In case you missed it — and if you watch mainstream cable network news like CNN, you likely did — Politico recently published a piece on how the Obama administration deliberately undercut the DEA’s efforts to bring down a massive drug cartel linked to Hezbollah. Why? To grease the wheels of the Iran nuclear deal, of course.
Politico even put together a 43-second “movie trailer” for its exclusive report.
NOW LIVE: The secret backstory of how the Obama administration let Hezbollah off the hook https://t.co/TZN2LVv1Bm pic.twitter.com/wrBkSXVpjA
— POLITICO (@politico) December 17, 2017
Seeing as the story was critical of the Obama administration, it didn’t take long for Ben “Iran Deal” Rhodes to classify Politico as part of the right-wing echo chamber — and that was about as far as his rebuttal went.
Twitchy favorite Ace of Spaces approached CNN’s Jake Tapper to see if CNN might work up a segment on the scandal.
.@jaketapper, you pose as a brave defender of the holy press. Do you have anything to say about the Obama echo chamber hacks going after @JoshMeyerDC for a well-reported story, or are you gonna sit this one out?
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) December 21, 2017
And you don't pose as a brave anything, anonymous person.
Not sure Josh needs my help, he seems to be handling himself just fine defending his fascinating report.
Congrats on the scoop, Josh. Don't let the partisans get you down.
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) December 21, 2017
OK, so Ace posts anonymously, as does Allahpundit of Twitchy sister site Hot Air — but if you’ve been blogging for more than a decade under a pseudonym and amassing a huge and influential following doing so, doesn’t that count for something? Honorary status?
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Exactly how are you not aware of who Ace is?
— SGT Mortis Von Gobbleshanks (@WitchyDruss) December 21, 2017
I know he's a blogger cloaked in anonymity, which makes me question his qualifications regarding bravery assessments.
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) December 21, 2017
A blogger “cloaked in anonymity” — just like so many mainstream news sources? We get why Tapper took offense at Ace’s original tweet, but he doesn’t seem in any rush to push the Hezbollah story at CNN.
Josh Meyer, the writer of the Hezbollah scoop, is NOT anonymous and let Tapper know he’d be happy to come on TV and discuss it.
Happy to discuss my @politico stry on TV, especially given the orchestrated smear campaign, which STILL hasn’t contested a single fact in it https://t.co/0tgoGhpwWu
— Josh Meyer (@JoshMeyerDC) December 21, 2017
So, first, will CNN bring on Meyer to talk about his story, and second, will CNN stop using anonymous sources in its stories?
https://twitter.com/Demon_Knyte/status/943942253927469056
I'll remember you said that the next time @CNN says "unnamed sources say" followed by some hit on a Republican. https://t.co/hadKufjXUo
— Brandon Morse (@TheBrandonMorse) December 21, 2017
Says guy that trades in anonymous sources daily. https://t.co/Q6ezcGQwgd
— eric (@eriContrarian) December 21, 2017
CNN's sources cloaked in anonymity make me question qualifications regarding your reporting… particularly given their propensity for being completely wrong. https://t.co/SiDW7y9Jx9
— Anita Sia Perpwalk (@NewYearsDani) December 21, 2017
https://twitter.com/eddiecarl4468/status/943938018909544448
Is that how you also felt about “Deep Throat”?? https://t.co/9et7XtV3JB
— Really FUBAR ?♀️❤️??⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Really_FUBAR) December 21, 2017
Considering that you’ve threatened to dox people, I question your qualifications regarding criticism of anonymity. https://t.co/WVQrsNDdSl
— Eponymous Epstein (@bjworthy69) December 21, 2017
https://twitter.com/EF517_V2/status/943937619435704320
Yes, threatening to dox some guy who made a CNN vs. Trump animated GIF — that was a particularly ugly episode.
https://twitter.com/Imperator_Rex3/status/943958353516019712
Tapper’s a good reporter — he should know who Ace is. Maybe he really does?
https://twitter.com/Bagehot99/status/943964971578413056
Related:
CYA fail! Ben Rhodes counter-punches Politico’s Obama bombshell & knocks HIMSELF out
OOF! Twitter lights Brian Stelter UP for sharing ‘truth’ about HOW CNN doxxed Trump gif-maker
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