Let鈥檚 impeach Charles Krauthammer
Fox News has a brand-new enemy — beards.
According to one of the co-hosts of the oft fact bereft Fox & Friends — Brian Kilmeade — Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s father, Robert, has a beard that makes him appear to be a Taliban sympathizer.
“I mean, he says he was growing his beard because his son was in captivity. Well, your son’s out now. So if you really don’t — no longer look like a member of the Taliban. You don’t have to look like a member of the Taliban. Are you out of razors?” asked Kilmeade.
Kilmeade probably read, but he failed to believe, the Washington Post report that indicated that Robert Bergdahl had grown his facial hair for five years as a way of marking the time his son had been in the hands of the Taliban. Fathers and mothers can sometimes act in ways that Brian Kilmeade might not understand when their children’s lives are at stake. Too bad Kilmeade hasn’t quite figured that out.
And if long beards represent some attempt to stand with our nation’s enemies, then Phil Robertson, the head of that Duck Dynasty clan, might be a prime suspect. The 2013 Boston Red Sox, too, looked a lot like they were in lockstep with the Taliban. I haven’t shaved yet today — count me in.
Kilmeade’s blarney is understandable. He works at Fox News. So does that member of the “Fox News Medical A-Team,” Dr. Keith Ablow. Ablow, a forensic psychologist, frequently appears on Fox News with predigested right-wing “analysis” to support the network’s right wing philosophy. He’s never at a loss for (buzz) words.
Last week, Ablow opined that the president “doesn’t affiliate with patriotism” and that (he) “wants out of America.”
“Barack Obama does not have the will of the American people, Americanism in his soul.”
I’m not a forensic psychologist, but I’m fairly certain Ablow hasn’t the slightest idea what’s in Obama’s soul. I’m not even sure Ablow even knows if Obama has a soul. He’s just the go-to guy when Fox News needs to make a point.
It’s a stretch, even for Dr. Ablow, to attempt to dissect the soul of the president merely because he negotiated the exchange of five Taliban prisoners for one American.
Some people at Fox News are even brandishing the dreaded “I” word.
The “Impeach Obama” movement began shortly after he took office in 2009. The auto bailout, the bank bailout, Fast and Furious, Obamacare and Benghazi have all ignited calls for Obama’s demise. So far, none of those calls advanced beyond Fox News. But this time, it’s different (but only to Fox News, of course).
“In my view, it’s a very, very valid argument that people are going to start talking about. Look, the last time a president was impeached, it was a disaster, and it was arguably over nonsense. This is far, far more serious,” says Fox News’ ever-present legal pontificator, Judge Andrew Napolitano.
According to Napolitano, there’s a valid argument that Obama may have committed “high crimes and misdemeanors” by negotiating with terrorists for Bowe Bergdahl’s release.
Of course, some of the people making those claims have conveniently forgotten that Iran-Contra, arms-for-hostages do-hickey under the patron saint of all things conservative — Ronald Reagan.
Fortunately, though, Fox News’ own Charles Krauthammer not only remembers, he’s defending Obama on this one. “There’s huge disputes between the president and the Congress over authority, but the one area where the president holds the upper hand in those disputes is in matters of war and peace as commander-in-chief. And I think a prisoner-of-war exchange is in the province of the presidency,” Krauthammer admitted.
What!? Defending Obama at Fox News is close to treasonous. I’m surprised Sean Hannity hasn’t called for the impeachment of Charles Krauthammer.
But you can still expect the calls to bring up the president on some charge to continue. Next up, November. He’ll hold a ceremony in the Rose Garden to “pardon” the White House turkey. Expect Fox & Friends to form an impeachment panel. After all, he’ll have negotiated with a bird.
Edward A. Owens is a three time Emmy Award winner and 20-year veteran of television news. Email him at freedoms@bellatlantic.net.