For what it’s worth, on Tuesday 12/22 I watched the 60 Minutes CECOT segment (Yashir Ali posted it on his Substack at https://www.thereset.news/p/breaking-heres-the-60-minutes-segment). I then read Bari Weiss' memo to CBS staff that WSJ media reporter Isabella Simonetti posted on Twitter/X (https://x.com/thesimonetti/status/2003142908854313225?s=20). I definitely agree with Bari's assessment of the segment in that memo. I also agree with Matt: “ Pulling a story that late was guaranteed to produce the backlash, both internal and external.”
I also found out from Sara Fischer at Axios; “Can confirm WH, State Dept and DHS all provided on record comment in response to CBS News journalists’ request for comment ahead of the segment. None of those comments made air” (https://x.com/sarafischer/status/2003253518413758834?s=20).
Then Michael Shellenberger posted, “In April of 2021, CBS’s “60 Minutes” falsely claimed that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis exclusively chose Publix, a major Florida supermarket chain, to distribute Covid vaccines because it had donated to his political campaign…Now, the same reporter who did the flawed DeSantis piece, Sharyn Alfonsi, has accused her employer of censoring her story about deportees El Salvador’s prison. (https://x.com/shellenberger/status/2003218290508988564)
As I mentioned in my response to Nika, I think it was pulled late because Bari found out her direction was not being followed. The leak was likely to protect people from getting fired…
I’m of the mind that the hosts of this podcast can opine, at their leisure, on any topics they choose, have guests on the show or not, and even take time off now and then — within reason…and Reason. If I’m dissatisfied with the “content” (groan) that Kmele, Matt, Michael, and Producer Jason produce, well, nobody’s holding a gun to my head to listen/watch or subscribe. But I happen to enjoy it all, to varying degrees, including the one-on-one interviews, and the cassingles. Even the Fugelsang episode was valuable, if frustrating, in that it showed the partisan hackery of his arguments, despite his couching them in Christianity. Plus, catharsis could be found in the comments section. Keep it up, lads.
As is their use of “Y’all” when importuning commentators to do so. (And who the hell do they think are?) Actually, “y’all” in general, if not followed by, say, “come back now. Ya’ hear?”
Agreed. Also, the fact that “y’all” has been appropriated by a certain type of condescending coastal leftie douchebag feels disrespectful to both southerners and black people.
About the longtime listener that Matt cited in this Firehose...that listener also told Kmele on June 5th, "Kmele I’ve listened to the 5th column for over 7 years. You were giddy when he [Trump] won and have made a 1000 excuses for all the crazy shit he has done. Best sit this one out." (https://x.com/Shmpere/status/1930758788136731096?s=20)
Kmele responded, "Then you ought to know how many times I've said, *He shouldn't be President—his conduct is disqualifying.* (Correct Answer is: Many, many times. For many, many moons.)" (https://x.com/kmele/status/1930760239185551514?s=20).
Busty, I know it’s been a while since it’s been said publicly by the boys… but I appreciate you. You’re one hell of a guy holding on to all these receipts. 😁
We should petition the boys to get you some official paper document like certificate, signed by them all as the Official Un-Official TFC Historian or something-or-other.
Basically, during the four years that Biden was president, it was: “Why aren’t you talking about Trump?!” Now that Trump is president again, it’s: “Why aren’t you talking about Trump *more*?!” There’s no satisfying some people, and we know which people they are.
The Welfare Fraud segment in last weeks Round Table was so very good Matt. I haven’t hunted for it, but I hope Reason put that out as a Super-Segment.
As for the always present expectation that you get into knife fights with friends and colleagues, it baffles me. Things can be (and usually are) much more complex than how they appear as a viewer.
As for the format, I think we were all sad about the loss of “some idiot wrote that” but see above. Podcasts evolve in order to grow and even to sustain the original listeners. Like Aesop’s fable “The Man, the Boy, and the Donkey” teaches us about the futility of seeking universal approval “If you try to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one.”
I have listened since episode 1, I vividly remember you saying nobody wants to listen to a podcast longer than an hour, and guess what… 😂 just keep making adjustments, you all have the juice, whether they agree with me or not, we all believe in you all. 🫡
If the reporting about Bari Weiss’s decision to hold the CECOT segment met the same journalistic standards that Bari Weiss is holding CBS to, this entire story would have been, at best, about Bari Weiss not providing feedback earlier.
I believe that she inserted herself so late because she found out they have not been following her directions. I don’t believe for a second that she hasn’t been very clear on her expectations. The leak just prevented her from firing those responsible for being belligerent fuck nozzles.
Yeah, well hopefully Bari doesn’t face the resistance Gorbachev did with perestroika, because it will either be the end of CBS (unlikely) or she’ll be like Carley Fiorina, CEO of HP who oversaw the merger with Compaq.
She should learn from both of these incidents. If they don’t conform to the new ideology, cut them loose. Keeping toxic employees will only poison the well.
I agree with Bari’s editorial decisions on the 60 Minutes piece.
That said, whoever on staff leaked her internal work product should be looking for a new job. I understand that the various CBAs leave horrible assignments as the only remedy, but….
Will the final Weiss edit of Inside CECOT soften the Trump admin? I was fortunate enough to see a bootleg of the original episode and it didn’t make sense to me why it was scrubbed. I have hope one day Bari will hold herself and her work to higher journalistic standards, but I’m not going to hold my breath!
For what it’s worth, on Tuesday 12/22 I watched the 60 Minutes CECOT segment (Yashir Ali posted it on his Substack at https://www.thereset.news/p/breaking-heres-the-60-minutes-segment). I then read Bari Weiss' memo to CBS staff that WSJ media reporter Isabella Simonetti posted on Twitter/X (https://x.com/thesimonetti/status/2003142908854313225?s=20). I definitely agree with Bari's assessment of the segment in that memo. I also agree with Matt: “ Pulling a story that late was guaranteed to produce the backlash, both internal and external.”
I also found out from Sara Fischer at Axios; “Can confirm WH, State Dept and DHS all provided on record comment in response to CBS News journalists’ request for comment ahead of the segment. None of those comments made air” (https://x.com/sarafischer/status/2003253518413758834?s=20).
Then Michael Shellenberger posted, “In April of 2021, CBS’s “60 Minutes” falsely claimed that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis exclusively chose Publix, a major Florida supermarket chain, to distribute Covid vaccines because it had donated to his political campaign…Now, the same reporter who did the flawed DeSantis piece, Sharyn Alfonsi, has accused her employer of censoring her story about deportees El Salvador’s prison. (https://x.com/shellenberger/status/2003218290508988564)
Shellenberger also posted a video segment from a Boston PBS station that was critical of the 60 Minutes story about DeSantis. (https://x.com/shellenberger/status/2003219976493383973?s=20).
Based on this information, I have serious doubts about Alfonsi’s reporting.
As I mentioned in my response to Nika, I think it was pulled late because Bari found out her direction was not being followed. The leak was likely to protect people from getting fired…
I’m of the mind that the hosts of this podcast can opine, at their leisure, on any topics they choose, have guests on the show or not, and even take time off now and then — within reason…and Reason. If I’m dissatisfied with the “content” (groan) that Kmele, Matt, Michael, and Producer Jason produce, well, nobody’s holding a gun to my head to listen/watch or subscribe. But I happen to enjoy it all, to varying degrees, including the one-on-one interviews, and the cassingles. Even the Fugelsang episode was valuable, if frustrating, in that it showed the partisan hackery of his arguments, despite his couching them in Christianity. Plus, catharsis could be found in the comments section. Keep it up, lads.
Ditto.
People's need for commentators to sound off immediately on the latest "thing" of the moment is a cancer.
As is their use of “Y’all” when importuning commentators to do so. (And who the hell do they think are?) Actually, “y’all” in general, if not followed by, say, “come back now. Ya’ hear?”
Agreed. Also, the fact that “y’all” has been appropriated by a certain type of condescending coastal leftie douchebag feels disrespectful to both southerners and black people.
They’ve ruined “y’all” and “folks.”
Agree! Pls stop polluting my culture with ideology!
Dang, just yesterday we all thought cultural appropriation was stupid. Now I have to change all my stationary.
*they are?
About the longtime listener that Matt cited in this Firehose...that listener also told Kmele on June 5th, "Kmele I’ve listened to the 5th column for over 7 years. You were giddy when he [Trump] won and have made a 1000 excuses for all the crazy shit he has done. Best sit this one out." (https://x.com/Shmpere/status/1930758788136731096?s=20)
Kmele responded, "Then you ought to know how many times I've said, *He shouldn't be President—his conduct is disqualifying.* (Correct Answer is: Many, many times. For many, many moons.)" (https://x.com/kmele/status/1930760239185551514?s=20).
Busty, I know it’s been a while since it’s been said publicly by the boys… but I appreciate you. You’re one hell of a guy holding on to all these receipts. 😁
Thank you kind sir!
We should petition the boys to get you some official paper document like certificate, signed by them all as the Official Un-Official TFC Historian or something-or-other.
Carmelita is such a pompous purveyor of righteous indignity towards kmele she could be a guest on the next pod. Does she have a book coming out?
Basically, during the four years that Biden was president, it was: “Why aren’t you talking about Trump?!” Now that Trump is president again, it’s: “Why aren’t you talking about Trump *more*?!” There’s no satisfying some people, and we know which people they are.
The Welfare Fraud segment in last weeks Round Table was so very good Matt. I haven’t hunted for it, but I hope Reason put that out as a Super-Segment.
As for the always present expectation that you get into knife fights with friends and colleagues, it baffles me. Things can be (and usually are) much more complex than how they appear as a viewer.
As for the format, I think we were all sad about the loss of “some idiot wrote that” but see above. Podcasts evolve in order to grow and even to sustain the original listeners. Like Aesop’s fable “The Man, the Boy, and the Donkey” teaches us about the futility of seeking universal approval “If you try to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one.”
I have listened since episode 1, I vividly remember you saying nobody wants to listen to a podcast longer than an hour, and guess what… 😂 just keep making adjustments, you all have the juice, whether they agree with me or not, we all believe in you all. 🫡
Happy New Year!
If the reporting about Bari Weiss’s decision to hold the CECOT segment met the same journalistic standards that Bari Weiss is holding CBS to, this entire story would have been, at best, about Bari Weiss not providing feedback earlier.
I believe that she inserted herself so late because she found out they have not been following her directions. I don’t believe for a second that she hasn’t been very clear on her expectations. The leak just prevented her from firing those responsible for being belligerent fuck nozzles.
It’s like she’s babysitting someone’s children and still finding out what they’ll try to get away with.
Yeah, well hopefully Bari doesn’t face the resistance Gorbachev did with perestroika, because it will either be the end of CBS (unlikely) or she’ll be like Carley Fiorina, CEO of HP who oversaw the merger with Compaq.
She should learn from both of these incidents. If they don’t conform to the new ideology, cut them loose. Keeping toxic employees will only poison the well.
I agree with Bari’s editorial decisions on the 60 Minutes piece.
That said, whoever on staff leaked her internal work product should be looking for a new job. I understand that the various CBAs leave horrible assignments as the only remedy, but….
What sort of psycho makes all their party guests take off their shoes?!?
What if it was voluntary, due to excessive snowfall??
My Japanese wife would
As would your Czech mistress!
You weren’t supposed to tell anyone!! I hope my Puerto Rican girlfriend doesn’t find out.
Gainsbourg/ Bardot walkoff song rules
Thank you for bringing back some more non-guest episodes! Really missed the hangouts.
Fuck yeah, Bonnie and Clyde… a great excuse to paste in THE greatest tribute to any artist ever
https://youtu.be/unYu22Ign1E?si=1LrzYomG-AKVH1yc
Goddamn, you write goodly, Matt. These are always so fun to read.
Will the final Weiss edit of Inside CECOT soften the Trump admin? I was fortunate enough to see a bootleg of the original episode and it didn’t make sense to me why it was scrubbed. I have hope one day Bari will hold herself and her work to higher journalistic standards, but I’m not going to hold my breath!
Read her leaked email review on the piece and why it needed more work.
Discretion is the better part of valor. Well done!