Tucker Carlson

Tucker Swanson McNear Carlson (born May 16, 1969) is a libertarian-leaning conservative pundit best known as a former co-host for CNN's Crossfire, representing "the right." Distinguished by his moppish hair and colorful bow ties, Carlson is generally considered one of the most recognizable conservative personalities in American television.

Political views

Carlson has stated that while he votes, and cares deeply about conservative ideas, he does not care about the success or failure of any political party. This partisan ambivalence has been a cause of friction between him and Republican political figures and movement conservatives. In 1999, during the 2000 Republican Presidential primary race, Carlson interviewed then-Governor George W. Bush for Talk Magazine. Carlson reported that Bush mocked soon-to-be-executed Texas death-row inmate Karla Faye Tucker and "cursed like a sailor." Bush's communications director Karen Hughes publicly disputed this claim.

Related Topics:
Republican - 1999 - 2000 - George W. Bush - Karla Faye Tucker - Karen Hughes

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While vocalizing conservative views, Carlson has not hesitated periodically to level criticism at fellow conservatives. Carlson has been a harsh critic of conservative activist Grover Norquist, for instance, calling Norquist a "mean-spirited, humorless, dishonest little creep ... an embarrassing anomaly, the leering, drunken uncle everyone else wishes would stay home... is repulsive, granted, but there aren't nearly enough of him to start a purge trial."http://slate.msn.com/id/3654/entry/23930

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Carlson also has said that he is not "particularly anti-drug," and that, while he reluctantly supported the Iraq War at the outset, he reversed his position after traveling to Baghdad to report for Esquire. Upon his return, he expressed his disgust with the war and his shame with himself for supporting it earlier. "I think it's a total nightmare and disaster, and I'm ashamed that I went against my own instincts in supporting it," he said. "I want things to work out, but I'm enraged by it, actually."

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Carlson has significant libertarian views, such as support for limited government, personal liberty (as with the aforementioned illicit drugs), and the power of the free market.

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Carlson drew criticism from Greenpeace in July 2005 after repeatedly stating that he supported the French government's bombing of the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior. Carlson has maintained that the bombing was an act of "vandalism" as opposed to terrorism. He called the bombing, which resulted in the death of one person, "a bold and good thing to do" on MSNBC's "The Situation with Tucker Carlson" on July 15, 2005. (Also see Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior.)

Related Topics:
Greenpeace - Rainbow Warrior - The Situation with Tucker Carlson - July 15 - 2005 - Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior

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