Just as location is such a biggy in real estate, timing is everything in politics. It is sheer nuttiness for anybody, let alone a right-wing muckety muck like Tucker Carlson, to start up an intraparty feud a couple of weeks before election day.
That said, that is exactly what Carlson has done. Carlson phoned Rep. Tom Emmer, chair of the House Republican Campaign Committee on Friday, with an ultimatum. “Either reveal which staff member took a swipe at Carlson’s son, a Capitol Hill aide, in an article about internal House GOP politicking — or the Fox host would assume Emmer himself was to blame for the quote.” Axios:
Why it matters: Just two weeks before the midterms, the chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee — who is headed into a high-stakes leadership race if House Republicans win the majority — finds himself on the wrong side of the nation’s most powerful right-wing TV host.
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The inside drama illuminates the high stakes, divisions and power jockeying already under way as the GOP seeks to retake power.
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Emmer also now finds himself under attack from two MAGA celebrities: Donald Trump Jr. and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).
The backstory: The source of the Fox News host’s anger was a Daily Beast article, published early Friday, detailing the already vicious backroom jousting over leadership slots in a potential House Republican majority.
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Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) — who employs Carlson’s son, Buckley Carlson, 25, as communications director — is expected to face off against Emmer for House Republican whip, which would be the majority party’s No. 3 leadership position.
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The Daily Beast quoted an anonymous “GOP strategist” as saying of Banks: “Deep down, he dies to be liked by the Establishment. He hires Tucker Carlson’s son, a 24-year-old kid, to be his communications director.”
The intrigue: According to four sources briefed on their Friday morning phone call, Carlson told Emmer he needed to name the staffer who brought up Buckley Carlson — or Carlson would have no other choice but to blame Emmer himself.
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Emmer repeatedly asserted to Carlson that his office had nothing to do with the background quote about Carlson’s son.
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Carlson was unpersuaded. He made clear to Emmer that he now had a personal problem with him.
At a time when “keep your eyes on the prize” ought to be the watchword of the day, the GOP is infighting. Good! Good, let’s have more of it.
I’m curious–is it liar tuck whining about the swipe at his son, his son whining, or both? ‘Cause you know there’s whining from one, the other, or both. I’ve got to say tho’, with a name like Buckley, that kid should have developed a thicker skin over 25 years.
RW are whiney, drama queens, Nazi bullies & PETTY, immature idiots!
Yep, the other problem with the gop is that they eat their young. Who the hell cares if some clown insulted his kid. Just taking a wild guess here but he’s probably cut from the same cloth as his daddy. Now, given the opportunity I would insult either one. Just saying!