Fox & Friends Validates Tony Perkins' Attack On SPLC & "Liberal Media"

After Dr. Tiller was murdered in a climate of anti-abortion zealotry fed by the rhetoric of anti-choice secular and religious leaders, as well Bill O'Reilly's nationally televised crusade against the doctor, pro-choice leaders didn't appear on Fox News to address the real hatred that was directed (and still is) against them. But after a failed shooting at the Family Research Council, on the part of somebody who isn't part of a national movement, the head of the FRC has been given free Fox News face time during which he continues to blame both the librul media and the Southern Poverty Law Center for giving the gunman a "license of shoot." And how does Tony Perkins arrive at that conclusion? Why it's because, during the recent, brief "controversy" over Chick fil-A, the media referenced that FACT that the SPLC had classified the FRC as a "hate group." Prior to that, it's probably safe to say that most folks never heard of the SPLC; but according to Perkins it's the one spreading hate when the REALITY, not mentioned on Fox, is that the FRC has some decidedly dirty laundry. On Monday, Perkins got more Fox face time to whine about being unfairly accused of hate while he accused the SPLC of causing the actions of the shooter. Got hypocrisy?

Monday morning, Steve Doocy went on the attack with the comment that the shooting "by a same sex marriage activist shocked everybody who heard about it but many people didn't hear about it because the story was largely ignored by mainstream media." Gretchen Carlson, whose mic was strategically place right at her conspicuous cleavage line, read a comment from Brent Bozell who, when not attacking evil, degenerate shows like "Glee," attacks that evil degenerate librul media. The chyron asked "Where's the Coverage, Liberal Media Downplays Motive of FRC Shooter." Bozell said that "God forbid" if Planned Parenthood had a similar experience, the librul media would be "endlessly" talking about "militant, hate filled, right wing wacko's." (Given the rhetoric about "baby killing" used by well organized anti-choice activists who regularly harass Planned Parenthood clients and doctors as well as ongoing vandalism towards Planned Parenthood and the occasional abortion doctor murder, that discussion wouldn't be all that inappropriate!) She then introduced - drum roll please - the new patriarch for the church of the perpetually outraged Christians, Tony Perkins himself.

Gretch asked Tony what he "found" about the media. Perkins said that it was "stunning" that it's being ignored by the media except for Fox. The chyron read "Silent on Coverage, Not Much Mainstream Media Coverage." Perkins said that the "lord" answered the FRC's guard's prayer that he not be shot. (Guess the "lord" didn't like Dr. Tiller who was at a Lutheran service when he was murdered.) Given that the FRC has always opposed hate crime legislation (supposedly will persecute homophobic pastors), the chyron read "Hate Crime Overlooked? WashPost Refers to Motive as Disagreement." Steve Doocy brought up how Perkins thinks that the SPLC is "the spark."

Perkins said that there was "no question" that when the SPLC "started labeling Christian organizations as hate groups that stand for traditional marriage and orthodox Christianity that sparked it." Despite the fact that it isn't clear what the shooter's motive was, Perkins mentioned that he carried Chick-fil-A bags and a list of three SPLC hate groups. The chyron reinforced the librul media meme: "Mainstream Media Goes Mute, NBC, CBS Spent Less Than 20 Secs on Story." (A Brent Bozell "Newsbusters" fact) Perkins claimed "clearly they are inciting this hostility toward religious organizations" and that their rhetoric is dangerous because it has gone "beyond words to almost murder and that has to stop."

Gretch worked in the Fox & Friends patented victimized Christian meme when she referenced the upcoming FRC report on "Hostility Towards Religion in America." The chyron reinforced the message: "Hostility Toward Religion, New Report Sheds Light on Shocking Case." Perkins got dramatic as he spoke of over 600 cases involving religious liberty. As the chyron read, as Fox fact, "No Freedom of Religion FRC and Liberty Institute Found Over 600 Cases," Perkins claimed that the First Amendment has become a last priority for the courts and "that's our first freedom" upon which our freedom hinges."

As Fox & Friends agitprop, this segment was superlative as it combined the persecuted Christian and evil librul media memes. But there was rich irony in their validation of Perkin' claim that his organization is all just sweetness and light while, not so deep below the surface, was the kind of homophobic bigotry that the FRC specializes in. (The SPLC "spark" is motivating, according to Steve Doocy, *"gay activists.") Not only is it a small world; but on Fox, it's truly Orwellian!

*Floyd Lee Corkins II was a volunteer at a Washington DC LGBT community center.

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commented 2012-08-22 17:59:00 -0400 · Flag

Maybe pRicky needs to be informed that Morris Dees has faced numerous threats on his life. How many has Tony Perkins faced?

commented 2012-08-22 14:14:21 -0400 · Flag

It’s a testament to the American conservative elite’s confidence in its hold over its minions that they can continue to hammer this particular bit of nonsense. If any of said minions actually looked into the matter for more than 2 minutes, they’d discover, first, that it’s an outright and deliberate lie that the SPLC characterized the FRC as a hate group based on the FRC’s opposition to gay marriage. They could also look at the SPLC’s actual case against the FRC—freely available on the internet for anyone who wants to see it—and would note that nearly all of it consists of merely quoting representatives and publications of the FRC. SPLC notes that the claims made by FRC are false—this, also, involves verifiable facts. The American conservative elite is confidence few of them will ever bother to look up any of this. And that confidence has, to date, mostly been justified.

By the narrative they’re spinning at the moment, we’re to believe someone wanted to shoot up the FRC because of what some third-party said about the FRC, rather than because of what the FRC actually does. Aside from the idiocy, note the projection, there.

commented 2012-08-22 12:05:08 -0400 · Flag

SPLC (Suckers Please Leave Cash) declared over $250 million in net assets in their last publicly available tax return statement. Old Morris Dees is one of the most crafty Southern snake-oil peddlers ever to separate a gullible Yankee from his money.