Dana Loesch visited On The Record last night for a liberal bashing session given the following "fair and balanced" title on FoxNews.com: Liberals too focused on Tea Party, not country's problems? Vitriol against Tea Party continues after shutdown as Dem congressman calls Tea Party Republicans 'domestic enemies.' But the two developed an odd case of Tea Party amnesia as they claimed not to recall a single instance of a Tea Party Republican using such rhetoric against Democrats.
The target for this particular discussion was Democratic Congressman Steve Cohen who made the "domestic enemies" comment. "What do you think? ....We have name calling. " Van Susteren said about him in a tone that left no question of her disapproval.
"The name calling and the incendiary rhetoric... They're the only people I've seen engaging in it," Loesch said.
Van Susteren seemed to agree. "Do you know of - and I'll ask the viewers to write in if they know - do you have any instances in which Tea Party members in Congress have said anything equally insulting back? Do you remember?" she asked.
No, Loesch couldn't think of any. "Not to memory. If there has been, I would be kind of surprised," she claimed. Then she threw out a phony example of Republican Senator John McCain (who vehemently opposed the Tea Party's government shutdown) calling them "hobbits."
So let me refresh their memories:
Michele Bachmann:
"It appears that there has been deep penetration in the halls of our United States government by the Muslim Brotherhood.” (7/10/12)
"(W)e look at the collection of friends that (then-Senator) Barack Obama has had over his life, and usually we associate with people who have similar ideas to us. And it seems that it calls into question what Barack Obama's true beliefs and values and thoughts are -- his attitudes, values and beliefs with Jeremiah Wright on his view of the United States --
-- which is negative; Bill Ayers, his negative view of the United States. We've seen one friend after another. It calls into question his judgment, but also what is it that Barack Obama really believes? And we know that he's the most liberal senator in the United States Senate, and that's just after one year after being there.
...(T)he liberals that are Jeremiah Wright and that are Bill Ayers, they're over-the-top anti-American. And that's the question that Americans have. Remember, it was Michelle Obama who said she's only recently proud of her country. And so these are very anti-American views.
...I wish the American media would take a great look at the views of the people in Congress and find out,are they pro-America or anti-America? I think people would love to see an expose like that." (10/17/08)
In fact, there are some doozies from the mouths of at least two Fox News contributors. Let's start with Sarah Palin. While she was not in Congress, she was the governor of Alaska and the Republican vice presidential nominee when she said this about her opponent, then-Senator Obama:
“This is not a man who sees America as you see it and how I see America. We see America as the greatest force for good in this world. If we can be that beacon of light and hope for others who seek freedom and democracy and can live in a country that would allow intolerance in the equal rights that again our military men and women fight for and die for for all of us. Our opponent though, is someone who sees America it seems as being so imperfect that he’s palling around with terrorists who would target their own country?” (10/4/08)
Then-Congressman Allen West, now a Fox News contributor and a regular On The Record guest:
“I believe there’s about 78 to 81 members of the Democratic Party that are members of the Communist Party. ...It’s called the Congressional Progressive Caucus,” (4/10/12)
“We need to let President Obama, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, (audience boos) and my dear friend the chairman of the Democrat National Committee, we need to let them know that Florida ain’t on the table,” West said. “Take your message of equality of achievement, take your message of economic dependency, take your message of enslaving the entrepreneurial will and spirit of the American people somewhere else. You can take it to Europe, you can take it to the bottom of the sea, you can take it to the North Pole, but get the hell out of the United States of America.” (1/28/12)
Or how about the letter then-Congressman West wrote to Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz?
"You are the most vile, unprofessional, and despicable member of the US House of Representatives. If you have something to say to me, stop being a coward and say it to my face, otherwise, shut the heck up. Focus on your own congressional district!
...You have proven repeatedly that you are not a Lady, therefore, shall not be afforded due respect from me!"(7/18/11)
Have more? Feel free to send them to Van Susteren at [email protected] or @Gretawire or to Loesch at @DLoesch.
So ratings? I dunno. I see no evidence she finds anything obnoxious about the things these people say, quite the contrary.
If you’re going to compare FoxNoise viewers to anything, make sure it’s something that is completely lacking in any benefits to the human race. Mosquitoes, ticks and rats come to mind.
How about Sean Hannity’s regular insults and attacks on liberals and Democrats on his program? How about Rush Limbaugh’s regular insults and attacks? Of course, I’m just naming pundits here. We could discuss the attacks leveled against Wendy Davis in Texas. We could discuss the comments made by Louie Gohmert and friends on Hannity’s show on a regular basis about Democrats. We could discuss the multiple attacks made on Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi.
It’s really an interesting historical document to see Fox News literally trying to convince its viewers that day is night and night is day.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/os-grayson-calls-tea-party-kkk-20131022,0,1030288.story