Imagine if the New York Times gave $1 million to the Democratic Party
August 18, 2010 9:51 am ET by Eric Boehlert
I'm sure curious what Fox News talkers like Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck make of the news that their corporate bosses recently contributed $1 million to the re-election drive of Republican governors nationwide. Unfortunately we don't know what the talkers think of the stunning development because there's apparently been a news blackout inside Fox News and it appears nobody on staff is allowed to discuss the embarrassing development, let alone try to defend the actions.
Then again, maybe O'Reilly and Hannity and Beck don't want to discuss the seven-figure GOP gift because it makes a mockery of their long-standing crusade against the liberal media and how journalists are in bed with Democrats and are a corrupting influence; because news of the $1 million gift simply confirms the long-held suspicion that the Fox news talkers work for a propaganda outfit, not a news company.
So maybe they don't want to talk about the story because it will only highlight their hypocrisy. Keep in mind, as Media Matters noted yesterday, in 2008 O'Reilly himself often railed against (liberal!) NBC and bemoaned how the corporate giants used its "power and money" to play politics.
You mean, like having your bosses sign a $1 million check to a political party, Bill?
So sadly, we don't know what Fox News insiders think of the GOP largess because they're apparently not aloud to speak for themselves. (Bill has been muzzled!)
But what we do know this, if the tables of the story were turned and we learned that the New York Times had contributed $1 million to a Democratic Party re-election fund, O'Reilly would probably right now be in the 14th hour of an emergency, non-stop Times-bashing, on-air marathon on Fox News, getting periodic, late-night breathers from Beck and Hannity and anyone else at Fox News who makes a living in front of the camera.
Meaning, Fox News would declare WW III, and by nightfall I'm sure there would be a right-wing mob assembling in Times Square, marching on the newspapers' headquarters. And don't even get me started on the hysterics that would be bouncing around the right-wing blogosphere, or the hysteria Rush Limbaugh would be unleashing on the AM dial.
If the New York Times gave $1 million to the Democratic Party, there would be an unequivocal right-wing Freak-Out of the highest order. A collective meltdown that would give Brent Bozell heart palpitations.
But when Fox News bosses give a cool $1 million to the GOP, Bill O'Reilly doesn't say boo.
UPDATED: Leave it to Newsbusters' Tim Graham to try to clean up Rupert Murdoch's mess.
Now, FOX can openly slather it's great wealth onto the Republican Party and tell the FEC to f*** off.
They really no longer need to pretend to be a real News Network... I think they keep repeating the "Fair and Balanced" tag line just to pi$$ off the real journalists, for whom they have nothing but contempt.
If they hold journalists in contempt, it's because they AREN'T being "Real Journalists".
Bullies always think the people they pick on DESERVE it because they don't stand up for themselves.
If they hold journalists in contempt, it's because they AREN'T being "Real Journalists".
Bullies always think the people they pick on DESERVE it because they don't stand up for themselves.
They're essentially donating hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of valuable air time to the glut of GOP candidates they host and allow to promote.
And yes, if it was the NYT donating to the Dems, there would be a 4-alarm, finger-pointing orgy of coverage by Fox.
The cat is finally out of the bag after years of muffled howling.
Of course, they were deliberately overlooking what you have pointed out; Republican candidates get hours and hours of free advocacy from Talk Radio and FOX "News" every day. In other words, Bush got thousands of hours of free, unregulated advertising, and Kerry did not.
A nation of sedate, controllable fools ensures their success. Who else is going to swallow the pablum they try and pass off as news?
The Fox Nation is where you don't ask any important questions. But instead just tow the party line.
While I'm sure they are right of center, I guess my question is how does one network weild so much power?
The free press, softball puff pieces, and page A26 burying of stories have been worth tens of millions of dollars to the democrats over the years. Just ask the disgraced Howell Reins about helping the democrat cause.
Nice fake outrage though.
Only this time, there is hard evidence of their bias in favor of hardcore Republicans and against anyone else.
I admit that the NYT does lean to the left, especially on their editorial pages.
Can YOU admit that News Corp., and Fox News specifically, is nothing more than a 24/7 GOP love fest?
Or are they still "fair and balanced"?
And BTW, nice recycling of one of Rush Limbaugh's quirky little phrases ("puff piece"). I'm sure he appreciates it.
But in all seriousness there is more to this than meet the eye .The GOP political war chest needs money in the gubernatorial races badly if they want to acomplish their goal .The GOP needs to elect as many governors as possible .
.The GOP has mission 1 accomplished already by filling the supreme court with right winged,cooperate lawyer and shills the Supreme court will permanently held to the right for many years to come. Now they want to do it again this time fill the states with republican governors so they gerrymander the congressional districts to favor the GOP a page right out of "Texas is now a red state bug man Bug Man Delay play book.
GOP" know if they do this, they could very hold congress or at least keep congress swung to the right for the next 10 years. .Who cares if in few years it is deemed that what the GOP did was unethical or even criminal .The GOP knows, the damage will all ready be done ,and their is noway any 1 can "unring" a bell ,once it rung.