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"Rhymes With Tucker" Carlson Sacked

Julie sends me off to bed for sweet, sweet dreams with the news that smug, jive-ass turkey, fake-folksy neck-adornment poster boy Tucker Carlson has been fired by CNN. And that may cause Crossfire to be cancelled as well.

Said Jonathan Klein, Chief Executive of CNN U.S. network, “I guess I come down more firmly in the Jon Stewart camp,” apparently referring to Stewart’s public de-pantsing of Carlson on Crossfire late last year.

Media Matters for America calls Carlson a “serial misinformer” as it reports that MSNBC is considering picking the whining cur up for themselves. They list some of Carlson’s recent Bush toadying, like robotically exaggerating the Social Security non-crisis. (You want to see a financial crisis, look at the future of Medicare. Where are Bush’s priorities?)

Also, ridiculing Canada was quite an accomplishment. Quoth Carlson “The average Canadian is busy dogsledding.” Now there’s hard-hitting reportage you can sink your canines into.

Sadly, this guy actually has a show on PBS. I have to wonder, does public television feel the need to balance their coverage? That is, countering their fact-based reporting with Carlson’s numerous instances of right wingnuttery? What does PBS get for their money with Carlson? They get a guy who has equated homosexuality to adultery. Compared Democratic efforts to track racial data to the practices of Himmler. Refers to the leadership of the Democratic party as “grouchy feminists with mustaches.” Reported lies about Paul Wellstone’s memorial service. Doctored Al Gore’s words to better cast Gore as a fanatic back in 1997.

Balance is one thing, but you don’t balance facts with sensationalist BS.

When PBS hired Carlson, I suddenly found better things to do than send them money at pledge drive time. I applaud CNN for apparently having sense that PBS has lost somewhere along the way. PBS, if you want my support, follow CNN’s example. If MSNBC wants him, I guess that’s their problem. Me, I think he’s better suited to be the new mascot of KFC. But then, I’m not sure the chickens would fall for his too-forced-to-be-charming insufferably boyish mendacity.