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‘His Thumb on the Scales of Justice’: Chris Wallace
I am sorely disappointed in Chris Wallace. He does not usually say dumb things. But when he commented about Trump “putting his finger on the scale of justice” in the Roger Stone case, what he said was really stupid.
President Trump is the chief elected administrator in this country with authority over the Justice Department. When he sees the Justice Department do something unfair he not only has the right but the duty to address it. Isn’t that what we want in a president?
We might quibble about whether it was appropriate for him to express his concerns about the fairness of Roger Stone sentencing via Twitter. Still, Twitter works for the president. He has the same First Amendment right as everyone else to express his opinion.
I want the president to “put his thumb on the scales of justice” when that is tipping the scale toward the just and away from the unjust.
Published in Politics
Thanks, David. I agree. I keep thinking it would be a good idea to list all the stupid, distorted and deceitful things that the Left says (yes, I’m looking at you Chris Wallace), but I don’t have enough hours to write it.
Governments take on a life of their own. The career bureaucrats try hard to obey their political masters when they agree with them, which is primarily when the party of big government is in power.
They know who can be “professionally guided” and who can not. Cabinet secretaries have shorter lifespans politically than presidents. So on the first day you try to find the best chair for them. There are two types of chairs for two types of administrators: those that go ‘round and ‘round in a circle and those that fold up easily. (Tip of the hat to Bernard Woolley.)
Well, yes. And for a subordinate (like, for example, Barr) to publicly suggest he not Twit something is bordering on insubordinate – and, if he has any awareness of recent history, just plain stupid.
I disagree. First, I understand he told Trump ahead of time what he was going to say. Second, it validates to the Left (although they won’t believe it) that he’s not under Trump’s thumb. Third, it was the truth, and I expect Barr told him not only what he was going to do, but why. I think it was a good move. Let the Left try to figure out what it means.
Edit: Now I read that he didn’t warn Trump that he was going to make a public statement, but he had complained to Trump several times about the disruption his tweets were causing to the cases. So I think he finally got fed up when Trump didn’t stop. Trump might not have liked it, but he couldn’t have been surprised either. And I think he had it coming.
Chris Wallace has been working for the other team for decades.
Whether that “other team” is deep state or Democrats or both is the question.
Whoever Chris Wallace goes after in a GOP debate, that guy is my candidate. And Wallace is just the tip of the iceberg at Fox. They’ve been manipulating Republican primaries for decades.
It’s funny how he’s managed to make so many people think he’s basically a conservative or Republican. I once thought he was too. Good job, Chris!
Wise up, conservatives! He has always been a snake. And unlike many, he’s never really hidden that.
I’m not disagreeing, @franco, but I’ve not heard this. How are they doing that?
Your first point might make all the difference in the world, depending on how the conversation went – but in any case, I did not know that fact.
But I might should have also said before anything else that imo Barr is one of the really good guys, and I don’t want to lose him.
It’s pure propaganda. The person or people who are putting their “thumbs on the scales” are these media gatekeepers and pundits. Actually better called what they are – propagandists.
They aren’t stupid! They don’t say “dumb things”. It’s all calculated and designed to manipulate. If Chris Wallace worked for MSNBC he would be nearly as useful or influential.
Me neither! 👍
Good Post, David.
May I join the chorus that thought Barr’s comments were the ones that were stupid. Stone’s prosecution was an utter disgrace to the Justice Department and Barr should be ashamed for letting that travesty go on as long as it did.
Barr is responsible for oversight of his department and in the Stone case he failed horribly.
As to Chris Wallace generally, he is a good interviewer. Left or right, good interviewing is a fine skill. I don’t care whether he carries a conservative label or a liberal label, I appreciate his skill and, usually, the intelligence behind it.
Not this time.
Wait a minute. You are welcome to chastise Barr, but I don’t think this incident went on “as long as it did,” @unsk. I understand that Barr’s folks said no initially to the recommended sentence, and that the new supervisors of those prosecutors caved when they threatened to quit and let it go through. If we’re going to call “stupid,” I think he gets the label. They shouldn’t have pushed, he shouldn’t have caved, and I doubt Barr signed off on the “switch”; that’s why he called it back. If anyone was outrageous, it was the prosecutors trying to override Barr. Just sayin . . .
There are a lot of examples, but difficult describe and list. I’ve been watching it in real time.
Fox was in a unique position to have undue influence on GOP debates and primaries because they had the ears and eyes of the Republican base. They were trusted. But the “news” division is different than Hannity and those shows that preach to the choir. That serves as their beard, as it were. And they make money from them.
Go back and watch some older debates.
Remember the FIRST question of the first GOP debate coming from smart/hottie -star Megyn Kelly, a loaded question about Trump’s alleged mysogny? That was designed to take him out.
Of course, that could have just been personal bias on her part, but there’s too much of a pattern. She’s a pro. They probably set those questions and script everything.
But Trump was ready. Had he muffed that question we’d have Hillary as POTUS right now ( I’m not saying that was their goal – although I wouldn’t bet otherwise either)
Chris Wallace and Fox ( and CNN) hit Gingrich hard in 2012 over stupid tings like his ex-wife’s tell-all and disarray in his campaign, and Fox absolutely soft-pedaled Romney. They also pushed and protected McCain through 2008.
Looking back on who we know those two candidates to be, it makes sense to at least wonder if they weren’t promoted and protected just because FOX “leans right”. If they do “lean right” they lean right in a particular direction that looks a lot like insider-deep-state uniparty.
It’s not conservative or liberal. It’s corporatist deep-state agenda driven narrative/questions/hectoring or being a journalist. He’s more the former and less the latter.
Of course, we all remember that Obama never commented on cases that were under investigation, in criminal trial or during sentencing. The media’s memory is very selective.
Quite deliberate. It’s propaganda. Let’s call it what it is. It’s not dumb. It’s not journalism and incisive, intelligent questions. It’s gaslighting and lies.
This is an information war and it’s become very clear who is on which side. Any talk of people not acting deliberately and with malice I s spectacularly naive.
Be wary of overbroad criticism of Chris Wallace. He is also quoted today as saying that Dem talk of another impeachment is “Insane. Just insane.” He certainly got that one right.
Yes it’s insane. You don’t have to be smart or even a Republican or a conservative to see that. Be wary of thinking just because someone is rational ( and in this case he’s helping Democrats with this take), or appears to be on your side, that he/she actually is a straight-shooter.
So David, I agree with your post, but how can you not see that Wallace isn’t on the up and up?
Wallace’s problem is not just that he said something stupid. The stupid thing that he said reveals that he is, at best, shockingly naive and ignorant about the nature of our government.
Of course, he is not alone. The bulk of the media seem to share in this amazing naivete and ignorance.
They want something good. They want impartial justice. But there’s no such thing, because any system is going to be administered by people, and people are fallen and biased and imperfect and act in accordance with their own interests. Thus, our Founders created a system of checks and balances. It is not perfect. Nothing is perfect on this Earth. But at least it is subject to correction by voters.
Reasonably bright high school students ought to know this. I’m serious. I don’t know how the media can be so clueless.
No! They know exactly what they are doing! Please read my comments above 🙄 you are far too nice and naive. I was there too, just trying to help.
Agree with everything said here. The problem is that Trump needs Barr much more than Barr needs his job, and if it’s pissing Barr off, Trump should stop for that reason alone.
Perhaps Trump and Barr are playing good cop, bad cop. Cost’s Trump nothing , makes Barr look like a free agent. Trumps response to the Barr comment is the tell.
Absolutely. At this point Barr is the MVP of the administration – Trump has plenty of other stuff he can tweet about.
In my book, you are either against the deep state and part of the problem. Wallace is part of the problem.
I’ve never seen that happen before.
Or. Or not, maybe you’re right. I’m against the derp state and definitely a problem.
I’m not sure what you mean by the up and up. In my view, Chris Wallace is his own man, often right (meaning correct), sometime wrong. His thumb-on-the-scales remark is just so wrong, it is the opposite of what we should want.
Chris Wallace as an interviewer genuinely asks tough questions of both side of the spectrum as a good political interviewer should.
I think the left shift at Fox is new. The Murdoch boys now run it and are edging left. Roger Ailes was taken out by sexual assertions that I think are questionable. First the woman who got the big settlement was never that impressive on the air. She seems to be making a career out of this “Metoo” stuff. Once Ailes was gone, the boys took over and are trying to replicate the old Chinese proverb.
First generation coolie; second generation merchant; third generation rich man; fourth generation coolie.
The DOJ was packed with leftist activists by Obama and Holder. They somehow managed to get them civil service status so they cannot be fired by the next president. Also, Trump is a newcomer to the DC swamp. He relies on his family too much because there is no one in DC he can trust. He has trusted the patriotism of too many who stabbed him in the back. General Kelly is the latest.