When the Obama administration brought out an online video, "The Life of Julia," the rabid, anti-government right had a collective freak-out. They claimed that the woman in the video was being supported, "cradle to grave," by evil, socialist government when, in fact, "Julia" was a self-reliant woman who was able to be self-reliant thanks to a number of policies enacted by the Obama administration. As expected, Fox News picked up the meme with Eric Bolling claiming that it was "unadulterated communism and Marxism." On this morning's Fox & Friends, Gretchen Carlson lied about "Julia" in a discussion, with Rachel Campos-Duffy, about an organization that promotes economic empowerment for Hispanic women. The very right wing Campos-Duffy is married to GOP teabagging Congressman Sean Duffy who, in 2011, complained about his $174,000 yearly salary which, of course, is courtesy of you and me. And the fictional "Julia" was a "taker?"

Gretch began the interview by reminding folks about "The Life of Julia," which she described "as a government tale about how one girl was dependent on government aid from cradle to grave." While Gretch gives the impression that "Julia" was one of those lazy welfare slackers, the truth is that "Julia" goes to college with government loans, stays on her parents health policy until she is 26, gets a job as a graphic designer and is able to sue for gender discrimination thanks to the Lily Ledbetter Act, pays off her student loans, pays for her own health care which covers women's preventative care, starts her own business, and Oh, the Horror, enrolls in Medicare which, one assumes, Gretch will eventually get. But what's accuracy when you've got propaganda to push!

Carlson described an organization that "wants to rewrite that story" to "inspire women to be economically independent." She introduced her guest, Rachel Campos-Duffy, who is a spokesperson for the "The Libre Initiative." Campos Duffy who, like her husband, is a former "Real World" veteran, said that her group promotes self-reliance through the "free enterprise" system. (The group is a conservative 501 (c) 4 which is funded, in part, by the Koch brothers.) She said that her group wants to convince girls that they don't need to be like "Julia."

Carlson summed up the video as showing how "you need the government to help you as a woman" and noted how Campos-Duffy's group is trying to teach girls about how to sustain themselves, economically, on their own. Campos-Duffy, on cue, said that girls are bombarded by bad role models and that her group doesn't want girls to end up like "Julia" "who needs government at every turn." She claimed that "the American dream is accessible" which is ironic given that Fox News Latino has this story: "Latinos Who Came to Achieve the American Dream Can't Escape Poverty."  

Gretch and Rachel chatted about ways to encourage self-reliance, like building a lemonade stand. Gretch worked in some right wing agitprop with her comment about how kids, "in this entitlement society," need to "give back."  In keeping with the scripted agitprop, Campos-Duffy praised "small business owners." The ladies had laugh over Gretch's mispronunciation of "libre." At no time was Campos-Duffy's husband mentioned. 

It's not surprising that Campos-Duffy would be on Fox & Friends as her right wing creds are outstanding. At this year's CPAC she discussed "the dangers of churches and families having ceded territory to 'an ever-expanding and insatiable government'." And while she's all for kids selling lemonade, she doesn't approve of school breakfast programs because it gives their parents an excuse to not make breakfast for their children." Of course not all kids have stay at home moms, married to a member of Congress, like Rachel Campos-Duffy. (BTW, when her hubbie was whining about his salary, he mentioned that he was still paying off student loans. OMG, he took advantage of an evil government program.) And while she wants girls to be empowered, she doesn't want them to be able to have the right to an abortion which she compares to slavery and the Holocaust. Of course Campos-Davis doesn't support social welfare programs for those girls who do keep their babies!

Republicans claim they want to win back Hispanic voters, many of whom need the programs that Campos-Duffy and Gretchen Carlson dismiss as unnecessary "entitlements." Good luck with that!