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Daily Caller Has Two Reporters Investigate Barney Frank’s Alleged On-Air Flatulence

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» 75 comments

When people turn to Tucker Carlson‘s DC-based political website The Daily Caller to check the political winds, this probably isn’t what they have in mind. On Tuesday morning, The Daily Caller’s Jeff Poor reported on the possibility that Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) farted on The Rachel Maddow Show‘s air. The Daily Caller posted a clip of what is pretty clearly Frank shifting on a noisy chair, and even went so far as to contact Rep. Frank’s office for comment on the matter.

If Frank did, indeed, let go of a left-cheek sneak, it would still qualify as the best thing to pass out of the House this year, but based on the video evidence, the Massachusetts Congressman appears to be in the clear:


Poor seems unfamiliar with the extremely well-defined code of ethics surrounding this kind of story, which clearly states that “whoever smelt it, dealt it” (or in Poor’s case, “whoever noted it, floated it”). Conversely, Frank’s office is clearly familiar with the “whoever denied it, supplied it” clause, declining to comment on the matter.

Perhaps the best part of the story is this note from the bottom of The Daily Caller’s story: “C.J. Ciaramella contributed to this report.”

That’s right, folks. Not only did The Daily Caller do a news story about an alleged fart, they assigned two reporters to do it! They must have some hell of a good budget.

FishbowlDC’s Betsy Rothstein got to the bottom of The Daily Caller’s fart journalism, grilling their reporter on the mechanics of actually calling a sitting US Congressman’s office to ask about an alleged fart:

We grilled Ciaramella about phoning Frank’s office. He explained that he left a message to confirm a quote. So no mention of the er, purported wind? “No, I just asked to confirm a quote, which, y’know, is pretty much the truth,” he told FishbowlDC. ‘I didn’t think I’d get a return call if I asked straight-up:”Wondering if Rep. Frank farted on-air last night. Holler back.’” Asked whether he personally believes the congressman passed gas or not, he said, “Now, I’m an objective journalist, so I can’t speak to the veracity of the alleged fart. I’ll leave that up to the readers. I will say I’ve watched the video many times, and it’s hard to determine. Rep. Frank could have good recourse to the ‘it was the chair’ defense.”

Yes, it’s August, typically a slow news month, but is it really slow enough to devote two reporters to this? And what does this rather gratuitous attack on a Democratic politician do to Carlson’s outrage at being called a “conservative” publication by Politico?

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  • Anonymous

    That’s two more reporters than any liberal new agency assigned to investigate Bawney’s orchestration of the collapse of Fannie and Freddie

  • TruDat

    That’s a big 10-4.  Anytime Barney’s Frank opens its mouth, a fart comes forth.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_ECYBIXNKAG5E46BC3GCJQPA7CQ well_its_no_cannibal_holocaust

    Tucker Carlson and the Daily Caller are just doing what they do best.

  • Anonymous

    Loose bunghole, give him a break. Thanks for collapsing the financial system fart boy.

  • Anonymous

    He actually had just “shat” one his house pets he had brought along for stimulation.

  • Anonymous

    Fact: Barney Frank has always been a stinkbug! Move over Whoopy you have been served!

  • Anonymous

    Fact: Skid marks and skid row are Barney Franks legacy!

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_ECYBIXNKAG5E46BC3GCJQPA7CQ well_its_no_cannibal_holocaust

    Fact: just4thefax drinks out of toilets and wears a girdle.

  • The Real Royal Emperor

    Really classy, #ucker. In your shameless pandering to scum, you have become scum yourself.

  • Anonymous

    To whom are referring?

  • Anonymous

    Come on… farts are funny. And Barney has done this on live TeeVee before. I think you can UTube it. And you can say a lot of things about Tucker… but you have to admit he has a sense of humor about this kinda stuff.

  • Anonymous

    Something penetrated and broke Congressman Frank’s ass gasket. There is nothing the poor man can do to stop the leakage.

  • Dr. Phill

    I dont blame him…

    I rather lose a friend/audience than blow up my large intestine

    > : )

  • Greg

    Frank appeared to discuss the economy and jobs and the right looks for giggles.  I simply don’t understand some on the right at times.

  • http://www.storminsmorningjava.blogspot.com/ stormin1961

    i bet his boyfriend just pulled out at that moment.

  • Anonymous

    Many of us can no longer take that man seriously. After all of the various Texas two steps he attempted in covering the collapse of the mortgage industry in an effort to conceal his culpability, Frank just has no credibility. He is not an honest man and lacks the fortitude to acknowledge and accept responsibility for his own errors. We can’t vote him out, so we just laugh at him.

  • Greg

    Debating his level of culpability in the creation of the mortgage crisis is adult and even healthy… statements like “i bet his boyfriend just pulled out at that moment” are disgusting, childish and standard whenever Mr. Frank is the topic.  Frustration is no excuse.  

  • Anonymous

    Barney is a libs delight; he drives the Hershey Highway and passes his wisdom out of this rear end.

  • Anonymous

    You are mad because you were not there to inhale Barney’s gas.

  • Anonymous

    So he was pandering to you, eh?

    You are a total abomination and your existence is epitomized by the passing of gas and other waste products.

  • Anonymous

    Or the USC football team!

  • Anonymous

    BREAKING WIND NEWS!!

  • Anonymous

    Weren’t you just bleating about filthy language, you hypocritical creep?

  • Anonymous

    Yeah, why didn’t they investigate why Fannie Mae gave a grant to Barney’s mother’s organization in Mass? Why didn’t they ask Barney why he steadfastly refused to allow Fannie Mae to  become privatized as recommended by the CBO so that it would not become a taxpayers’ liability? Why not investigate why Barney and other Dems received money from Fannie Mae’s PAC?

  • Anonymous

    Odd that TC would write about this.

  • The Real Royal Emperor

    That is the most sensible comment you’ve ever made.

  • Anonymous

    Word out of New York is that it was not a fart that Congressman Frank belted out. After review by qualified audio techs, it has been determined that what we heard was the last dying breath of a gerbil.

  • Anonymous

    Fact: You must be one of Barney’s toy boys! But if you claim to be an adult that makes you one of his wiener spanking buddies! As far as toilets go I keep mine clean but your welcome for some more Kool-aid out of it if you are getting low!

  • Anonymous

    Hmmm, a flatulence story.  But nothing at Mediaite about the Wisconsin recall election — widely seen as a key indicator of public sentiment in a key 2012 battleground state. 

    Maybe if Levi Johnston had made an appearance in Wisconsin, it might warrant coverage.  Or — more to the point — if the results hadn’t been such a clear repudiation of the Democrats and big labor’s agenda.

  • Anonymous

    Robert Stephenson, you ought to chill.  By the way, how do you post all day at work?  You say you have this high paying job, but your Sodahead profile says you only have a high school education?  Are you a logistics professional for Domino’s Pizza is Austin, delivering those pies!

  • Dflojak

    Sorry, Barney furt had as much teeth as both he and his arguments. Might need a little nip and tuck their Barney, getting a little sloppy.

  • Dflojak

    Sorry, Barney furt had as much teeth as both he and his arguments. Might need a little nip and tuck their Barney, getting a little sloppy.

  • Dflojak

    Sorry, Barney furt had as much teeth as both he and his arguments. Might need a little nip and tuck their Barney, getting a little sloppy.

  • Anonymous

    You have to take Robert with a grain of salt.  Hes not very sharp but he is determined to make a fool out of himself.

  • Anonymous

    Why do you also post under the name Glenn Bovine, eh Robert?

  • Anonymous

    Why do you also post under the name Glenn Bovine, eh Robert?

  • Anonymous

    Why do you also post under the name Glenn Bovine, eh Robert?

  • Dflojak

    check the fat ed thread, you’ll get plenty of recognition of the excusometer from the left.

  • Anonymous

    It is sad….and I hate being the one….but I must report….Tommy Christopher’s sense of humor has passed.

  • http://www.thefriendcenter.com/ SoThere

    If Barney Frank passed gas on Rachel Maddow’s show, would Rachel even notice?

    How would she, her nose is always up OB’s butt.

  • Anonymous

    Is that like that rhetorical question about the woods? You know, if a bear shat in the woods, would Jesus know it?

  • Anonymous

    sounds like fartgate to me!

  • http://twitter.com/runforfun54 Ilene K

    With all the crap going on in this world, THIS is considered a news story? no wonder our country is in the crapper (no pun intended). Shame you you Tommy Christopher, Shame on you Rushbo, Shame on you O’Reilly.  At least my boys on MSNBC deal with real issues — such as the DEADBEATEDNESS of deadbeat dad and Bagger spokesman Joe Walsh.  This is crap.

  • Anonymous

    and you understand the left?

  • Dflojak

    As an old friend used to say, speak to me oh toothless one. Fitting

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bob-Uda/1044488632 Bob Uda

    Barney is an old fart.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bob-Uda/1044488632 Bob Uda

    It would have really been funny if he had a wet fart.  :-)

  • Tan

    Do you always start your moronic comments with ‘Fact:’? Because you look like a total tool, seriously. Stop embarrassing yourself. I’ve seen your comments on several posts now and you always manage to make yourself look a right twit. Just…stop. For the love of God, stop. You are a category 5 moron.

  • Tan

    Oh and for the record, I cannot stand Barney Frank. He’s a waste of space and should be replaced. But you are an even bigger waste of space if that’s possible!

  • Anonymous

    The other day he claimed to have served as a JAG in the NAVY in the Viet Nam Era…He’s spinning outta control…told too many lies he can’t possibly keep track.

  • Mia

    I’ll give ten to one that if it were a Republican – Mediaite would put its best “Woodward and Bernstein” on it. and we’d be seeing it ALL FRICKIN day on MSNBC

  • DEFENDER-90

    Go easy on the old man,years of sodomy have left him prone to uncontrollable bouts of flatulence.

  • Anonymous

    From what I understand, when one is gay, this sh*t happens.

  • Anonymous

    After running a prostitution ring out his back door (pun intended) and playing dumb when his boyfriend is growing weed in the back yard I don’t find anything Frank has to say has any credibility.
    http://www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message622502/pg1

  • caconservative

    With Barney being Gay, I’d be surprised that there would be any sound at all.

  • Sandie

    That was a little too strong.

  • Latin2

    lol

  • Fuzzlenutter

    Ewwwwwww.

    Knowing what probably goes INTO that fat, flabby backside it makes my stomach turn over what might possibly come OUT…

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLaLsNkaEq8 Unicon

    Classic Jim Treacher tweet:

    “Barney Frank emits odd noises and foul smells. Then he farts.”

    http://twitter.com/#!/jtLOL/status/100977850357792768

  • http://games-survival.com Justplaythegame

    Would assume it is a medical problem from the weaking of the colon canal due to foreign matter going the wrong way through the canal. I am no doctor, just an opinion.

  • Redleaf

    Conservatives don’t fart.
    Instead, the hot, smelly air comes out of their mouths in the form of all those “job creators” outsourcing their labor overseas.

  • http://www.thefriendcenter.com/ SoThere

    Ya think? :)

    “TMP”

  • Anonymous

    Barny farts on tv…priceless and so very stereotypical…hilarious.

  • Sandie

    It certainly made an impression I think.

  • Cek100248

    The fart heard ’round the world.

  • otl

    Barney finally had something intelligent to say!

  • Anonymous

    Frank is such a sickening person.  Shows the Left will vote for anyone who is a piece of feces.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_FSPIVAFYI672OH5NOKVRTEZA4U MadCharles

    That wasn’t a fart. It was his boy friend remotely setting the vibrator on high…

  • Lerro

    So, Barney Frank shit; so what?

  • Lerro

    So, Barney Frank shit; so what?

  • Anonymous

    I like to fart.  I find farting vastly entertaining.

    As the late George Carlin once said: “Two guys in an elevator and one guy farts, everybody know who did it!”

  • Anonymous

    That must have be one of the adverse headwinds Nobama is whining about???

  • Anonymous

    That must have be one of the adverse headwinds Nobama is whining about???

  • Anonymous

    A little case of “Fudged” undies Barney baby?  Or were you calling your boyfriend via pfhartaphone.

    Semper ubi sub ubi!

  • Anonymous

    A little case of “Fudged” undies Barney baby?  Or were you calling your boyfriend via pfhartaphone.

    Semper ubi sub ubi!

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