News Hounds

Anita Dunn Laughs Off Being a Mao-Lover, Takes Parting Shot at Fox News

Fox News has had its collective panties in a bunch since last month when White House Communication Director Anita Dunn’s made some severely negative comments about Fox. And boy oh boy, has Fox News ever been doing the whole hand-wringing thing in its own defense. Bret Baier had his predecessor, Brit Hume, on his show – along with Mary Katharine Ham and Juan Williams -- to scold the White House for taking on the media (oh, is that what we’re calling Fox News these days)? O’Reilly, too, brought Brit Hume on to defend Fox. Neil Cavuto had a little sexist rant on his show about her comments; you can see his mini-meltdown here. And of course, being the home of best defense/good offense, Fox took off on a Dunn-bashing crusade over a comment she made regarding Chairman Mao. Recently, as reported by News Hounds’ Ellen, Hannity had racist right-wing goofball, Bill Bennett, on his show, and Bennett, kind of as a calculated afterthought, threw the whole Anita-Dunn-Loves-Chairman-Mao thing out there. So, now, Dunn is leaving her position as White House Communications Director (no, Beck, you didn't chase her off -- Dunn had never planned to serve long, joining for on an interim basis in April.) As Dunn makes her exit with a parting shot at Fox, the talking head cases at Fox will no doubt be gnawing their own limbs off in frustration.

John Stossel and the Overblown Headline

Guest blogged by Dan

Fox Business' newest Pundit, John Stossel certainly goes in for the overblown headline: Recyclers as Suckers. Recycles as suckers? What is your reaction? Shock? Awe? Outrage? The story is significantly less impressive.

Stossel's Fox "Business" Post Wonders If NY Times Is Deliberately Distracting Readers With Article About Obamas' Marriage

Guest blogged by Dan

Only on Fox would a commentary on an article written about the Obama's marriage rank in the Business section. Fox Business' newest pundit, John Stossel, wrote in a November 3, 2009 blog post that he found Sunday’s New York Times Magazine story, "The Obamas' Marriage," "kind of interesting." But, Stossel continued, Pajamas Media's Roger Simon thought it '"a form of distraction' so the President can avoid scrutiny of his programs." This is a business story? It's not even much of a political story.

Fox Business As Usual - Attacking Obama

Guest blogged by Dan

An article on Foxbusiness.com reports on a meeting between White House officials and several top business CEO's many of whom are also members of the US Chamber of Commerce. Fox reports that an unnamed "business source" "said (White House adviser Valerie) Jarrett asked executives to pressure the Chamber to moderate its opposition to creating a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency." The article also noted that the White House called that report "inaccurate." Funny how we can't recall the same level of interest from Fox News about what happened during Dick Cheney's secret meetings with energy companies. Meanwhile, the comments are loaded with smears and attacks on Obama rather than business discussions.

Fox Business Network Uses SEC Target To Comment On SEC

A reader forwarded to us this subtle but unforgivable example of bias at the Fox Business Network. In a discussion about SEC enforcement against securities scammers, they chose Patrick Byrne, CEO of Overtstock.com which, itself, is the target of an SEC investigation. Byrne opined on the SEC's operations, including alleging that there's corruption and ineptitude at the agency, without revealing his own conflict of interest. None of the hosts told their audience either. Video from William K. Wolfrum Chronicles, which has more information on this, after the jump.