2024 And it may just break a few of them, over the next eight months… Kayleigh: If I'm Biden and looking at this, I'm not pleased with the enthusiasm of the Trump base, they are …
Our Failed Media Experiment
Friday Evening Open Thread: Seal the Damned Bubble!
This post is in: Open Threads, Our Failed Media Experiment, Republican Stupidity, Republicans in Disarray!, Tech News & Issues
It is interesting how social media and media discourse are again diverging from actual realities. Social and traditional media are becoming more rw, meanwhile the actual rw is losing juice https://t.co/wVkvwFL6as — vocational politics appreciation account (@Convolutedname) February 22, 2024 2024 is not 2020 or 2016. Interest in political news is down across the board, …
Friday Evening Open Thread: Seal the Damned Bubble!Post + Comments (45)
You can spend all day 'triggering' the AI with prompts like 'would you say the N word to save Taylor Swift' and it'll always respond. Always always.
AI won't block you or ignore your texts or report you to HR or leave you cold and alone on Christmas.
You are finally complete.
— zeddy (@Zeddary) February 23, 2024
Give ’em a subscription to their preferred (anti)social media channel and automatic Domino’s delivery, we can reduce the local annoyance factor by at least 40%…
Fool Them Thrice…
This post is in: 2024 Elections, Foreign Affairs, Open Threads, Our Failed Media Experiment, Russiagate, Trump-Russia
It’s a good thing for House Republicans that they lack the capacity for shame. Otherwise, the revelation that Russian operatives have been leading them around by their dicks would cause them to die of it: CNN — The former FBI informant charged with lying about the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine told investigators after his arrest that Russian intelligence officials …
Fool Them Thrice…Post + Comments (86)
Special counsel David Weiss is also facing a unique dilemma as both the erstwhile dupe and current prosecutor of Smirnov. Weiss is another Trump-appointed US attorney whom AG Merrick Garland chose to head up a politically fraught investigation, this time into the president’s son: (TPM gift link)
Hunter Biden’s lawyers are now claiming, as part of their effort to force new disclosures by Weiss’s office, that it was new or newly specific accusations from Smirnov which scuttled the plea deal which blew up as it was being agreed to in a federal court room. That point about the plea deal remains an accusation and obviously an interested one from Biden’s attorneys. But given what we’ve learned over the last week from the prosecution side — the folks who were repeatedly duped and took actions on the basis of disinformation directly from Russian intelligence — it seems to me highly likely that it’s true.
A semi-side note here is that I can’t see how Weiss’s office can manage its two cases at once. It’s prosecuting Smirnov for knowingly injecting Russian disinformation into U.S. law enforcement. He’s also prosecuting Hunter Biden for charges that appear to stem from the dissolution of the plea deal, which was itself quite likely tainted by Smirnov’s manipulation. How can you possibly do those two things credibly at once? Is Weiss going to take the stand at Smirnov’s trial as one of Smirnov’s marks and explain how he tricked him into blowing up Biden’s plea deal? While he’s also prosecuting the cases that stem from blowing up that plea deal? That seems absurd.
Yep, it sure does. Marshall also notes that mainstream news outlets haven’t covered themselves in glory either. After serving as a conduit for Russian operatives who sowed discord with hacked DNC emails, most MSM outlets hesitated to run with the Hunter Biden laptop story in the waning days of the 2020 election.
That’s what they should have done since the provenance of the laptop material was unknown and followed a well-established influence operation pattern. But in the days since, they allowed themselves to be shamed by clowns in the House GOP and fascism-adjacent oligarch Elon Musk into repudiating their original, correct decision. And they still aren’t connecting the dots.
The real issue, as I note above, is the reporters, editorialists and commentators, who vouched for and credited this whole edifice of lies and bullshit. Yes, they guffawed when James Comer came forward yet again with more revelations that never quite panned out. But they didn’t give up hope. They were always waiting for the next revelation. Comer and his Republican colleagues hadn’t provided “hard evidence” yet but there sure was a lot of smoke.
This entire thing has been based on Russian plants and intelligence operations from the start. Every bit of it. It’s been obvious. And yet, well … they’re all dupes. Somehow almost a decade after this whole thing started we’re shocked to see, wow, Weiss’s office was being led around by another cat’s paw of the Russian intelligence services. We’re shocked. But why are we shocked? Every last person among the serious people of the nation’s capital and the sprawling thing called elite received opinion has egg on their face. And it’s not even clear they fully realize it yet.
Putin has a lot riding on the upcoming election and much to gain from re-empowering his stooge Trump, so the disinformation onslaught will be fierce. To repeat a point made in another post about how our shitty political media actively sabotages democracy, we can’t count on the Fourth Estate to help us defend democracy. We’ll have to find a way to win with their dead weight strapped to our backs.
Late Night Open Thread: Tucker Carlson in Moscow
This post is in: Foreign Affairs, Our Failed Media Experiment, Republican Venality
(Michael Ramirez via the Washington Post) Looks like Tucker Carlson’s ploy to boost his and/or Putin’s ratings for an American audience may have backfired on *both* participants… and it could not happen to a more deserving duo. Do you know who loves Russia? Russians who were willing to be murdered or imprisoned to speak …
Late Night Open Thread: Tucker Carlson in MoscowPost + Comments (48)
What Putin Saw When He Was Interviewed by Tucker Carlson
Here was an easy mark. Carlson meekly tried to interrupt Putin a couple of times, to ask a question he seemed stuck on: Why hadn’t all this history and these territorial issues come up when Putin first became President, in 2000? It was an ill-informed question—Putin has trafficked in historical revisionism from the start and became increasingly obsessed with Ukraine after the Orange Revolution, in 2004—and an easy one for Putin to ignore. It seemed to show that Carlson was less well briefed than Putin, who dropped biographical trivia about Carlson into the conversation, a trademark intimidation tactic of a K.G.B. agent. He mentioned, for example, that Carlson had unsuccessfully tried to join the C.I.A…Most important from Putin’s point of view, Carlson seemed to share two of his basic assumptions: that the war in Ukraine is a proxy war with the United States and that any negotiations will take place between the Kremlin and the White House, presumably without involving Kyiv. Carlson even nudged Putin to call President Biden and say “Let’s work this out.” To which Putin responded that the message Russia wishes to convey to the U.S. is “Stop supplying weapons. It will be over within a few weeks.”…
Whiter. He means whiter. Just so we're being crystal clear. https://t.co/lLMTNXB89g
— zeddy (@Zeddary) February 13, 2024
Yes, the Russian government pools all the nation resources into creating and maintaining a Potemkin showpiece city, while the rest of the nation has no plumbing or drivable roads, precisely because morons like @TuckerCarlson will come away awed to spread tales of Russia's glory. https://t.co/268enHrL2e
— Slava Malamud ???????? (@SlavaMalamud) February 13, 2024
Once Carlson was canned for the third time, Russia was the inevitable final stop. https://t.co/Iuwd4YgM5g
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) February 6, 2024
"Carlson, in a tweet, expressed pride in his accomplishment in having sat down for a state-managed lecture by one of the world’s great monsters. Putin, on the other hand, insulted Carlson throughout the interview." Russian officialdom liked it. https://t.co/PpV05hPwPx
— The Bulwark (@BulwarkOnline) February 13, 2024
TUCKER CARLSON’S TRIP TO RUSSIA for an interview with Vladimir Putin was the subject of extraordinary hype in Moscow, treated by the official media almost like a visit from a head of state. State-controlled news outlets breathlessly chronicled his comings and goings: the visit to the fast-food joint Vkusno i Tochka, rebranded from McDonald’s after the latter pulled out of Russian markets; the trip to the Bolshoi for Spartacus, the iconic Soviet-era revolutionary ballet; the metro ride; and, finally, the departure.
Carlson, in a tweet, expressed pride in his accomplishment in having sat down for a state-managed lecture by one of the world’s great monsters. Putin, on the other hand, insulted Carlson throughout the interview. At first watch, it wasn’t clear if either side got exactly what it wanted. Among Russian observers, theories and explanations abound…
“It’s one thing to do your own exposés of globalist conspiracies, and another to find yourself attending an alternative history lecture from Putin in the role of student,” noted TV-Rain host Mikhail Fishman, who knows enough about Carlson’s history to peg him as a conspiracy theorist, in his own sarcastic analysis of the interview. Fishman also mentioned a conspiracy theory about Carlson himself: namely, the rumor that he was in Moscow on a special mission for Donald Trump and had an off-camera conversation with Putin playing emissary rather than journalist. Fishman didn’t necessarily credit this story, but he suggested that Putin almost certainly sees Carlson as “the same as Trump,” or a Trump stand-in. Along the same lines, Russian journalist Igor Yakovenko, a former Duma deputy and general secretary of the Russian Union of Journalists, told the Ukrainian Freedom Channel that Carlson’s visit and the Putin interview was unquestionably meant to boost Trump’s electoral chances for 2024 and to sink any congressional deal that would include aid to Ukraine. Yakovenko sees Trump, Carlson, and Putin as the unholy trinity of this story—or, with Elon Musk (who assiduously promoted the interview), an unholy quadrinity…
Will the interview help or hurt Putin? Nacke, for his part, has unironically thanked Carlson for giving Putin enough uninterrupted time to show himself as a paranoid, rambling, grievance-obsessed fascist. Yakovenko, less optimistic, believes that many viewers outside Russia will naïvely see many of Putin’s claims as at least partially valid, especially since the debunkings will have far less reach.
Whatever the outcome, independent, Russian-speaking journalists have certainly had a field day with the Carlson interview, if only for the “Karlsson-on-the-roof” memes. The famous 1968 animated movie based on Lindgren’s books was called Junior and Karlsson. The jokes practically write themselves.
Romney: Now, I know that the shock jocks and online instigators have riled up many in the far reaches of my party. But if your position is being cheered by Vladimir Putin, it's time to reconsider your position. pic.twitter.com/5c0haSFwi9
— Acyn (@Acyn) February 13, 2024
Seems like a good day to remind people of this.https://t.co/GFNq4Gx91i
— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) February 6, 2024
I wish people would stop referring to Tucker Carlson as a journalist. A journalist is someone who is objective. Tucker Carlson has an agenda and brazenly lies to support that agenda. His lies cost Fox News $787m. His work in Moscow for Putin will cost the world far more than that https://t.co/FhjuRxo6xt
— Bill Browder (@Billbrowder) February 5, 2024
New from me: While in Moscow to interview Putin, Tucker Carlson also met with Edward Snowden and Tara Reade.https://t.co/B2ReaEIrL8
— Max Tani (@maxwelltani) February 8, 2024
Now that Tucker's interview tanked, Margarita Simonyan is quoting my article but seemingly trying to distance herself, pretending she is not responsible for encouraging Putin to sit down with Carlson, except she is on video (see below). Whoopsies. https://t.co/iiIcgATH76 pic.twitter.com/7VWIk7hMcP
— Julia Davis (@JuliaDavisNews) February 10, 2024
I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised if Carlson is playing some kind of MAGA negotiation role. Officials in Kyiv think Trump is trying to work a deal with Moscow independently & they link the hold up in aid to this. https://t.co/tEVsTWOshc
— Oliver Carroll (@olliecarroll) February 3, 2024
Chris Wallace: calling Tucker Carlson a “useful idiot” is “unfair to useful idiots” ?? pic.twitter.com/Dpf49bFdFc
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) February 10, 2024
Late Night Open Thread: Tucker Carlson in Moscow
This post is in: Foreign Affairs, Open Threads, Our Failed Media Experiment, Republican Venality
(Nick Anderson via GoComics.com) I hesitated to post about Carlson’s ‘big get’, because there was a chance it would end up dismissed as just another Wingnut Wurlitzer nothingburger. But even in the rush of recent news, seems like there were points to discuss: My hands-down favorite write-up of the Tucker Carlson-Putin interview was by …
Late Night Open Thread: Tucker Carlson in MoscowPost + Comments (42)
This is a hilarious shit show. Putin is now 28 minutes into his history lesson. This is the 3rd time Tucker tries to interrupt and Putin mocks Tucker for just being an entertainer and not a serious journalist. Tucker tries to fake laugh it off while Putin emasculates him. pic.twitter.com/ABLG3sVz0Q
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) February 9, 2024
Imagine spending the last 5 years melting your brain with MAGA politics, flying to Moscow, sitting down with Putin, only to realize he’s just a former KGB boomer rambling about Peter the Great.
The USG has revoked your visa. The sun is going down and now your tea tastes funny.
— James (@GravitysRa1nbow) February 9, 2024
Putin is like the crazy ex spouse who will gladly murder you and anyone you are currently dating rather then let you live a happy life without him. https://t.co/ky9JUIK4PB
— Sanho Tree (@SanhoTree) February 10, 2024
And to confirm, for the first time, that the FSB is leading the negotiations. https://t.co/JqJIzhUYhX
— Julia Ioffe (@juliaioffe) February 9, 2024
This is an amazing piece of tv journalism. It does not accept any of Carlson’s premises because they’re all lies. It does not play along. I wish the press corps took this position with all Republicans who are similarly steeped in lies. https://t.co/wUe3Y1vLPG
— The Editorial Board (@johnastoehr) February 7, 2024
But the interview — or at least right-wing media reports on it — pleased at least *one* American politician celebrity:
Siding with a foreign dictator over Americans you don’t like is now considered patriotism, I guess. pic.twitter.com/IaTwIphXYl
— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) February 8, 2024
TGIFriday Morning Open Thread: Year of the Dragon
This post is in: Foreign Affairs, Open Threads, Our Failed Media Experiment, President Biden, Proud to Be A Democrat
Feb. 10 marks Chinese New Year, ushering in the Year of the Dragon. This seems an appropriate time to write about Boston’s China Trade Gate — a true "paifang" archway. https://t.co/glFhB0XiXf @universalhub @HUBhistory @WickedBoston_ @BostonHistory @BostonChinatown @VisitBoston pic.twitter.com/jXaEW8wcqy — Aline Boucher Kaplan (@AlineKaplan) February 7, 2024 The lunar Year of the (Wood) Dragon begins tonight …
TGIFriday Morning Open Thread: Year of the DragonPost + Comments (214)
Cold Grey Pre-Dawn Open Thread: Putin’s ‘Interview’ with Tucker Carlson
This post is in: Foreign Affairs, Our Failed Media Experiment, Republican Venality, All Too Normal, Blatant Liars and the Lies They Tell
Hillary Clinton on Tucker Carlson's Putin interview: 'He is a useful idiot' Watch more of Alex Wagner's interview with Clinton tonight! 9pmET on MSNBC pic.twitter.com/936lATJBAm — Alex Wagner Tonight (@WagnerTonight) February 7, 2024 Per CNN, “Putin walks away with propaganda victory after Tucker Carlson’s softball interview”: It’s evident now why Vladimir Putin granted an interview …
Cold Grey Pre-Dawn Open Thread: Putin’s ‘Interview’ with Tucker CarlsonPost + Comments (91)
While Carlson was once a critic of the Russian government, in recent years he has been far more sympathetic to the Putin-led state, dragging the GOP with him. Carlson’s commentary on Russia’s brutal war on Ukraine has been anything but favorable toward Kiev, with the right-wing extremist even likening Volodymyr Zelensky to vermin last year.
Which is precisely why Putin agreed to the interview with Carlson, while actual journalists who would have pressed the Russian leader on a range of critical issues, have been denied access for years. You don’t have to take our word for it, either. Putin’s own spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters this week that Carlson was selected because he “has a position that is different from the rest” of Western media…
Tucker Carlson did ask Vladimir Putin about Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich who was arrested by the FSB on false charges of espionage and has been wrongly detained for nearly a year.
Here is what Putin said:
Tucker: I appreciate all the time you've given us. I… pic.twitter.com/HxYBDptyki
— Yashar Ali ?? (@yashar) February 8, 2024
Tucker: I appreciate all the time you’ve given us. I just gotta ask you one last question. And that’s about someone who is very famous in the United States. Probably not here. Evan Gershkovich who’s the Wall Street Journal reporter. He’s 32. And he’s been in prison for almost a year. This is a huge story in the United States. And I just want to ask you directly, without getting into the details of it or your version of what happened, if, as a sign of your decency, you would be willing to release him to us and we’ll bring him back to the United States.
Vladimir Putin: We have done so many gestures of goodwill out of decency that I think we have run out of them. We have never seen anyone reciprocate to us in a similar manner. However, in theory, we can say that we do not rule out that we can do that if our partners take reciprocal steps. When I talk about the partners, I first of all refer to special services. Special services are in contact with one another. They are talking about the matter in question. There is no taboo to settle this issue. We are willing to solve it but there are certain terms being discussed via special services channels. I believe an agreement can be reached.
Tucker: So typically, I mean this stuff has happened for obviously centuries. One country catches another spy within its borders. It trades it for one of its own intel guys in another country. I think what makes and it’s not my business, but what makes this different is the guy’s obviously not a spy. He’s a kid, and maybe he was breaking your law in some way, but he’s not a super spy and everybody knows that. And he’s being held hostage in exchange, which is true with respect. It’s true. And everyone knows it’s true. So maybe he’s in a different category. Maybe it’s not fair to ask for, you know, somebody else in exchange for letting him out. Maybe it degrades Russia to do that.
Vladimir Putin: You know, you can give a different interpretations to what constitutes a spy. But there are certain things provided by law. If a person gets secret information and does that in conspiratorial manner, then this is qualified as espionage. And that is exactly what he was doing. He was receiving classified, confidential information, and he did it covertly. Maybe he did that out of carelessness or his own initiative. Considering the sheer fact that this is qualify this espionage. The fact has been proven as he was caught red handed when he was receiving this information. If it had been some farfetched excuse, some fabrication, something not proven, it would have been a different story then. But he was caught red handed when he was secretly getting confidential information. What is it then?…
There’s another half-dozen call-and-responses, all on the same theme: Gershkovich was a CIA plant who’s damned lucky Putin (generous, gentle soul that he is) didn’t have him executed immediately. Thanks a bunch, Mr. Carlson, for your assistance!
Putin will use nuclear weapons if it comes to Crimea – Tucker Carlson
"It's the home of the Russian Navy, there's a Russian population there, they had a referendum, they chose Russia. It's part of Russia. You may like it or not, but Putin will start a nuclear war if it comes to… pic.twitter.com/d4CP6nDczU
— Zlatti71 (@djuric_zlatko) February 9, 2024
.@juliaioffe on Tucker Carlson interviewing Putin in Russia: “What's really shocking is the way he just walks right into Moscow and presents himself on a silver platter to the Kremlin. Doing the Kremlin’s job of misinforming, disinforming the American population.” pic.twitter.com/1ySqKpNH2I
— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) February 7, 2024
46 minutes into his history lesson, Putin stops to mock Tucker for applying to the CIA when he was younger and getting rejected. pic.twitter.com/oyoADwytpI
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) February 9, 2024
Hillary Clinton was right. Tucker Carlson is a useful idiot. https://t.co/l3w8kxakLc
— joy reid's wig. (@mistergeezy) February 9, 2024
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