News Hounds

“Civil,” “Tolerant” Fox Nation Celebrates Murtha’s Death And Uses It To Attack Democrats

Reported by Ellen - Tue 4:31 PM

In a thread with the inflammatory title, Are Dems Politicizing Murtha's Death Already? the “civil,” “tolerant” community of Fox Nation readers went to town not only with hatred for Democrats and liberals but outright rejoicing of the death of Congressman John Murtha who died yesterday, possibly as the result of a surgical error. But who's really doing the politicizing? Not only is Fox Nation's post a blatant attempt to use Murtha's death to attack Democrats, but their own lack of respect for Murtha could not be more obvious when reviewing the readers' comments which have made it past the moderators. There are such "non-politicizing" gems as, “We could get Murtha’s surgeons to work on Pelosi!” Long time News Hounds may recognize the poster who wrote, "One less PORKER, Progressive Lib Turd out of the way. Good Riddance!" Screen grabs after the jump. (H/T Debbie D.)

Bill O’Reilly, Bernie Goldberg Laugh About Domestic Violence And Feminist “Bozos”

Reported by Priscilla - Tue 11:40 AM

When word got out that “Focus on the Family,” a homophobic “Christian” group which opposes birth control as well as abortion, was spending huge bucks (after they laid off 800 employees!) on “pro-life” commercials, to be aired during the Super Bowl, those in the pro-choice community were very concerned. This “advocacy” signaled a change in policy by the network which, in the past, had refused to air this type of thing. And given the nature of the story, that football star and professional Christian Tim Tebow’s mother refused to have an abortion despite her doctor’s recommendation to do so, it was assumed that the commercial would be a blatant promotion of a religious view that was medically irresponsible. Given the nature of “Focus on the Family,” the concern was understandable. As it turned out, the ads were innocuous – something which the anti choice community is using to vilify the choice community as having created a “tempest in a teapot.” Not surprisingly, anti-choice spokesperson and award winner, Bill O’Reilly, in smearing those who continued to object to one of the ads, advanced this meme. But in addition to the personal attacks, Bill and his guest Bernie Goldberg ramped it up a notch by using the comments of those aforementioned critics as a basis for laughing about domestic violence.

Fox News Goes To Bat For Palin Over Her Hand Notes

Reported by Ellen - Tue 9:07 AM

It’s been less than a month since Sarah Palin joined Fox News and she has already gotten egg on her face thanks to the crib notes on her hand she was caught with on Saturday during a Q&A session after her Tea Party Convention speech. Predictably, Fox News went all out to defend her yesterday (2/8/10). Sadly, even the Democrats pulled their punches. But the fact that there was not a coherent message – which seems to be a specialty of the right – suggests that the incident was more damaging than anyone at the "we report, you decide" network wanted to let on. The question is, how many more “get out of jail free” passes will Palin get at Fox? With video.

UPDATED WITH CORRECT VIDEO

Sorry Charlie! Starkist 102nd Sponsor to Dump Beck Program

Reported by Guest Blogger - Mon 5:19 PM

Guest blogged by Auntie Em

Starkist Tuna Consumer Affairs tells StopBeck.com, “We have chosen to not air our commercial during Glenn Beck’s program going forward given a number of alternatives that meet our advertising plan’s criteria.”

Business Panel Can’t Explain Why Bush Tax Cuts Did Not Save Economy

Reported by Ellen - Mon 4:23 PM

Co-authored by Brian

Saturday’s (2/6/10) Bulls & Bears featured a debate about Sen. Scott Brown’s (R-MA) proposal to cut taxes across the board. Mike Papantonio, the lone liberal guest among 4 other panelists, questioned why, if tax cuts are the answer, the Bush tax cuts did not protect us from the high unemployment currently facing the country. Nobody could answer the question. With video.

O’Reilly And Beck Half-Jokingly Accuse Obama Of Masterminding Birthers

Reported by Ellen - Mon 8:22 AM

It’s a sorry state of affairs when Glenn Beck sounds like the voice of reason but that’s what happened more than once in the “At Your Beck & Call” segment on The O’Reilly Factor Friday (2/5/10). After a deferential interview with Jon Stewart that aired over two nights on Wednesday and Thursday (2/3 and 2/4), Bill O’Reilly lit into Stewart with a hypocritical vengeance on Friday, when Stewart was gone and unable to defend himself. Then, as O’Reilly and Beck played “who, me?” innocent about those trying to tear down Obama instead of arguing his policies, the two pundits turned around and immediately half-jokingly accused Obama of being the mastermind behind the birthers “because it unites their base.” O’Reilly added, presumably as a joke, “I think the reason they didn’t ever produce the birth certificate is because they wanted these loons out there.” It was Beck who gently reminded O'Reilly that Obama HAS produced his birth certificate. With video.

Palin's New In-Home TV Studio - Compliments of Fox

Reported by Julie - Mon 1:28 AM

Okay, folks, the plot thickens. I know a lot of us in the blogosphere have been making bets on how long Palin will be tolerated on Fox -- I mean, seriously, even Fox has its standards. Sort of. But the fact, as recently reported by the NY Times, that Palin will soon have a television studio built in her living room in Wasilla, compliments of Fox News, sort of puts the lie to the notion that her tenure on Fox will be short-lived.

The Beck Week That Was; Huffington vs. Ailes

Reported by Guest Blogger - Sun 10:40 PM

Guest blogged by Aunty Em

Our last exciting episode of TBWTW ended with a mighty cliffhanger worthy of The Perils of Pauline: Glenn Beck’s Fox News boss, Roger Ailes, had defended his Great White Hope from an undercard challenger, Arianna Huffington, on ABC’s This Week. It was still being buzzed all over the innertubes and airwaves as the new week began, even though it was not a classic smackdown, in a Frasier-Ali-sense. Arianna never really laid a glove on him.

Palin on Fox News Sunday: Says Name-Calling "Unnecessary, It's Inappropriate" -- But Just Seconds Before, Calls Liberals "Kooks"

Reported by Julie - Sun 9:50 PM

Holy, moley, has this weekend been action-packed or what? First, we got the privilege of hearing $100,000 worth of talking points when Sarah Palin spoke at the Tea Party Convention in Nashville -- broadcast live on Fox, and re-broadcast on Fox, and today (2/7/10), I think re-re-re-broadcast on Fox. And also today, the event we've all been waiting for with nervous anticipation: Palin braved Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace. (She probably would have been on sooner, but she washed her hands a few times and all her crib notes for the interview vanished. Took her some time to re-work writing "common sense solutions" on her palm seven times.) I imagine she thought it would be an interview like, say, Greta's interviews -- but Chris Wallace actually had some "gotcha" questions for her. The problem was that he accepted her pat answers and responses that were actual lies, and did no real follow-up. Some highlights: She mixed up Kentucky Republican Rand Paul, whom she supported, and Ron Paul. We can all see how that could happen. She gave Rush Limbaugh a pass on his "retard" comment because it was just "satire." She made up a new word: "Laxadaisical" -- just a typical Palinanity, the result of a lazy, uneducated diction. Oh, and husband and First Dude Todd didn't really send any e-mails to officials while she was Governor of Alaska, he just "forwarded them on." Grab a nice, hot cup of coffee, smoke 'em if you got 'em, and let's roll. With video.

Is Cal Thomas Some Kind Of Joke?

Reported by Priscilla - Sun 4:06 PM

“Fox News Watch” is a show in which four journalists discuss how the media is covering the news. At one time it was hosted by Eric Burns, a man whose passion for journalism inspired him to write a book about the “rowdy beginnings of American journalism.” And while he occasionally toed the “party line,” his replacement, John Scott, makes Mr. Burns look like Walter Cronkite. (Note – John Scott is not an alien). The “News Watch” panel is evenly divided between liberals (sometimes not so much) and conservatives who are represented, for the most part, by Jim Pinkerton and Cal Thomas. Jim is predictably conservative. Thomas is conservative in the sense of being a relic from a different age. He is an uber Christian conservative who has more of a problem with teh gay than Bill O’Reilly does. And like all homophobes, he says some really strange things that don’t seem to reflect the objectivity that a “journalist” should have. But as comic relief and occasional sartorial splendor – Cal Thomas is priceless!!!

Saturday Night Live Skewers Fox News' Fairness And Balance Re Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Reported by Ellen - Sun 12:32 PM

Saturday Night Live's opening skit last night was a satire of Fox News coverage of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. "Greta Van Susteren" moderated a "fair and balanced" panel of "Karl Rove," "Oliver North," White House spokesman "Robert Gibbs," and Fox News Correspondent "Attractive Blonde Lady." "Glenn Beck" and his chalkboard got a turn, too. Very funny! Video, via Mediaite, after the jump.

Jesse Watters, Fox Nation Editor, Hypes Hypothetical Tea Party – GOP Merger

Reported by Alex - Sun 8:09 AM

Fox Nation Senior Editor (and Bill O’Reilly’s stalker-for-hire) Jesse Watters, reporting from the so-called "National" Tea Party Convention in Nashville over the weekend, hyped a merger between the tea party movement and the Republican party. The only problem is, someone forgot to tell the tea party grassroots that this is a good idea.

Best Western Drops Beck Over His Comments About Obama's Name

Reported by Guest Blogger - Sun 12:38 AM

Guest blogged by Aria

\Glenn Beck must be a really slow learner. Case in point: on Thursday, February 4th, 2010, Beck said this about President Obama on his radio show: “He chose to use his name, Barack, for a reason. To identify, not with America -- you don't take the name Barack to identify with America.. You take the name Barack to identify with what? Your heritage? The heritage, maybe, of your father in Kenya, who is a radical? Really? Searching for something to give him any kind of meaning, just as he was searching later in life for religion.”

Fox News' Coverage of Sarah Palin at the Tea Party Convention: Seen One Palin Campaign Speech, Seen 'Em All

Reported by Julie - Sun 12:21 AM

Well, it's Saturday (2/6/10), and the Big Day -- well, a dual-big-event day, actually -- finally arrived. Ah, the agony of indecision: Should Fox cover the Teabagger, er, Tea Party Convention in Nashville, Tennessee or the 99th birthday celebration of its icon, "fiscal conservative" (or, rather, fiscal "disaster"), Ronald Reagan? Well, Fox News can't normally be accused of lack of coverage of its icon, but today, it appears that Ronnie took a back seat to the teabaggers. Fox is on it! As a sampler platter, we've got a gushing Carl Cameron at 12:07 p.m. at the teabagger event, and here . . . well, it looks like it might be Halloween in Nashville, with the cute little costumes and hats. Oh, and yesterday -- isn't it cute, according to Fox' chyron, Fox is still calling it a "grassroots" movement. And, of course, we can't forget the overpaid "rock star" herself, Sarah Palin -- all the talking points you can buy for a hundred grand. With video from The Huffington Post.

Fox News' Tea Party Double Standard

Reported by Guest Blogger - Sun 12:09 AM

Guest blogged by Brian

CNN and MSNBC both aired President Obama's address to the Democratic National Committee today. Fox News aired its business block. Fox aired Sarah Palin's speech to the Tea Party convention tonight, in full, and also aired the interview following the speech. Double standard? You betcha!

Latest Fox Nation Target For Death Wishes: Bill Ayers

Reported by Ellen - Sat 4:28 PM

Fox News just happened to "run into" Bill Ayers - while they had a video camera and microphone at the ready - recently and the unremarkable exchange made it on to Fox Nation, the website that boasts about its dedication to tolerance and civil discourse. Yet once again, a slew of death wishes somehow escaped the moderators' notice. Screen grabs after the jump. (H/T Jim S.)

Glenn Beck Has “A Hard Time, Honestly, Feeling Bad For California”

Reported by Ellen - Sat 10:47 AM

Glenn Beck, the guy who loves his country so much he’d cry for it, seems to be a bit more selective in his affection than he has previously let on. On yesterday’s (2/5/10) Glenn Beck show, our host brought his special brand of divisiveness, previously reserved (as far as I knew) to pitting his viewers against progressives, Democrats and Obama supporters, to pitting his viewers against progressive states. It was a two chalkboard show. Presumably the figures on the chalkboards, which Beck devoted scant time to actually reviewing, “proved” that states with conservative policies have sound financial footings. Yet Beck undercut his own theory by announcing at the beginning of the show that “right now 48 states are in real trouble.” He added, “There’s a big difference between states that will almost always be at risk for going under and then those that are better able to weather the storm. That’s based on progressive, progressive policies.” In other words, his own theory was mostly based on conjecture. Nevertheless, Beck and his guest singled out California for repeated attack, arguing that the state’s financial woes were due to its progressive policies, specifically its progressive income tax. With video.

Nothing Says Bill O’Reilly And Glenn Beck Like A “F#*k Obama” T-Shirt

Reported by Priscilla - Fri 6:22 PM

The reviews of the Glenn Beck/Bill O’Reilly “Bold Fresh” tour indicate that it’s just more of the same old, same old conservative hatred couched in “comedy.” Glenn Beck made hilarious jokes about Nancy Pelosi’s plastic surgery. Bill O’Reilly, for whom any black neighborhood is scary, did a side splitting comparison of Chicago’s Southside to Haiti. As reinforcement of the divide, which Fox News seeks to foster between “real” Americans and those evil seditious libruls, it was very effective propaganda played to a very simpatico audience. And not only do the fans shout their bigoted, hateful opinions - they literally wear them!

Cavuto Forgets How Fox News Was Blaming Clinton For Bush’s Problems

Reported by Ellen - Fri 5:45 PM

Co-authored by Brian

For the second time in three days on Wednesday (2/3/10), Neil Cavuto focused on President Obama referring to the Bush 43 years as a context for where we are today. Cavuto acknowledged to his guest, Douglas Brinkley, presidential historian, that Obama might have “a legitimate case” for “play(ing) the blame game.” But then Cavuto immediately added, ”I just don't think it sounds Presidential."

Fox Nation Hate Mongers Against Michelle Obama - And The Readers Comply

Reported by Ellen - Fri 2:22 PM

In their never-ending effort to ratchet up animosity against the Obama's, Fox Nation has a post about Michelle Obama on the Today Show, "asking," Did Michelle Obama Say Too Much? Granted, it's a headline from another post Fox Nation linked to. But "civil, tolerant" Fox could have changed it to something less inflammatory if they had wanted. Sure enough, the readers responded with their expected spewing of bile and hate. And once again, the moderators managed to have missed the racist posts. Or were they approved? Screen grabs after the jump. (H/T Max I.)