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Kentucky Rep Thomas Massie (R) revealed to Tucker Carlson in an interview released Friday that his GOP colleagues have an "AIPAC babysitter" who guides them on how to vote in the interests of Israel.
"Everybody but me has an AIPAC person -- like your AIPAC babysitter, who is always talking to you for AIPAC," Massie said. "They're probably a constituent from your district but they're firmly embedded in AIPAC."
"Every member has something like this?" Tucker Carlson asked.
"Every Repub--, I don't know how it works on the Democrat side, but that's how it works on the Republican side, and when you come to DC you go have lunch with them and they've got your cell number and you have conversations with them."
"That's crazy," Carlson responded.
"So, I've had four members of Congress say, 'I'll talk to my AIPAC person' -- that's literally what we call them, 'my AIPAC guy,'" Massie said, laughing. "'I'll talk to my AIPAC guy and see if I can get them to, you know, dial those ads back.'"
"Why have I never heard this before?" Carlson said.
"It doesn't benefit anybody," Massie said, "why would they want to tell their constituents that they've basically got a buddy system with somebody who is representing a foreign country, it doesn't benefit the congressmen for people to know that so they're not going to tell you that."
Massie told Carlson no other country does this: "Not only do they not have a Putin guy, they don't have a Britain guy, they don't have an Australian guy, they don't have a Germany dude, it's the only country that does this!"
Carlson for some reason feigned ignorance about all this and went on a tangent about how much he loves the country of Israel.
Watch the full interview below:
Though Massie said he doesn't know if the situation is the same for Democrats, the late former Democratic Congressman James Traficant of Ohio said similar in 2009 during an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News.
"I served in Congress for 17 years," Traficant said, "I've seen members question bills and votes on -- 'How does Israel feel about this?' -- I must have heard that every time there was a significant vote!"
"To suggest as you're doing here tonight that they control our Congress that quote 'They are influencing and the sole control of influencing of our domestic policy' is an absurdity, it sounds like you are a kook!" Hannity protested.
"Sean, I'm not suggesting it -- I'm telling it," Traficant responded.
Kentucky Rep Thomas Massie (R) revealed to Tucker Carlson in an interview released Friday that his GOP colleagues have an "AIPAC babysitter" who guides them on how to vote in the interests of Israel.
"Everybody but me has an AIPAC person -- like your AIPAC babysitter, who is always talking to you for AIPAC," Massie said. "They're probably a constituent from your district but they're firmly embedded in AIPAC."
"Every member has something like this?" Tucker Carlson asked.
"Every Repub--, I don't know how it works on the Democrat side, but that's how it works on the Republican side, and when you come to DC you go have lunch with them and they've got your cell number and you have conversations with them."
"That's crazy," Carlson responded.
"So, I've had four members of Congress say, 'I'll talk to my AIPAC person' -- that's literally what we call them, 'my AIPAC guy,'" Massie said, laughing. "'I'll talk to my AIPAC guy and see if I can get them to, you know, dial those ads back.'"
"Why have I never heard this before?" Carlson said.
"It doesn't benefit anybody," Massie said, "why would they want to tell their constituents that they've basically got a buddy system with somebody who is representing a foreign country, it doesn't benefit the congressmen for people to know that so they're not going to tell you that."
Massie told Carlson no other country does this: "Not only do they not have a Putin guy, they don't have a Britain guy, they don't have an Australian guy, they don't have a Germany dude, it's the only country that does this!"
Carlson for some reason feigned ignorance about all this and went on a tangent about how much he loves the country of Israel.
Watch the full interview below:
"I served in Congress for 17 years," Traficant said, "I've seen members question bills and votes on -- 'How does Israel feel about this?' -- I must have heard that every time there was a significant vote!"
"Sean, I'm not suggesting it -- I'm telling it," Traficant responded.
