Tommy Tuberville Image via lev radin/Shutterstock.
Capitol Hill reporter Matt Laslo had a conversation with Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) in which the gubernatorial candidate revealed he doesn't
"No, I read very little," Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) told Laslo, who wrote the report for Raw Story. "I want my own opinion, not somebody else's."
The question is often used by reporters to gauge what information they're gathering and how informed they are about current events as they cast their votes.
The question became legendary when Katie Couric asked vice presidential running mate Sarah Palin, she answered, “I’ve read most of them, again with a great appreciation for the press, for the media.”
Couric asked specifically what publications she prefers, but Palin rebuffed her again, “Um, all of ’em, any of ’em that have been in front of me over all these years.”
Couric again asked, “Can you name a few?” Palin still didn't identify any, saying only that she had “a vast variety of sources” for news and pivoting to defend Alaska’s connection to national politics. It became part of the mockery of Palin on "Saturday Night Live."
President Donald Trump's answer avoided the Palin gaffe, rattling off the main publications. Trump has attacked news outlets as "fake" and crooked.
Tuberville is assumed to be the winner in deep-red Alabama, despite his well-loved opponent, former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones.
Laslo noted that media avoidance has become a broader issue among Republicans seeking to distance themselves from daily political reporting. Tuberville appears to be taking that to the extreme, however.
"What do you make of this report that Vice President Vance was the person behind the leak in one of the Politico stories that got them banned from the White House?" Laslo pressed Tuberville while sharing an elevator in the U.S. Capitol.
"Did they ban Politico, too?" Tuberville asked. "Who knows? I mean, hey, I've learned up here about 10 percent of it is fact. The other [90 percent] is not even close to reality. You know that. Everybody tries to get out there and make a name."
"There's no way Vance would do that," Tuberville said. "You gotta have faith in your people that lead, you know, on both sides."
According to reports, the quote came from Vance on a White House briefing call in which press were told to attribute information to senior members of the administration.
When asked about Vance's 2028 prospects, Tuberville noted that, clearly, Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio can't both run because “You can't waste that much money."
“I saw that Rand [Paul] is thinking about running,” Tuberville said. “Rand Paul — who else? Cruz will run. I was with [Florida Gov. Ron] DeSantis Saturday at a football game in Tuscaloosa. He said he hasn't made his mind up yet.”
Laslo then asked about the recent reports that Republican Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) wants Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., to testify before the Senate about accepting a big wedding gift from a close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The friend rented an island for Don Jr. and his closest friends.
"I didn't see that," Tuberville said.
"Oh, yeah? He's calling your party out. Some people aren't happy," Laslo replied. "Do you have questions about Trump Jr. taking Russian oligarch money?"
"I don't get into all that," Tuberville claimed. “I mean, no reason to talk about anything you don't know anything about.”