It’s never a bad day when Roger Stone is trending.
I don’t say this because I have any particular affinity for defending the moral character of Stone, a self-described “dirty trickster” with a Nixon tattoo. It’s that Stone-centric stuff always inspires the worst in people in the media.
Tuesday was no exception. The four federal prosecutors in Stone’s case resigned over the fact the Department of Justice had balked at their recommendation Stone receive seven to nine years in prison for a series of convictions that included lying to Congress and obstruction of justice, as the U.K. Guardian pointed out.
The decision came after a late-night/early-morning Trump tweet that said: “This is a horrible and very unfair situation. The real crimes were on the other side, as nothing happens to them. Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice!”
Well, impeachment’s over, so we might as well go with this.
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On one side, critics are saying Trump is influencing justice via Twitter — that is, assuming he’s not sending someone down to the DOJ to threaten Attorney General William Barr personally.
On the other hand are people who believe this was a draconian sentence designed to punish a Trump associate for being a Trump associate.
Whatever the case, we all have a new thing to crow about — in particular Brian Stelter, the risible Jason Alexander impersonator not infrequently seen on CNN.
Stelter is best known as the host of CNN’s “Reliable Sources,” a show that is to reliable sources what Elmer Gantry was to humble Christian virtue.
He’s fond of media criticism, particularly when that medium is Fox News.
Not that he goes over the top or anything:
I’ll leave the jokes to you.
Anyway, on Tuesday, Stelter was upset that Fox News was apparently ignoring the big story of the day.
Fox, he said, was too busy covering the New Hampshire primary and wasn’t spending enough time on the kerfuffle regarding Stone.
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Fox and MSNBC leading the 1pm hour with NH primary hype. CNN leading with breaking news: "DOJ STUNS WITH EXTRAORDINARY REVERSAL ON STONE SENTENCING."
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) February 11, 2020
Yes, apparently, Fox News was trying to ostrich themselves from the chaos over at the Department of Justice, sticking their head in the sand by covering what was unarguably the biggest story of the 2020 Democratic primary race thus far.
I mean, they were so desperate to get away from the news of the Stone sentencing pushback that they were willing to cover Democrats.
This was some pretty trenchant media criticism with one critical flaw in his statement:
lol. Fox News broke the friggin story. https://t.co/QfN97yQzud
— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) February 11, 2020
Beloved NC gas station clerk allegedly killed by registered sex offender after vanishing from home: deputies
Alarming missile report draws forceful response from Trump as Iran war tests America’s arsenal
Former soldier indicted on charges of ‘calculated’ arson attack on federal Manhattan building
Iranian experts estimate economic losses from Operation Epic Fury at $280 billion
Pirro throws drops charges in three more Reflecting Pool vandalism cases amid Trump outrage
Trump admin trucking crackdown lands 51 immigration detentions, 36 English language proficiency violations
Rosie O’Donnell Announces She’s Returning to ‘The View’ Despite ‘Tense Time with Whoopi’
Washington wildfire arson suspect previously charged with first-degree murder, records show
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Is this Trump’s last ‘last chance’? Ceaseless string of broken ceasefires fuels doubt over Iran deal
Reporter’s Notebook: Inside the Senate showdown over Trump’s push to scrap August recess
Arizona man allegedly paralyzed by Nancy Guthrie sheriff’s deputies after alleged swatting call demands $176M
Illegal immigrant suspect charged in crash that killed police officer and his girlfriend
It turns out this wasn’t some troll on the internet: Fox had, indeed, broken the Stone story.
“The Justice Department is preparing to change its sentencing recommendation for Roger Stone after top brass were ‘shocked’ at the stiff prison term initially being sought, according to a senior DOJ official,” Fox’s original piece on the controversy read.
“The Department was shocked to see the sentencing recommendation in the filing in the Stone case last night,” the DOJ official said. “The sentencing recommendation was not what had been briefed to the Department.”
“The Department finds seven to nine years extreme, excessive and grossly disproportionate to Mr. Stone’s offenses,” the source added.
In other words, CNN apparently hadn’t even cared enough to get the inside scoop.
Who’s protecting Stone now, Brian?
Stelter, by the way, is the same guy who was recently seen in a social media pratfall after fact-checking an obvious joke Trump had made about former New York mayor and maybe-sort-of-kind-of potential Democratic presidential challenger Michael Bloomberg needing to stand on a box during the Democratic debates:
Beloved NC gas station clerk allegedly killed by registered sex offender after vanishing from home: deputies
Alarming missile report draws forceful response from Trump as Iran war tests America’s arsenal
Former soldier indicted on charges of ‘calculated’ arson attack on federal Manhattan building
Iranian experts estimate economic losses from Operation Epic Fury at $280 billion
Pirro throws drops charges in three more Reflecting Pool vandalism cases amid Trump outrage
Trump admin trucking crackdown lands 51 immigration detentions, 36 English language proficiency violations
Rosie O’Donnell Announces She’s Returning to ‘The View’ Despite ‘Tense Time with Whoopi’
Washington wildfire arson suspect previously charged with first-degree murder, records show
A Behind the Scenes ‘War’ Is Underway Between Bernie Sanders Insiders: Report
Sheriff in Nancy Guthrie Investigation Hit With Eye-Watering 9-Figure Lawsuit Over Another Dept. Disaster
Todd Blanche’s Nomination Takes Major Step Forward After Clearing Senate Judiciary Committee Vote
Is this Trump’s last ‘last chance’? Ceaseless string of broken ceasefires fuels doubt over Iran deal
Reporter’s Notebook: Inside the Senate showdown over Trump’s push to scrap August recess
Arizona man allegedly paralyzed by Nancy Guthrie sheriff’s deputies after alleged swatting call demands $176M
Illegal immigrant suspect charged in crash that killed police officer and his girlfriend
Trump wins again pic.twitter.com/tE1skbiTb3
— Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) February 2, 2020
so, you're AGAINST reporting what the president says and does? just checking.
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) February 2, 2020
Nice comeback. Right up there with, “Well, the jerk store called, and they’re running out of you!”
This time around, Stelter of course meant for Chuck Ross to fall into this trap all along!
Yes — that's why they should be staying on top of it!
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) February 11, 2020
Of course — he was just keeping them on their toes!
And this is the joy of the Roger Stone media event.
Sometimes it’s Roger that generates the fireworks. Sometimes it’s everyone rushing to cover him.
Whatever the case, there’s sure to be a lot of explosions.
The question is whether the firework explodes where it’s supposed to.
Story cited here.
