Run, While You Can Shep! ... Get Out, Now!

It is a fairly remarkable happening.

Not something you see every day, or, really, on any day, for that matter.

A Faux News anchor actually going against the talking points.

A Faux News anchor actually employing, using the "Fair and Balanced" thing.

Now, it will be interesting to see the reaction to Shepard Smith, from inside the chamber, of how many of his colleagues start dissing him (I think it will be a given and Hannity and The Loofah Man will locked-and-loaded), how the Flying Monkeys react.

We’ll have to keep a running check News Hounds today, because they "watch Fox News so you don't have to".

In fact, Ellen wants to give Shep a nod-of-the-cap;

"I hope you will all join me in giving Fox News host Shepard Smith a virtual standing ovation for his emphatic, no-holds-barred stance against torture. If you'd like to send some props to Smith, you can email his show at studiob@foxnews.com."

The QuietObserver also backs up Shep;

Fox News' Shep Smith has been known to show a bit of an independent streak once in a while, meaning that he seems less willing to regurgitate FNC's propaganda ...

[Snip]

Overall, he generally comes off as pretty rational (and yes, I do believe that rational conservatives are still in existence.) Smith could probably excel as a legit journalist if he were in some other medium.

What's all the fuss, we hear you cry?

Shepherd Smith drops F-bomb during Freedom Watch: We do not F%$&ing torture!!!



WOW!

I wonder, if Faux News has, oh, I don't know, contingency plans for something like this.

They are not, necessarily, accustomed to such breakdowns.

They have to be worried, about the Flying Monkeys, and dwarfs, finks, phonies and frauds, who have heard this (or get pointed to the YouTube), who have been accidentally exposed to this piece of reality.

Roger Ailes, surely, knows how confused they must be today, the pain and anguish they are experiencing.

The switchboard could be on fire by now, all wanting to know, did Shep Smith just pull the curtain back, or did he, somehow, inexplicably, get abducted by aliens, and reprogrammed to speak like ... like ... like a ... oh God ... a Democrat!

We wouldn't bet against complete chaos at Faux News headquarters today.

Or maybe, it is something entirely different.

Maybe it is Shepard Smith, crying for help, attempting to get a message out, seeking assistance to getting out of the hellhole of Faux News.

Oh, is he shrewd.

He couldn't just blurt it out, as no doubt, the screen would cut-to-black, or a commercial, Faux News Security would swoop in, throw a net over him, and spirit him away, for reprogramming, or worse.

No, Shep's a smart cookie.

Take a hot issue in the news, let loose with a raw, emotional, honest response, knowing his signal will be heard, will be carried in the winds, will reverberate through the World Wide Web, and his rescue will come in swift time.

Just in case, run while you can Shep! ... Get out - Now! ...

Don't wait!

Ailes, likely, already as a team of people watching you, perhaps even the dreaded, fear-evoking Jesse Watters will ambush you, forcing you to recant, on-camera.

Run, Shep, Run ...

And, don't look back!

(Hmmm, maybe it's time for MSNBC - Hey, after all, they did hire a former Faux Newser, the world-wide-wonder, Rita Cosby - should give Shepard Smith shelter. They can lose that second-hour rebroadcast of Tweety, and plug in Shep, and go against their droning format of Host-Clips-Talking Heads, and have Shep man a round table, and, to be even more groundbreaking, instead of the same lapdog, MSM journalists, bring in bloggers, to chew over the days' issues ... I mean, if they're going to give Chucky T.a show ... )


Bonus "Three Cheers For Shepard Smith" Riffs

Emptywheel - Spotted: Aspen Trees, Turning on Roots

Andrew Sullivan: Shep Smith Tells The Truth

Nico Pitney - Shepard Smith Uncensored: "We Are America, We Do Not F**king Torture!" (VIDEO)

Tom Junod: Because They Hate Shepard Smith and Want Him to Fail

Ebert Gives Thumbs Down To Loofah Man

It's been some time since we've written anything on the Grand Ayatollah of Ignorant Dolts, the Loofah Man, Bill O'Reilly.

And, that is to our advantage, the less being exposed to his rancid toxicity, the better.

However, today, we put on our proverbial Hazmat Suit, to point to another, Roger Ebert, who has a most amusing article, ripping on the Original Pinhead.

Apparently, recently. Loofah Man slapped at the Chicago Sun-Times, for their Liberalism.

So, Ebert, well, thanks him, in "Thoughts on Bill O'Reilly and Squeaky the Chicago Mouse";

Dear Bill: Thanks for including the Chicago Sun-Times on your exclusive list of newspapers on your "Hall of Shame." To be in an O'Reilly Hall of Fame would be a cruel blow to any newspaper. It would place us in the favor of a man who turns red and starts screaming when anyone disagrees with him. My grade-school teacher, wise Sister Nathan, would have called in your parents and recommended counseling with Father Hogben.

Yes, the Sun-Times is liberal, having recently endorsed our first Democrat for President since LBJ. We were founded by Marshall Field one week before Pearl Harbor to provide a liberal voice in Chicago to counter the Tribune, which opposed an American war against Hitler. I'm sure you would have sided with the Trib at the time.

I hesitate to quote more from it, as it is a short piece.

And, as stated above, it is most, most amusing (especially the comparison he makes, of the "outrage" the Sun-Times received dropping Loofah Man's syndicated column)

Go check out Roger Ebert's "Thoughts on Bill O'Reilly and Squeaky the Chicago Mouse".

At minimum, it will give you something to smile about today.


Bonus Loofah Man Riffs

Alex Koppelman: Quote of the day

Steve Benen: EBERT VS. O'REILLY...

Fox News Agrees With Letterman ...O'Reilly Factor Now Only 40% Fair and Balanced ...New Spots To Reflect Correct Spin; Corporate Orders Review of Hannity & Colmes; Other Programming

O'Reilly, Al-Qaeda In Heated Argument Over SF Targets ... Strike Date, Debut of 'Muslim Factor' In Jeopardy Over Dispute

O'Reilly Gears Up Next War; Says Will Battle To Save "Little Christmas" ... Calls For New Laws and Mandatory Fines ... Doesn't Hesitate To Make Up False Charges To Broadcast His Point

Retro Garlic: As The Aspen Turns ... Judy Miller Goes To Fox!

I would venture to predict, the folks over at Faux News are not going to press Judy Miller for her sources.

In fact, I speculate, they would prefer that she didn't have sources, and adopt the company policy of just making shit up

Jeralyn, over at TalkLeft gets the nod for the most humorously, ironic headline;

Ex-NYTimes Reporter Judith Miller to Join Fox as Free Speech Expert

And, just for you wise guys out there, she is not, repeat, she is not joining the Fox production of "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?".

I guess, they don't want to put too much pressure on her in the beginning.

From Joe Strupp, over at Editor and Publisher;

Miller, who left the paper in 2005 after 28 years, spoke as word spread of her latest new job, as a commentator for Fox News. Miller said she will be on air and on the Web site part-time discussing First Amendment and free speech issues, as well as foreign policy and national security.

"I get to spout my views, I will NOT be joining the news team," she stressed. "I care about First Amendment issues and free speech and I will talk about that and foreign policy if and when we ever stop talking about the economy, which is going to be going on for a while."

Since The Scooter got his "Get Out of Jail Card" last year, can we breathlessly wait for a possible pairing?

Yeah, right ...

It will be programmed, set in the schedule to follow on the audience of that other new show, "Domestic Policy, with Joe the Plumber".

The Retro Part;

Miller To Leave 'Times' With Movie Deal In Hand; Signs On To Star In Memento Sequel; Not Sure If She Will Continue Freelancing For Bush Admn.


Bonus Judy Miller Kisses

Libby Trial Update - It's Miller Time!

Woodward Said To Be Jumping To The New York Times

Top Ten Cloves: Reasons Scooter Libby Gave Judith Miller Okay To Reveal Source and Testify

Libby Trial Update - The Scooter and Cheney Show Theme Song

The New Fox News Tagline

"False, Fixed and Straight From The White House"

What ear-shattering, jarring, blinding, obnoxious graphic will they come up with for this?

Tweety had an interview with former White House Press Secretary Scott "I Be Singing Now" McClellan, and this "Duh" tidbit came up;

McClellan: White House gave FOX commentators talking points

Matthews: “Did you see FOX television as a tool when you were in the White House? As a useful avenue to get your message out?”

McClellan: “I make a distinction between the journalists and the commentators. Certainly there were commentators and other, pundits at FOX News, that were useful to the White House.” […] That was something we at the White House, yes, were doing, getting them talkng points and making sure they knew where we were coming from.

Matthews: “So you were using these commentators as your spokespeople.”

McClellan: “Well, certainly.”

(You can view the interview Here)

Olbermann jumped all over it, as well;

Bush White House fed Fox News talking points

July 25: In his appearance on MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews, former White House press secretary Scott McClellan revealed that the White House routinely submitted literal talking points for prime time stars of Fox News like Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity. Air America’s Rachel Maddow talks with Keith Olbermann about the line between political agreement and outright puppetry.

Hmmm ... I wonder, will the Faux news people go to the Bush Grindhouse for the last office party on January 19th, or will they have their own, in-studio?























Bonus Faux News Riffs

Cenk Uygur - POLL: Time For Us To Label Fox?

USGovInfo - Fox News: 'Fair and Balanced' or 'Fox for Bush?'

Ellen - Newshounds: The Lies of Roger Ailes

Top Ten Cloves: Ways Roger Ailes and Fox News Plans On Ending Its’ Ratings Slump

Roger Ailes Is Slipping ... Blows Wildfire Scoop For New Biz Network

Nicole Belle: Fox News Producer Ambushes Bill Moyers; Gets Taste Of His Own Medicine

Today's Forecast - No Snow

Yeah, oh so cold, and heartless ...

Jumpin' on the guy when he'd dead (no, we jumped on him when he was alive, as well).

No doubt, you heard the news, yesterday, the passing of former Faux News anchor and Bush Grindhouse mouthpiece Tony Snow, losing his fight against colon cancer.

Condolences, certainly to his family (and especially to his children; It was noted in one of the slobbering obits, that Snow's mother also went down to colon cancer ... Let's hope medical science gets a handle on it ASAP).

Faux News, likely, had to ponder quit heavily, whether to send Snow off with a Russert-like media tsunami, but, then again, it's Faux News, a Murdoch entity, so whatever happens, whoever dies, it's still about the dollars ... Always about the fuckin' dollars (As Joe Pesci noted in 'Casino').

No tears on this end.

Snow worked for, in his adult life, Fox News and the Bush Grindhouse (in essence, you could say his "work" never changed - just keep obfuscating the truth, lie, stonewall and otherwise smear whoever doesn't agree with you).

That's a SuperSizeMe barrel of bad karma.

With that double whammy on his resume, we're talking mezzanine level in the House of Evil, only a level or two above the likes of Pol Pot, or John Wayne Gacy (but they are building a new wing, just for Dick Cheney).

You can go out to Memeorandum, to catch some of the glowing obituaries.

There are a few, that didn't follow the script, or use the perfunctory "no matter what you thought" line, or shed a William Hurt tear, that you should take a look at.

Libby Spencer, over on The Impolitic offered "Do the right thing - get fired", in her valiant attempt to swing the spotlight over to a more deserving place.

As did LiquidStroke, with "Tony Snow MORE IMPORTANT than Dead Soldiers."

Lastly, our good friend Barry Crimmins gave us his breaking weather alert with "Snow Falls In July!"

Lanny Davis To Cry Fox Tears

In today's "I'm shocked, shocked to find gambling going on here ..."

Lanny Davis joins Fox News

Davis has been trending Fox News' way for some time now, first as a supporter of Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman during his reelection fight in 2006 and then as a Clinton surrogate this year. During one appearance he made on the network in May, under prompting from conservative radio host Laura Ingraham about allegations of bias against Clinton, Davis said he "now know[s] what it feels like to be a Republican" and added that, in his view, Fox was the most balanced of the cable networks.

No doubt, THIS might have helped him land the gig.

We had him pegged last month, when he melted down on CNN, pissing-and-moaning, all the way;

Don't Cry For Me, Lanny Davis ...

We'll just have to wait and see what is louder - the Fox News graphics, or Lanny Davis's suits ...

What Did You Expect - Jerry Springer!

It seems that Barack Obama's appearance on Fox News Sunday, the Chris Wallace Show, has ruffled feathers far-and-wide today.

There's camps that believe he's a traitor, and vow, now, not to vote for him.

Others, crestfallen that he didn't duke it out.

A pretty wide swath of the pragmatic, that note he did a fine, admirable, even good interview

And, as always, there's the those for whom reality is someplace, anyplace, they are not.

Taylor Marsh does her typical "All Hail Hillary" drone (aka "Everything Hillary says or does is great; Everything Obama says or does sucks")

Ann Althouse goes all Dr. Phil on all the candidates ... And Un Poco Cojones Verde (LGF) lives vicariously, leering with glee at the reactions from those on the Blue side of things ...

You can go out to Memeorandum and wade, ankle, or knee-deep, in all the reactions.

For those of you who either believe he's a traitor, or disappointed he didn't come running on the set, screaming "There Will Be Blood", what the hell did you expect - Jerry Springer!

You want broken chairs and bodies strewn across the stage? Bouncing camera shots of Obama, Wallace and others, heatedly screaming at each other?

The last thing, especially right now, that Obama needs is to have a combative, confrontational Fox News interview, that gets looped to the high heavens (Fox would, likely, launch yet another new network just for that only), so for the next week, all that gets talked about is Obama's combative and confrontational Fox interview?

No, Thank You.

So, he goes Eddie Haskell, smiles at his host, drives his points home, and comes out of there without a ripped shirt.

What's that old newspaper saw - you never pick a fight with people who buy ink by the barrel?

Libby, at Newshoggers, hits it about right, when she says "He's walking a tightrope in this race and while he didn't dazzle with any impressive tricks, he didn't fall off either."

When Obama gets the nomination, he's going to be on Fox News, oh, probably every other minute, and no doubt, they'll be slamming and smearing him.

So, having a edited video clip, of Wallace complimenting, or agreeing with him, that will be something the Obama Camp can have to buttress themselves

Chalk this up to Obama keeping, and acting on, one of his policies - That we should talk to our enemies.


Fair and Balanced Bonus Links

TRANSCRIPT: OBAMA ON ‘FNS’

The Raw Story: Barack Obama interview with Fox’s Chris Wallace

Josh Marshall: Obama on Fox (Video Highlights)

Creature on State of Day: Obama behind enemy lines

Jerome Armstrong: Obama on Fox transcript

Andrew Sullivan: Yglesias Award Nominee

You Say Lapel Pins ... I Say Lunatics...

Enough of this childish, little, small-minded pettiness.

Screw these tiny Lapel Flag Pins!

I want to see the candidates, and every blowhard, Fox News, Right Wing Freak Show, and their Flying Monkeys, ham-handed "patriot" start wearing actual United States of America Flags on their chests.

That's right, anything less then the full Old Glory and you must be an appeaser, rooting for the terrorists, wanting "them" to win!

And it damn-well better be a flag made right here, in the good, ol' U.S of A.!

No excuses!

You're either with us, or against us!

While I write in jest, that may, very well, be where this ante gets raised to, before the general election campaign begins.

We had this yesterday;

Obama on Those Who Say He Doesn't Respect the Flag: 'It's a Lie'

At a town hall in Kokomo, Ind., Friday a woman told Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., that her mother wasn’t going to vote for him because he didn’t "address the flag."

"This is a phony issue," Obama said. "So let me address it right now."

And address it he did.

After a lengthy, two, or three-point detailed answer, Obama called it for what it is;

Obama continued, saying "so I make this comment. suddenly a bunch of these, you know, TV commentators and bloggers (say) 'Obama is disrespecting people who wear flag pins.' Well, that's just not true. Also, another way of saying it is, it's a lie."

Amen!

Steve Benen, over on The Carpetbagger Report offered good support;

I’d just like to ask these folks who purport to care whether they mind if Hillary Clinton’s or John McCain’s lapels are flagless. Whether they minded that Ronald Reagan, JFK, Eisenhower, and FDR didn’t wear pins. Whether they think George W. Bush was unpatriotic before 9/11, when his lapels were bare. I doubt it.

I doubt Obama would do this, but I can imagine a town-hall meeting in which this comes up and the senator asks everyone in the room wearing a flag lapel pin (probably made in China) to raise their hand. When a small fraction of the crowd does, Obama can ask them, “Do those of you who didn’t raise your hand love the country as much as those who did?”

As did Oliver Willis;

Since I’ve been following politics closely and especially since I moved back to the DC area to work in the industry (more or less), one of the things I have never understood has been the liberal/Democratic reluctance to call something a lie. When Al Franken wrote his book Lies And The Lying Liars Who Tell Them, I am certain that the forthright way in which he called out something as a lie was a pivotal element of its success. In 2000, and especially 2004, Al Gore and John Kerry drove me batty with their constant rhetoric that something was “a falsehood” or that someone “misled”. They just never came out and said George Bush and the Republican party and the conservative noise machine were just filthy liars.

And, of course, the inhabitants of the RWFS just have to keep pumping this up, gripping on it like a dog, gnawing on a juicy bone ... You can see them here, here and here, all polishing their own lapel pins of stupidity

When it comes time for the general election debates, against Stumblin' Bumblin' John McCain, and if he could get away with it (just think how the RWFS would explode if he did!), as satire, as a statement, Obama should wear the Hamas Flag Lapel Pin.

I'd bet more then half of the nitwits wouldn't notice.


Bonus Lapel Links

Barry Crimmins: The ABC/HUAC Democratic Inquisition

ABC Plants Its Flag

Boy, And We Thought Russert and Williams Sucked

Good Post Alert: Fox News is in for a very rough 2008

"The fledgling Fox Business Network, whose anemic ratings are in danger of being surpassed by some large city public access channels."

If their motto, during the Republican reign, has been "Fair and Balanced", what becomes of it during a Democrat-occupied White House?

Eric Boehlert, over on Media Matters, has a rundown on Faux News, that is most entertaining;

Fox News is in for a very rough 2008

"The point is that Fox News years ago made an obvious decision to appeal almost exclusively to Republican viewers. The good news then for Fox News was that it succeeded. The bad news now for Fox News is that it succeeded.

Meaning, when the GOP catches a cold, everybody at Fox News gets sick. As blogger Logan Murphy put it at Crooks and Liars, "Watching FOXNews getting their comeuppance has been fun to watch. They made their bed, now they're having to lie in it and it's not too comfortable."

It was Fat City, replicating and echoing the GOP/RNC/Bush Grindhouse Talking Points, but that, in all likelihood, is coming to an end.

If electing Hillary or Obama in November causes an earthquake, there'll be a nearly-as-large aftershock, being the fall of the vaunted leader,. Roger Ailes.

For even one of the best, and mightiest, smearmeisters will have the most difficult time spinning his way out of this one.

And, speaking of the Fox Business Channel, The Garlic pointed out, perhaps the beginning of his slide downward last year, a major missed opportunity by Ailes, a no-brainer that he, inexplicably, missed.

Now, the future looks even bleaker, perhaps forcing the Faux News Network to shift into one of those sundown-to-sunrise broadcasters, an extended, barely-watched news infomercial for the freakshow and dittoheads.

But never say never ... Something could happen to change their fortunes ... Maybe some new blood will come along ... Maybe someone like, say, Mary Katharine Ham, to pull them out of the fire ...

Check out "Fox News is in for a very rough 2008" ... Stay informed!

Bonus Faux News Riffs

The Lies of Roger Ailes

Every which way but loofah; Inside the Bill O'Reilly sexual harassment lawsuit

POLL: Time For Us To Label Fox?

Breaking News! Fox Bounces The Juice and Brings In The Scooter; OJ Out, Libby In, As Fox Looks To Make Lemonade Out Of Their Lemons; Reagan Snares Cheney Aide For “If I Leaked ...” Special; No Hush Money But Donation Made To Defense Fund

Top Ten Cloves: Other Things Bill O'Reilly Will Do To Get Interview With Barack Obama

News Item: Bill O’Reilly Shoves Obama Staffer

10. Date Oprah Winfrey

9. Make substantial donations to MoveOn.org, Media Matters and DailyKos

8. Will give up his crush on Matt Damon, in favor of Denzel Washington or Samuel L. Jackson, or whoever is Obama's favorite

7. Get Fox to change it's slogan the day he comes on show to "Fair and Obama"

6. Create new, nasty culture war of Obama's choosing

5. Will go to any restaurant with Obama, and not be surprised

4. Let Obama write forward of new book: The O'Reilly Factor for Black Kids

3. Create line of loofahs and donate all profits to his campaign

2. Say Keith Olbermann's name, on-air, as much as Obama wants

1. Will dress up as Dumbledore for the interview


Bonus Bill-O Links

Crooks and Liars: Video of O’Reilly calling Obama staffer an “SOB” and “low class”

Chicago SunTimes: Sweet: Fox's Bill O'Reilly in confrontation with Obama staffer at rally. UPDATE

Bill O'Reilly - Amy Polumbo Lecherous Interview

Pundit Watch: 'Pinhead' 16-Year-Old Schools O'Reilly

Breaking News! O'Reilly, Al-Qaeda In Heated Argument Over SF Targets; Strike Date, Debut of 'Muslim Factor' In Jeopardy Over Dispute

Roger Ailes Is Slipping ... Blows Wildfire Scoop For New Biz Network

"I heard that Al Qaeda causes night to fall"
Keith Olbermann

Heads are gonna roll on this one.

You can expect certain things ... Like the Rightwing Freakshow, such as Glen Beck and Stalkin' "M-Squared" Malkin, heads spinning like Linda Blair, foaming that the Environmentalists are to blame for the California wildfires.

And, of course the flag-waving, Bush-Lovin', fear-fueling, Faux News Network.

You think that uber-newsman Roger Ailes would be on top of his game, especially this week, with the launch of the Faux Business Network. That they would be bellowing and hawking everything in the name of FBN. From Wall Street mergers to Kool-Aid stands (Republican, Red State Kool Aid stands, of course).

So what happens?

They leave the scoop of the week - that Al Qaeda may be behind the California wildfires - to their sappy, dopey Morning Show crew. 'Fox & Friends'.

Memo to Roger: Fire all your producers!

Following the Faux News policy of ignoring facts, pumping up the Bush Grindhouse, and being as far away from reality as possible, 'Fox and Friends laid out "the plot", from uncorroborated evidence of a terrorist detainee, of setting wildfires as part of a vast terrorist attack on the United States.

One small problem - the memo on this scoop was four-years old, and, if that wasn't noticed, California wasn't mentioned as being part of this attack.

2nd Memo to Roger: Make sure new producers you hire can read, or have eye-glasses

Now just think, you've launched an alleged business network, you have hours-and-hours of airtime to fill and you have this hot scoop on the Number One story in the nation this same week and you blow it!

I mean, Roger, jeepers, you could have milked this for two, possible three, days .. Maybe all week!

All those graphics and kirons, blaring out on the terrorist plot to undermine our economy.

"Al Qaeda Set Wildfires To Destroy U.S. Timber Industry"

There's a day of talking heads ... Analysts, Lobbyists, other industry gadflys, egged on by your anchors, predicting dire consequences of no newspapers, no greeting cards (quick cut to Jane Doe, somewhere in Red State America, crying at not being able to send out Christmas Cards this year - Get O"Reilly on this one, so he can launch this years' War Against Christmas bullshit)

Transportation, Roger.

The wildfires were started by Al Qaeda to cripple the transportation (think of the kirons you could use; "Al Qaeda To Californians - Start Walking!"). You could pull your big gun, Sean Hannity, to a guest spot and revive his ranting about the buses.

Or "Al Qaeda Wildfires Aimed At Crippling California Agriculture"

The Food Industry, Roger ... Oh, Christ, that's three-days, minimum ...

No lettuce for salads, which you can tie-in and exploit with the obesity issue ("Al Qaeda Wants To Make Americans Fat!") ... Avocados! ... Reporter stand-ups from Southern California restaurants, camera-shot on a lonely bowl of salsa chips, which, thanks to Al Qaeda, there's nothing to dip them into.

Grapes! ... Wine! ... Here's the tried-and-true Faux News brand of bashing the French ... That the French must be in cahoots with Al Qaeda so they can push up the sales of French wine, over California Wine ... More hours of experts babbling away, quoting Republican talking points ...

The Ratings Buster










And, of course Roger, the scoop of scoops ... The Ratings Buster ... The item that will redefine the maps that this story will place your fledgling network on ...

Using all the power of those skills so deftly employed by the Faux News Network, namely, making up whatever you want to drill home your jingoistic fear-mongering, and after hours and days of teasers about the big story, what it's all about, coming ...

"Al Qaeda Wildfires Seen As Diversion; Goal Is To Overtake Disneyland"

That's right. Osama bin Laden wants to take control of Disneyland and turn it into a Muslim playground ... All woman (including Minnie Mouse) visitors in hijabs ... Out goes the Hall of Presidents, in comes the Hall of Ayatollahs ... It now becomes Country Camel Jamboree ...

And here's the kicker, Roger ... The piece that will give this thing legs, carry you for weeks at the top of the ratings - You tie Iran into it ... That Iran is supporting Al Qaeda in taking over Disneyland ... The story will practical write itself (well, actually, all you have to do is copy whatever is coming out of the Bush Grindhouse for the Iran part)).

You blew it Roger ... You messed up ...

You let your "Chatty Kathy's" in the morning dribble out this faux story when you could have trumpeted it for days-on-end with your new business channel ... Aside from building your audience and television footprint, think of all that lost revenue ... Millions, Roger, millions ...

And you know what that means ... Ruppert comes down on you.

So, get busy, hire all those new producers and have them start combing through some more 4-year old intelligence memos ... There's gotta be another non-story story that you can puff up.

Bonus Faux Links

News Hounds - We watch FOX so you don't have to

Cenk Uygur - POLL: Time For Us To Label Fox?

Fox News: 'Fair and Balanced' or 'Fox for Bush?'

Top Ten Cloves: Ways Roger Ailes and Fox News Plans On Ending Its’ Ratings Slump

Keith Olbermann: President Bush’s fear fiction


President Bush’s fear fiction

When A Michelle Malkin Quits The O'Reilly Factor, And No One is Around To Hear it, Does It Make A Sound?

Now, if only Bill O'Reilly would quit The O'Reilly Factor ...

Talk among yourselves ...

Think Progress: Malkin quits The O’Reilly Factor.

Inside Cable News: Malkin quits The Factor…

Tbogg: The death of hard-hitting journalism as we have come to know it...


Bonus Malkin Internment Camp-Endorsing Links

Sadly No: Stalkin’ Malkin Is Losing It

Digby: What, Me Worry?

Mirror, Mirror ... She's Still The Sickest! ... But The Bush Grindhouse Is Gaining Ground ... Follow-Up On The Graeme Frost Conflagration

Top Ten Cloves: If Juan Williams Had Taken President Bush To Sylvia's Restaurant In Harlem

News Item: Bush cherry picks Juan Williams for an interview and NPR refuses

10. Right off the bat, President nervous - Doesn't know whether to say "Hello" or "Hola"

9. President Bush surprised that Sylvia was no different than any other restaurant in Washington DC

8. CNN's Rick Sanchez would be standing outside, screaming at the top of his lungs, that he should be doing the interview

7. Williams starts bashing Ludacris and Snoop Dog and the President smiles, not knowing what-the-hell he was talking about and makes a mental note to check The Google when he got home

6. Sylvia, in advance of the visit, would have a special, phonetically-enhanced menu for the President

5. During the interview, Williams gets rattled when he thinks he sees a Phony Black Leader come into the restaurant

4. Williams would begin asking the President about how awful the Jena situation is and President would get defensive, telling Williams to leave his daughter out of the interview

3. Showing his Compassionate Conservatism, President Bush would ask the other patrons if their childrens were learning

2. To impress the President, Williams might order some "M-fer" Iced Tea

1. Bush starts thinking of a new nickname he could give himself, like "Soul Prez" or "Most Def Prez"

Bonus Links

Dan Froomkin: Bush's Media Cherry Picking

Howard Kurtz: NPR Rebuffs White House On Bush Talk; Radio Network Wanted To Choose Its Interviewer

Top Ten Cloves: Other Things Kayne West Knows That President Bush Doesn't Care About

A Lot of Heads ... A Lot of Asses ... And A Whole Boatload of Pulling

Geesh, where's the Freak Show been hiding this guy?

Does he have an eye patch, ala Ann Coultergist? ...Or is he just the passive butt-kisser, ala Little Billy Kristolnacht?

It looks like this weekend is shaping up to be a "Pulling-Your-Head-Out-Of-Your-Ass-Palooza"

Astonishingly, Philadelphia Daily News columnist Stu Bykofsky put into print the ultimate (well, maybe No.2. - Attacking Iran is still pretty high up there) Neocon wet dream, in his missive on Thursday, "To save America, we need another 9/11"

My God, does he know what this does?

No doubt, the Vice President's chest started thumping like the Grambling State Marching Band ... Rick Santorum snapped on his beanie cap and dug out his "How To Find WMD's" kit ... Kate O’Beirne, the poor dear, got cramps, sitting in front of the mirror, practicing pursing her lips in disdain, in anticipation of being next week's pin-up girl on the cable news programs ... Bill O'Reilly... Well, Bill-O didn't quite know what to do with his loofah in the morning shower, he was so trembling with excitement ...

And, equally sublime, the Freak Show and Smear Machines rolled out the red carpet for good, ol' Stu.

The Sludge Report ... Fox Noise (a double hit - morning show and with the Big Head, John Gibson) ... Townhall ...

The gist of Stu's pornography is that the country is torn apart, not following in lockstep our The Commander Guy, and rallying around his lying that led to the invasion and occupation of a sovereign nation.

We were there, right after September 11th, but "America likes wars shorter than the World Series."

And this;

America's fabric is pulling apart like a cheap sweater.

What would sew us back together?

Another 9/11 attack.

The Golden Gate Bridge. Mount Rushmore. Chicago's Wrigley Field. The Philadelphia subway system. The U.S. is a target-rich environment for al Qaeda.

So, rather than having an Executive Branch (both Bush's and Cheney's) that doesn't lie, obscure, hide and conduct the nation's affairs in secret, out CIA agents, smear and destroy critics, one that will uphold the law, respect the Constitution, not overrule legislation with Signing Statements, we should endure and suffer another horrible deadly attack in order to break out the jingoistic pom-poms again.

And to help Stu along, today's Que Sera Sera moment?

Good morning. In America, August is considered a slow news month. But in the war on terror, America and our allies remain on the offense against our enemies. And this month, we've had some encouraging news from both Afghanistan and Iraq

The Commander Guys' Weekly Radio Address.

Too bad Stu didn't direct his outrage where the disaster he desires is already occurring ...The utter destruction of the U.S. Constitution ... There's a whole lot of carnage there that he can drool over ...

Bonus Links

Think Progress: Right-Wing Media Give Favorable Platform To ‘Another 9/11′ Columnist

Newshounds: Lunacy 101: Stu Bykofsky Suggests That Another 9-11 Attack Would Bring Us All Together!

Larisa Alexandrovna: Bush declares Congress, courts, and, rule of law null and void...

Truthout: Executive Order: Blocking Property of Certain Persons Who Threaten Stabilization Efforts in Iraq

Everybody, Give A Big Hand! ... Let's Welcome NBC's David Gregory To The Freak Show!

Boy, this one nearly knocked me off my seat.

No doubt, the blood sugar may have been a bit low, the morning caffeine hadn’t kicked in yet, and there was the inevitable let down of seeing the Cheneypalooza end last night.

What was this dizzying, shocking, surprising entity that provided this momentary dysfunction?

NBC's David Gregory thinks we just need to "strip away" Ann Coulter's inflammatory rhetoric to listen to her points

Boy, David, as Desi would say to Lucy, you got some 'splainin' to do.

Do we have to get John Fund, Dorothy Rabinowitz or Richard Cohen to meet up with you, offering instructions on pulling your head out of your ass? Or can you manage that on your own?

Are you miffed, that the slobbering, fawning, drooling Chris Matthews didn't included a Rap segment on his show with The Coulterzilla the other day? Something you could have just happened to drop by on, and flash those same suave moves you displayed when dancing with Karl Rove?

And this isn't the first time you've used the Rightside/Freak Show smear points in your reporting.

This talk with Elizabeth Edwards ... You dragged out the now-ever-so-tired slam of the expensive haircut, paid speeches (though, to be "fair and balanced", no mention of Rudy911 and his goldmine speaking tour) and then chided Mrs. Edwards that she should have pushed aside all the bullshit Coulterzilla was firing at her and pay attention to "the point she's trying to make" behind it

To her credit, Mrs. Edwards, after laughing at Gregory, delivered a crisp response that basically said "Hey, if you want to side with Coulter, and you don't like my husband, don't vote for him"

Interesting also, in defending Coulterzilla, Gregory left out of the interview how Coulterzilla, just a few days ago, put forth “if I’m going to say anything about John Edwards in the future, I’ll just wish he had been killed in a terrorist assassination plot.”

What was the point behind that one, Gregory?

So David, are you going to go for the gold watch with the Peacock Network, or do we soon see a Press Release fired out on you joining Fox News?

You certainly seem to be going out of your way to impress them.

To steal from a Fox Noise program, "The Most Ridiculous Item of the Day"










Links

Mrs. Edwards responds to Coulter; June 28: She talks to NBC's David Gregory about the clash with Ann and how she hopes "people will speak out" against hate speech (Video)

Edwards equates Coulter’s words to racist ones; Presidential candidate’s wife calls commentator’s remarks ‘hate language’

Losers

Bloggers Are Foul-Mouthed Cranks

Bashing Elizabeth Edwards