Megyn Kelly was every bit a mouthpiece for the GOP today as she conducted what purported to be an interview of Democratic Congressman Jim McDermott in the wake of Fox News' lionization of Paul Ryan “wiping the floor” with McDermott over his comments at an IRS hearing yesterday. She was so overbearing and badgering that McDermott roared at her to stop putting words in his mouth.
For a bit of context: In yesterday’s hearing, McDermott spoke truth to partisanship as he called out the Republican IRS hearings as a partisan witch hunt that overlooked the real problem: groups seeking non-profit status at the same time that they engaged in political activities. Huffington Post summarizes his remarks:
“The mistake here was that the staff organizing the organizations used the names of the organizations rather than the work they do and asked improper questions to figure that out,” McDermott said. “It’s clearly wrong. It was inept, stupid and a whole lot of other things. But let’s not get lost. During the Bush administration, liberal groups were targeted without any concern by Mr. Issa or anyone else on this committee. The Republicans were looking for a conspiracy where there isn’t one. Mr. Issa says ‘he can feel it in his gut’ that someone’s broken the law.”
“Just ask yourself which is more likely,” McDermott continued. “That mid-level employees overwhelmed by four-times as many applications as before made stupid, irresponsible shortcuts? Or that there is an administration-wide plot to take down community organizers. Let’s not forget that this happened under an IRS commissioner appointed by George Bush and was investigated by a Republican inspector general.”
…”Anything else like the circus that’s happening in the Oversight committee or here is simply political theater,” McDermott said. “It is diverting attention from what we ought to be doing on this committee is re-writing the law if it’s wrong.”
That earned a rebuke from Tea Party darling Paul Ryan – and sure enough, McDermott was proved correct in that all the attention went to the Ryan smackdown circus and none to the substance of McDermott’s comments.
Today on Fox, McDermott attempted to clarify but clearly, Kelly was not interested in a single thing he had to say. She opened the segment with a ridiculous “Fox News Alert” about “new fallout” from yesterday’s hearing. Right off the bat, Kelly channeled Ryan. Recapping a discussion about his remarks from yesterday, Kelly said there were “question(s) whether you were blaming the victim, as Paul Ryan suggested moments after you concluded your remarks.” She added belligerently, “Do you understand that criticism?”
McDermott said that what “once you ask” for tax-exempt status, “You open yourself up to being questioned and I think that we want the questions to be on both sides.” He went on to add that the only group that had been denied tax-exempt status was a liberal group.
Kelly interrupted to argue on behalf of conservative groups that their applications had been held up. As McDermott tried to respond that they had not been denied, she said snidely, “Who cares?” She repeatedly interrupted him with combative and blatantly disrespectful – not to mention opinionated and Republican-oriented – jabs.
“He was lying? Is this your answer to that? That anybody who claims that they lost donations, they’re misleading?” was one of her interruptions. Said with Kelly’s hammy indignation.
“You are putting words in my mouth. Stop that! You are putting words in my mouth. Stop it!” McDermott countered.
“I’m not, Sir,” Kelly protested. But she clearly was. By the end of the segment, she was shouting at McDermott.
It’s unfortunate that McDermott didn’t take on Fox News’ partisan framing of the matter more than he did. For example, he could have demanded that Kelly explain why she and the rest of her network were overlooking the substance of the problem (groups seeking tax-exempt status engaging in politics) in favor of demonizing the Obama administration. But Kelly certainly revealed her partisan bona fides here. Even though her 1-3 PM ET show is supposedly part of Fox News’ “objective news” programming.
Contrast this to Kelly’s lapdog interview with George Zimmerman Mark O’Mara. Kelly later tacitly acknowledged she knew full well that O’Mara was using her show to poison the jury pool against Trayvon Martin, yet not a challenging nor discouraging word was to be heard form Kelly’s lips. Nor yesterday when Kelly was a vision of support when a guest made the preposterous claim that the Fort Hood shooter would be able to somehow psych out his victims in court – and that they might lynch him in response. It was a Fox-friendly meme in line with their regular accusations that the Obama administration is soft on the Muslim suspect.
Video below via the internet arm of Fox News available via Mediaite. As usual, the site missed the bias and hypocrisy staring them in the face. But hey, it gets them airtime on their favorite network so why should they worry?
(Post updated 4/21/19 because the video is no longer embeddable.)
Yeah, they’re so persecuted.
And Antoinette, to add onto that, some of the proud candidates and electorates of the Tea Party include:
Serial cop killer Jerry Kane.
NOt rapist on the grounds of being friends with Darrell Issa Michael Kobulnicky.
Darrell “Da fuck’s the 4th Amendment?!” Issa.
Ezell Harris, a drug dealer that makes “Breaking Bad” look like preschoolers selling kool-aide.
Nova Guffey, a New England Arms Dealer.
Steve Smith and the late JT Ready, the two most dangerous leaders of the skinheads under their NNSP label.
Joe Arpaio- ’Nuff said there!
Fund embezzler extraordinaires Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin.
We’re not worried much. The drugs and Soros keep us smiling contentedly.
But, hey, thanks for stopping by! Keep that praying thingie going……you’re gonna need it!
Oklahoma Tea Party Leader Charged With Two Felonies
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/10/oklahoma-tea-party_n_3052696.html
Spread that message to the masses.
And to think, the Tea Pots want a nonprofit status.