Tucker Carlson told a hideous, incendiary lie about Planned Parenthood and abortion on the air Thursday night. But instead of immediately confronting and smacking down what should have been an unacceptable argument, the supposedly liberal guest validated it.
Carlson began Thursday’s segment by reporting that the Los Angeles City Council recently passed an ordinance requiring that city contractors disclose ties to the National Rifle Association. Carlson editorialized that the “message is very clear, we control what you think.” His backdrop visual was the phrase “California Screamin’” superimposed on a map of California.
Carlson got the propaganda ball rolling by asking his guest, talk radio show host Ethan Bearman, if he had ever been a member of the NRA – a deliberate play off the McCarthy hearings question regarding membership in the communist party.
Bearman said that while he isn’t an NRA member, he knows folks who are.
Carlson’s sarcastic response set up a false pretense: “So, obviously, that shouldn’t be allowed, they shouldn’t be able to do business with the city of Los Angeles which collects tax money from everybody.” (FACT CHECK – The measure does NOT ban these contractors from engaging in business with the city.)
Bearman explained that the ordinance is just about disclosure of “dark money.”
Carlson utilized his trademark “reductio ad absurdum” argument when he cited his summer camp NRA riflery course and asked if that would disqualify him from doing business with Los Angeles.
No it would not, Bearman explained and added the reasons behind the policy. But Carlson continued arguing that the regulation was “suppressing free speech and punishing free association.”
Carlson also demanded to know if the same rules could be applied to the American Civil Liberties Union because this group “has argued on behalf of criminals” and “you could easily make the case that they’ve increased the amount of violent crime in this country.” (Uh, no you can’t.) Carlson offered no facts to back up his “easy” argument.
After shouting about “mandatory disclosure” for the ACLU, Carlson launched into this disgusting diatribe: “Planned Parenthood kills people, literally kills people. The leading cause of death of Americans - Planned Parenthood. Shouldn’t we know, I mean just disclosure…”
Rather than rebut Carlson’s fantastical “facts,” Bearman told Carlson that he was making “a logical point.” Bearman did try to justify the city’s action (“punishing the NRA”) - as Carlson donned his patented quizzical face.
Memo to Tucker Carlson – The leading cause of deaths of Americans is heart disease. But the leading cause of death of Planned Parenthood workers is probably the kind of baseless, incendiary comments made by anti-abortion zealots like Tucker Carlson. While condemning abortion, Carlson has attacked unwed mothers as “the ultimate in negligence.” And if Tucker gets his wish and abortion is re-criminalized, illegal, back-alley abortions could be among the leading causes of death and long-term health damage for American women.
Rather than "kill people" (and abortion is still a safe, legal medical procedure), Planned Parenthood provides vital reproductive health care for millions of American women, many of them low income. Naturally, Carlson won't admit that.
One thing is for sure – the leading cause of stupidity of Americans is Fox News and Tucker Carlson!
Watch Carlson’s dishonesty below, from the October 10, 2018 Tucker Carlson Tonight, via TheWrap.