Megyn Kelly used her six-minute interview with Senator and Mrs. Rand Paul last night first to argue with Rand Paul about the Patriot Act and then to prod Kelley Paul into promoting the notion that Bill Clinton is too much a sex predator to qualify as First Dude.
The contentiousness of the first part of the interview, in which Kelly confronted Paul’s allegations about the Patriot Act as “not true,” combined with the second part – which had nothing to do with Paul’s own presidential candidacy – indicated once again that Paul is not Fox’s favored candidate.
But Kelly was so unctuous about Bill Clinton, the Pauls seemed not to have noticed her overall agenda.
Kelley Paul has already used the Monica Lewinsky matter against Clinton. So it’s reasonable to expect that Megyn Kelly was opening the door for a new attack when she asked Mrs. Paul, “Is it bizarre to think that you and Bill Clinton are vying for the same job?”
Of course, that got some laughs. But Mrs. Paul didn’t go any further. So Kelly gave her a bigger push.
KELLY: I mean, you got in a little bit of trouble and Senator Paul got in a little bit of trouble because you described Bill Clinton’s behavior as predatory. But I’ll tell you, a lot of the viewers that, you know, we have agreed with that. And if you just look at the history of the allegations that were brought against him. Do you regret that comment?
Of course, Mrs. Paul said, “Absolutely not.”
Kelly pushed some more. “Why is it not fair game to talk about Bill Clinton’s history?”
That finally prompted Mrs. Paul into a recitation about Clinton’s history. “I don’t consider that a peer relationship,” she said about Lewinsky. “It’s not criminal but it’s certainly something that we would say is not appropriate in the workplace.”
Finally, Kelly seized the moment to explicitly prod Mrs. Paul into saying that Bill Clinton’s behavior should disqualify Hillary Clinton from being president. “Do you think there’s a double standard?” Kelly just wondered. “If a female first lady candidate had any kind of allegation against her of inappropriate behavior with someone who is half her age, do you think that the male spouse would have any shot at becoming the president of the United States?”
Unfortunately for Kelly’s meme, Mrs. Paul said, “I have no idea.”
So Kelly had to go there herself. “I will answer my own question and the answer is no.”
Watch “straight news anchor” Kelly repeatedly try to manipulate her guest for political profit below, from the May 26 The Kelly File.
From Wiki: Anna Maria Torv (wife #2) worked for Murdoch’s Sydney newspaper, The Telegraph, when they got married; she was 23 and Murdoch was 36. Then (a mere 17 days after that divorce was finalized) along comes Wendi Deng (wife #3) who, at the time, was working as a VP at Murdoch’s STAR TV; she was 30 and he was 68.
Maybe Mrs Paul would care to speak with Andrea Mackris about her, um, unique, relationship with Bill O’Reilly. Ms Mackris was in her late 20s/early 30s when O’Reilly began harassing her (Bill was in his 50s AND married at the time).
Who have they got that isn’t fatally flawed already? Jeb has revealed himself to be a dolt of Perry proportions. Koch-boy Walker has stacked up a pile of own-goals with his failures in Wisconsin (and whoever heard of a cross-eyed president in a country that goes for movie star looks?). Paul is two generations deep into the crazy. Cruz is a cartoon character way too extreme for the moderate(ish) middle. Rubio is a bumbler who changes his mind on a dime to suit the Tea Potties. Graham is a boring old bureaucrat with a penchant for more and more war, and enduring questions over his sexuality.
Anyone for Inhofe? De Mint? That young nutjob who wrote to the Ayatollahs? Palin even?
Face it, Morgan. You have eight years of Hillary to look forward to, and a party that still has not completely torn itself apart – something that absolutely must happen before it has a ghost of a chance to build itself into something coherent and, to put it bluntly, sane.
Well Morgan, what choice is there, certainly not anyone you want to see president.
The strongest Republican candidate will receive more airtime down the pipeline. It’s coming.
I wish.
