WaPo Blames Conservative Talk Radio for Bernie Bro Who Shot Scalise
This is worse than fake news.
The Washington Post has fallen almost as far as CNN. In a news analysis article, the paper tries to shift blame for James Hodgkinson’s attempt to murder Republican congressmen on conservative talk radio.
It’s an established fact that Hodgkinson was a Bernie-loving, anti-Trump, Rachel Maddow “super fan,” so wouldn’t it make more sense to blame MSNBC?
Peter Holley writes:
In Alexandria shooter’s hometown, rage-filled radio host channels middle America’s inner frustration
It’s not yet 11 a.m., and Bob Romanik, sitting behind the microphone at his radio station in a rundown strip mall in the middle of America, already has said the “n-word” out loud — and on air — at least a dozen times.
Romanik is a surly 68-year-old former East St. Louis street cop. He hates Black Lives Matter and talks proudly about his Caucasian heritage to anyone who will listen. And do they listen. His controversy-courting radio program — he’s the self-styled “Grim Reaper of Radio” on KQQZ 1190 AM — reaches across this region, in and around Belleville, Ill.
The suburban community about 20 miles east of St. Louis drew attention in recent weeks because it was the hometown of James T. Hodgkinson, the out-of-work politically frustrated home inspector who up and left, drove a van to the Washington area, and then shot four people at a congressional baseball practice in Alexandria.
The nation was shocked, but Romanik — who seems to delight in launching savage attacks on local politicians and stoking his listeners’ many frustrations about race, crime and government — certainly wasn’t. Despite being a die-hard supporter of President Trump who has perfected the art of the dire populist message, many of Romanik’s biggest fans in southern Illinois are disgruntled Democrats like Hodgkinson.
Here’s a thought. Why not assign some blame to members of the liberal media who go on TV night after night telling viewers that Trump is an illegitimate president and also Hitler?
Negative reactions to Holley’s article came swiftly. Ken Meyer reports at Mediaite:
‘Pure Sh*t’: WaPo Takes Twitter Heat for Connecting Scalise Shooter to Right-Wing Radio Host
Washington Post is taking criticism from conservative corners after supposedly drawing a connection between a controversial radio host and the man who hospitalized Steve Scalise before the Congressional Baseball Game.
On Saturday, WaPo ran a piece titled “In Alexandria shooter’s hometown, rage-filled radio host channels middle America’s inner frustration.” The profile focused on Bob Romanik, a right-leaning shock jock from Belleville, Illinois, which just so happens to be the former hometown of James Hodgkinson.
There were plenty of reactions on Twitter as well. Via Twitchy:
This article is pure shit and low even by your basement standards
— Cameron Gray (@Cameron_Gray) July 8, 2017
Revision of year: WP suggests, without evidence, Alexandria shooter was inspired by right-wing bigoted radio talker. https://t.co/97tHJDrofH
— Byron York (@ByronYork) July 8, 2017
Like blaming Oswald on right-wing Dallas, as the NYT still does.
— Ramesh Ponnuru (@RameshPonnuru) July 8, 2017
That’s about as desperate a reach by Big Media as I have seen in — how long has it been since that NYT editorial? https://t.co/jQeSQHhIEs
— Patterico (@Patterico) July 8, 2017
The shooter was a leftist who campaigned for Bernie and had a list of GOP targets. Try again.https://t.co/t6wE1p7Bdj
— Raven (@KazeSkyz) July 8, 2017
Devoted Bernie supporter shoots up baseball field of Republicans. Washington Post blames pro Trump talk radio in his hometown for it pic.twitter.com/59HEvgBXZY
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) July 8, 2017
The progressive left will not take responsibility for anything. Nothing is every your fault. Your rhetoric is never wrong. #Trump2020
— Marianne Connor (@marianneconnor2) July 8, 2017
Shifting the blame won’t work on this one. The guy worked for Sanders and hated @realDonaldTrump. Pretty bad journalism #reportrealnews
— Publius (@AmericanusCivis) July 8, 2017
The shooter’s Facebook page was full of MSNBC. Why are you trying so desperately to falsely tie this to the right?
— Jake Domino (@jake_domino) July 8, 2017
Democracy Dies in Your Bullshithttps://t.co/41y8s0NEUp
— Acosta’s Tantrum™ (@EF517_V2) July 8, 2017
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Comments
WaPo is simply following the narrative. You would expect something different? Like truth based on facts? Not gonna happen. The narrative covers all situations.
You can’t blame the WaPo, because there are right-wing radio shows in the Potomac area. Why, I’ll bet you can even get Rush Limbaugh in the Maryland-Washington-Virginia area. That explains the WaPo’s hatefulness, dishonesty, and vindictiveness perfectly. It’s not all Bezos’ fault.
I know, right? And let’s not forget to place some of the blame squarely on the person MOST responsible: President Trump. If he hadn’t gone and won the election, then the poor guy wouldn’t have lost his mind and shot some random Congressman simply because of shared party affiliation.
I’m a bit surprised that an august publication like WaPo missed something so obvious.
It’s good to let Holley’s name out far and wide, but his Editors and Publisher should also be named in this debacle and every one following.
Sad.
Interesting that 3/4ths of the comments at the WaPo web site on that piece criticize it.
Mediaite–hospitalized? Sounds like a caring man.
Seriously, this guy watched/listened to so much Hannity the he finally lost it. AS IF! He only gets one channel? More likely, he was triggered by watching too much CNN fake news.
…rage-filled radio host channels middle America’s inner frustration…
What exactly is “middle America’s inner frustration”?
I live in the middle of middle America, and I didn’t know people here have an inner frustration. The closest thing to an inner frustration I see is when there’s a leftist induced ammo shortage.
It’s a coastal liberal frustration. In Middle America, we deal honestly with life, without projecting our own failings onto everyone else. Nobody out here trusts a blame-shifter, although we do politely let them have their fit. We just don’t trust them or rely upon them for anything.
MSM Template:
Right wing nut commits an act of violence – Blame Conservatives
Left wing nut commits an act of violence – Blame Conservatives
Fairly easy.
And people say the MSM is inconsistent!
The WaPost has no shame and they are an illegitimate new paper. Let us not forget that Rep Steve Scalise is fighting for his life in the CCU. He is no doubt undergoing ongoing laparotomy procedures to clear up his abdominal (sepsis) infections, which may ultimately take his life. And, this rag wants to play games by shifting the blame. No dice. Not this time you bunch of a$$clowns.
“Some ideas are so stupid that only intellectuals believe them.”
-George Orwell
Or to put it another way, only intellectuals are capable of rationalizing total nonsense.
Even our redneck population has been corrupted by the left!
I worry less about these idiot WaPo and NYT articles that never pass the smell test and worry more about those legions of Leftists who believe these articles in the absolute.