Tuesday, July 7, 2020

Tammy Takes Tucker to the Woodshed

by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist

Over the past several weeks US Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois had begun receiving some attention as a potential running mate for Joe Biden.  She was admittedly a long shot, not one of the names usually discussed for the position, but people were starting to talk about the possibility of a Biden-Duckworth ticket.

But last night all of that may have changed.

Senator Duckworth, who was born fifty-two years ago in Bangkok, Thailand to a Thai-Chinese mother and a military American father, is herself an American military veteran who lost both legs while serving as a combat helicopter pilot in the Iraq War.  Last night, for reasons known only unto himself, Fox News personality Tucker Carlson chose to lob a few shots at Senator Duckworth.  This morning he may be regretting that decision.

Carlson, a white man who grew up in privileged circumstances (he was an heir to the Swanson Foods fortune) - and who never served in the military himself, inexplicably chose to attack Senator Duckworth during his show yesterday evening.  Carlson tried to paint Duckworth as part of the movement to remove historical monuments based on a statement that she had made suggesting that the country should have a national dialogue over the matter.

Carlson said:

"You're not supposed to criticize Tammy Duckworth in any way because she once served in the military.  Most people just ignore her.  But when Duckworth does speak in public, you're reminded what a deeply silly and unimpressive person she is."

And after that patronizing and paternalistic lead, Tucker Carlson went on to say:

"Well, it's long been considered out of bounds to question a person's partriotism.  It's a very strong charge and we try not ever to make it.  But in the face of all of this, the conclusion can't be avoided:  These people actually hate America, there's no question about that."

Big words for a trust-fund baby who never wore his country's uniform, especially when used to describe a decorated war veteran who suffered massive injuries while fighting for our country.

But Carlson probably had not even finished his second after-show cocktail when Senator Duckworth tweeted this gem back at him:

"Does @TuckerCarlson want to walk a mile in my legs and then tell me whether or not I love America?"
(As of this morning that tweet has been retweeted over 50,000 times!)

 Touche, Tucker, touche!


Or, as political writer Bill Kristol noted in response to the Tammy versus Tucker word duel:

"Meet Vice President Duckworth."

No comments: