(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . It isn’t just that Tucker’s J6 video ‘investigation’ will be fraudulent, it’s also a security risk [1] ['Daily Kos Staff', 'Backgroundurl Avatar_Large', 'Nickname', 'Joined', 'Created_At', 'Story Count', 'N_Stories', 'Comment Count', 'N_Comments', 'Popular Tags'] Date: 2023-02-22 On Monday, after Axios revealed the arrangement, Carlson briefly explained matters to his audience: We believe we have the right to see whatever we want to see. So we have been there about a week, our producers—some of our smartest producers—have been there looking at this stuff and trying to figure out what it means, and how it contradicts—or not—the story that we’ve been told for two years. We think, in some ways, it already does contradict that story. It sounds as though Carlson’s team has already found snippets to support his ongoing narrative—namely, that liberal-controlled entities like the FBI and other “Deep State” operatives actually deliberately set up conservative activists on Jan. 6 so they could persecute them. At least, that’s the story now. Since the insurrection, Carlson has embarked on a gaslighting campaign claiming that Democrats would be using the Jan. 6 violence as an excuse to persecute white conservatives, deploying a number of interwoven narratives. First, he and his right-wing cohorts claimed that the Capitol siege wasn’t an insurrection—that it was just a crowd of patriotic Americans and a few bad actors, who may have been Antifa. Then, he picked up some factually misbegotten reporting in a fringe publication by a white-nationalist propagandist to claim that the FBI had operatives within the Oath Keepers—which led to his current theory that it was all an FBI/Deep State setup of Trump supporters. As Steve Benen observes: “To give such a media personality exclusive access, presumably to allow him to create a counter-narrative that will challenge the reality of the insurrectionist violence, is ridiculous.” So will be any kind of counter-narrative emerging from Carlson, based on predictably cherry-picked and out-of-context moments from what was a chaotic and complex event. That’s been his M.O. from the start—as the Dominion lawsuit evidence reveals in stark fashion. It doesn’t matter that he’s a proven fountain of disinformation because it works, and spreads like COVID. Indeed, Donald Trump Jr. has already chimed in, claiming in another seemingly substance-abuse-influenced rant that Carlson will be able to show that Democrats have been covering up that it “was induced by federal agents.” He’s also posted previously explained anomalous videos on Twitter, warming up for the main event. “Undoubtedly he’ll be searching for any kind of shot that could support this deranged theory of what happened on January 6th,” Jan. 6 committee member Jamie Raskin said. “If you want to make tens of thousands of hours publicly available, then it should be available for all media, not for just one propaganda mouthpiece.” Similarly, Congressman Adam Schiff of California voiced concern Carlson will misrepresent the footage to fit his preferred conspiracist narrative. "Kevin McCarthy turned over Jan 6 videos to right-wing propagandist Tucker Carlson. A man who spews Kremlin talking points. Suggests Jan 6 was a false flag. And spreads the Big Lie. Make no mistake: This isn't about transparency, it's about fueling dangerous conspiracy theories," Schiff wrote on Twitter. The concerns include the very real threat the release of the videos—which will reveal camera locations and angles, as well as obstacles and security arrangements, and a wealth of related information that could be used by future planners of any subsequent attempt at an insurrection—poses an actual security threat. Democratic Jan. 6 committee chairman Bennie Thompson, who chaired the Jan. 6 committee and now serves as the ranking member on the House Homeland Security Committee, said in a statement: “It’s hard to overstate the potential security risks if this material were to be used irresponsibly.” He added, “If Speaker McCarthy has indeed granted Tucker Carlson—a Fox host who routinely spreads misinformation and [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s poisonous propaganda—and his producers access to this sensitive footage, he owes the American people an explanation of why he has done so and what steps he has taken to address the significant security concerns at stake.” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said he and his fellow Democrats were working to learn more about the “egregious security breach.” “I write with respect to public reports that extreme MAGA Republicans in the House have provided tens of thousands of hours of sensitive Capitol security footage to a FOX News personality who regularly peddles in conspiracy theories and Pro-Putin rhetoric,” he said Tuesday in a letter to his colleagues. “The apparent transfer of video footage represents an egregious security breach that endangers the hardworking women and men of the United States Capitol Police, who valiantly defended our democracy with their lives at risk on that fateful day.” McCarthy’s mishandling of the information is probably unprecedented for a House speaker, who usually show extreme circumspection about matters of security related to the safety of members of Congress. Certainly, as former Jan. 6 committee spokesman Tim Mulvey told the Washington Post, that was the case with how the video data had been previously handled. Mulvey said that when the committee obtained access to the same video footage, “it was treated with great sensitivity given concerns about the security of lawmakers, staff, and the Capitol complex. Access was limited to members and a small handful of investigators and senior staff, and the public use of any footage was coordinated in advance with Capitol Police. It’s hard to overstate the potential security risks if this material were used irresponsibly.” Carlson, predictably, was unconcerned. "If there was ever a question that's in the public's interest to know, it's what actually happened on January 6. By definition, this video will reveal it. It's impossible for me to understand why any honest person would be bothered by that," Carlson told Axios. Carlson is now an established liar for profit. But then, as we have known all along, Carlson’s gaslighting technique isn’t so much a matter of his credibility, but rather, an expression of raw power. That’s what happens with men like McCarthy in control, and men like Tucker manipulating the masses. Yes, electing the president by popular vote is possible! Joining us on this week's episode of The Downballot is former Vermont legislator Christopher Pearson, an official with National Popular Vote, the organization advocating for states to adopt a compact that would award their electoral votes to the presidential candidate who gets the most votes nationwide. Pearson walks us through the mechanics of the compact, debunks some common misconceptions, and lays out future steps toward hitting the required 270 electoral votes for the agreement to come into force. Co-hosts David Beard and David Nir also mark The Downballot's one-year anniversary (if you can believe it) by unwrapping a present from the New York Senate, which just shot down Gov. Kathy Hochul's unacceptably conservative pick for the state's top court in epic fashion. In addition, the Davids preview key races coming up next week in Wisconsin and New Hampshire and dive into a brand-new data set from Daily Kos Elections' Stephen Wolf showing just how out of balance the Senate is: Republicans haven't won the popular vote since 1998 but have still controlled the chamber half the time since then. 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