Free Republic

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, facing a likely defeat in next Tuesday's primary election, won't travel to Kentucky before the voting, but said he hopes to have much more time to win over Kentucky voters before the November general election. He also blamed Fox News for disseminating "rumors" about him and said that that and e-mails filled with misinformation that have been "systematically" dispersed have hurt him in Kentucky. "When we're able to campaign in a place like Iowa for several months and I can visit and talk to people individually, I do very well. That's harder...

FBN 05/15/2008 08:03:42: ...average gasoline prices at the pump, $3.77 this morning, but it isn't the local gas station making a ton of money. this morning we're joined by mallory duncan merchants payments coalition welcome, mallory. tell us a little what's going on with that local gas station. everyone thinks because of prices of gasoline going higher these guys are making a lot more money, is that necessarily the case?

Fox News, or as I prefer to call it, Faux News, fired an intern for revealing the bias we all have toward the GOP. As MSNBC's Don Abrams said, she apparently did not get the memo that said that on Faux News, "you are supposed to pretend you are fair and balanced." The production assistant, identified as Jennifer Locke, was on assignment with a camera crew to cover the Time 100 Party. Locke: "John McCain, Fox News." McCain: "Fox News, I'm always glad to talk to Fox News." Locke: "I voted for you in the primary." McCain: "Thank you very...

TVNewser Exclusive: A 24-year-old Fox News Channel production assistant was fired this morning for something she said during the red carpet arrivals at the Time 100 Gala last night. Insiders tell us the assistant, identified as Jennifer Locke, was on assignment with a camera crew to cover the entertainment angle of the event. When Sen. John McCain walked by, the assistant said, "I voted for you in the primary, you're going to win." McCain was overheard saying to her, "You're not supposed to reveal that." Locke apparently continued to explain that she is the daughter of Vietnam veteran. Insiders who...

Wonder why the Republicans seem dead and dispirited? Why not look at Kemp and Gingrich? Fox puffs these two as authorative Republican voices. Jack Kemp had 17 years in the House but he quit 20 years ago. He seemed to run for VP and finally Dole decided (1996)he should have this chance. Both were easily defeated by a younger and more personable man. What Kemp has to offer is allegedly some supply side economics. Actually, if you listen to him he has a series of platitudes that would place him left of center in the Republican Pary. Besides being dull,...

Back in the day I was learning afresh of this wondrous new thing called blogging. As a callow-headed newbie, I took a shot at what users of Freerepublic.com refer to as a vanity post. My target was the execrable Howard Brush Dean III, MD and my post was entitled “It’s The Condescension, Stupid.” This was written back in 2004. I felt concerned back then that Dr. Dean would be spending the next four years writing a prescription that would clobber America the way he and those of his repugnant ilk would like to see us clobbered. It was also right...

Have you considered the delicious hypocrisy of Democrat presidential candidates that months ago refused to participate in debates sponsored by Fox News now practically lining up to appear on the cable news channel?Chris Wallace certainly has, and on the most recent installment of "Fox News Sunday," asked Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean about this sudden change of heart by folks who just months ago were depicting the station as too biased to bother with.What follows is a partial transcript of this segment (video embedded right):

SOUTH BEND, Indiana -- Well, it took nearly 12 years, but I finally convinced Sen. Hillary Clinton to speak with me on television. Emboldened by Barack Obama's "Rev. Wright" disaster, the senator is aggressively reaching out to independent voters, many of whom watch "The Factor." After meeting and speaking with her face to face, my assessment is that health care is Clinton's strongest issue and Iran is her weakest. Polls show that most Americans are fed up with exorbitant medical costs and a callous insurance industry. So any presidential candidate who offers relief from this mess will get a hearing....

The nation’s top Democrats are suddenly rushing to appear on the Fox News Channel, which they once had shunned as enemy territory as the nemesis of liberal bloggers. The detente with Fox has provoked a backlash from progressive bloggers, who contend the party’s leaders are turning their backs on the base — and lending credibility and legitimacy to the network liberals love to hate — in a quest for a few swing votes. In a span of eight days, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY.) and Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean are all taking their seats...

Independents and Republicans are free to vote in next Tuesday’s Indiana Democratic primary – the latest do-or-die test for Hillary Clinton. And Independents and Republicans – along with a healthy dose of Archie Bunker Democrats and a scattering of masochistic liberals – also constitute the core of Bill O’Reilly audience. So, in a way, her appearance on his show Wednesday night was a logical exercise in voter outreach. But that’s only if you ignore history. O’Reilly, whose Fox News program debuted (in a different time slot and with precious few viewers) way back in 1996, has spent the better part...

Love Birds!!!Just a year ago, Fox News Channel was considered a pariah in many Democratic circles. But it appears that the cable news network is no longer in the doghouse. Consider this week: On Sunday, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) made a long-awaited appearance on "Fox News Sunday," a booking that host Chris Wallace had been seeking for more than two years. (The show airs on both the Fox broadcasting network and its sister cable channel.) On Wednesday, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) granted her first interview to Bill O'Reilly, a commentator viewed with antipathy by much of the left,...

The D.C. Chapter's Tenth Annual FReep of the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) Dinner took place on Saturday afternoon and evening on April 26, 2008. In attendance were Kristinn, Staytrue, gunsareok, Doctor Raoul, Jimmy Valentine’s Brother, Angelwood, Mrs. Trooprally, BufordP, bmwcycle, Rongkirby, Discodave, Dinosour. Our theme was "An Inconvenient Truth" where we pointed out many truths the media may find inconvenient. I think pictures and videos do a better job of reporting than a narrative so here they are. (all photos are courtesy of Mrs. Trooprally). First up is Doctor Raoul and JVB manning their customary position on the Northeast...

Want to see how the mainstream media views Fox News? Look no further than Newsweek's Howard Fineman and the way he thinks the Bush administration uses the network. Fineman, who is Newsweek magazine's senior Washington correspondent and a regular on MSNBC, told an audience at the Politics & Prose Bookstore in Washington, D.C. on May 1 that if you want to know what the Bush administration has in store for Iran, keep your eye on Fox News. "Now about Iran," Fineman said. "I think there's no doubt they're [the Bush administration] looking to see what can be done there and...

Some supporters say Clinton, Obama had nothing to gain by appearing on Fox TV - Presidential candidates rarely turn down a network television interview, especially on a highly rated program. But some prominent liberals are wondering why Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama agreed this week to sit down for interviews on the Fox News Channel, for years the highest-rated cable news network and the bastion of conservative TV news analysis. The dilemma for the candidates: Is appearing on Fox a smart political move before Democratic primaries in two largely conservative states - Indiana and North Carolina - or...

Presidential candidates rarely turn down a network television interview, especially on a highly rated program. But some prominent liberals are wondering why Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama agreed this week to sit down for interviews on the Fox News Channel, for years the highest rated cable news network and the bastion of conservative TV news analysis. The dilemma for the candidates: Is appearing on Fox a smart political move before Democratic primaries in two largely conservative states - Indiana and North Carolina - or not worth the effort to court what could be a small amount of persuadable...

Just Saw the Hillary Interview on O'Reilly Factor. Gone with the Wind!!! That's what it reminded me of! Such Love! Look in my eyes he said to her! Tell me the truth. She smiled and looked in his eyes! Kept lying. He couldn't tell. O'Reilly did everything in his Power to SIGNAL to Indiana Voters that Hillary is ONE OF THEM. Land of the Fighting Irish. You are Irish, I am Irish, we got that Irish thing going on in the Land of the Irish! Says you will bankrupt the Healthcare politely. She repeats her BS. He ends by saying,...

O'Reilly says Clinton interview is 'toughest she's ever done' On "The Radio Factor" today, Bill O'Reilly gave a sneak preview of his interview with Hillary Clinton, which will air tonight and Thursday on Fox's "The O'Reilly Factor." (via Johnny Dollar) "This is, without a doubt, the toughest interview she's ever done," O'Reilly said today on the air. O'Reilly asks Clinton about why Obama is more popular as a person than her, gas prices, foreign policy, and has the "biggest shootout" over "sanctuary cities." And of course, Rev. Wright. O'REILLY: Can you believe this Reverend Wright guy? Can you believe this...

Bill's interview with Hillary tonight was a lovefest. She was all pretty in pink. He either doesn't know the Clinton record, or he is 100% into Operation Chaos. This may be the most positive video experience of Hillary's life. One example of a missed opportunity was when she told Bill that she would raise his taxes as a "rich guy" (over $250k) so she could lower it for "hardworking middleclass" prople. Bill apparently doesn't know that this is one of Bill Clinton's famous broken campaign promises. Bill Clinon's quote on why he did't make the cut,"I work as hard on...

Hillary Clinton, in her first appearance on FOX News’ “The O’Reilly Factor,” said Barack Obama made the right move by condemning Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. but that she was still offended by the pastor’s statements. In the first part of a two-part interview — the second will air at 8 p.m. ET Thursday on FOX News — Clinton also defended her stances on health care and oil companies and sought to burnish her image as a “fighter” candidate. Asked about Wright, Clinton said it’s up to voters to decide whether the mounting controversy over Obama’s retired pastor should impact the...

With two big Fox News interviews this week--Obama/ Wallace last Sunday, and Clinton/ O'Reilly this Wednesday--progressive Democrats aren't likely to be pleased that the party's candidates are spending so much time on Rupert Murdoch's cable network. So right after the news broke of Clinton's upcoming appearance on "The O'Reilly Factor," I caught up with Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas to get his take. "Democrats are being idiotic by going on that network," Moulitsas said by phone. "It’s the sort of stupidity you’re not going to see from John McCain." Indeed, Moulitsas said that Daily Kos is a site that's hostile...

Hillary on O'Reilly for a whole hour. Will this be more coddling and softball treatment?

Last week, NewsBusters reported the peculiar occurrence of former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich appearing alongside current Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a global warming ad funded by Nobel Laureate Al Gore's Alliance for Climate Protection. Included in this piece was an explanation the former Speaker offered at his website regarding this matter which sparked largely uncomplimentary reactions in the rightosphere as well as from conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh. Two days later, Gingrich appeared on Fox News's "O'Reilly Factor," and answered Rush (video embedded right): I disagree fundamentally with Rush on this question because I believe we have...

At the White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday night, one of the biggest laugh lines was Scottish comedian Craig Ferguson hitting Fox News: I spoke to a lot of journalists about how I should speak up here. And all the journalists said “Craig, Your duty is to speak truth to power. That's what you do, you hold the truth up for everyone to see, that’s your job.” I'm sorry. I don’t see it that way. That’s your job. You’re journalists. I’m a late night television show guy. I make up crap that isn't true then I say it on TV....

Hillary to appear on O'Reilly Wednesday night. This will be Clinton's first-ever appearance on Fox News.

Election '08: Barack Obama's interview on "Fox News Sunday" showed a liberal uncomfortable with the truth. He is often compared to JFK, a leader who made tough choices. But Obama turns out to be a profile in porridge. When Obama's pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, was asked by Bill Moyers in a PBS interview about Obama's attempt to separate himself from Wright's anti-American and racist remarks in Obama's Philadelphia speech, Wright said: "I do what I do. He does what politicians do. So that what happened in Philadelphia where he had to respond to the sound bites, he responded as...

At Daily Kos this afternoon, BarbinMD asks a good question: why has Obama spent a longer time away from Daily Kos than he has from Fox News? I would be remiss if I didn't mention the shout out that Daily Kos received during the interview. It seems that for some reason, the senator is less willing to take on our commenters than he is Chris Wallace. It's now been 922 days since his last visit. Is it time to borrow from Fox News and start our own "Obama Watch?" After all, we never pushed the "Barack is a Muslim, Marxist,...

Has the Factor's coverage of Barack Obama been too easy, fair, or too hard? Too easy Fair Too hard

Though inroads are being made, the mainstream media still pulls the strings of a large percentage of voters. I sympathetically understand how this happens. Folks go to work, take their kids to soccer, watch the evening news and read the newspaper. The media feeds them an out of context sound bite here, a doctored photo there and wa-lah they've created a puppet supportive of their agenda. My family gatherings seem more like ventriloquist acts. Relatives move their lips, but the latest media spin comes out. Here are a few of these puppeteer's most popular lies. “Every man given the opportunity...

In an interview with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday, Barack Obama again fabricated the background of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright to try to excuse his longtime pastor’s denunciations of America and of whites. Referring to racial discrimination, violence, and segregation, Obama said Wright “went through experiences that I never went through.” In his speech on race in Philadelphia, Obama made similar claims. He described a “lack of economic opportunity among black men, and the shame and frustration that came from not being able to provide for one’s family . . .” Obama said this was “the reality in which...

I am more than willing to give Barack Obama props for having gone on Fox News Sunday to discuss campaign issues with Chris Wallace. As most political observers know, the folks on the other side of the partisan divide don't particularly like it when any of their own go on Fox--they seem to think that it would be best to boycott the station and let it suffer in the ratings and in the revenue department. The fact that this plan has failed thus far does not deter them, but in any event, if you really want to get your message...

The program should air NOW (9pm ET) and repeat at 12 midnight ET on Fox News.

The Fox News Sunday interview is over. And Obama didn't take on Fox at all in any meaningful sense. On Friday, a senior Obama adviser responded to criticism of his decision to go on Fox with a bunch of tough talk, saying that Obama knew full well that Fox has been at the forefront of spreading "the most specious of rumors" (i.e., lies) about Obama and vowing that he would "take Fox on." Well, it didn't happen. Obama definitely pushed back hard on some of Chris Wallace's questions, but at no point did he draw attention to Fox's spreading of...

It seems like a long time ago that Barack Obama delivered these stirring words in the wake of his victory in the Iowa caucuses: On this January night - at this defining moment in history - you have done what the cynics said we couldn't do. You have done what the state of New Hampshire can do in five days. You have done what America can do in this New Year, 2008. In lines that stretched around schools and churches; in small towns and big cities; you came together as Democrats, Republicans and Independents to stand up and say that...

MSNBC's Dan Abrams and the folks in the liberal blogosphere are going to be very disappointed tomorrow when they witness what Chris Wallace says was "a very friendly exchange" between the "Fox News Sunday" host and Democrat presidential candidate Barack Obama. In fact, despite what Talking Points Memo reported Friday concerning Obama doing the program to "take on Fox," as well as Jonathan Kim's ("Fox Attacks") recommendation on MSNBC's "Verdict" that the junior senator from Illinois should "[go] on and just [attack] them," it appears Chris and Barack had an exceedingly civil and informative discussion about the campaign and the...

Tonight is the 94th annual WH Correspondents' Dinner. Great stuff. Tune if if you can and enjoy!

Chris Wallace must be happy... Fishbowl DC has learned that Sen. Barack Obama will finally appear on Fox News Sunday this weekend. A pre-taped interview is slated to take place Saturday in Marion, Indiana. You'll recall that Wallace started the "Obama Watch" in March (and even put notice of it on his office door) and dated it back to May 2006, when Wallace said Obama agreed to a face-to-face interview on Fox News Sunday. Obama has largely avoided Fox throughout the campaign, although things changed on January 9 when he did do an interview with the cable news network. We...

Fred Thompson was superb last night on Fox News in responding to Sean Hannity's very legitimate questions about Obama, his politics, electability, and overall qualifications as President, Commander In Chief. NOTE: Barack Obama's refusal to appear on Fox News despite repeated requests, invitations from Fox News seems as if it might finally come to an end as he is currently scheduled to appear on Fox News Sunday.

Last evening, Chicago's Fox News at Nine aired the segment "Cardinal George Talks About Pope's Visit to America." Reporter Nancy Pender's interview with Chicago's Cardinal Francis George included video of Pope Benedict XVI touring the United States as Ms. Pender provided the voice-over: "The Cardinal says the visit reinforced his view of the Pope as a warm, compassionate man, and not the hardline conservative he's reputed to be." CARDINAL GEORGE: None of us is totally responsible for our reputations, it's what you make of it. So if that's the reputation he had, then it turns out not to be entirely...

Amid all the doom and gloom that seems to fill the news of late, here is a neat little statistic that offers a glimmer of hope. Despite years of relentless propaganda and concerted media indoctrination, a majority of Israelis continue to hold patriotic views. In its latest monthly peace index survey for March 2008, Tel Aviv University's Steinmetz Center for Peace Research found that, by a wide margin, the majority of Israeli Jews view Judea and Samaria, the heartland of the Jewish people, as "liberated" rather than "occupied" territory. Summarizing their findings, the researchers noted that, "We were surprised to...

Tony Snow: 'I love the folks at Fox' Despite joining CNN today, Tony Snow said he still has affection for his former colleagues at Fox News, where he worked prior to his stint as President Bush's press secretary "Make no mistake, I love the folks at Fox," Snow told me this afternoon, by phone from Spokane, Washington. "Everybody is going to try and create a Fox and CNN narrative out of this," said Snow, who also mentioned that he "love[s]" Fox News chief Roger Ailes and would "walk over broken glass" for Bill O'Reilly. It's not out of the ordinary...

If you want evidence of CNN’s use of the 2008 primary season to chart its resurgence in the cable TV news wars, look no further than today’s announcement that the Atlanta-based network has hired former White House spokesman Tony Snow as a “political contributor.” Prior to his stint in the Bush administration, which ended last September, Snow was a dominant personality for Fox News. We could tell you about Snow’s background, but it’d be more fun for you to get it from the Fox web site. The info is not likely to be there long. The official word from CNN/U.S....

I was watching the local Fox news affiliate tonight and noticed that when they were showing video of the Pope visiting the synagogue in New York City, that they pixelated the crucifix that he wears. Did anyone else see this? Does Fox have a policy of blurring out religious symbols?

This weekend, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright made his first comments since his public sermons made national headlines. He came out swinging, once again attacking the United States for racism. He also singled out Fox News for criticism. Speaking Saturday at a eulogy for former appellate Judge R. Eugene Pincham, a member of Wright's Trinity United Church of Christ, Wright blamed the Founding Fathers for the woes of blacks today, claiming they “planted slavery and white supremacy in the DNA of this republic.” Wright cited Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who recently said the country has a “congenital birth defect” owing...

CN8’s Barry Nolan says Fox News bigfoot Bill O’Reilly is “a mental case,” and Nolan’s crazy mad that the local Emmy Awards will honor Mr. No Spin Zone at their 31st annual back-slapfest next month. “I am appalled, just appalled,” Nolan told the Track. “He inflates and constantly mangles the truth . . . and his frequent target is the ‘left-leaning’ media - the ones who do report the news fairly. And those are the same people who will be sitting in the room honoring him.” Nolan, citing an Indiana University study that claims O’Reilly - a former Channel 7...

Ladies and gentlemen, the Vice-Pope has taken over the news cycle. In his second interview with a US outlet to emerge over the last 24 hours, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone SDB held an hour-plus chat yesterday with Fox News Channel on his upcoming pilgrimage to the States... alongside Pope Benedict, of course. While the sit-down has yet to air on cable's highest-rated news network, Vatican Radio's let slip a summary: Bertone noted “the Holy See and Washington share many common viewpoints. For example the sense of the value of religion, not only in private life but also in public life”....

John Gibson, the longtime host of “The Big Story,” will continue to have a role on television, the network said, although it appears that his future for now lies mostly on radio

On Fox News this morning Gretchen Carlson and her partners were having some fun describing Hillary’s retreat the claim that a woman was denied pregnancy care because she did not have insurance. The campaign must have prevailed on Fox to have Lanny Davis appear as a “fair and balanced” alternative. He was not fair, he was rude. He was not balanced, he was scornful and tried to silence Gretchen whenever he could. His position was that the deputy sheriff stood behind the story and the claim by the hospital that the woman actually had insurance was not true, or at...

This morning Fox News reported on a character that police had been watching as a possible trouble-maker. He was reported to own "more than a dozen guns and hundreds of rounds of ammo," including "bullets that can take-out tanks." Leaving aside that half the members in my rod and gun club own more guns and ammo. the "tank killer bullets" raised anti-gun stupidity to NPR levels. Shame on Fox. It should know better.

Liberal Group Urges Media to Provide Balanced Coverage By Josiah Ryan CNSNews.com Staff Writer March 28, 2008 (CNSNews.com) - About 22 demonstrators gathered outside the ABC News building in Washington, D.C., on Thursday to deliver a petition reportedly bearing 200,000 signatures of people who agree that "FOX News is a Republican mouthpiece" and that networks, including ABC News, should stop "parroting" the Fox News Channel's talking points. MoveOn.org, a liberal political activism group, sponsored the demonstration and said in a press release that the petitions were delivered to major networks around the country, including CBS and CNN. MoveOn demonstrators urge...

Hear and see the brave hero of the Bosnia sniper encounter !!