Obama spokesman Bill Burton utterly dismantled Fox Noise political operative Megyn Kelly in the clip above. Priceless. And surreal. Is there anyone in this country who still believes some hairdo chanting “fair and balanced” means Fox is actually fair and balanced? Talk about doublespeak. Her efforts to shake Burton were another EPIC FAIL, just like everything else the McCain campaign has tried.
I don’t know how these Fox Noise employees can lie so repeatedly without shame, but that’s what they do. They’re not journalists, they’re paid political prostitutes. There’s no reason for an Obama administration, should he keep his lead and win, to give them wide access any more than they would give wide access to a supermarket tabloid or Hollywood gossip show. Covering the White House comes with a certain amount of professional integrity, which Fox Noise employees clearly lack. (Like duh, or they wouldn’t work for Fox Noise.) Frankly, the National Enquirer has more journalistic bona fides than Fox Noise, come to think about it.
Change is coming. There are many serious problems facing this country, but I’d imagine Congress could make time for hearings on media oligarchies at some point. I’d like to see this sorry episode played for some Fox Noise executives, perhaps they could enlighten some members on how this sort of blatant campaigning for John McCain constitutes journalism.
And no, pointing at the “EM ESS EM” and bleating “liberal bias” isn’t going to cut it any more. The truth hurts, and the truth is biased, as they say. All the lies, all the corruption, all the incessant demagoguery and nastiness that is the modern Republican Party has now caught up with what was once the party of Lincoln, leaving it and its allies exposed to face the full wrath of the American voting public.
And yes, News Corpse is entitled to First Amendment protection, just like supermarket tabloids and gossip shows. You can basically spew any old nonsense that strikes your fancy when it comes to public figures. That doesn’t mean anyone else in the traditional media or government has to treat Fox Noise and Rupert Murdoch’s little stable of hacks at the Wall Street Journal editorial page with anything but the contempt they so richly deserve.
It’s all one big top-down Republican media machine, and while they’re pressing all the levers marked “scary” and “socialist” and such, it’s not working. That’s why they’re so frightened and angry. One can only imagine the self-loathing some of these MiniTru workers must feel as the Ponzi scheme and the big con game fall apart at the same moment in history.
The Fox Wall is threatening to come down on their sorry apparatchik heads. Time to head for the dachas and party like it’s 1991.
(Props to Jed L. at Daily Kos for catching the video.)
We have to realize once Obama wins the landscape will change. It’s will be easy to shut Fox and the talk radio up forever.
Their already working on this.
Faux news:
Loudly proclaiming that they are fair and balanced.
Hey, you Faux news idiots, yelling that you are fair and balanced wont’ make it so. The pathetic study you cited has already been debunked. anyone with a brain can see the bias seeping out form the frothy lies and unbalanced coverage.
Let’s tell the truth: Faux news is unfair and unbalanced. And this news anchor just disproves her own point in her partisan attacks – she is so dumb she does not even realize she is being played.
@1 Henry:
I actually think it is importnt to let Faux news keep talking. It serves a good purpose to show how out of the mainstream they are. supporting tax cuts for the rich in the face of a depression is beyond stupid. Trying to have the same economic policies that have failed is also beyond stupid.
I like being able to listen to the idiots on Faux news try and explain away the last 8 years of record budget deficits, unnecessary war, human rights violations, torture, corruption, Abramoff, Stevens and the nomination of a complete incompetent (palin). My favorite is when they try to explain why they are unbiased….that is just precious. she was wonderful – the socialism issue is an issue because we (Faux News) want to call Obama a socialist. yup AND they are not biased…hahahahaha
The media aren’t biased in favor of liberals, but the truth is.
A president can decide who may attend press conferences, or to not hold press conferences at all. Access is discretionary; the White House doesn’t have to give access to anyone. President Obama doesn’t have to invite GOP operatives into the Press Briefing Room, and how is Faux Noise different from GOP operatives? I say don’t let ’em in. If they want to know what President Obama said, they can read about it in a reputable newspaper like everyone else.
Fair and Balanced review:
The blond got all emotional, Mr Burton stayed calm and on point and handed her pretty little head to right back to her.
She did say that sarcasm did not fly on Fox. Does she watch Bill-O?
As Stephen Colbert says, “The truth has a well known liberal bias.”
There’s lots and lots and lots and lots of “redistribution of wealth” going on right now…out of ordinary peoples’ pockets and into some mysterious bottomless pit of corporate greed and failure.
The really bizarre part is how these two seem to be re-enacting Monty Python’s “argument clinic” sketch, while simultaneously hitting on each other.
Wasn’t it Fox that won the court case saying that they didn’t have to tell the truth? I haven’t taken them seriously since.
Jon, you’re basically correct, but I don’t think Bill Burton handled it as well as he could have. Sen. Obama’s tax plan is a variation on the Earned Income Tax Credit, which we’ve had in this country for 30 years, is largely regarded to have been a success and has had broad support from both political parties. If Obama’s tax plan is “socialism,” then we’ve been a socialist country for decades.
Bill Burton didn’t make this point clear: i.e. that Sen. Obama isn’t proposing anything that we haven’t already been doing for decades, thus there’s no reason for anyone to be afraid of it.
Where you are correct, Jon, is the fact that Bill Burton ought not be put in a position of having to make this point by answering questions from someone who calls herself a news anchor. If Megyn Kelly doesn’t already know that Sen. Obama’s tax plan is a variation on the Earned Income Tax Credit, then she has absolutely no business believing that she is a legitimate member of the press.
The purpose of a news organization is to inform, not inflame. When a news organization does little more than fan the flames of enmity and hatred, then it is failing to fulfill its fundamental purpose. In this regard, Fox Noise fails to fulfill its fundamental purpose on a daily, almost hourly, basis.
Worse yet, citing public opinion polls in support of one’s claim of being “fair and balanced,” is specious at best, downright dishonest at worst. Truth is not a popularity contest, and pointing out that a large number of people believe your lies doesn’t magically transform your lies into truth.
Here’s what Karl Marx said:
From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs. Sounds mighty close to what O-blah-blah has been spewing, doesn’t it?
When you talk like Karl Marx…folks might just think you have a Marxist philosophy.
Here is a Michelle Obama quote:
“The Truth is, in order to get things like Universal Health Care and a revamped Education System, SOMEONE is going to have to give up a piece of the pie, so that someone else can have more.”
Clearly, the O-blah-blah’s mentality is redistribution of wealth…rather than GROWING the economy. The Socialist/Marxist belief is the Economic Pie is FINITE! The fact is the ECONOMIC PIE can & will grow. Totally different outlook toward economic. The FINITE ECONOMIC PIE attitude is prevalent among TEAM HORSESASS. It’s an attitude of jealousy & envy of those who have.
40% of Americans don’t pay Federal INCOME Tax. O-blah-blah wants that to grow….it’s called WELFARE and creates his power base of DEPENDENCY! O-blah-blah is nothing more than a slick, reinvented Jesse Jackson.
“FROM EACH ACCORDING TO HIS ABILITY, TO EACH ACCORDING TO HIS NEEDS”
—Karl Marx
@12
Thanks for the primer on Marx: Now on to the real news: The richest americans have gotten richer and richer and the corporate taxes that many of the richest corporations pay is a lot less than the actual rate due to all the tax breaks the republicans have put in the tax bills.
Here is the short American tax plan proposed by Obama and ignored by right wingnuts like cynical:
Pay your fair share! Tax breaks for people earning under 250K – everyone over that amount can afford to pay more. Why should most americans pay more so the very rich can skate free and buy their yachts? In a time of economic crisis cynical, Mccain and the republicans want the people who are hurting the most to sacrifice – and the rich to keep gettin the tax breaks the republicans gave them.
Quit talking about Marx – no one believes you and explain how your guys plan (the same one he could not stomach or vote for 8 years ago) is fair.
You can’t explain it so you talk about socialism and Marx even though the progressive tax has been in the US for close to 100 years. You are full of BS.
CNR–
Obama plans to shift the tax burden even more!
When 40% of Americans pay ZERO Federal Income Tax…and Obama wants that to be even more, it’s called welfare.
You KLOWNS try to cloud the Income Tax picture by attempting to call Social Security/Medicare INCOME taxes. They are not. It’s a seperately funded program…and does not go toward general government services.
Yet it appears to be the only shallow avenue you have to try to justify REFUNDABLE INCOME TAX CREDITS as anything but welfare.
Obviously this Election is about Class Warfare. Obama has made it that…which would make Karl Marx very, very proud!
The reason you guys hate Fox News is that it has the unmitigated gall to not be fawning over everything liberal and “progressive,” (read “socialist”). Fox News is not some Neo-socialist organization pandering to the Dems and their Neo-socialist agenda.
You hate Sarah Palin because she’s not some crazy liberal woman like Hillary, and, if McCain wins, Palin might eventually be the first woman prez. That would kill the “Cult of Hillary,” and would be sweet indeed.
You hate Joe the Plumber ’cause he’s not being a good “prole” and sucking the Milk Chocolate Messiah’s dick like he should.
You hate O’Reilly because his Irish-American Catholicism believes in personal responsibility, and the Neo-socialists here have never believed in personal responsibility.
In short, you people are a pathetic bunch of zeros with irrational hatred of people and ideas that dare to be different from your belief set.
The best thing about Obama is that he’s not Hillary Clinton.
Hate Palin? No. She’s just not qualified for high office. Hate Joe the plumber? How? By pointing out that he’s not a plumber, nor is he qualified to be a plumber.
Socialists? Last year the left was called fascists. Make up your fucking mind. Irrational hatred? No, what’s going on is irrational name-calling.
Obama plans on rewriting the Constitution through appointment of like minded people.
The New Constitution will mandate the right of our people to earn a deceit wage and ownership of a home and free medical for all.
Please don’t go to work on election day and get everyone out to vote.
[Deleted]
12, 13, 15 Here’s what Groucho Marx said:
“That’s the most ridiculous thing I ever hoid…”
Sen. Obama doesn’t sound like Karl Marx any more than the word “caterpillar” sounds like the word “catastrophe.”
The Republican rhetorical cheap trick is to avoid discussing the particulars and economic effects of Sen. Obama’s actual policy proposals in the hopes that Americans won’t notice that the Republican policy emperor isn’t wearing any clothes.
Marx never actually advocated any form of wealth distribution. Max advocated doing away with the notion of wealth entirely. The only way to make Obama’s policy proposals sound like Karl Marx is to ignore this not-even-subtle difference between the two sets of ideas.
The Republican argument is the equivalent of noticing that baseballs and basketballs are both round and concluding that baseballs and basketballs are really the same thing. They would have us ignore the fact that you can’t dribble a baseball and the fact that you can’t hit a basketball out of the park.
The words “caterpillar” and “catastrophe” do actually share a syllable. But they don’t sound at all alike, and they sure as hell don’t mean the same thing.
Pea Eye @ 16
The reason you guys manufacture those rationalizations is because you can’t win any arguments based on the facts.
But, you know, I’m more than happy to let conservatives try to win policy arguments by doing everything possible to avoid discussing the actual policies and their effects. The majority of Americans are catching on to this bullshit. That dog won’t hunt.
[Deleted]
Well, until recently we thought we would never be able to retire. I understand with the majority of Dems in congress we will be given enough money so we can actually retire. Has anyone heard about this?
@24 – Save your money and don’t worry about government security. I know a lot of people who retired before they were 40, and I know others who are still working into their 60’s and 70’s. It has more to do with personal preparation and how successful your career was than anything the government can do. The best thing government can do is let you keep your money and plan your retirement for yourself. 401K a joke. Social Security a joke. Learn to live on half your current salary, quit buying houses and cars, video game consoles and furniture you can’t afford and invest your money wisely.
@15
I’ve been curious about this claim that 40% of filers don’t pay taxes. So I did some digging.
You also indicate that you think refundable tax credits are welfare. And you also imply that those 40% who aren’t paying taxes should start.
The questions I had were 1) Do 40% really not pay any taxes? 2) If so, why?
Turns out that this is true. A very good study was done at :
http://www.taxfoundation.org/r...../1410.html
One of the most interesting things in the study is :
So tax credits to those with children at lower income levels would amount to welfare if we follow your logic and assertions above.
When George W took office, those with zero or negative tax liability was roughly 25% of filers. In 2006 it was up to over 40%. Not all were covered by the increased tax credit.
Second interesting thing is that the top 10 states with the highest percentage of zero or negative tax liability per filers are :
1) Mississippi
2) Louisiana
3) Arkansas
4) New Mexico
5) Alabama
6) Texas
7) Montana
8) Oklahoma
9) South Carolina
10) Georgia
It’s interesting how these overlap with Red states. An interesting corollary would be the states that receive the most federal dollars per capita……
Lastly, the demographics are the saddest part.
Of those with zero to negative tax liability :
92.9% earn < $20k/year
55.9% were under 24 or over 55 years of age
78.3% are white, non-hispanic
What can we learn from this? Well in some ways Mr. Cynical has a point. The tax base is shrinking and fast. If left on trend the tax system will crumble, and shortly.
On the other hand, current republican tax policy has increased the ranks of zero to negative tax liability filers substantially (60% increase in 8 years). So while the economy grew (ever so slightly) many more people were left out of participation. I think this handily repudiates Republican tax policy. If you look at the graphs, Reagan, Bush 1 & 2 grew the numbers substantially. Clinton by and large held it flat.
I do agree with Mr. Cynical in that we can’t keep on this course, and we can’t expand the roles of those not paying. The question is, do you make people making less than $20k a year start to pay? Do you take the child credit welfare away? Or do you work hard to provide opportunities for those who make so little to earn more so they can join the ranks of those that pay?
If you think it’s the latter, then increasing the buying power of the many middle income Americans will have a far greater impact than continuing to increase the buying power of the very few rich a la supply side economics.
21 “..invest your money wisely”
Uhhhh…where? You say SS is “a joke”, then you say the same about 401k’s. Guess that’s pretty much admitting that the Wall St. pros can’t do any better job of taking care of our money than Uncle Sam can, right? What’s the alternative?
Oh…maybe you’re one of those guys who’s been dabbling in the market himself, hasn’t been clobbered yet and still thinks that means he’s hotter shit than all those MBA’s and money wizards whose job supposedly is to take investors’ money and make it grow. Either that, or you’re putting your money in a mattress (or some equivalent) and letting it sit while inflation eats it up just like a bunch of hungry rats. Or, perhaps you’ve stashed away some precious metals. If things get really rough, you’ll find they won’t be very good eating, no matter how much Tabasco you put on ’em.
We’re all in for a major screwing, folks. The crack o’ dawn ain’t safe.
Don Joe @ 22,
You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about, asshole. I am not a conservative. If you had noticed any of my other posts concerning such issues as death with dignity, getting involved in useless foreign adventures, and the stupid drug laws, you may have picked-up on that little item.
I watch Fox News simply because they do the best job of reporting the news. I got tired, long ago, of listening to Dan Rather, Peter Jennings, Tom Brokaw and others giving their opinions of the daily news items and calling it reporting.
Folks here don’t like people like O’Reilly because he actually believes in personal responsibility. Something that Neo-socialists like the usual suspects on this blog don’t know much about. Case in point: Barney Frank is connected to the mess at Freddie Mac and Fanny Mae, yet he won’t admit any guilt or responsibility. O’Reilly even has a tape of Barney from July, 2008, pontificating that Freddie and Fannie were “sound.” Now Frank the Buffoon is running for re-election in MA touting his wondrous knowledge of financial matters and how wonderful he is. The fucking idiot is actually selling himself as a savior when he’s one of the first guys in the line-up of perps!
Go ahead and watch all those elitist talking heads in the traditional media. But if you want to hear and see the news, however, try Fox.