As I previously posted, Jesse Ventura has demanded a retraction from Fox News of its reports cheerleading a Navy SEAL claiming to have punched Ventura for supposedly dissing the military. So how is Fox News handling the matter? If The Five yesterday (1/9/12) was any indication, by doubling down on their smears and depicting Ventura as wrong, crazy, unpatriotic and brain damaged – and not showing a shred of interest in any actual investigation or corroboration. So much for “we report, you decide.” 

Not one of The Five’s co-hosts seemed the slightest bit concerned that they may have promoted misinformation that smeared Ventura. Co-host Kimberly Guilfoyle opened the discussion by reading a Facebook post by him denying the account and made it clear she didn’t need any more information.

Co-host Dana Perino sneered, “Did he write that, post that from his newly adopted country, Mexico because isn’t that where Jesse Ventura moved to?” Then, as if living in Mexico were all the proof she needed that Ventura was some kind of un-American liar, she announced, “I believe the Navy SEAL.”

Co-host Eric Bollng said he had previously interviewed Ventura and posted a photo of him looking unhinged with fury. Bolling said, “I brought up, you know, his 9/11 conspiracy theory which, by the way, he was peddling on some reality TV show… Just take a look at that picture.” According to Bolling, all he did to engender Ventura's fury was to say, “Look, I don’t think you’re being patriotic saying that President Bush or Dick Cheney had anything to do with 9/11.” Bolling continued, “So I agree I believe the Navy SEAL.”

I’m no 9/11 Truther but I couldn’t help but compare the dismissive attitude toward Ventura with the continued fawning over Donald Trump on Fox – including on The Five – despite the fact that Trump’s own birther conspiracy theory has been completely and utterly debunked. Also, Bolling's concern for patriotism is a bit selective since it's not exactly patriotic to accuse the president of lying about his birth certificate in order to cover up his ineligibility to take office.

Guilfoyle claimed Ventura is “in trouble” with the SEAL community because of his comments. She didn’t present any facts to back up her claim. Nor did anyone else ask for any.

Co-hest Greg Gutfeld said, “He’s a giant boob.”

“Don’t give boobs a bad name,” Guilfoyle said.

Liberal co-host Bob Beckel once again joined in the pile on. Rather than make a stand for truth and accuracy – not to mention fairness and balance – Beckel went along with the groupthink by saying that steroids “do some things to your brains” and “I don’t think that I would take Jesse’s word over this other guy’s word for a second. Not that Jesse’s necessarily lying. He just can’t remember.”

As I wrote in my last post on the subject, shame on every one of them.