News Hounds

Is Michelle Obama A Transvestite? GretaWire Readers Think So

Reported by Ellen - Fri 1:43 PM

We've been so focused on the hate at Fox Nation that we took our eye off GretaWire, a cesspool of racism and homophobia. Those two bigotries were combined in a recent thread called "Barry "married" to a transvestite? You bet." (H/T reader HP)

Greg Jarrett Talks “Eric Holder’s Hidden Agenda” – Julie Banderas Talks Traffic

Reported by Priscilla - Fri 12:01 PM

Attorney General Eric Holder’s decision to allow the trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, alleged mastermind of 9-11, in a NY Federal Court, is a contentious one. There are strong opinions on either side of the issue. But if one were watching the Saturday Fox News (and it’s not officially “opinion,” right?) one would have heard information relating to, with the exception of one “fair and balanced” discussion, just one side only. Last Saturday afternoon (November 14th) I had the TV on in the background as I was putting the finishing touches on the Julia Child Beef Bourguignon (and I must say that it turned out quite well). There was a substantial amount of KSM coverage from Gregg Jarrett and Julie Banderas who couldn’t hide their “agita” over the situation. In the time slot from roughly 4:30 to almost 6PM, the supposed “fair and balanced” news was – not so much.

Andrew Breitbart Trying To Blackmail The Obama Administration With ACORN And Other Videos

Reported by Ellen - Fri 3:34 AM

Andrew Breitbart and his team of ACORN videographers were back on Hannity last night (11/19/09) with a new undercover video that Breitbart claimed he was “forced to offer” now because California Attorney General Jerry Brown has launched an investigation into whether the filmmakers broke the law by secretly recording “confidential communication.” That was astounding enough. You’d think that if Breitbart really had something big on ACORN, he would have released it a few months ago, when he had maximum media attention, rather than withhold it until he could use it as ammunition against a personal foe. Or you’d think he’d at least have the good sense not to broadcast his self-serving machinations. Judging from the very edited video Breitbart presented last night, one suspects that the real reason it was withheld was because it did little to effectively incriminate ACORN. Breitbart, on the other hand, incriminated himself even worse. Near the end of the segment, he told Hannity that he had more videos and “not just ACORN” that he threatened to release during the 2010 election cycle unless the Department of Justice opened a federal investigation into ACORN. With video.

Palin to O’Reilly: Coulda Answered “Bush Doctrine” Question With “More Context,” Katie Couric’s “What Do You Read” Question was “Gotcha” and “Annoying”

Reported by Julie - Fri 1:14 AM

On last night’s (11/19/09) O’Reilly Factor, it was the moment we’ve all been waiting for, folks – Sarah Palin was on The Factor to tell us all about how the “gotcha,” “lamestream” media engaged in tactics and asked trip-'em-up questions (you know, like, “What do you read?”) that were “annoying” or asked her questions that “she probably could have answered” with the proper Cliff notes, uh, “a bit more context.” To hear her tell it, she would have done brilliantly if it weren't for the "badgering" questions. There was one person, however, that she absolutely, totally, (almost) completely absolved of responsibility for her dismal failure in the election and her downright moronic responses in the interviews: Sarah Palin. Stay tuned, folks . . . there's a Part II to come! With video.

On Special Report, Fox Spun GOP Health Care Talking Points Into News

Reported by Guest Blogger - Thu 11:07 PM

Guest blogged by Nayef

On Monday, (11/16/09), Special Report discussed health care reform in a not-so fair and balanced way that just happened to take Republican Mitch McConnell’s spin and present it as news. With video.

Why Does Fox News Place "Democrat" DUI On Top Of "GOP" DWI?

Reported by Priscilla - Thu 7:05 PM

In the second section of the Fox News website, below the ledes, there is a list of secondary news stories which includes "John Kerry's Daughter Arrested on Suspicion of DUI." But the arrest of GOP Senator Dick Lugar's wife, for drunk driving and hit and run, is way down in the "Politics" section. Interesting...

Another Defeat For Fox Nation – David Hamilton Confirmed For Appeals Court

Reported by Priscilla - Thu 6:23 PM

Fox Nation was all whipped up into a pitchfork frenzy about the nomination of David Hamilton to the Chicago based appeals court. Usually, a federal appeals court nominee would draw no more than a yawn; but not so for Mr. Hamilton whose evil, librul record produced howls of indignation by conservative Christians throughout Fox Nation. It seems that Mr. Hamilton, described as a “Judicial Anarchist” by the “Christian News Wire,” made some decisions, relating to public prayer and abortion, which the American Taliban (whoops, religious right) disapproved of; so, when his nomination was announced, the right wing witch hunt began. That the charges were totally bogus was not a problem for those, including Fox Nation, which sought to demonize this man who, in addition to “Saying Yes to Allah and No to Jesus, worked (gasp) for ACORN, for one month after college and the ultra, evil, librul ACLU. But despite calls to Jesus and the best efforts of Fox Nation, Mr. Hamilton was confirmed by a vote of 59 to 39 in the US Senate.

After Calling Obama A Racist, Murdoch Denies Having Called Obama A Racist

Reported by Ellen - Thu 6:02 PM

Media Matters confronted Rupert Murdoch about his comments on Australian television saying that Glenn Beck was "right" to call President Obama a racist. Despite incontrovertible proof to the contrary, Murdoch now denies that he said it. Video after the jump.

Why Didn't Garrett Ask Obama About The Bow?

Reported by Ellen - Thu 1:54 PM

President Obama sat down with Major Garrett for a few minutes in an interview that was aired on yesterday's (11/18/09) Special Report. It was straightforward, fair and respectful. But there was no mention of one of Fox News' biggest stories of late, President Obama's bow to the Emperor of Japan. If Fox News thought the bow so important that the network obsessed over it on multiple shows and gave it top billing on their Fox Nation website, shouldn't Garrett have asked about it? Or does its omission signal the "fair and balanced" network's tacit admission that it's not as important a story as they've made it out to be? Or did the "we report, you decide" network deliberately pull its punches in order to land the interview in the wake of tensions between them and the White House? Whatever the reason, it did not reflect well on Fox News. (H/T Nayef)

Steve Doocy And Brian Kilmeade Unabashedly Promote Pro-life Propaganda

Reported by Priscilla - Thu 11:59 AM

I know that Fox&Friends is officially part of the Fox “Opinion” News, so it wasn’t surprising that Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade, on last week’s Fox&Friends, did a “cupcake” interview with Democratic US Rep. Bart Stupak – the author of an amendment to the House health care bill which has far ranging reproductive ramifications for American women. Both Doocy and Kilmeade are Roman Catholics so it wasn’t surprising that they allowed their co religionist to peddle his pro-life propaganda regarding a bill which the American Council of Catholic Bishops had a huge hand in drafting and supporting. And in providing a “right to life” definition of the bill, the Fox “friends” provided a pulpit, once again, for the anti-choice gospel that Fox preaches to its anti-choice audience. But even if you’re doing “opinion” news, don’t you have some obligation towards objectivity? Not if you’re America’s pro-life newsroom.

E-mail the show: friends@foxnews.com

Palin Says “We Weren’t Fair To The Electorate” Not Focusing More On Rev. Wright And Bill Ayers

Reported by Ellen - Thu 3:32 AM

It felt like 2008 all over again last night (11/18/09) as Sean Hannity went out of his way to bring up Rev. Wright and Bill Ayers during his hour-long interview with Sarah Palin about her new book. Why would Hannity waste time on this non-issue, if not for a sheer desire to hate monger against President Obama? In response, Palin had the nerve to pretend that talking more about Wright and Ayers was not negative campaigning, just being “fair to the electorate.” With video.

Hannity and Palin Blame Rahm Emanuel And The Obama Administration For Her Resignation

Reported by Ellen - Thu 2:23 AM

Thank goodness Fox News is fair and balanced. If they weren’t, Sean Hannity would have wasted time asking Sarah Palin during their hour-long interview last night (11/18/09) about the many inaccuracies in her new book, the response of the McCain campaign to the allegations she made against them and pressed her on why she really quit her job as Governor of Alaska in the middle of her term. Instead, Hannity left all those bothersome details to the so-called liberal media and seemed determined to compensate for every single piece of negative publicity poor, persecuted Palin ever suffered. So during his interview, Hannity not only dismissed all 15 ethics probes filed against her during her two and a half years as governor, he suggested Rahm Emanuel and the Obama administration were to blame for her troubles and her resignation. Palin wholeheartedly agreed. With video.

Palin to O’Reilly: “I Believe That I Am” Capable of Being President of the United States . . . Reiman, Analyze the Body Language on THAT

Reported by Julie - Wed 11:05 PM

On last night’s O’Reilly Factor/Body Language segment (11/18/09), Tonya Reiman had some interesting observations about O’Reilly’s interviews with (conservative) Sarah Palin, (MSM) Sally Quinn, and (conseeeeeeeeervative – and male) Lou Dobbs. It’s a shocker, all right: O’Reilly was most respectful to Dobbs, careful not to offend Palin, and, of course, had the most aggressive stance toward the delegate of mainstream media, Quinn. I like Tonya Reiman, I really do. She does a little too much pandering, in my view – I agree with what News Hounds’ Deborah wrote back in 2007 about Reiman’s gig on O’Reilly: “She's [Reiman] managed to amuse him or feed his insatiable ego without saying anything too damaging to the subjects or her lucrative weekly gig.” But someday, when Reiman’s not beholden to Fox News, I’d really like to know the truth about what she sees in O’Reilly’s body language. With video.

Who Cares About Fox News' Wide Right Segment -- But What's With the Hooters Girl?

Reported by Julie - Wed 10:43 PM

Wow, for a “family values” channel, Fox sure has a lot of flex in its standards. On the Fox News web page, I let the video immediately following O’Reilly’s Body Language segment run, and lo and behold, there was a little blondie (grown on Fox News’ blond farm, perhaps?) in a Hooters t-shirt introducing the “Wide Right” segment. With video.

Another Day, Another Death Threat On Fox Nation

Reported by Ellen - Wed 10:01 PM

This one targets Attorney General Eric Holder and appears on a thread about Clint Eastwood so it's also way off topic. Hat tip to reader Dave D. who found the comment. It not only got past the Fox Nation moderators but sat there for more than 24 hours (and counting). We just reported the comment so we hope it disappears soon. But we've got a screen grab to show you what passes for reasonable discussion on the "fair and balanced" website.

O’Reilly Targets Massachusetts School for First Day of “War On Christmas” 2009

Reported by Alex - Wed 9:00 PM

They can’t even wait until Thanksgiving is over. “Patriots” that they are, Fox News have leapfrogged right over our national holiday, which is still a week away, in favour of an early Christmas holiday present of faux outrage for their howling hordes. Hear ye, hear ye, all ye "Christian" Crusaders! Gird your loins and pick up your pitchforks, for duty calls: we go to do battle with the Principal and PTO of Byam Elementary School in the godless librul state of Massachusetts. The War to “Save” Christmas is on!

More Fake Video From Fox News: Old Palin Campaign Footage Used To Show "Huge Crowds" At Her Book Tour

Reported by Ellen - Wed 8:38 PM

Hot on the heels of Hannity caught using 9/12 protest video as video of the crowd at Michele Bachmann's (much smaller) health care rally, comes Greg Jarrett using 2008 campaign footage while claiming that Sarah Palin is getting "huge crowds" at her book tour appearances. As Think Progress noted, the McCain/Palin posters were a bit of a giveaway. Video after the jump.

11/19/09 UPDATE: Fox News apologized today.

Tis The Season For The “War On Christmas” And America’s Newsroom Is Bringing It!

Reported by Priscilla - Wed 3:07 PM

As a mouthpiece for the religious right, “America’s Newsroom” is really America’s Christian Newsroom and as part of their covenant with the Murdoch divinity, Fox has pledged to support the crusade (or is it jihad) against anyone who dares to defile the sacredness of a holiday devoted to the excesses of capitalism, ubiquitous schlocky musak, and general tackiness. As such, Christian culture clubbers, Bill Hemmer and Alisyn Camerota fired an early salvo in the annual Fox Opinion News “war on Christimas” which serves to remind all those damned non Christians that they’d better f’ing say “Merry Christmas” or else. It’s not even Thanksgiving and the Fox “war on Christmas” is on – in fact, Hemmer and Camerota say it’s “raging.”

E-mail the show: americasnewsroom@foxnews.com

Let Them Get Sick - Just Don't Raise My Taxes!

Reported by Guest Blogger - Wed 1:06 PM

Guest blogged by Brian

On Saturday's Cashin' In (11/14/09), the panel whined about higher taxes to pay for health care. Although they claimed to be concerned about the effects a tax hike might have on the job market, none of the regulars, including host Cheryl Casone indicated an iota of concern about what effect not passing the health care bill might have on the national health or even the national pocketbook. None offered an alternate suggestion about how to bring down the costs of health care and bring up the number of insured. Guest Christian Dorsey of the Economic Policy Institute, and a News Hounds Top Dog, once again did an excellent job holding his own as the lone progressive, outnumbered 6 to 1. With video.

“Teabagging” Now Part Of The Official Mainstream Lexicon?

Reported by Priscilla - Wed 10:31 AM

Fox fave Brent Bozell has his hairshirt in a wad over the use of the word “teabagging.” He whined about it with Megyn Kelly, last April, in a discussion of how not only was the evil, librul mainstream media not sufficiently covering the teabaggers; but they were using a term, to describe the protesters, that was just sooo “insulting.” Recently, he mewled about it on Fox&Friends when he asked Charles Blow, of the NY Times, if MSNBC and CNN should “apologize for all their teabagging jokes on their national news programs." As Blow said that that he needs to ask those networks, Bozell shouted, “That’s the coverage, that’s the coverage.” Poor Brent. He can take solace in the news that the term “teabaggers” was a runner up for the mainstream New Oxford Dictionary's word of the year. Their definition relates to the protesting aspect of the movement. Obviously, there’s another meaning hanging out there but Oxford doesn’t mention it. But while Brent was fulminating about the word, the teabaggers themselves celebrated it – and that’s the truthiness!