Last week, Fox "News" gave birth to a bouncing baby right wing meme which seems to have been conceived in right wing anger over the Obama administration's decision to send F-16's to Egypt - or, as articulated by some on Fox, a "gift to the Islamic Brotherhood." The Fox midwives, Sean Hannity, Fox Nation, the Fox News website, and Fox & Friends (two segments) were also joined, over the week-end, by Fox News HQ's Uma Pemmaraju and Jeanine Pirro. Pemmaraju's questions were leading and neither of her freshman congressmen guests (one a conservative Democrat) supported the sale, Pirro's almost histrionic questions were right wing talking points (Morsi hates Israel, Morsi is part of a terrorist group etc, etc) and both of her right wing guests (KT McFarland and Col. David Hunt) spoke against the sale. We're into a new week, and I'm please to announce that the newborn meme is thriving as evidenced by yet another Sean Hannity propaganda piece. 

Tuesday, Hannity interviewed former US fighter pilot and former tea party backed candidate for Texas state senate (dropped out of the race) Scott O'Grady. Hannity introduced O'Grady, who was shot down over Serbia in 1995, as "an American hero;" but according to NATO sources, his heroism is questionable. Hannity immediately set up the agitprop message, for his "exclusive," with his comment about how O'Grady is "blasting the Obama administration saying that they are out of their minds to hand over U.S.-made F-16s to the radical regime that is now running Egypt." Hannity described O'Grady's version of his heroic experience because it demonstrates his "courage" which "garners him respect and praise."

After he set up O'Grady's supposed credibility, Hannity gushed over him and thanked God that O'Grady survived. He then set the stage for the ensuing propaganda by asking O'Grady what he thought about the president sending F-16's to the Egyptian president who is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood "terrorist group." O'Grady described Egypt as a "tyrannical Islamic Theocracy" and an enemy of Israel. (Morsi was democratically elected and has promised to uphold Egypt's treaty with Israel but details, details) When O'Grady mentioned that the arms deal was made several years ago, Hannity asked why Obama couldn't have stopped the deal because he "reneged on" the Keystone Pipeline. (Wrong - Obama never approved the pipeline).

In keeping with the Fox narrative, O'Grady said he supports a termination of aid to Egypt. He then did a little rant about how Islam is a militant political ideology and an enemy of "our way of life." He asked the question that was the theme for last week's propagandapalooza - "why do we want to actually aid our enemies?" He made the claim that was also made last week about how Egypt wants to wipe Israel off the face of the planet which isn't exactly true. During his 2010 offensive anti-Israel rant, condemned by the Obama administration, Morsi said "we must be teachers who wipe away their hatred. We must know we are dealing with ignorance, not with an enemy." O'Grady is mixing up Morsi with the president of Iran who wants "the Zionist regime" wiped off the planet. Hannity concluded with the question of why "people in Washington won't deal with this."

Fox's new propaganda baby has a nice nursery and fabulous nannies!