In clear proof that women have not come a long way, baby, Georgetown law school student, Sandra Fluke got herself the equivalent of a big "scarlet letter" for daring to speak openly about women's reproductive health rights. Rush Limbaugh and the right wing Inquisition (including Fox's "America Live") immediately attacked her in the most vile and personal way.  Limbaugh's misognyistic smear set in motion a plethora of equally misognyistic smears. Truth became a casualty in the smearfest which consisted of verbiage regarding how Fluke should "keep her legs together." Her complaint about Georgetown health insurance for law school students morphed into the lie that she was asking the government to pay for "her" birth control. While it's no surprise that Limbaugh would attack her in this way, one would expect better from a Catholic priest even considering the Catholic Church's arguably misogynistic theology. One would hope that the rhetoric of a priest, who supports the "family values" agenda of the religious and GOP right, would be a little more circumspect than Limbaugh's. Abandon hope. Yesterday, during his Fox & Friends weekly sermonette, Father Jonathan Morris got down in the fetid slime that Limbaugh left behind. Methinks Roger Ailes' personal priest needs to review his 10 Commandments - particularly the one about "false witness."

Today was the exciting launch of the new Fox “News” morning show “Fox and Friends First,” which is really a return to an old name that Fox “News” retired in 2008 when Fox and Friends was expanded to 3 hours.  No matter how unoriginal the name might be, NewsHounds readers are more interested in the on-air product.  For a longer review, keep reading.  However, if you want a capsule review Twitter-style: “Fox and Friends First” is the blondest and leggiest show Fox “News” has ever produced. Based on this alone: ‘Merkin men seem to be the target audience."

On Saturday’s Forbes on Fox, there was a discussion about college that was a blatant attempt to justify Republican Rick Santorum’s widely-panned sneer that President Obama is “a snob” for wanting Americans to go to college. Not only did Fox suggest that Santorum’s was right to say that not all Americans should go to college (while failing to note Obama never said otherwise) but host David Asman even sanitized Santorum’s remarks and adopted his false version of what Obama has said.

Our host needs to do some maintenance. We apologize for any inconvenience.

As the media arm for the US Council of Catholic Bishops and its newly red hatted head, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Fox News channel has provided almost total support for the bishop's opposition to the HHS contraceptive mandate. The "opinion" on Fox & Friends, as articulated by Fox host and NY Diocesan litigator, Peter Johnson, Jr., has been a point by point recitation of the bishop's talking points. Megyn Kelly's official "news" has also been, for the most part, with the bishops and reinforced by two visits from self-proclaimed Catholic spokesman and blowhard bigot, Bill Donohue. And to give the bishop's position that extra special Catholic imprimatur, Fox has employed its only official clergyperson, Catholic Fr. Jonathan Morris, who has pledged to die in support of the right of the Catholic Church and its pals in the GOP, to devote two of his regular Fox & Friends Sunday sermons about how this isn't about birth control but religious liberty. Fr. Morris, who went on Roman holiday as part of Cardinal Dolan's entourage, is a loyal foot soldier in the army of world oldest all men's club. As such, he took Dolan's message, about this "assault on religious liberty" to his Fox flock on this morning's Fox & Friends.

Pat Buchanan apparently knew he was in sympathetic company for a racial joke Friday night (3/2/12) on Hannity. In a discussion about the upcoming presidential election, Buchanan quipped, “Obama was so low in the polls (a few months ago) even the Kenyans were saying he was born in the United States.” 

The less than six degrees of separation between Fox News and the RNC is no secret. Check out Jon Stewart's amusing exposé of how Fox frames its agitprop based on RNC "pundit prep" documents. The best part of the piece is about how wall of genius Steve Doocy actually reveals the RNC agenda - thus earning him a withering glance from Gretchen Carlson's "laser eyes."

Whatever you think of Rush Limbaugh’s apology to Sandra Fluke, at least he said, “I chose the wrong words in my analogy of the situation. I did not mean a personal attack on Ms. Fluke... I sincerely apologize to Ms. Fluke for the insulting word choices.” I encourage you to read his entire statement because it’s more of a CYA than any kind of graciousness. But what about Bill O’Reilly? He didn’t come right out and call Fluke a slut as Limbaugh did; he “merely” implied it.

Rush Limbaugh issued a rare apology this afternoon to Sandra Fluke, the Georgetown Law School student he called a “slut” and a “prostitute” after she testified before Congress in favor of contraception coverage in health insurance. Although Limbaugh has a long history of hate mongering, these remarks were so over the top that he ignited a media firestorm, lost several advertisers and drew condemnation from both sides of the political aisle. I can assure you that if this were a liberal on the hot seat, this would be the top story 24/7 on Fox. But you’ll need your reading glasses to find the news of Limbaugh’s apology on FoxNews.com and you won’t find it at all right now on Fox Nation. UPDATED. UPDATE 2.

Nothing brings out the manly men from Fox Nation than women who dare to articulate a position in support of women's reproductive rights. Obviously, these Neanderthals live (or want to live) in  a world where their women, as was said in that country song, put their biscuits in the oven and their buns in bed. As such, they loathe Sandra Fluke, the Georgetown law student (what a snob!) who spoke about how lack of access to affordable contraception endangers women's health. But Rush Limbaugh, a manly man whose trip to the Dominican Republic included a healthy dose of Viagra - covered under many health insurance plans - saw things differently and called her, and women who support access to contraception, a bunch of sluts. Fox Nation is providing an ongoing transcript for Rush's commentary. Not surprisingly, his Fox Nation followers, who also live in a fantasy world of women as handmaidens and happy brood mares, attacked this woman who dare speak out against the sacred patriarchy. While most of the comments were of the standard she-should-keep-her-legs-closed, there was one comment that was particularly vile.