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Wrong Michael Steel[e]

January 26, 2010 10:23 am ET by Matt Gertz

This morning, Fox & Friends reported that Michael Steele, chairman of the Republican National Committee, responded to President Obama's call for a three-year freeze on non-national security discretionary spending by stating, "Given Washington Democrats' unprecedented spending binge, this is like announcing you're going on a diet after winning a pie-eating contest."

Unfortunately for Fox & Friends, RNC Chairman Michael Steele didn't give that quote - it was Michael Steel, House minority leader John Boehner's spokesperson, as numerous media outlets have reported.

Following a series of similarly embarrassing errors last year, Fox News issued a memo calling for a "zero tolerance" policy for mistakes. We're still waiting for them to actually implement it.

Tags: Fox News Channel, FOX & Friends

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    • Author by The_Cat (January 26, 2010 10:30 am ET)
      7  
      Zero tolerance policies are already in effect at FOX Propaganda:

      Zero tolerance for factual reporting
      Zero tolerance for lack of partisan spin
      Zero tolerance for admitting error, let alone fixing same
      Zero tolerance for anyone anywhere trying to make America a better place
      Zero tolerance for anyone with a (D)
      Zero tolerance for anyone not white, Christian, hetero and wealthy

      With so little tolerance, it's surprising they get anything at all done...
      Report Abuse
    • Author by DAWUSS (January 26, 2010 11:02 am ET)
         
      That's a little more than a typo, but I doubt that was an intentional mistake.
      Report Abuse
      • Author by goesto11 (January 26, 2010 11:18 am ET)
        1  
        Should it matter if it was intentional?

        Or does zero tolerance not actually mean "zero" tolerance?
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      • Author by NiceguyEddie (January 26, 2010 12:17 pm ET)
           
        Of course not. They only make those when the have the chance to smear a Democrat.

        All the same, zero tolerance means zero tolerance. (Which is why ALL zero-tolerance policies, even one as seemingly sensible as this one, are stupid.)

        (Putting asside that they've utterly ignored it anyway!) ;)

        -------------------------------------------------------------------
        My only zero-tolerance policy: ZERO-TOLERANCE POLICIES!
        Report Abuse
      • Author by MickD (January 26, 2010 1:01 pm ET)
           
        Okay, the typo is one thing (the drunken chyron writer saw Steel and thought Steele) but to show the picture and all. Wouldn't you want to use the Google machine to check?
        Report Abuse
    • Author by vysotsky (January 26, 2010 11:11 am ET)
      10  
      I'm surprised Fox misattributed the quote: it's obviously not Michael Steele's remark, since it lacks both 19th-century folksy racial expressions and clumsy attempts to appeal to the hip hop community.
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    • Author by seahawks123 (January 26, 2010 1:17 pm ET)
        2
      You know I heard GMA say the exact quote this morning and attribute it to the RNC chairman as well. But you won't report that I can see. That's cause they're good fellow libs. Like George Snufalufagus
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      • Author by only_myschly3567 (January 26, 2010 2:23 pm ET)
           
        It's quite possible GMA simply copied Fox News without fact-checking, hence the mistake. What MMFA is doing here, is show GMA and others, why Fox News-stories are in desperate need of fact-checking.
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      • Author by foghornleghorn (January 26, 2010 2:28 pm ET)
           
        Like George Snufalufagus

        George worked for Clinton, who was NOT a liberal. Therefore, I doubt he's a liberal.

        In fact, after watching his train wreck Sunday morning show a couple times, I can for certain say he's NOT a liberal.
        Report Abuse
      • Author by vysotsky (January 26, 2010 4:26 pm ET)
        1  
        Right. Because MMFA never criticizes ABC. Never ever.
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      • Author by political_left-religious_right (January 27, 2010 2:56 pm ET)
           
        That's Snuffleupagus. Apparently you aren't even in command of the knowledge given out on Sesame Street. That would, of course, explain many of your posts.
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