Not only is Fox News' Tucker Carlson, as described by Jon Stewart, a "dick;" but one of his Daily Caller employees seems to be a chip off the old block. Christopher Bedford, the Daily Caller's Associate Editor, is a good Christian conservative who is dutifully doing combat duty in the mythical war on Christians - a meme pushed by Bedford's big media pimping daddy, Tucker Carlson, on Fox News. Bedford's target is the Secular Coalition for America, a group that advocates for that nasty "wall of separation" that good Christian conservatives want to tear down. As such, he has been sending e-mails to them. And while they consider his e-mails to be offensive, Bedford thinks it's just jolly, good fun at the expense of godless atheists. One of the e-mails, sent to a woman at the SCA, involved the use of the word "dick" which, when one considers whom Bedford is servicing, so to speak, is rather ironic, don't ya think?!
Bedford is just so full of himself (and obviously something else) that the SCA satirically bestowed the Daily Caller with the title of "Most Unethical News Publication" because of "numerous discriminatory and unethical e-mails." The most recent missive "joked" about how those at the SCA "hate God, kids, and babies." It was a response to the SCA's press release which condemned the Obama administration's age limit on Plan B, a contraceptive which Christian conservatives hate because they think it will make slutty slut women even sluttier.
The age limit is opposed by medical organizations; but not so for Bedford who, rather than engage on the merits of the issue, sent this to the SCA: “I'm not sure what y'all believe in beyond annoying America, but if it's what most atheists believe, I hope it comes true: I hope you live a long, happy life surrounded by friends and family, and when, in many years time, it is your turn to rejoin your earth mommy, you become one with her, growing into a majestic and beautiful tree that some hardworking American fells, turns into paper and prints a Bible on.”
Bedford also sent an e-mail, titled "Here's a Dick," to Lauren Youngblood, SCA communication's director, with a photo of Dick Cheney attached. (Actually, an astute observation on Bedford's part!) When Youngblood complained about the e-mail, to the DC, she was asked why she looked at it.
The SCA contends that this type of sophomoric bullshit contradicts Carlson's claim that the Daily Caller is an unbiased source of real journalism. (Sound familiar?) They cite Tucker's claim, to Politico, that the DC does "hard nose reporting." They quote from the Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics which exhorts journalists to "avoid imposing their cultural views on others" - advice not followed, according the SCA, by Bedford.
But Bedford, who is also involved with the right wing Young Americans for Freedom, claims he was just teasing and is proud of his award. And Tucker Carlson, drum roll please, supports him, saying that “That's not ‘hate.’ It's disagreement. I'm confused by what strikes me as your disproportionate outrage."
Seems like the staff at the Daily Caller are taking a page from Beavis and Butthead rather than doing "hard nosed reporting." But then again, that's what you'd expect from a famous dick who is obviously surrounded by those who might not be famous but are still, like Tucker, total dicks!
Check out Alex Parenne's article on the rise and fall of Tucker Swanson McNear Carlson.