Yesterday, at the beginning of her interview with the sainted Ronald Reagan's sainted, conservative adopted son Michael, Shannon Bream showed a piece of a video which showed a background of flames and a branding iron with "life" inscribed on it and the words "non-negotiable" underneath.This was followed by a quote about "life" from Pope Benedict. It looked familiar. Turns out there's a reason why. It's not the first time that this video has appeared on the Fox News channel. While its first showing was on an official Fox "opinion" show, its curtain call appeared on an official Fox News show. What is vaguely troubling is that it has a definite message about how Catholics should vote. (Hint, not for Obama). So one wonders if Bream merely used the video as support for Michael Reagan's cheerleading for those Catholic groups who filed a lawsuit against the HHS birth control or is it part of Fox's strategy to ensure that Catholics vote GOP - or both. If Fox is a GOP "perfect world," Blondie's lyrics "Accidents never happen in a perfect world. Complications disappear" come to mind!
The reason why the video looked familiar is because it was the topic for a Fox Nation article which described it as "powerful." It was later used, on Fox & Friends, as the basis for Fr. Jonathan Morris' homily about how the Catholic Church views some issues as non-negotiable so don't vote for Obama, wink, wink. Bream used the same descriptor as Fox Nation with her bogus claim that this "powerful new ad was released just hours ago." (It was released in April). As she spoke the Fox chyron, in underscoring the visual, suggested a connection with the Church: "Reaction to Federal Lawsuit Against Health Care Law Filed By Catholic Church." In addition to leading with this video, Bream appeared to give it legitimacy by claiming that it "put an exclamation point on a massive federal lawsuit filed by dozens of Catholic organizations against the health care law." She cited the name of the group, "Catholics Called to Witness." And while this sounds like a mainstream Catholic organization it's hardly that.
The reality is that this ad was done by an obscure, right wing 501 3-C that promotes home schooling and anti-UN positions. They believe American's will eventually be forced to abide by the unholy UN "Agenda 21" which, according to the conspiracy, will indoctrinate children and revoke all American parental rights unless a national "parental rights amendment" is passed .It's radical positions are hardly mainstream.
So why has Fox News given pride of place to Catholic extremists? Is the format of the ad, with the Catholic "non-negotiables," a "teaching tool" with which Fox reminds Catholics of why they shouldn't vote for Obama? Or is the replaying of the ad just a harmless coincidence? But one thing is for sure, in the black and white Manichean world of Fox News, "complications disappear"
