The video below will be one for the political and journalistic ages. Trust me on that.
Illinois’ Republican Rep. Joe Walsh has given SNL a piece of video that will write itself as a skit. Just send the headwriter home, add a few punch lines, and repeat Walsh’s unending mention of CNN’s Ashleigh Banfield’s first name a lot (but SNL wouldn’t be able to match the number of times he mentioned it: 91 by one count).
In case you’ve been on Mars, Walsh is Republican running against double amputee Tammy Duckworth who has been dismissive –almost contemptuous — of her military service. He sparked a mini-firestorm due to his comments saying that a)all she talks about is her military service, b)true military heroes don’t talk about it and (this is not a joke) c)Senator John McCain had to be forced to talk about his military service and doesn’t talk about it that much. Walsh has become to many a symbol of the kind of bitter, hateful demonizing partisan politics: military service would be a plus but since it’s a plus for Duckworth Walsh ham-handedly tried to remove that plus by turning any mention of it into a negative.
And it has backfired.
Here’s his interview on CNN.
And, no, this is not a parody. This is for real.
Writes The Washington Post’s Dana Milbank:
Walsh is a ripe target for reasons well beyond his crass putdown of Duckworth. During his term, he failed to show up to a court hearing on his ex-wife’s claim that he owed $117,000 in child support (there were earlier tax liens and a foreclosure). His driver’s license was suspended last year for the second time in three years. He called Obama a “tyrant” and accused the president of “lying.” He even squared off with the other Joe Walsh, of the Eagles, over unauthorized use of the song “Walk Away.”
And now there’s Ashleigh, Ashleigh, Ashleigh.
Walsh acknowledged to Banfield that all veterans are heroes, but he defended his claim that Duckworth isn’t a true hero because she spoke about her service. He made this argument primarily by repeating the host’s first name 91 times by my count.
After many such Ashleighs — “Hey, Ashleigh, well, Ashleigh, look Ashleigh” — the interviewer responded in kind with “Yes, Congressman, Congressman. Yes, Congressman.”
“Whew,” Banfield said after the final “Ashleigh.” “I need to take a big breath.”
So should Illinois voters — and send a true hero to Washington in Walsh’s place.
All I can say after watching this is:
Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…JoeJoe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe..Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe..Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…JJoe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe..Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe..Joe…Joe…Joe…Jooe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe..Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe..
Daily Intel:
When we heard Congressman Joe Walsh was going to go on TV again to talk about how he thinks military veterans should keep their mouths shut about their service, we thought, Oh no, this guy is really bad at politics. But then he turned in a brilliant performance in this debate with CNN anchor Ashleigh Banfield, mostly by saying “Ashleigh! Ashleigh!” over and over again.
Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…JoeJoe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe..Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe..Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…JJoe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe..Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe..Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe..Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe..
The exchange took a rocky turn when Banfield challenged Walsh on the root of the controversy, which the Republican congressman argued was “manufactured” by Duckworth’s campaign.
“Ashleigh, Ashleigh, Ashleigh,” Walsh said in attempt to hold his ground during the segment. Over the course of the interview, the GOP lawmaker tried to regain control of his line of messaging by saying Banfield’s name more than 90 times.
Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…JoeJoe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe..Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe..Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…JJoe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe..Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe..Joe…Joe…Joe…Jooe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe..Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe..
NBC Chicago’s Ward Room:
You know the drinking game “Hi, Bob,” right? You watch The Bob Newhart Show and drink every time someone greets the star. Well, here’s a political version. It’s called “Ashleigh,” and it stars Rep. Joe Walsh, R-Ill., and CNN anchor Ashleigh Banfield. All you need is a DVR and four cases of beer. You’re going to have to pause a lot and drink a lot.
Banfield interviewed Walsh about his suggestion that opponent Tammy Duckworth is not a “true hero” because she brags about her military service. Walsh shouted “Ashleigh” 90 times in 12 minutes, in an attempt to get his interlocutor’s attention. To be fair to Walsh, Banfield was abrasive and sarcastic, and clearly took Duckworth’s side. But the Huffington Post produced a mashup video that condensed every “Ashleigh” into less than two minutes.
Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…JoeJoe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe..Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe..Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…JJoe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe..Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe..Joe…Joe…Joe…Jooe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe..Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe…Joe..
P.S: Joe…
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.