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Former Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) knew he would be out of a job after the midterm elections. That’s because Illinois Democrats, in a last minute decision in late October, adopted a new congressional map which eliminated Kinzinger’s district. So he decided not to run for re-election in a newly majority Democrat district.
In an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times shortly before Christmas, Kinzinger said that he had sold his home in Channahon, IL, and might not even stay in the state. He also told the Sun-Times that he might write a book. He also said that if someone did a movie about his life, he’d want Tom Cruise to play him (uh … sure). And he might run for office again, too.
But he also said that a TV gig sounded interesting. Fun, too. “I enjoy TV because I think it’s a way to be able to stay kind of out there,” he said.
In his farewell speech to Congress, Kinzinger blasted his fellow Republicans, along with some Democrats, and gave a dark warning about the future of American democracy.
Then, on New Year’s Day, Adam Kinzinger appeared as a guest on CNN’s “State of the Union,” where he blamed then-House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy for the “crazy elements” in Congress:
“He is the reason Donald Trump is still a factor. He is the reason that some of the crazy elements of the House still exist.”
He continued:
“Donald Trump should consider Kevin McCarthy his best friend because Donald Trump is alive today politically because of Kevin McCarthy.”
All this has tickled the ears of the bigwigs at CNN, because the network announced late on Wednesday that they hired Kinzinger as “senior political commentator.” He joined Erin Burnett on the evening edition of “Out Front,” where she announced his hiring:
“Now, former Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger. He’s appearing tonight for the first time in his new role, which is senior political commentator. Congressman, we really are thrilled to have you on board, so welcome. People have seen you over the past couple of years on the January 6th committee, and we’re so glad to have you on board.”
Erin Burnett makes it official. Adam Kinzinger is now a senior political commentator for CNN. Selling out his party has paid off for him. Enjoy your new friends, Adam! pic.twitter.com/mbWkwxCXfP
— Kevin Tober (@KevinTober94) January 5, 2023
No word on whether or not Kinzinger will be expected to cry on cue as part of his duties.
However, Adam Kinzinger was all smiles as he announced his new gig.
Happy to join the team @CNN! https://t.co/ypkns5pfEY
— Adam Kinzinger #fella (@AdamKinzinger) January 5, 2023
But hold on. Didn’t CNN sack network president Jeff Zucker in May, partly because it had gained a reputation as vehemently anti-Trump? The new president, Chris Licht, had promised that days of radical broadcasting would be gone:
“At a time where extremes are dominating cable news we will seek to go a different way, reflecting the real lives of our viewers and elevating the way America and the world views this medium.”
So then Licht hires the one man who hates Donald Trump with the heat of a thousand suns. Bo Snerdley, the late Rush Limbaugh’s former “chief of staff,” certainly noticed:
CNN hires just-retired GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger https://t.co/WExdmdfYyM >><> Yeah. They've "changed" Yeah.
— Bo Snerdley (@BoSnerdley) January 5, 2023
But hey, Adam Kinzinger is a “Republican,” so he fit into Licht’s vision of a more balanced network.
Nick Arama at Red State saw the hiring of Adam Kinzinger a big fat fail for CNN:
“But if CNN CEO Chris Licht thought this was going to help the network be taken more seriously or show that CNN is willing to include “both sides,” this isn’t going to work, since most Republicans don’t view Kinzinger as a Republican, and they don’t view putting him out there as showing the “Republican” side. He’s a truly embarrassing choice.”
Kevin Tober at Newsbusters also had words:
“Kinzinger, if you recall, was redistricted out of his Congressional seat by Democrats despite doing everything he could to suck up to them and act as their puppet.”
“This, of course, is Kinzinger’s reward for abandoning his own party and helping to legitimize Nancy Pelosi’s January 6 show trials. He can’t keep his seat in Congress, but he gets a cushy commentator job on a failing cable news network.”
Comedian Jimmy Failla quipped:
“Adam Kinzinger has signed with CNN. He wasn’t kidding when he said he wanted to leave the spotlight.”
While Fox News host Greg Gutfeld zinged both Kinzinger and CNN:
“I can’t tell if CNN is a dude attracted to crazy women, or a woman attracted to destructive head cases. Either way, this is gunna be hilarious!”
However, columnist David Marcus had a more serious take on Kinzinger’s CNN gig:
“I have no reason to believe that this guy isn’t sincere in his wrong headed ideas, but let’s not kid ourselves, there’s always been a soft landing for Never Trump conservatives. It’s not some great act of courage.”
So, good luck to Adam Kinzinger on his new gig at CNN. If it fails, he can always write that book. But even if the Republican party finally casts off Donald Trump, they won’t be eager to welcome Kinzinger back into the fold after he betrayed them to throw in with the Democrats. Because you know what they say about elephants — they never forget.
Welcome, Instapundit readers!
Featured image: Wikimedia Commons/cropped/public domain.
Kevin says: “Because you know what they say about elephants — they never forget.”
Yeah, you also know what they say about elephants — they’re terrified of mice. Doing a little research (which escapes most articles on the VG blog site) … “According to the local fable, a mouse once climbed up inside an elephant’s trunk and “drove him crazy.”
Kinzinger (and Cheney) are the mice creating terror in the GOP; exposing the lies. It may take a while, but the truth eventually will prevail.
Turtler says: Ah yes, if it isn’t one of the blog’s resident provocateur trolls. Huffing their own supply again, are we?
“Yeah, you also know what they say about elephants — they’re terrified of mice. Doing a little research (which escapes most articles on the VG blog site) … “According to the local fable, a mouse once climbed up inside an elephant’s trunk and “drove him crazy.””
Firstly: As is often the case with fables, what “they say” is manifestly and empirically proven to be untrue.
https://www.elephantsanctuary.co.za/blog/140-are-elephants-afraid-of-mice
https://www.encyclopedia.com/daily/is-it-true-that-elephants-are-afraid-of-mice/
They’re not REALLY scared of mice, and certainly not because of some Old Greek Fable about how one supposedly ran up their trunk. As indeed we learned when people did the arcane art of *actually hosting Elephants and Mice or Rats together in captivity and observing the results.*
Elephants are scared of sudden movement rushing about in the periphery of their vision, especially UNEXPLAINED AND UNFAMILIAR sudden movement. Which is completely reasonable if you look at where Elephants live and evolved and realize the staggering number of rather small things that can kill or cripple elephants.
They also have one of the best memories in the animal world. So maybe that should tell people like you something. That Elephants can get used to working with those who give off a bad first impression but show they mean no harm, but they tend to remember threats and slights.
Secondly: Your research is pitiful. The fact that you tried to flex on that just makes the fact that you failed all the worse, since these were literally things I found within a couple minutes of checking.
It also explains quite a lot about you, to be honest. Your ignorance, your arrogance, your staggering prejudices, and your rank stupidity. You quite literally cite old folk tales as doing “research.” So much for Trust the Science? Especially since this stuff has been peer-reviewed and proven a hell of a lot more than any of the COVID-19 vaccines have been and is not grounds for political wrangling.
“Kinzinger (and Cheney) are the mice creating terror in the GOP;”
No, they’re venomous snakes that can and do kill aplenty. And the Republicans have been dealing with them for years and so understand their toxic nature.
” exposing the lies.”
I don’t think you understand lies or falsehoods. Or would recognize the truth if you saw it.
As you showed yourself by being a rank idiot who quite literally took an old Greek Myth from the Bronze Age and uncritically accepted it, calling your act of looking for the first explanation “research” without actually knowing what research is.
” It may take a while, but the truth eventually will prevail.”
You had best hope not, because truth is REALLY not on your side or that of your party’s.
Scott says: Kevin, the fact that you support Cheney and Kinznger says pretty much all a conservative needs to know about them.
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