Disgraced ex-Fox News reporter James Rosen got a different viral moment than he probably hoped for when he asked Speaker Nancy Pelosi if she “hates” Donald Trump after she announced that the House will draw up articles of impeachment.
In her solemn remarks today, Pelosi said, "Our democracy is what is at stake” because Trump’s “wrongdoing strikes at the very heart of our constitution.” She added, “The president leaves us no choice but to act because he is trying to corrupt, once again, the election for his own benefit.” She called his actions “in defiance” of his oath of office to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
As she left the podium, Rosen asked, “Do you hate the president, Madam Speaker?” He now works for Sinclair Broadcast Group.
Pelosi stopped in her tracks, pointed at Rosen and said, “I don't hate anybody. I was raised in a Catholic house. We don't hate anybody, not anybody in the world. So don’t accuse me of hating – "
Rosen tried to argue with her, saying he had not accused her, but Pelosi was undeterred. “You did,” she shot back. "You did. You did."
Rosen continued by disingenuously saying he thought Republican Doug Collins, the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee had raised “an important point” when he “suggested yesterday that the Democrats are doing this simply because they don’t like the guy.”
If Rosen was really interested in pursuing that point, he would have delved into the substance of Pelosi’s stated reasons for impeachment, rather than asking what he obviously thought of as a made-for-TV gotcha.
Unfortunately for Rosen, his effort backfired. Pelosi returned to the podium and blasted him.
PELOSI: I think the president is a coward when it comes to helping our kids who are afraid of gun violence. I think he is cruel when he doesn’t deal with helping our Dreamers, of which we’re very proud. I think he’s in denial about the climate crisis. However, that’s about election, take it up in the election.
This is about the Constitution of the United States and the facts that lead to the president’s violation of his oath of office. And as a Catholic, I resent you using the word ‘hate’ in a sentence that addresses me. I don’t hate anyone. I was raised [with] a heart full of love and always pray for the president and I still pray for the president. I pray for the president all the time. So don’t mess with me when it comes to words like that.
Then she walked away.
As for Rosen, you may recall that he abruptly left Fox News without explanation but after numerous sexual harassment allegations had been made against him. Philippe Reines reminds that Rosen was also investigated by the Justice Department as a “co-conspirator” to espionage.
Watch Pelosi clap back at Rosen below, via Crooks and Liars.
I should note that I’m hoping I’m wrong about McConnell pulling his maneuver. I would rather see a full-term trial in the Senate and see if Roberts would compel Mulvaney and the others to testify under oath. I’d love to see the Parnas tapes played in full before the Senate and the nation. I’d love to see the Pence White House try to gaslight the whole thing in real time during an election year.
The whole reason that Pence’s childish assistant and his sycophants are loudly asking for a Senate trial is because they DON’T want one. They’re hoping they can bully the Dems out of even thinking about it. In the same way that they’re loudly saying they want to run against Joe Biden – when in fact they’re terrified of Biden’s numbers and they would much rather run against someone with less experience. This is why I cite the Brer Rabbit approach – they’re trying the game of “Please cook me or eat me but DON’T throw me in the Briar Patch!” They’re hoping the Dems will fall for it. My hope is that everyone is paying attention and not falling for any of this nonsense. From what I can see, they aren’t.
Again, this won’t lead to anything other than a dead end in the Senate – barring anything explosive suddenly being revealed. But it will serve to challenge the viciousness of the Pence White House and remind the nation about what the stakes are in the 2020 election. (We’ll get a second big reminder in March and April when Middle Class employees in Blue States get slammed with another huge tax bill) The real test will come next November, when we’ll find out if the active Dem voters in the swing states have learned their lesson or not.
https://twitter.com/IngrahamAngle/status/1202627818154274816
Kevin: I hope you are right about McConnell wanting to close the trial as fast as possible. A lengthy trial in the Senate would not be to the advantage or either party, but Trump is not exactly a paragon of strategic thinking.
Part One: Aunty Em Ericann’s Bun Fight With James Rosen of Fox “News”:
https://notnowsilly.com/did-roger-ailes-dupe-james-rosen-or-did/
Part Two: Did Roger Ailes Dupe James Rosen, Or Did Rosen Dupe ‘Merka?
https://notnowsilly.com/did-roger-ailes-dupe-james-rosen-or-did/
There was more fun between us. Use Der Google.
With all my love,
Aunty Em
Think about it. What do the Republicans have? Even their hand-picked Constitutional witness Turley admitted the Democrats are justified in their impeachment of Trump. He just bickered over the meaning of “bribery” and told them to slow down and beat Trump’s obstruction efforts in the courts. The Republicans have one witness pick and this is the best they come up with?
I follow Laura Ingraham on Twitter and her narrative to try to defeat impeachment is a pitiful joke. Her Ingraham Angle editorials surgically data-mine clips as she does performance art to feign she’s laughing the whole thing off. But in reality she’s dancing around every substantive argument in some sort of fact avoidance kabuki theater because she’s scared to death.
I’ve pointed out elsewhere on NewsHounds Fox’s website does the same thing. Singles out topics to feature like Melania’s setting her hair on fire over Baron or Mark Levin writing a screed about fear liberal colleges but there are no featured articles covering the meat of the hearing itself.
But while there’s no substance, there’s lots of emotion from the Fox News drama queens. So you read through the bile and vomit coming from the MAGA crowd on Twitter and you realize where the real hate is getting dredged up.
Rosen is, like Eric Bolling and Bill O’Reilly, a shamed and disgraced former Fox News personality who was effectively fired for sexual misconduct around his co-workers. He has absolutely no credibility. His only reason for coming to Pelosi’s announcement was to try and disrupt it with the usual Right Wing talking points and gotcha moments.
I note that Pelosi has similarly dealt with Rosen before, referring to him accurately as “Mr. Republican Talking Point” when he tried to play a game like this one month ago.