Notwithstanding the demise of (the old) Crossfire, Tucker Carlson has not let up in his campaign of hurting America. A post-Zimmerman verdict comment by Carlson portrayed Jesse Jackson and others as "hustlers and pimps who make a living off inflaming racial tensions." You also may remember Carlson's pre-2012 election attempt to fan the flames of race by re-releasing a five-year-old video that he himself had previously shown.
But we must thank the former bow-tied guy for one thing:
Awakening the primal force of Hunter on Kos.
In 2004, Carlson went after then VP candidate John Edwards for daring to get paid for representing a little girl horribly injured in a wading pool. Carlson sensitively said:
"If [Edwards] is out to protect the weak, say, a little girl who was injured, terribly injured, in this Jacuzzi accident, why is it compassionate for him to take tens of millions of dollars of her settlement? Why doesn't he give that money back if he cares for the little girl?"
Carlson also derisively referred to the matter as a "Jacuzzi Case."
This galvanized the sleeping giant Hunter. (If my search was correct), Hunter had published only one diary prior to July 2004. But having seen that grotesque display by Carlson, Hunter (in his own words)
Went Postal.
Yes, that's where the Republicans stand. And they're not afraid to say so. Well, they are, so they only say it in roundabout ways. It's not a case of a faulty pool drain nearly killing a little girl, it's a "Jacuzzi case". And Edwards isn't a good, nice lawyer, the kind we see at Enron and Citibank... he's an ambulance chaser, a --shudder-- personal-injury lawyer, one who preys on American businesses who just want to protect their rights to make an extra $1 in profit by disembowling your five-year-old children during their day at the public pool.
"Hunter's Rant" became an instant classic, part of Kos lore, and started him on the path to the front page. He followed up with
Hunter Goes Postal II: Tucker's Jacuzzi Case and
Hunter Goes Postal III: Aftermath and Denouement.
Having demonstrated his chops, Hunter went on to write many exceptional and hilarious diaries, earning extremely well-deserved front-page status, gracing us with excellent Open Threads for Night Owls and many other contributions, including, of course, the brilliant. Chronicles of Mitt.
So one cheer to you, Tucker, for giving us the gift of Hunter's wrath, passion and humor.