News Hounds

Did Fox News Lie About The Attack Of The Wisconsin Protester?

Reported by Ellen - Wed 1:02 AM

Well, well, well, it seems that what Megyn Kelly did her best to portray as an "assault" by Wisconsin protesters on Fox News reporter Mike Tobin was more like a tap.

Mike Huckabee's Dog Whistle To The Birthers: Says Obama Grew Up In Kenya

Reported by Ellen - Wed 12:10 AM

Mike Huckabee may have just blown his chance at the presidency with his shockingly ignorant comments about President Obama’s “troubling” “perspective” due to his “growing up in Kenya... because he probably grew up hearing that the British were a bunch of imperialists who persecuted his grandfather.” Although Huckabee said he was “not as confident” that Obama was not born in the U.S., his remarks were clearly a dog whistle to the birthers as well as a blatant attempt to pander to the “He’s not on the side of America” meme that is so prevalent on Fox. Later, a Huckabee spokesperson said he had “confused” Kenya for Indonesia. But that excuse just doesn’t wash.

Gretchen Carlson & "Pro-Life" Activist Further Politicize "Baby Joseph"

Reported by Priscilla - Tue 11:39 AM

It's official. Fox News is no longer "America's Newsroom" but "Baby Joseph's" newsroom. And if you're sick of this, you can't imagine how I feel about it. Allow me a "Cathy" moment - "AAAAARGH." OK, now I feel better. As part of its ongoing coverage of the biggest persistent vegetative case since it teamed up with Randall Terry to set up a media circus outside Terri Schiavo's hospice, Fox News is providing up to the minute coverage of a dying baby whose parents have refused a court order to take him off of life support. Naturally, all the usual "pro-life" media junkies are in on the action and Fox "News" is there to give them sweet face time in what has been described as a "media feeding frenzy." Schiavo's brother, Bobby Schindler was interviewed by Megyn Kelly. Father Frank Pavone of "Priests for Life" was interviewed by Martha MacCallum. Today, Fox's morning Christian show otherwise known as "Fox & Friends" provided us with an update on "Baby Joseph" who is now being allowed to go home. But the catch here is that, once he gets home, the breathing tube will be taken out and no tracheotomy will be done. Fox News thinks that is "playing God" and Gretchen Carlson provided validation of that from the mother of another medically compromised baby. This mother is also a "pro-life" activist. Gretch provided yet more tugging of those emotional heartstrings while providing no real facts about "Baby Joseph." Naturally, there was the requisite agitprop about the evil Canadian healthcare system. Is it me or is there something not quite appropriate about using one person's tragedy to exploit another?

Martha MacCallum & Fr. Frank Pavone Exhume Terri Schiavo For More"Baby Joseph" Propaganda.

Reported by Priscilla - Tue 10:06 AM

Father Frank Pavone is the kind of right wing Catholic priest that Fox News loves. During the "controversy" surrounding President Obama's speech at Notre Dame, Pavone was on hand to validate those anti-choicers who felt that Obama, as a proponent of a woman's right to an abortion, should not be speaking at a Catholic school - a position not taken by the president of Notre Dame who is a Catholic priest. Pavone palled around with the anti-choice domestic terrorist, Randall Terry and is planning on voting for Terry for president - even though Terry has accused Pavone of putting money before principals. Put it this way, Pavone is a right wing radical who makes Fox's Father Morris look liberal. Last Easter, Pavone provided commentary, for Fox, about the state of today's Catholic church, as well as his work against "the violence of abortion." His article about the evils of Roe v Wade was on the Fox News website in January. Pavone was also part of the Terri Schiavo affair and has stated that folks who don't want "extraordinary means" are beaking the moral law. He, anti-choice Rev. Patrick Mahoney (who threw a fetus at Bill Clinton), and Terri Schiavo's brother are now involved in the "Baby Joseph" Fox led "controversy." Last week, Megyn Kelly interviewed Bobby Schindler. So it was no surprise to see Father Pavone interviewed by good Catholic Martha MacCallum yesterday - about - surprise, surprise, "Baby Joseph" and how his case connects to the Terri Schiavo situation which Pavone has described as a "murder." And it was no surprise that this segment was full of the same old, same old "right to life" and "death panel" propaganda that Fox seems to specialize in regarding matters that really should be personal but are ratings gold! And it is fun to see the "bubble headed bleach blonde" giving us more "dirty laundry."

Hannity Suggests A 1984 Visit by Wright and Farrakhan With Qaddafi Is Shaping Obama's Libya Policy

Reported by Ellen - Tue 4:14 AM

Sean Hannity purported to hold a discussion about the latest events in Libya but with Hannity, as elsewhere on Fox, rarely is a subject discussed without either demonizing Democrats or glorifying Republicans. This was a case of the former. But Sean Hannity took it a step further by “asking” whether a 1984 visit to Libya by Hannity’s uber black boogeymen, Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Louis Farrakhan, “impacted” Obama’s “thought process” toward Libya. Even worse, the Hannity show is not the only Fox News venue where this theory has been put forth. Fox Nation, that website devoted to “fair and balanced” coverage of the news and “open debate” has a post called, Obama's Mystery Links to Qaddafi Uncovered. We can guess why the comments section for that post was closed.

Fox Fave Pam Geller Leads A "Hate Group"

Reported by Priscilla - Mon 1:39 PM

Pam Geller, who double teamed with Murdoch Media to generate the "ground zero mosque" controversy, heads "Stop the Islamization of America" which has been labelled, by the Southern Poverty Law Center, as a hate group. So she, like another Fox fave, Tony Perkins of the "Family Research Council," joins the esteemed company of the KKK and white supremacists. Way to go, Pam!

Will Fox News Report That Catholic Bishops Support Union Protesters???

Reported by Priscilla - Mon 1:28 PM

When it comes to reporting on issues near and dear to conservative Catholics, such as school vouchers and the evils of abortion, Fox "News" is always available. Their only clergy person, whose task is to discuss religious issues, is a Catholic priest, Father Jonathan Morris. Roger Ailes is cozy with the arch conservative Catholic Ave Maria University. Although not a Catholic, Ailes attends weekly Mass with his Catholic wife. He says he has a good relationship with the priest and bishop and supports the Church. At times, Fox News seems to be the Vatican's Newsroom rather than "America's." So inquiring minds want to know if Fox News will report that "The U.S. Catholic bishops on Thursday (Feb. 24) threw their moral weight behind the pro-union protesters in Wisconsin, saying the rights of workers do not abate in difficult economic times." Will Bishop Steven Blaire, of Stockton CA, be invited on to Fox to say that "The debates over worker representation and collective bargaining are not simply matters of ideology or power but involve principles of justice, participation and how workers can have a voice in the workplace and economy?" Will the good Fox Catholics,(Doocy, Kilmeade, Hannity, O'Reilly) who are denegrating the unions at every turn, tell their Catholic fans that Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki said "hard times do not nullify the moral obligation each of us has to respect the legitimate rights of workers?" Will Fr. Morris tell his Fox flock that the present pope is and his predecessor, on the road to sainthood, was a supporter of labor unions? If Fox were truly "fair & balanced," this would be mentioned. I'm not holding my breath...

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Megyn Kelly Resurrects Terri Schiavo To Smear Canadian Hospital & Advance Death Panel Propaganda

Reported by Priscilla - Mon 12:24 PM

Last week, Fox News presented ongoing coverage of "Baby Joseph," a Canadian baby in a persistent vegetative state whose parents are refusing a court order to remove the feeding tube. The parents want the hospital to insert a tracheotomy so that they can take the child home to die. The hospital contends that the tracheotomy will cause more discomfort to the child. While the Fox news piece, on "America Live," was "fair & balanced," (Just the facts) the other coverage was straight out, and in the case of Fox "news" anchor Megyn Kelly, screaming propaganda meant to foment fear of "death panels" in health care reform - as well as to provide validation for the radical "pro-life" movement which has made "Baby Joseph" a cause celebre. While Kelly's guests provided a balanced view of the situation, Kelly was, clearly, partisan. The morning Fox "opinion" show "Fox & Friends" made no effort at balance. Rather, it was an intense emotional argument in which the reality of the situation took back seat to the politicizing propaganda. But Fox News does seem to love fetuses and those in persistent vegetative states as they know that nothing gets right wingers salivating more than talk of "killing babies" and Terri Schiavo - Hence, Fox's media circus outside a hospice where a woman was dying. Taking what should be private family matter and using it for publicity, means nothing to a network that knows that talk of death and "death panels" gets ratings and sends the requisite political messages. And now that Terri Schiavo's brother is getting involved in the situation Fox "News" knows that they can't lose - a veteran of a past Fox media circus joining up with the new "Baby Joseph" circus. Megyn Kelly's almost histrionic presentation didn't disappoint!

Huckabee: Obama “Alienated The African American Community” Over Gay Marriage

Reported by Ellen - Mon 2:17 AM

I don’t know what 2012 presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee thought he was accomplishing yesterday (2/27/11) when he said on Fox News Sunday that President Obama had “alienated the African American community” with his recent decision to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act. If Huckabee thought he was reaching out to those supposedly disaffected African Americans, I suspect his effort backfired. The truth is, as Huckabee must know, Obama enjoys nearly 90% support from African Americans. Something tells me a little disagreement over DOMA isn’t going to change that. If anything, Huckabee’s remarks showed how ignorant he is, both of the African American community and DOMA.

Fox News’ Mike Tobin Said He Was Hit By Wisconsin Protesters

Reported by Ellen - Mon 12:08 AM

There’s no doubt that Fox News reporter Mike Tobin was heckled by the Wisconsin protesters as he spoke on the air to America’s News HQ today. And I’ll take his word for it that somebody hit him off camera – which is never OK. But the report – supposedly part of Fox News’ “objective news” team didn’t even try to pretend not to hate the protesters or to inform in any objective way about why they hate Fox News so much. Instead, Tobin made such comments as, “The hate that you get from these demonstrators – you can see it in their faces… He (a protester) wants to shut down the communication… (A) teacher told me she hates me because it makes her feel good… They have an idea that there’s going to be a diverse viewpoint, they don’t want to get it.”

Joe Scarborough: Glenn Beck “Is Losing It Before Our Eyes… This Can’t Last”

Reported by Ellen - Sun 11:20 PM

On Friday’s Morning Joe (2/25/11), Joe Scarborough delivered a no-holds-barred indictment of Glenn Beck as a stain on the conservative movement. Scarborough said, “This guy is losing it before our eyes. He’s bad for the conservative movement, he’s bad for the Republican Party, he’s bad for Fox News. It’s that simple… Even guys over at Fox News have to start thinking this can’t last. He’s out of control.”

Fox News Sunday's GOP Beauty Contest

Reported by Ellen - Sun 4:35 PM

Today's Fox News Sunday featured two 2012 potential Republican nominees as the only guests: Indiana governor Mitch Daniels and Fox News host and former Arkansas governor, Mike Huckabee. There was nobody involved with the Wisconsin budget dispute or protests, Libya or the Middle East. Libya was discussed but not until after the interviews with Daniels and Huckabee. There were no Democratic guests.

Alan Colmes Explains Why Rumsfeld – And Also Bush, Cheney, Rice And Powell Owe The American People An Apology For Going To War Under False Pretenses

Reported by Ellen - Sun 2:41 PM

Alan Colmes’ passionate and compelling condemnation of the Bush administration’s war on Iraq might not be so remarkable on MSNBC but on Fox News, it’s applause-worthy. He left Megyn Kelly’s defense of Rumsfeld in the dust. Why, oh why can’t the so-called “Democratic strategists” ever tell it like this?

Coulter Explains Why Palin Won’t Run For President: She’d Have To Learn Too Much “Dull” Information

Reported by Ellen - Sat 5:31 PM

Two-time voter fraud suspect Ann Coulter appeared on Hannity last night (2/25/11) to discuss the 2012 election and her support for the supposedly non-running Chris Christie. As she and Sean Hannity ran through the various potential candidates, Coulter claimed to love Sarah Palin. Yes, Coulter really does. It's just that she knows Palin is so much better off without bothering her little money-grubbing head over "dull" information that presidents need to know.

Why Does Fox Nation Headline Need "Hispanic" Before "Mayor?"

Reported by Priscilla - Sat 3:46 PM

Why would "Fox Nation," the site that is "opposed to intolerance," be engaging in what appears to be race baiting? They have a thread which is titled "LA’s Hispanic Mayor Wants Taller Walls Around his Mansion." The Fox Nation thread is linked to an article in the LA Times which is titled "Villaraigosa Fights For Taller Walls Around Mayor’s Mansion." Why is Villaraigosa's ethnicity relevent to the story? Interesting....

Bill O'Reilly Still Smearing Dr. Tiller While Supporting "Pro-Life" Hero, Phill Kline

Reported by Priscilla - Sat 1:57 PM

Bill O'Reilly's supposedly "fair" coverage of the ethics investigation of former Kansas Attorney General is nothing of the sort. It's as biased as O'Reilly's relentless attacks on Dr. George Tiller who was relentlessly pursued by "pro-life hero" Kline and whose pursuit was aided and abetted by Bill O'Reilly who provided validation for Tiller's attackers in the "pro-life" community - such as the radical anti-choice group "Operation Rescue" who had O'Reilly's "Who Will Save The Babies" column on its website. As we know, the relentless attacks on Tiller resulted in a climate of hatred in which Tiller was assassinated by a man whose anti-choice views dovetail nicely with those of Kline and O'Reilly. Now that Kline is being investigated for ethics violations, including his appearance on O'Reilly's show, Bill is defending him. I do wonder if O'Reilly would be as supportive of a Democratic AG who went after Crisis Pregnancy Centers (anti-choice operations that lie to pregnant women in order to prevent them from having an abortion). If Kline were a pro-choice Democrat, would O'Reilly defend things like taking down license plate numbers of clinic visitors, trying to obtain the driver names from state agencies, subpoenaing the guest list at a hotel often used by patients. But Kline is part of a group for whom and to whom Bill O'Reilly directs his anti-choice venom which won him a "Courage Award" from the hate group, "Family Research Council." During last night's "Culture Warrior" segment, O'Reilly stood by his man who, along with O'Reilly, embodies the misogyny of the anti-choice movement that seeks to intimidate, subjugate, and control women. But then Bill is looking out for us so it's all good....

Madison Wisconsin Radio Station Explains Why It Dumped Glenn Beck

Reported by Aunty Em - Sat 11:44 AM

After Madison, Wisconsin radio station WTDY dropped Glenn Beck’s Radio Drama Theater, Media Matters contacted the station and received this statement:

Glenn Beck Apology Goes Down Like Pork Sandwich With Jews

Reported by Aunty Em - Sat 9:29 AM

The latest kerfuffle with Fox “News” Conspiracy-Theorist-in-Chief Glenn Beck, reminds me of a recent story out of Britain, when easyJet apologized (unreservedly) for serving nothing but ham melts and bacon baguettes on a recent four and a half hour flight from Tel Aviv to London. Beck, who has exclaimed there is no better friend to the Jews than he, is not exactly serving up pork sandwiches to Jews. Yet, what comes out of his big yap virtually every time he has mentioned Jews, is equally as unpalatable as non-kosher food. With his latest comments he managed to anger Jews across the planet (once again) with his total ignorance and barely-concealed anti-Semitism. TO BE FAIR: Once people started to criticize him, Glenn Beck apologized. TO BE FAIR: Like a Glenn Beck history lesson the apology was woefully inadequate. No wonder radio stations in NYC, Philadelphia and, now Madison, Wisconsin (how ironic) have dropped his Radio Drama Theater. He’s a one man insult machine.

Brave New Foundation Stands In Solidarity With Wisconsin To Defend The American Dream

Reported by Ellen - Sat 12:08 AM

Today, there are rallies across the country to stand in solidarity with workers in Wisconsin. The rallies occur at noon, local time, in front of every statehouse. You can click here to find a rally in your state. Our friends at Brave New Foundation, with whom we are proud to be associated, have a new video urging everyone to join a rally on Saturday to help defend the American Dream.

Oops! Fox In Tampa Calls Bin Laden "Obama Bin Laden"

Reported by Ellen - Fri 6:33 PM

Two of our readers wrote in about this one. The graphic, after the jump, speaks for itself. Look at the banner at the bottom of the screen.