So how did Tucker Carlson go from low-budget (and even lower standards) fact checker to one of the biggest names on Fox News? In 1999, his piece for Talk Magazine made quite a splash, putting his name in the mix with some pretty dirt-stirring journalists reporting on then-presidential candidate George W. Bush. As noted by Slate, Carlson asked Bush — who was the governor of Texas at the time — about convicted murderer Karla Faye Tucker, who was facing the death penalty. As she had found God during her prison sentence, the word "clemency" was floating around quite a bit — naturally, Carlson asked the candidate about her.

As Time noted, Bush "mimicked" Tucker's "final plea for her life." "'Please,' Bush whimpers, his lips pursed in mock desperation, 'don't kill me,'" Carlson wrote at the time, portraying the Republican candidate in an increasingly negative light.

Such coverage made quite a stir among conservative journalists, Slate noted, with the likes of George Will, Richard Brookhiser, and the Manchester Union Leader's editorial staff calling out the candidate for his offensive behavior. While it certainly wasn't a good look for Bush, the interaction put Carlson on the journalism map.