It was predictable. As soon as it was announced that HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius would be speaking at Georgetown University, the forces of reactionary Catholicism swung into action. And right (pun intended) on cue, Fox News jumped into the fray as they did prior to President Obama's commencement speech at Notre Dame which was also opposed by the same reactionary forces. So it comes as no surprise that Fox News, as the media mouthpiece for the Catholic Church's opposition to the HHS birth control mandate, would engage its new BFF, the anti-Semitic, homophobic, pedophile priest defender, and head of the Catholic League, Bill Donohue in a discussion of Sebelius' invitation. During Fox's extensive and supportive coverage of the contraceptive mandate, Donohue provided his misogynistic take on this issue to the welcoming Fox "News" anchor Megyn Kelly. Last week he brayed about "religious liberty" to a welcoming Megyn Kelly. And yesterday he launched another hate filled tirade against Secretary Sebelius which included an attack on abortion provider Dr. George Tiller who was assassinated amidst a climate of hatred stoked by the Fox News network's Bill O'Reilly. Megyn Kelly was very welcoming.

On Monday's "America Live," Megyn Kelly did the perfunctory Fox creation of the "outrage" with her comment that "A high profile commencement speaker sparks outrage from Catholic leaders across the country." Reality Check - The "outrage" seems to be coming from mainly the conservative Catholic Newman Society and Becket Fund. Washington's Cardinal Wuerl and other "Catholic leaders" haven't said bupkis. Kelly used more "incendiary" language in describing the contraception mandate as having "ignited a fire storm." (Kelly continues to avoid mentioning that the head of the Catholic Health Association, a Catholic nun, approves of the HHS compromise language.) Kelly raised her voice when she said that the Catholic bishops "denounced" the mandate as "an attack on religious freedom." She reported that the aforementioned Newman Society is protesting but Georgetown isn't backing down.

After introducing Donohue, who recently said that Hilary Rosen is unfit to be a parent because she's a lesbian, Kelly noted that Sebelius will not be speaking at the actual graduation but at a graduation activity. Donohue validated Kelly's prompt that "this is a distinction without a difference" and a "war between the Catholic left and the bishops" because they see that the bishops are tilting towards the Republicans" who, Donohue claims, are Democratic. (Right, that's why they've ordered their parish priests to encourage their flock to vote against Obama). In describing the HHS mandate he lied that it includes abortion inducing drugs. He was getting histrionic when he questioned whether Sebelius is a Catholic who was either automatically excommunicated or by the church. (Guess I'm one of those "automatics" cuz I never got a certificate!) Being the theologian that he is, Donohue suggested that she's no longer in the fold because of her stance on "intrinsically evil" abortion. Kelly opined "that it's not like birth control."  Bill said "right." (Megyn and Bill need to bone up on the Catechism. Birth control is also an "intrinsic evil" according to the Catholic Church.)

Donohue then channeled Bill O'Reilly when he said that Sebelius was best friends with "Tiller the killer" who was "taken out." (Uh, he was murdered by a man who shares the same beliefs as you, Bill). Lawyer Kelly didn't say that Tiller was murdered and didn't admonish Bill that Tiller's practice was totally legal and despite the best efforts of the disbarred anti-choice KA Attorney General, was never convicted of any wrong doing. Kelly did say that she "didn't know if they were best friends" but that she contributed to his campaign and vetoed abortion restrictions "so she's obviously not a pro-life person." Bill ranted about how liberal Catholic colleges aren't really opposed to abortion and this is a "war" by Catholic liberals. What was amusing, though, was his claim that if would be OK if "Catholic" Rudy Giuliani spoke at Georgetown as he's not as "pro-abortion" as Sebelius. (WTF!!!) When he claimed that this is all "timed" to fight the bishops, Kelly validated him by reminding him of their recent discussion about the upcoming Catholic protest being organized by the bishops. Donohue ranted about howGeorgetowndoesn't have neo-Nazi clubs but they have two "pro-abortion clubs." Kelly thanked him.

So there you have it. Fox "News" provides warm support for a bigoted bloviater who thinks that those who support reproductive rights for women are neo-Nazis and that a man who provided a legal surgical procedure was a "killer." Is Ms. Kelly's fondness for Bill Donohue an attempt to portray herself as one of the many conservative Catholics in Ailes' stable? If so, it's rather disingenuous as not only is she divorced but she didn't remarry in a Catholic ceremony. So as far as I know, the bishops would say that she's living in sin. Does self proclaimed arbiter of all things Catholic, Bill Donohue, know that? Just saying...