Pay attention. Yes, there will be a test in the end. In this case, it’s a basic media competence test. Let’s see if the press gets it right.
Republican Liars
It shouldn’t surprise anyone that Rep. Kevin McCarthy is a pathetic liar. He’s a shameless political goon and one face of bad-faith Republicanism. Still, McCarthy went far beyond himself recently. Even I was surprised.
In their upcoming book, “This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden and the Battle for America’s Future,” Alexander Burns and Jonathan Martin quoted telephone conversations between McCarthy and several appalled Republicans in the wake of the Jan. 6th Insurrection. They acknowledged that Trump had acted immorally, possibly illegally. They talked about what to do.
None of that was a surprise. Trump had just launched a violent insurrection. The MAGA mob overran the Capitol, trying to stop the election while threatening to murder anyone they caught. We were all shocked, wondering how things had gotten that bad.
But if you’re a Republican, the party requires that you put party loyalty over patriotism. You may not question the Orange Devil in any way, for any cause, ever. That made rationality and common sense into bombshell stuff.
The Congressman acted quickly. McCarthy’s office issued an official denial that any such conversations ever happened. McCarthy personally denied it. They were livid at the suggestion! Much political theater followed.
The Tapes
That’s makes it so juicy sweet. Within hours, the reporters released recordings of those conversations. Rachel Maddow played them during her Thursday news show. We listened to a shaken McCarthy say everything his press office and the man himself had just vigorously denied. They even talked about the 25th amendment (declaring Trump incompetent). The tapes exposed McCarthy as a shameless (and clumsy) liar.
Mr. McCarthy on Thursday called the report “totally false and wrong,” but the claim was swiftly disproved when The Times published a recording of the call hours later. On Friday, he repeated the falsehood, telling reporters in Ridgecrest, Calif., “I never thought that he should resign.”
“McCarthy Said Trump Acknowledged ‘Some Responsibility’ for Jan. 6,” New York Times, April 22, 2022
How bad a liar is he? McCarthy lied after Rachel Maddow played the recordings.
We know that McCarthy capitulated to Trump within days of the calls, showing he was a coward and a witless suck-up. Senator Elizabeth Warren called him out: “Kevin McCarthy is a liar and a traitor.”
The Press
Now I’m focused on the media. How will the press act toward a demonstrated liar? His word is worthless. No reporter should honor anything McCarthy says without verified proof. Most busy people wouldn’t waste their time listening. These are the reasons why your word matters.
Will any of that make the smallest difference to the modern press? Will the media change how they cover McCarthy now that he’s a known liar and possibly a Constitutionally-defined traitor? This should be basic media competence. Will the fifth estate keep repeating whatever unreliable crap falls past McCarthy’s lips?
We’ll see if they’ve learned anything. I’m holding my nose, not my breath.
Here’s a bonus round. In the call, McCarthy was talking to Liz Cheney, Steve Scalise, and Tom Emmer. None of them spoke up, either. That should raise more questions, right?
