Mayor Pete "Boat Shoes" Buttigieg, aka "Mayor Beast," wasn't shy about attacking media darling Elizabeth Warren during last week's Democratic primary debate. Now, the establishment-backed candidate is triggering libs all over again following reports that he "quietly" received staffing recommendations from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.
Bloomberg reports:
Facebook Inc. chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg has privately recommended several potential hires to Pete Buttigieg's presidential campaign, a rare example of direct political involvement from one of tech's most powerful executives.
Earlier this year, Zuckerberg sent multiple emails to Mike Schmuhl, Buttigieg’s campaign manager, with names of individuals that he might consider hiring, campaign spokesman Chris Meagher confirmed. Priscilla Chan, Zuckerberg's wife, also sent multiple emails to Schmuhl with staff recommendations. Ultimately, two of the people recommended were hired.
The emails between Zuckerberg and Buttigieg have come to light as Zuckerberg faces unrelenting attacks from politicians from both parties over such issues as misinformation, privacy, election meddling and bias. Zuckerberg is scheduled to testify Wednesday before the House Financial Services Committee on Facebook’s impact on the financial services and housing sectors.
The report prompted a deluge of grievances from triggered libs on social-media websites, including Twitter.
Zuckerberg is bad, taking his advice is bad, and trying to curry favor with him is bad. It rests incompatibly alongside any separate commitment to revitalizing democracy. https://t.co/8oQnJbJfHk
— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) October 21, 2019
https://twitter.com/MarlowNYC/status/1186245043180523521
During the debate, Buttigieg went after Warren on Medicare For All, a policy he called the "compromise position" in February.
Today, we find out Zuckerberg is his shadow campaign adviser. Warren wants to break up Facebook.
He tried to draw a contrast with her. He damn sure has.
— Emma Vigeland (@EmmaVigeland) October 21, 2019
he's got great judgment! https://t.co/j12VjS8LCd pic.twitter.com/b9z83hUOuK
— John Cook (@johnjcook) October 21, 2019
At one point, Obama bro Tommy Vietor came to Buttigieg's defense, only to be shouted down by Judd Legum, a perpetually aggrieved lib.
I think attacking Warren as an "existential" threat to the company in a staff meeting while privately recommending hires to Buttigieg is a meaningful distinction
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) October 21, 2019
Another Obama bro, former senior adviser David Axelrod, chimed in to remind everyone that cavorting with billionaire tech barons was "COOL" when Obama did it.
Remember when communing with Zuckerberg and Facebook was a COOL thing for Democratic candidates?
More complicated now.https://t.co/WAbfyg0f9r— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) October 21, 2019
Meanwhile, Elizabeth Warren continued to attack Zuckerberg on the campaign trail in Iowa. Her pledge to "break up" big tech firms such as Facebook has been a central component of her campaign thus far, despite her relatively poor command of basic tech-related terms such as "selfie."
Amid news by @tylerpager that Zuckerberg sent some resumes over to Mayor Pete.... https://t.co/tGUbmOadDd
— Lisa Lerer (@llerer) October 21, 2019
Warren, the presumed Democratic frontrunner until Hillary Clinton formally announces her candidacy, has accused Facebook of "actively helping Trump spread lies and misinformation."