On Monday’s Happening Now (5/14/12), Jon Scott spoke with Tom Bevan, Executive Director of Real Clear Politics, on this year's elections under the heading "Popular Bills given ‘poison pills’ to force opposing party to vote ‘no.’” Bevan explained, “You have two parties that are at loggerheads.“ After a bit more discussion on the partisan acrimony, “objective” Scott closed the discussion by saying, “Well, sounds like gridlock is a good thing because the government can't get in the way, so we'll see."

Pat Buchanan was fired from MSNBC recently after publishing a book critics called homophobic, anti-Semitic, and racist – and after a long history of homophobic, anti-Semitic and racist comments. But you’d never know that from watching his appearance on America Live yesterday. In fact, host Megyn Kelly deliberately led her viewers to think he’s a mainstream traditionalist she called upon to weigh in on gay marriage.

If you love America, then you’ve gotta love America's rich. They all work hard to earn their fortunate place in life, and in return they benefit all the rest of us (who, of course, have done nothing but watch video games and collect food stamps) with jobs and other largesse. That at least is the view of Bill O’Reilly who spent quite a while last night describing how the rich (well not exactly the rich – more like himself) benefit America, and flaying the Democrats for stoking up class envy and hatred. But he didn’t get a lot of support from either of his guests.

Fox Radio's Todd Starnes, who occasionally appears on Fox News and whose articles are frequently sourced on Fox Nation, is a decorated foot soldier in the right wing's ongoing "culture war." His sole purpose in life seems to be rooting out examples of attempts, by the forces of secular darkness and the "gay agenda," to destroy all that we hold near and dear. But in addition to being a good Christian homophobe and good Christian slut shamer, it appears that Mr. Starnes might just be a good Christian Islamophobe. Check out his recent tweet in which he explains why a pig valve would have been preferable for heart surgery.

You may recall that Rupert Murdoch's protege, Rebekah Brooks, the girl-wonder former chief executive of  News Corporation's U.K. publishing umbrella, News International, was arrested last summer over her role in the phone hacking scandal. Now, from a separate inquiry, she has been charged with conspiring to conceal evidence.

Ya gotta love it. Bill O'Reilly, whose salacious phone calls to his former producer prompted a sexual harassment lawsuit and who tried to get his wife's boyfriend investigated by the local police, seems to have a problem with same sex marriage. He predicted that same sex marriage would lead to interspecies marriage - a prediction that doesn't seem to have come true in states where same sex marriage is legal. And while Bill isn't quite as vocal in his opposition to same sex marriage, he still lets his preference for straight marriage be known - a preference that's ironic given that he and the Mrs.' connubial bliss might have been impacted by their separate residences. Last night, he discussed gay marriage in the context of a subject that was unearthed by Fox News' resident good, Christian homophobe Todd Starnes whose article about the Obama campaign's "gay party pack" appeared on Fox Nation. Included in the Obama gear is baby clothing that says "my two dads" and "my two moms" support Obama. Bill used these items as a basis for a discussion about the political ramifications of Obama's support for gay marriage - but not before he pontificated his views on sacred straight marriage and implied that those who support gay marriage are really the bigots! Ironic, don't ya think!

Birther Boy Donald Trump was once again playing a serious pundit on TV last night, this time on On The Record. He got more than 11 minutes at the beginning of the program to defend Mitt Romney’s jobs record – mostly by attacking the Obama campaign’s most recent ad, Romney Economics: Bankruptcy and Bailouts at GST Steel (video after the jump). Both he and host Greta Van Susteren admitted that the ad – which takes a documentary-like look at how steelworkers were devastated after Romney’s Bain Capital took over GST Steel - is powerful and compelling. But as Trump and Van Susteren dissected all the things wrong with the ad, Trump showed just how out of touch he is with working-class Americans. He acknowledged that the suffering workers in the ad were sympathetic but, Trump said airily, “I’m sure there are a lot of people that would have said, ‘Well, it was really a good thing and I moved on to another company and another job.’”

It’s torture-a-go-go time on Fox News again. And what’s even more sickening is how the needle has now moved from “We need to torture” to “you’re not a good American if you’re anti-torture.” Friday night (5/11/12), Bill O’Reilly hosted comedian Adam Carolla to attack CBS’ Lesley Stahl for being skeptical of ex-CIA officer Jose Rodriguez’ enthusiasm for “enhanced interrogation” techniques. No joke. Oh, sure, O’Reilly played devil’s advocate on behalf of Stahl but he never blasted Carolla for having the nerve to question anyone’s skepticism for torture. Instead, O’Reilly voiced his own support for “enhanced interrogation” and made the “Cavuto mark” debate about whether or not Stahl was sufficiently pro-American for lacking the same knee-jerk enthusiasm for torture as Rodriguez, Carolla and O’Reilly.

The O'Reilly Factor hosted Ali Soufan, a former FBI terrorism expert, who believes that "enhanced interrogation" techniques do not work. He appeared on The Factor to counter previous claims made by ex-CIA officer - and torture apologist - Jose Rodriguez. As Soufan tried to explain to O'Reilly that Rodriguez' claims have "been discredited," O'Reilly interrupted to say, "not to me, though, and that's the important thing for you tonight."

In presenting culture war issues, Fox & Friends seems quite adept at twisting the facts to suit whatever agenda is being promoted. In their fairly extensive and biased coverage of the VanderbiltUniversitynon-discrimination policy, they totally ignored the basis for the policy; i.e. a case in which a student was ousted from a religious fraternity because he is gay. Fox & Friends also played the bogus argument that evil atheists would be able to lead Christian fraternities which ignored the reality that the college wasn't setting requirements for leadership of campus groups but requiring that groups not discriminate in initial membership selection. Recently, during a mediation in a long running suit involving the posting of the 10 Commandments in a public school, the judge suggested that the four Commandments which mention God should be eliminated.  Not only was this discussed on "The Five," but it was the subject for Fox's one true clergyman, Catholic Fr. Jonathan Morris' weekly Sunday homily on Fox & Friends. As usual on Fox & Friends, the actual substance of the issue - separation of church and state - not mentioned. But rather, a mere suggestion by a judge was blown totally out of proportion.