News Hounds

FOX News Shores Up Trailing GOP Candidate in Michigan Senatorial Race. Misleads Viewers.

Reported by Marie Therese - Wed 5:58 PM

As of this morning, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) announced that a respected poll (View image) shows incumbent Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow leading her Republican opponent Mike Bouchard by 18 points. Similarly, three other polls show Stabenow ahead by 11 to 16%. However, if you watched FOX & Friends this morning, you would have heard host Steve Doocy say this: "In Michigan Republican Mike Bouchard is closing in on his opponent, Sen. Debbie Stabenow, and is putting Democrats on the defensive."

Republicans Want to Stay The Course When It Comes To Not Including Iraq As The Defining Issue In The 2006 Election

Reported by Donna - Wed 4:39 PM

Today on Studio B with Shepard Smith the discussion was once again on the elections that are coming up in less than two weeks and how each side is going to fight to win them.

It was still very clear that the GOP and the president don't want the war in Iraq to be the defining issue.

Use of Racist Ad in Tennessee Senate Race: Is Corker's Disavowal for Real or Is It Just Another Example of Rovian "Strategery"?

Reported by Marie Therese - Wed 2:02 PM

FOX News persists in its disreputable practice of airing political ads (predominantly those of the GOP) as part of its "news" coverage, thus giving Republican candidates the benefits of national exposure for free. This morning FOX & Friends hosts Gretchen Carlson and Brian Kilmeade interviewed Republican senatorial candidate Bob Corker of Tennessee, who is running against Democrat Harold Ford. During a news break, FOX aired a disreputable and controversial ad, created by the Republican National Committee under the guidance of Ken Mehlman. Later, they aired a second ad that showed Harold Ford in a church pew with the words "Parties with Playboy Playmates" splashed across it.** During the Corker interview itself, FOX aired clips of the first ad. *

Fox News' Goler Misleading, Muddled on Bush Iraq Flip-Flop

Reported by Judy - Wed 10:44 AM

Fox News White House correspondent Wendell Goler reported Tuesday (October 24, 2006) on the Bush administration's October surprise on Iraq -- a plan to cut U.S. troops there within 12 to 18 months -- but Goler's report was so muddled and full of misinformation that viewers probably stopped listening after a few seconds.

Fox's Latest GOP Campaign Contribution: Attacking Nancy Pelosi

Reported by Janie - Wed 10:17 AM

With the mid-term elections heating up, and polls indicating the Democrats may gain control of Congress, the Republicans are desperate and have begun a massive smear campaign on the possible new Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. During "Special Report" last night (10/24), Fox Correspondent Jim Angle filed a report on Pelosi, constructed entirely around negative quotes from Administration officials and without one single Democratic opinion in the entire segment.

MacCallum Grossly Distorts African Orphan Problem

Reported by Judy - Wed 9:51 AM

Martha MacCallum apparently doesn't know her way around the internets. If she did, she couldn't possibly have made the gross error that she did Tuesday (October 24, 2006) in discussing Madonna's plans to adopt a child from Africa.

Sean Hannity Whines About His Meanie Critics

Reported by Ellen - Wed 2:57 AM

Is there ever a night that Hannity doesn’t do his best to bully, distort and demean his political opponents? I have documented repeated instances of Hannity refusing to allow a guest to speak when he disagrees with them or cutting an interview short when he doesn't like what a guest has to say. But “tough guy” Hannity devoted a whole segment on last night’s Hannity & Colmes to whining over the meanie comments posted on CBS.com about his appearance on “Free Speech."

Dick Cheney Talks Tough From Safety Of Softball Interview

Reported by Ellen - Wed 1:55 AM

FOX News made it easy for Vice President Dick Cheney to talk tough last night on Hannity & Colmes (10/24/06) during a two-part segment with Sean Hannity that excluded Alan Colmes. I like Colmes but let’s face it, he’s no Helen Thomas. Still, the powers that be, either at FOX News or the White House or both, obviously felt that they couldn’t take a chance with anyone who wouldn’t be as slavishly devoted to their cause as Sean Hannity. The result was more like a Republican infomercial than an interview. Predictably, the main selling point was to smear and demonize Democrats.

Rush Limbaugh pulls an Ann Coulter

Reported by Chrish - Tue 10:54 PM

Even FOX backed off Rush Limbaugh's despicable statements about Michael J. Fox and his choice to make a political ad for Claire McCaskill, who is running for US Senate in Missouri. On The Big Story today 10/24/06, after teasing the segment by showing video of Fox with the Cavutoesque banner "Faking it?" host John Gibson and reporter Doug Kennedy actually looked pained to report the story.

Tony Snow characterizes "Stay the course" as "dynamic and aggressive approach"

Reported by Chrish - Tue 9:39 PM

(Amended 10/25/06 2 a.m.; see below)
Tony Snow visited with homey John Gibson today 10/24/06 on The Big Story to spin the White House's decision to abandon the "stay the course" "strategy" and motto as the mid-term elections loom and American sentiment grows increasingly against the war in Iraq. Defending the Bush administration from charges of lying in denying the use of the phrase, Snow said researchers came up with "only" eight uses of the phrase and charges Democrats with repeating it hundreds of times "to try to characterize our policy." It's sort of like Republicans (and FOX talking heads) repeating the "cut and run" mantra attributed to Democrats, with the subtle but crucial difference that there is no record of ANY Democrat ever saying that.

General Wesley Clark Flattens Culture Warrior O'Reilly

Reported by Deborah - Tue 8:37 PM

Bill O'Reilly didn't know what hit him tonight when he pushed General Wesley Clark a bit too far. During a discussion about Iraq, O'Reilly challenged Clark about a donation from "bomb thrower" George Soros and Clark was not amused demonstrating for "culture warrior" O'Reilly the dignified strength of a true warrior. 10/23/04

Fox Guest Solves School Violence Problem: Give Kids Kevlar-Covered Textbooks to Use as Bullet Shields

Reported by Melanie - Tue 7:12 PM

A few weeks ago Judy posted about a Fox News guest who suggested that the way to combat school violence was to arm teachers. Fox continued along that vein today (October 24, 2006) when Neil Cavuto hosted a candidate who suggested giving kids thick textbooks, covered in Kevlar, to use to shield themselves when the bullets start flying -- presumably not from the guns belonging to their teachers.

Smith Asks, "Are Republicans Cut & Running On Stay The Course?"

Reported by Donna - Tue 4:21 PM

Today on Studio B with Shepard Smith he spoke with Democratic strategist, Kirsten Powers, and Republican strategist, Karen Hanretty, to talk about what Smith called the Republicans decision to "cut and run on the stay the course" in regards to the war in Iraq.

The Republican strategist tried to distance the Republicans who are running from the president (probably a good strategy) and the Democratic strategist did a good job on telling Smith what the Democratic plan for Iraq was. It was the one that the Republicans are now trying to morph into their own.

Gingrich and O'Reilly rag on (absent) Nancy Pelosi

Reported by Chrish - Tue 2:02 PM

Promoting both their new books, Gingrich's Rediscovering God in America and O'Reilly's Book that shall no longer be named because we're sick to death of its fallacious and divisive premise, former Speaker Newt Gingrich and The Factor's Bill O'Reilly yesterday 10/23/06 forecasted gloom and doom for the country if Democrats win back the House November 7 and California Rep. Nancy Pelosi should become Speaker.

Attacking Ted Kennedy For Fun

Reported by Janie - Tue 1:40 PM

Last night (10/23) on "Special Report", Carl Cameron filed a decently balanced report on Barack Obama, and his recent revelation that he's considering a 2008 run for the presidency. Later in the show, Hume hosted an "All Star Panel" discussion on the matter, which again was shockingly fair. However, at the very end of the show - Hume aired, with no purpose, a clip of Ted Kennedy getting Obama's name wrong.

Hannity Says VP Shrugs & Smiles & Says Pelosi Has San Francisco Values, Not Middle American Values

Reported by Donna - Tue 1:30 PM

Today on Fox On Line with Bill Hemmer he had a sneak preview of Sean Hannity's exclusive talk with the Vice President, Dick Cheney. Hannity said that Cheney was confident that the Republicans would win both houses after his extensive campaigning across the country.

Hannity was in true form and gave Hemmer a special Republican based interview.

Dick Armey Admits Bush Was For Staying The Course Before He Was Against It

Reported by Ellen - Tue 1:59 AM

In a discussion about the upcoming election, Alan Colmes said to former House Majority Leader Dick Armey, “I think this is more about the War on Terror and how it’s being fought in Iraq than almost anything else and polls bear that out.” Colmes then played, a clip of President Bush saying “We’ve never been stay the course.” That was followed by clips of Bush saying we’re going to stay the course three times. With video.

Hannity Fails At Pelosi Impeachment Smear

Reported by Ellen - Tue 1:49 AM

Sean Hannity has been stuck on Nancy Pelosi like a broken record. Each night, he fixates on her in a rather pathetic attempt to frighten viewers into voting Republican by holding up the specter of Pelosi becoming Speaker of the House. Friday night’s scare tactic was to claim that Pelosi would try to remove “In God We Trust” from coins. Monday night’s (10/23/06) fear-mongering painted Pelosi as chomping at the bit to impeach George W. Bush. Unfortunately for Hannity, his own Republican guest, former House Majority Leader Dick Armey wasn’t buying it. With video.

Brit Hume Interview of Bush - SNL

Reported by Chrish - Tue 12:19 AM

Apparently envious of all the attention his colleague the big BOR has been getting for his recent three-part interview with Bush, Brit Hume staged one of his own. Enjoy it soon, as copies at Youtube.com have already been yanked for copyright infringement.

Sean Hannity is a Whore

Reported by Melanie - Mon 9:20 PM

Big bad tough guy Sean Hannity loathes CBS. He considers it the crown jewel of the "liberal media." He talks about it with utter contempt. But when it offers him a "freeSpeech" segment, he says hell yes!