This weekend, it was revealed that a junior staffer for Senator Ben Cardin was discovered to have had sex in the Senate hearing chambers, videotaped his tryst, and uploaded it to a gay chat site. After The Daily Caller broke this story, the media response has been…widespread, let's say.
12.18.23
News Avoidance Syndrome – VARIOUS OUTLETS
- A Democrat was involved?! Well, you better run pieces on Trump and DeSantis and the Republicans and…
To grasp the significance of the interpretational aspect of this story, let's flashback to September. That was when Rep. Lauren Boebert was caught getting a little grabby, a little handsy, with her male companion while seated in the audience of a stage production of "Beetlejuice" in Colorado. The press ran that story for days, replete with video and condemnation for her actions. Yet, with a major sex scandal of this caliber taking place inside the Capitol, we see mostly radio silence.
Bad News is No News for Democrats: Gay sex in the Senate hearing room scandal is nowhere to be found on ABC CBS NBC PBS NPR...WashPost and New York Times.https://t.co/C7xqAQjgl7
— NewsBusters (@newsbusters) December 18, 2023
Low Octane Gas Lighting – POLITICO
Recommended
- It is hard to go this soft on a story of this nature.
Of the few outlets daring to probe this story, they are decidedly evasive. Politico looked at this sex scandal and, upon realizing it was a Democrat involved, did its best to diminish the thrust of the piece. They chose to say that the staffer was only "linked to" the sex tape despite being portrayed on camera. The man's guilt was rather evident as well, given once his name went public, it was only a matter of hours before Senator Cardin fired him. Even this had to be diluted by the outlet, as they only would say "leaves Senate" to describe the fighting following the reveal.
Cardin staffer linked to sex tape leaves Senate https://t.co/S4PTlDdZdt
— POLITICO (@politico) December 16, 2023
Blue-Anon – THE INTERCEPT
- The more outlandish the theory, the more likely the distraction.
Journalist Austin Ahlman looked over the disturbing case of a congressional staffer having graphic sex on camera while inside Senate chambers and came to a conclusion – I need to blame Republicans somehow!
The desperation to clear Democratic culpability led to this wild conspiracy: Republicans did this as a case of revenge for the Israeli war with Hamas! How, you might ask? Well…allow us to try explaining Austin's position.
It is said that this same staffer recently confronted Congressman Max Miller and shouted "Free Palestine" in response to Miller's support of Israel. As a result, The Daily Caller report, which ostensibly was sitting on this video to use IN CASE a junior staffer ever shouted something objectionable in the Rotunda or something.
That someone of this lowly stature in D.C. is not likely to move the needle politically is of little consequence; clearly, the conservatives wanted retribution!
Daily Caller didn’t have the guts to just say what they were doing but this timeline wasn’t an accident
— Austin Ahlman (@austinahlman) December 16, 2023
important to note that the staffer in the video has acknowledged it, but denies he was the person who said “free Palestine” to Miller—they may have done this to the wrong guy pic.twitter.com/xDw9mMz7mq
Presentation Paradox – NBC NEWS
- There they go, NOTICING again!
It is tough to come up (sorry) with the worst take on the Senate sexcapades, but NBC News must at least be a finalist. Just the fact that the staffer who was seen on tape – and issued no denial when addressing the story – was said to be "alleged" to have filmed his sex act is all the sign needed that they want to excuse this. To then declare this is alleged to have happened "by conservative outlets" takes things to a desperate level. He was fired by his Democratic boss, but sure, let's blame this on those on the right.
Senate staffer alleged by conservative outlets to have had sex in a hearing room is no longer employed https://t.co/nSLTsN6mkM
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) December 16, 2023
Artisanally-Crafted Narratives – NBC NEWS
- Hmmm, you almost make it sound like this kind of content is unacceptable… Maybe there was a directive sent out by NBC News producers?
Content editor Ben Goggin came up with another neutered attempt at deflection, suggesting the possibility The Daily Caller was guilty of distributing gay porn or something akin to this. Now…if that is somehow considered a negative, would not the content – filmed in Senate chambers – ALSO be considered negative, Ben?!
To state the obvious, smears of LGBTQ people, porn etc ring a little hollow when you are posting literal gay porn on your website with glee
— Ben Goggin (@BenjaminGoggin) December 16, 2023
