Last week, I reported that on August 4th the week-end crew on the curvy couch promoted the newest RNC meme that the sexual misdeeds of three Democrats (Weiner, Spitzer, Filner) constituted the "real war on women" as opposed to the REAL war on women being waged by Republicans who seek to abolish back women's reproductive rights and oppose pay equity. The hosts and their guest, a conservative woman, told a lie when they claimed that Democratic women hadn't made any public comments about the issue. Well sure as Fox lies, on August 6th, Gretchen Carlson, who said nothing about bad behavior on the part of saintly, Christian GOP men, promoted the same *lie in a piece that adhered to the same (RNC approved?) script that was used on Sunday's propaganda fest - including a sweet, young, conservative woman. Hey, what good is propaganda if you can't repeat it?!
Gretchen Carlson, in keeping with Sunday's script, cited how the Democrats were concerned about Rush Limbaugh calling Sandra Fluke "a word that rhymes with smut" but now they're "silent" about Democratic men behaving badly. (Limbaugh said a lot more in the three days that he trashed Fluke, including the accusation that she has lots of sex and the hope that she would videotape it). She claimed that the aforementioned men were "waging a real war on women" (Weiner and Spitzer were, arguably, engaging in adult, consensual behavior. The only "war on women" involved Filner who, allegedly, was engaging in sexual harassment) and asked if the "silence" of Democratic leaders was - ready for it - a "double standard." The chyron set the message: "Weiner...Spitzer...Filner, Which Party Is Waging A War On Women?"
Her guest, Sabrina Schaeffer of the conservative Independent Women's Forum, claimed that Nancy Pelosi wouldn't ask Anthony Weiner to drop out of the race and that "progressive women's groups" aren't "taking a stand." Schaeffer *lied. The National Organization for Women called for Filner's resignation on July 16th. And here's a post, about Filner on Feministing).
The chyron reinforced the agitprop lie*: "Staying Silent, Dems Keep Quiet On Members Dirty Deeds." Schaeffer claimed that feminists accept prostitution as long as the candidate supports paid leave. Judge Napolitano kept with the script in his comment about how the Democrats are "two-faced." And then it got really bizarre when, in condemning Sen. Harry Reid's "silence" on Weiner, Carlson drew an equivalency between Weiner's junk shots and Limbaugh's defamation of Fluke. Schaefer brayed about the despicableness of how the three Democrats treated women. She continued to *lie when she said that there had been "no public outcry."
Schaeffer accused Democrats of ignoring this behavior so that they can have "unfettered abortion rights" and intrusive government. (LOL, GOP efforts to limit abortion and birth control access are the ultimate intrusion!) The cherry on the propaganda icing was when Carlson pointed out that Pres. Obama was concerned about Sandra Fluke but is remaining silent about Anthony Weiner's aide who was called (not on national radio) "a similar name." Schaeffer said Obama is "only concerned about women's votes." The chyron reinforced the RNC meme: "The War on Women, Dem's All About It Last Year, But What About Now?"
*And, as of July 26th Nancy Pelosi said this about Filner and Weiner: "The conduct of some of these people that we're talking about here is reprehensible. It is so disrespectful of women, and what's really stunning about it is they don't even realize. They don't have a clue." Debbie Wasserman-Schultz said this: “The misconduct Mayor Bob Filner has been accused of is reprehensible and indefensible. I am personally offended by his actions and I firmly believe no employee should face a hostile environment or harassment at their place of employment. There is no place for this type of conduct in the workplace and certainly not in our city halls and public offices. For the good of the City of San Diego, I call on Mayor Filner to resign."
But let's talk about the double standard. Gretchen Carlson is incensed about how Democrats and feminists are not speaking out about bad behavior on the part of their male politicians. But what did Gretch say when it was revealed that family values Sen. David Vitter utilized the services of a prostitute. What did she say about family values Newt Gingrich's extra-marital flings? How bout the sexual harassment allegations leveled against family values Herman Cain? What about family values Larry Craig? And did she recommend that family values Mark Sanford, who not only cheated on his wife but lied about it, drop out of his congressional race? I think she was silent.