Tucker Carlson is not entitled to a megaphone

Tucker Carlson is trying to give Bill-O a run for his money. It's time for MSNBC viewers to stop giving this guy a mouthpiece -- not because he's supposedly a conservative and disagrees with the policy plans of the Democratic candidates, but because personal smears are the province of vipers like Ann Coulter. Just because CNN has decided to give Glenn Beck an hour to spew bile every night doesn't make it an entitlement. Carlson's right to say whatever he wants about Barack Obama does not include a guaranteed hour every night to call Barack Obama a pothead:

Tucker Carlson has a long history of using his MSNBC show, Tucker, to lob smears against progressive presidential candidates. But in recent months, he has directed a truly bizarre level of personal vitriol toward Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL).

Whether he's trashing Sen. Obama as "sound[ing] like a pothead" or "seem[ing] like kind of a wuss," one thing is clear: Tucker Carlson has abused his position as a media personality to personally attack Barack Obama.

Carlson may have a problem with Sen. Obama, but we all know that the real problem is with Tucker Carlson and his propensity for peddling smears and misinformation about progressives. My friend, the time has come to take a stand.

Today, I am asking you to contact MSNBC and Tucker Carlson and demand that they stop the smears on Sen. Obama.

Here are just a few examples of the puerile and ridiculous attacks that Tucker Carlson has directed at Sen. Obama over the past few months:

• On the July 10 edition of Tucker, Carlson described Sen. Obama's "rhetoric" as "kind of wimpy." (read more ...)


• While discussing Sen. Obama's speech in Fairfield, Iowa, on the July 6 edition of Tucker, Carlson asked: "How high is this guy? It's like, what is he -- he always talks between bong hits?" Carlson added: "Well, he sounds like a pothead to me." (read more ... )


• On the July 2 edition of Tucker, Carlson said of Sen. Obama, "He seems like kind of a wuss." (read more ... )


• During the "Obameter" segment on the February 7 edition of Tucker, Carlson criticized Sen. Obama's church, the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, and religious beliefs, stating, "[T]his stuff sounds separatist to me" and it "contradicts the basic tenets of Christianity." Carlson also claimed that the church's theology is "racially exclusive" and "wrong," adding that "it's hard to call that Christianity." (read more ... )

We all know that Carlson dropped the ball on responsible journalism a long time ago. But his bizarre obsession with Sen. Obama has reached a new low, even for Tucker.

There is simply no place for these juvenile attacks to be broadcast every evening on America's cable news channels. As Americans, we have a right to both expect and demand more from our news outlets. The public deserves a productive debate about ideas and policies, not program after program of Tucker filled with relentless personal attacks, smears, and falsehoods.

That is why I'm urging you today to contact MSNBC and Tucker Carlson and tell them the smears must stop.

If Tucker has a beef with Obama, or anyone else on a particular issue, let him invite that person onto his show and debate it. But emulating Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck is just pathetic.