Ben Smith’s Buzzfeed seems to have become the Democrats’ outlet of choice for attacking conservative media.
The latest incident began with the Daily Caller’s Matthew Boyle questioning Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz about the Fast and Furious scandal.
Boyle asked, via email: “Does Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz still have confidence in [Attorney General] Eric Holder after Fast and Furious?”
When Wasserman Schultz failed to respond for two days, Boyle wrote again, stating that he would report she did not support Holder if she did not respond to him by deadline (rather than simply reporting she had refused to answer).
That produced a “fast and furious” reaction from DNC Communications Director Brad Woodhouse, who complained–not to the Daily Caller, but directly to Buzzfeed, forwarding Boyle’s email.
“They went to the same water carriers they always use,” said Daily Caller Editor-in-Chief Tucker Carlson.
Last week, Buzzfeed attempted to “scoop” Andrew Breitbart, publishing a selectively edited version of footage he had obtained of Barack Obama leading a Harvard Law School protest in 1990 on behalf of radical Critical Race Theory advocate Derrick Bell.
And in January, Buzzfeed released the McCain campaign’s opposition file on Mitt Romney from the 2008 Republican presidential primary. It has not released anything equivalent about Obama.
Carlson is standing behind Boyle, who has pursued the Fast & Furious story with “dogged” persistence.
“They caught Boyle doing what all reporters should be doing, but aren’t: pressing for comment,” Carlson told Breitbart.com.
“Boyle follows the story where it leads. None of the response from the Democratic leadership is surprising. No politician wants to give answers they don’t want to provide. What surprises me is the shock and disappointment from other supposed journalists that Boyle pushed hard. If Boyle were pushing George W. Bush, they’d do a banquet for him at the Plaza tomorrow.”
The DNC’s appeal to Buzzfeed is not the first time Democrats have attempted to deflect responsibility for Fast & Furious by attacking Boyle and the Daily Caller.
Last November, an evasive Holder blamed the Daily Caller for growing calls for his resignation: “You guys are behind it.”
Carlson noted that Boyle has shown no favor to members–or leaders–from either party in Congress.
“I got a call yesterday from a prominent Republican member of leadership in the House, who asked why Boyle was pressing him. That’s our job. It’s not to make you comfortable,” Carlson said.
“My instructions to Boyle are: go get the story, find out what’s happening. That’s what he’s doing.”
“He’s not interested in going to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, unless it’s to interview somebody.”
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.