Following hours of CIA Director Mike Pompeo testifying during his Senate confirmation hearing to become the next Secretary of State, MSNBC anchor Katy Tur decided to single out a particularly absurd exchange where Democratic Senator Cory Booker grilled the nominee on his views about gay marriage. Predictably, Tur tried to argue that the bizarre and irrelevant line of questioning was actually essential in determining Pompeo’s foreign policy credentials.
Tur eagerly cued up a clip of Booker pestering Pompeo with the liberal agenda item: “Is being gay a perversion?...Yes or no, do you believe gay sex is a perversion?” Noting that he stood by his support of traditional marriage from his days as a Republican Congressman, Pompeo explained: “Senator, I’m going to give you the same answer I just gave you previously. My respect for every individual, regardless of their sexual orientation, is the same.”
Following the soundbite, Tur rationalized the importance of the back and forth:
So some folks watching might say to themselves, “Well, why does his view about same-sex marriage matter if he is going to head the State Department?” It doesn’t seem immediately relevant. But when you consider what his role really is...he’s going to be the head diplomat for the United States. He’ll be representing American values overseas, and in some places where gays and lesbians are targeted, and often targeted violently.
Turning to Obama administration State Department official Victoria Nuland, Tur fretted: “So if he holds those views, what do you think is – is there going to be an issue when he goes overseas and tries to represent what the American people believe and what the American people have said they stand for and what the Supreme Court has stood for, as well, here?”
Nuland quickly agreed: “Well, Katy, I think you put it absolutely right. This is not about Mike Pompeo’s personal views. This is about the values that the United States stands for around the world.”
Moments later, Tur concluded: “So that’s one diplomatic question we have on how he’s going to represent – or the people have – American equality around the world.”
A Democratic lawmaker tries to boost his 2020 presidential ambitions by launching an unjustified attack on the qualifications of a Republican nominee and MSNBC rushes to applaud the move. The liberal media playbook is nothing if not predictable.
Case in point, journalists and pundits were pushing the identical narrative at the same time on CNN Thursday afternoon.
Here is a transcript of the April 12 segment:
2:19 PM ET
(...)
KATY TUR: Let’s play that exchange between Senator Booker and Mike Pompeo on his views of same-sex marriage.
SEN. CORY BOOKER [D-NJ]: Is being gay a perversion?
MIKE POMPEO: Senator, I – when I was a politician I had a very clear view on whether it was appropriate for two same-sex persons to marry. I stand by that.
BOOKER: Yes or no, do you believe gay sex is a perversion?
POMPEO: Senator, I’m going to give you the same answer I just gave you previously. My respect for every individual, regardless of their sexual orientation, is the same.
TUR: So some folks watching might say to themselves, “Well, why does his view about same-sex marriage matter if he is going to head the State Department?” It doesn’t seem immediately relevant. But when you consider what his role really is, Victoria, he’s going to be the head diplomat for the United States. He’ll be representing American values overseas, and in some places where gays and lesbians are targeted, and often targeted violently.
So if he holds those views, what do you think is – is there going to be an issue when he goes overseas and tries to represent what the American people believe and what the American people have said they stand for and what the Supreme Court has stood for, as well, here?
VICTORIA NULAND [FMR. U.S. AMBASSADOR TO NATO]: Well, Katy, I think you put it absolutely right. This is not about Mike Pompeo’s personal views. This is about the values that the United States stands for around the world. I was pleased to hear in his opening statement that he understands that promoting human rights, promoting diversity, ensuring protection of all people around the world is part of America’s strength out there in the world, and that he also understands that the State Department has to have a diverse representative workforce to really represent the best of America. So, you know, I see him trying to put himself now in the shoes of a different job with a different set of requirements for the United States.
TUR: So that’s one diplomatic question we have on how he’s going to represent – or the people have – American equality around the world.
(...)
