Boston News Site Fires Editor After Complaint From Boehner’s Office

Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, takes questions as he meets with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2014. With President Barack Obama poised to unveil a series of executive actions... Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, takes questions as he meets with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2014. With President Barack Obama poised to unveil a series of executive actions on immigration, Boehner said "We're going to fight the president tooth and nail if he continues down this path. This is the wrong way to govern. This is exactly what the American people said on Election Day they didn't want." (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) MORE LESS
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Boston.com has fired an editor who mocked death threats against House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), following a complaint from the speaker’s office.

Former associate editor Victor Paul Alvarez tweeted Thursday that that his bosses found the article “inexcusable” and fired him.


Alvarez’s article, originally headlined “Would anyone have noticed bartender succeeded poisoning John Boehner?”, dealt with death threats a former bartender at Boehner’s Ohio country club allegedly made against him. A line that read “Had [Boehner] been poisoned as planned, perhaps his pickled liver could have filtered out the toxins” — a reference to the speaker’s drinking habits — was removed after the article went live.

The news site’s general manager, Corey Gottlieb, said in a statement that the references to Boehner “were off-color and completely inappropriate.” Boehner spokesman Michael Steel agreed.

“I would have thought it would be obvious to any sentient human being that your item mocking the threats against the speaker and his family was completely insensitive and inappropriate,” Steel wrote in an email, as quoted by the Boston Globe. “Should you wish to offer an explanation, or – better – an apology, feel free to respond.”

Mike Sheehan, the chief executive of Boston.com’s parent company Boston Globe Media Partners LLC, told the Globe that he sent an apology note to Boehner’s office Wednesday afternoon.

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Notable Replies

  1. For someone with such a thin (orange) skin about personal insults, the Speaker is very tolerant of the hatred spewed toward our President and his wife.

  2. Avatar for buford buford says:

    Boehner is poisoning himself…With all the booze and cigarettes, probably free, he is doing it to himself…And as an example of American Exceptionalism he should quit smoking and drinking or lose his salary, and benefits if he doesn’t, just like what ALL fucking douche bag insurance companies are forcing the rest of us to do…Test em, and fire em if they can’t pass the same tests the rest of us are forced into…

  3. Is Bonehead Boehner’s office demanding that Arkansas fire the police who used photos of black Americans for target practice at the police firing range?

    Is Boehner going to demand that KKK and David Duke buddy Republican Rep. Scalise resign?

    Republicans = KKK + NRA = party of racism and hatred.

    America is becoming more divided because of Republicans like Boehner.

  4. A few days ago, a group of so-called “Constitutional sheriffs” stood outside of the Capitol and screamed for the lynching of President Obama. Boehner never said a fucking word. Since 2009, members of the House have called Obama every vile name outside of “ni**er”, and spread every insane rumor they, in their fevered, delusional brains, could think of about Barack Obama, and John Boehner didn’t make a sound. But someone makes fun of a murder plot against poor, upstanding, morally and ethically perfect John Boehner, and the journalist gets fired and everyone else in the news media is supposed to kneel down and genuflect in front of the speaker.
    Hey, guess what, Mr. Boehner? I say “FUCK YOU”, and I am not going to apologize, and since the policies of your party that you support always end up resulting in the hardship and deaths of innocent Americans, I could not care less if some deranged bartender wants to kill you. Actually, I am surprised it doesn’t happen more often, since I am sure Mr. Boehner has a plethora of bartenders he depends on.

  5. Here’s what Boehner has to look forward to happening to his body!
    He can thank himself, all the enabler’s and backslapper’s around him and the WATB’s at the Boston Globe!

    Attention Political Cartoonists:
    Here’s gift handed to you to have a field day on the Speaker and the yes-men/women at the Boston Globe!!

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