While the Catholic bishops are careful not to instruct their flock on whom to vote for, it's clear that they're not fans of the pro-choice and pro-same sex marriage president and his party. Illinois Bishop Jenky compared the president to Hitler. Another Illinois bishop, Thomas Paprocki, said that Catholics who vote for candidates who support abortion and gay marriage are going to hell. Washington bishops are openly preaching and raising money for the defeat of the gay marriage ballot item. But their 2012 Voter Guide is a bit more *nebulous about the spiritual perils of voting Democratic. As such, conservative Catholics aren't totally on board and want stronger language. Not surprisingly, Foxy priest Jonathan Morris is part of that group and used his Sunday sermon (from Rome where he's carrying Cardinal Dolan's baggage or holy water, or whatever) to advise his Fox congregation about those "non-negotiables" that could result in a one way ticket to the lake of fire for those who vote Democratic.

If the GOP right wing doesn't like reality, they just deny it. As with evolution, climate change, polling results, and unemployment stats, the Republicans deny that there is a "war on women" despite the reality of unprecedented GOP led attempts attempts, in the last two years, to limit women's reproductive rights. This right wing meme is being advanced by their media mouthpiece, Fox News, whose guests and talkers ignore the reality of the regressive policies and laws whilst promoting the right wing talking point that women are more concerned about the economy than their lady parts while ignoring the reality that for many women, access to affordable reproductive health care is vital to their personal economy. Last month, GOP Senate Candidate Wendy Long and Gretchen Carlson discussed how the focus on reproductive rights was "insulting" to women and a Democratic "distraction" from more important issues. This morning, Long was back for more of the same. Drums keep pounding right wing rhythm to the brain...

In one of the most bizarre moments on television, Geraldo Rivera wound up a lapdog interview with Sheriff Joe Arpaio by rapping the lyrics to an anti-Obama song written by Christine “I’m not a witch” O’Donnell, who is, apparently, planning a comeback. Seriously.

If a debut novelist needs to get some national exposure, it helps if they're married to a "news" anchor at a big time national "news" network. Such is the case for Douglas Brunt, the author of "Ghosts of Manhattan," a novel about Wall Street masters of the universe living la vida loca before the financial collapse in 2008. While most novels written by unknown authors get lost in the literary jungles of "Amazon," Mr. Brunt was able to discuss his opus with his wife, Megyn Kelly, on her alleged Fox news show. According to "Examiner" writer, Keith Vance, this was "tacky and unprofessional." Now I don't know about that; but I do know that Megyn Kelly's husband got himself some sweet face time on a program that's supposed to be straight news. Nice work if you can get it!

After blaming Trayvon Martin’s death on his hoodie, Geraldo Rivera seems determined to make sure Americans see hoodies as some huge Public Enemy. In a discussion with Bill O’Reilly Friday night (10/5/12) about a couple in California who have been menaced after posting a pro-Romney sign on their property, Rivera mentioned that one of the so-called menacers was “wearing a hoodie.” This, after Rivera said that the couple lives in a diverse neighborhood that is half white, half Hispanic.

Fox News is a place where religion (read conservative Christianity) and patriotism are defended with gusto. But when non conservative religiosity gets in the way of patriotism, Fox comes down (literally) on the side of patriotism and religious beliefs be damned. Such is the case involving Fox coverage of a PA politician who declined to lead fellow lawmakers in the Pledge of Allegiance because she feels that the words "under God" make it a prayer and she doesn't pray in public. Not surprisingly, the patriotic Christians on Fox & Friends covered it earlier this week in a snarky, mocking tone. And this morning, Roger Aisles' personal attorney, Knight of Malta, NY Catholic archdiocesan litigator, and occasional Fox "friend," Peter Johnson Jr. continued the attack by framing this Pledge refusal as downright unpatriotic. That Babette Josephs also invoked her First Amendment rights, was lost on Johnson who recently defended the First Amendment rights of the producer of the infamous anti-Islamic video. Go figure!

Jon Stewart really nailed Hannity on his bogus attempt to paint President Obama as a black racist via a 2007 video that Hannity "exposed" the night before Obama's debate with Mitt Romney last week. After noting that Hannity has repeatedly called Obama "the worst president ever," Stewart said, "On the eve of the first presidential debate, the best, most explosive critique that you could deliver of the worst president we have ever had in this country, is treating us to some reanimated bull**** video, already been seen, as though it were the Rodney King tape in reverse."

Just as Sean Hannity (and Fox News) repeatedly promoted Donald Trump’s birtherism, now Hannity (and Fox News) are helping to promote Jack Welch’s jobs report trutherism - a conspiracy theory that the Obama administration cooked the latest jobs report numbers to put unemployment under 8%. Fox gave itself cover for hyping this baseless accusation by presenting the subject as a discussion and, instead of offering up any real reporting that might support the theory, providing a supportive, anti-Obama guest and then boosting his “impartial” cred. This, ladies and gentlemen, is what passes for a “fair and balanced” discussion on Fox News.

As Fox News is America's Christian Newsroom, the celestial big man is a potent presence. In addition to hanging out on the curvy, Christian couch on Fox & Friends, he's a welcome guest on Megyn Kelly's alleged "news" program. Kelly has no problem invoking her Catholicism, such as when she and fellow conservative Catholic Michael Reagan cheered on the nuns and priests who would be, according to the divorced and remarried Kelly, fighting in the streets over the HHS birth control mandate. (Unreported by Kelly is that this never happened and the "Fortnight for Freedom" was a big, fat dud). Yesterday, Kelly cheered, literally, a group of Christian Texas cheerleaders who are suing their school over the prohibition of the use of prayer banners at public high school football games. Their cause was recently cheered by Fox & Friends. They won a temporary victory when a judge granted a two week extension for them to continue using their prayer banners until the next court hearing. But for Megyn Kelly this was a real victory worth cheering over!

Yesterday, the Labor Department reported the unemployment rate fell from 8.1% to 7.8% in September. Instead of being pleased, Fox News’ Your World hosted former GE CEO Jack Welch who had suggested the numbers were fraudulent, cooked up to help President Obama’s re-election – despite a lack of evidence to back it up, other than Welch’s belief that the numbers “don’t smell right.” Guest host Eric Bolling didn’t just give Welch a sympathetic platform from which to promote his conspiracy theory but helped to legitimize it.