>> Tucker: OIL SEXUAL
HARASSMENT CASES HAS TURNED INTO
A MAELSTROM THAT'S NOT ENDING
JUST CAREERS COME ABOUT LIVES.
YESTERDAY A KENTUCKY STATE
REPRESENTATIVE CALLED DARREN
JOHNSON -- HE SHOT HIMSELF.
HE POSTED A SUICIDE NOTE ONLINE
DENYING ALLEGATIONS THAT HE
KISSED AND GROPED A 17-YEAR-OLD
GIRL AT A NEW YEAR'S PARTY FIVE
YEARS AGO.
PLEASE INVESTIGATE THE CLAIM AT
THE TIME AND DECIDED NOT TO
PRESS CHARGES.
WHEN THE ALLEGATIONS SURFACED
AGAIN RECENTLY, JOHNSON AGAIN
DENIED THEM, BUT APPARENTLY FELT
PULLED OFF THE AIR.
SMILEY RESPONDED BY DENYING ALL
THE ALLEGATIONS.
WHAT'S INTERESTING IS WHAT HE
SAYS ABOUT THE PROCESS THAT
ENDED HIS CAREER.
PBS HE SAYS LAUNCHED AN
INVESTIGATION INTO HIS BEHAVIOR
WITHOUT EVEN INFORMING HIM AND
WAS GOING ON.
I LEARNED OF THE INVESTIGATION
WHEN A FORMER STAFFER STARTED
CONTACTING ME TO SHARE THE
UNCOMFORTABLE EXPERIENCE OF
RECEIVING A PHONE CALL FROM A
STRANGER ASKING WHETHER I'D EVER
PROVIDE OTHER NAMES OF PERSONS
TO CALL.
PBS INVESTORS REFUSED TO REVEAL
ANY OF MY DOCUMENTATIONS AND THE
NAMES OF ANY ACCUSERS, TO SPEAK
TO MY CURRENT STAFF AND REFUSED
TO PROVIDE ME ANY SEMBLANCE OF
DUE PROCESS TO DEFEND MYSELF
AGAINST ALLEGATIONS FROM UNKNOWN
SOURCES.
THIS IS JUST HIS WORD OF COURSE,
WE CAN'T CONFIRM ANY OF THAT.
FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, TAVIS
SMILEY HAS EVER SAID ANYTHING WE
AGREE WITH POLITICALLY.
THAT'S NOT THE POINT.
THE POINT IS IT BEGAN AS A NOBLE
EFFORT TO ELIMINATE SEXUAL
HARASSMENT FROM AMERICAN LIFE,
AND EFFORT WE AGREE WITH THE
HUMANLY.
IT'S RAPIDLY TURNING INTO
SOMETHING DARK AND MENACING.
INNOCENT PEOPLE FEAR PERSECUTION
AND THAT'S ALWAYS THE HALLMARK
OF A WITCH HUNT OTHERS USE
OPPOSITE OF JUSTICE.
THE REST OF THE COUNTRY LOOKS ON
BEWILDERED AND AFRAID, UNSURE OF
WHAT THE NEW RULES ARE, BUT
CERTAIN OF THIS PUNISHMENT FOR
VIOLATING THEM.
IMAGINE IF YOU WERE ACCUSED BY
SOMEONE WHOSE NAME HE DIDN'T
KNOW OF A DEED YOU COULDN'T
REMEMBER OR DIDN'T COMMIT.
HOW WOULD YOU RESPOND TO THAT?
YOU MIGHT GO ON FACEBOOK TO
PROTEST HER INNOCENCE, BUT WOULD
THAT BE ENOUGH TO GET YOUR JOB
BACK?
WOULD IT BE ENOUGH TO REGAIN
REPUTATION WITH RESPECT TO YOUR
CHILDREN?
PROBABLY NOT.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO THEN?
MARK STEYN JOINS US NOW.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT IS ABHORRENT
AND THOSE WERE GUILTY SHOULD BE
PUNISHED, BUT I'M STARTING TO BE
CONCERNED THAT INNOCENT PEOPLE
ARE AFRAID OF BEING HURT AND
THAT'S A BAD SIGN.
THE QUESTION IS, WHAT ARE THE
RULES, HOW DO WE FIND OUT WHAT
THEY ARE, HOW DO YOU KNOW IF
YOUR GUILTY?
WHAT'S GOING ON?
>> REALISTICALLY, THERE ARE NO
RULES.
JUST TO CONNECT IT WITH THE
FIRST HALF OF THE SHOW, THE ONLY
SERIOUS LIKELIHOOD OF EVER
GETTING RID OF BOB MUELLER AND
SHUTTING DOWN HIS INVESTIGATION
FOR EXAMPLE WOULD BE IF A
STENOGRAPHER SAID HE HUGGED HER
INAPPROPRIATELY IN 1977.
HE'D BE GONE, HE'D BE HISTORY.
HE'D BE LIKE THESE PBS AND NPR
GUYS BASICALLY HAD FIFTY-YEAR
CAREERS VAPORIZED IN 24 HOURS.
WHAT HAS HAPPENED I THINK IS
WHAT OFTEN HAPPENS.
IT'S THE END OF ANY REPORT.
THIS STARTED WITH HARVEY
WEINSTEIN WHO HAS BEEN CREDIBLY
ACCUSED BY ACTRESSES ON AT LEAST
THREE CONTINENTS OF RAPE OR
BRUTAL SEXUAL ASSAULTS.
THERE ARE NAMES AND DATES AND
PLACES BACKING UP THOSE
ACCUSATIONS.
ACTRESSES FROM NEW ZEALAND, FROM
FRANCE, FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM,
THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, ALL
OVER THE MAP WITH NAMES.
THAT HAS MORPHED INTO A GENERAL
ACCUSATION
THAT HAS MORPHED INTO A GENERAL
ACCUSATION.
GARRISON KEILLOR WAS ON MY SHOW
FEEL ABOUT TAVIS SMILEY.
IF HE'S GOING TO BE VAPORIZED
SHOULD KNOW WHAT HE DID AND WHO
HE DID IT TO.
>> Tucker: WHY IS SOMEBODY
SAYING THAT?
ESSENTIALLY DRIVEN BY LEFT WING
DOMINATED INDUSTRIES THAT THEY
IT'S A USEFUL WEAPON TO THEM AND
I'M ASTONISHED.
THE VAST EMPTY PLAINS OF THE PBS
AND MPR SCHEDULES, YOU CAN
ACTUALLY HUNT BUFFALO THERE.
HOSTS ARE GONE AND MOMENTS AND
IT'S ABSOLUTELY ASTONISHING TO
ME AND IT WILL MAKE SOCIAL
OCCASIONALLY, DO I REALLY WANT
TO BE ALONE WITH A FEMALE
EMPLOYEE AND NOW?
WHO KNOWS HOW SHE'S GOING TO
FEEL ABOUT IT IN 30 YEARS' TIME?
I DON'T THINK THAT'S NECESSARILY
IN THE INTEREST OF WOMEN IN THE
WORKPLACE.
I DON'T THINK IT'S OF THE
INTEREST OF SOCIAL RELATIONS.
IT'S A MORAL PANIC THAT STARTED
WITH GENUINE RAPE AND VIOLENCE
AND POWER ISSUES.
>> Tucker: I WONDER WHY,
AGAIN, IT'S ALWAYS VALUABLE AND
VIRTUOUS TO MAKE SURE THE GUILTY
ARE PUNISHED.
THAT'S WHAT JUSTICE IS.
I ALSO THINK THAT JOURNALISTS
PLAY A ROLE IN THIS AND THEY
OUGHT TO BE THE RESPONSIBLE
PARTIES IN THESE STORIES AND
MAYBE SOMEBODY SHOULD PULL BACK
A LITTLE BIT AND MAKE CERTAIN
THAT THE ALLEGATIONS ARE TRUE
AND THAT THE PROCESS IS
TRANSPARENT BEFORE DESTROYING
PEOPLE'S CAREERS AND
REPUTATIONS, BUT THEY'RE NOT
DOING THAT.
>> ONE REASON THEY'RE NOT DOING
THAT IS ESSENTIALLY, IT'S THEIR
BUSINESS THAT IS BEING CLOBBERED
BASICALLY, TV AND MOTION
PICTURES ARE TWO OF THE MOST
DESIRABLE BUSINESSES TO BE IN.
THERE ARE FAR MORE ATTRACTIVE
WOMEN FLYING TO WORK IN THOSE
INDUSTRIES THEN AND ANY OTHER
INDUSTRIES ON THE PLANET.
I LIVE IN FAR NORTHERN
NEW HAMPSHIRE AND THE LOCAL
STORE DOES NOT HAVE A CASTING
COUCH BECAUSE IF YOU SAID TO A
CLERK HERE IF YOU PLAY YOUR
CARDS RIGHT, SHE'D LAUGH AT YOUR
FACE AND GO OFF AND DO SOMETHING
ELSE.
IN TELEVISION AND MOTION
PICTURES, THERE IS A SUPPLY --
>> Tucker: THAT'S ABSOLUTELY