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Straight news? Special Report runs with disputed, "reportedly ... Democratic" memo, citing no evidence of its authenticity

March 19, 2010 6:21 pm ET

From the March 19 edition of Fox News' Special Report with Bret Baier:

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Previously:

Politico publishes first -- "verifies" facts later

Politico: UPDATE: Democrats challenge authenticity of 'doc fix' memo

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    • Author by blueline99 (March 19, 2010 6:25 pm ET)
      5  
      Nice, fabricated documents... stamped with DRAFT...

      but go ahead and report on it... because it's good for the Fox Narrative.
      Report Abuse
      • Author by JohnnyAppleseed (March 19, 2010 6:30 pm ET)
          11
        Shouldn't it be a big deal if it were true? Shouldn't it be a big deal if it was fabricated by the GOP?

        Either way, it should be a big story and should target whoever it was that put it out. It's not like Fox is the first one putting it out there. It's already been on the Washington Times and Politico and numerous other sites...most of which have have the memo temporarily pulled until the source is identified.
        Report Abuse
        • Author by mjh (March 19, 2010 6:38 pm ET)
          13  
          "Shouldn't it be a big deal if it were true?" -- Johnny Seedling


          Funny, that's the same question I asked when CBS' Dan Rather reported on Bush being AWOL from the Texas ANG using fake documents as a source . . .




          Report Abuse
        • Author by foghornleghorn (March 19, 2010 6:42 pm ET)
          7  
          It's already been on the Washington Times and Politico and numerous other sites...

          Add in Fox and you've got your typical nutjob circle jerk.

          More false outrage. But that's what Fox and hate radio does best.
          Report Abuse
        • Author by loonz (March 19, 2010 6:54 pm ET)
          8  
          Shouldn't it be a big deal if it were true? Shouldn't it be a big deal if it was fabricated by the GOP?


          Shouldn't a supposed news organization get their facts straight before they report on something?
          Report Abuse
        • Author by Marker (March 19, 2010 6:59 pm ET)
          4  
          Shouldn't Appleseed use some brain cells? Politico wants to know!
          Report Abuse
        • Author by mk3872 (March 19, 2010 7:20 pm ET)
          4  
          Actually, shouldn't the story be that Politico, Fox News & Drudge all got duped AGAIN by Andrew Breitbart, who pushed this fake memo on Big Government.com today?
          Report Abuse
        • Author by roverflash (March 19, 2010 8:49 pm ET)
          5  
          Shouldn't it be a big deal if it were true? Shouldn't it be a big deal if it was fabricated by the GOP?


          The point is, you're not supposed to report the story until you know for sure whether it's true or fabricated.
          Report Abuse
    • Author by Sharpe (March 19, 2010 6:28 pm ET)
      3  
      Not only did dems disavow the fake memo. But has repeatedly went on the air all day to talk about in specific detail how much money this would save. Obama said it in a speech today. Every single democrat Ive seen on tv have answered the question with specific numbers. MSNBC had them posted on the side of a few interviews. It had the cost, the amount saved in the first ten years and the amount saved in the second ten years. I dont remember the exact numbers but it was something like 900 billion, 300 billion and 1 trillion. Those are very nonspecific estimates because i just was not that curious at looking at the exact numbers. I just thought - oh good it lowers the deficit. In total, its not all that much. But its surprising that it lowers the deficit at all considering the goal was to lower costs and increase access. But the CBO definitely said the deficit would go down as a result of this bill. THAT IS THE POINT - NOT HOW MUCH. This bill was never meant to dramatically decrease the deficit.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by SLRTX (March 19, 2010 6:29 pm ET)
      7  
      FOX. The National Enquirer of the 24/7 media outlet services.

      Sorry to compare you to Fox, National Enquirer. Please don't sue me for libel!!!
      Report Abuse
      • Author by JohnnyAppleseed (March 19, 2010 7:50 pm ET)
          9
        I believe the same people here were claiming your words when FOX was running with the John Edwards story. How did that turn out again?
        Report Abuse
        • Author by SLRTX (March 19, 2010 9:11 pm ET)
          3  
          Johnny -

          You need to try harder. Put your shoulder into it. I almost didn't respond.
          Report Abuse
        • Author by cugagcmu805031 (March 19, 2010 9:56 pm ET)
          3  
          The major difference is that progressives don't condone and support their political party members when they're wrong. If they're wrong, they're wrong.
          Why haven't conservatives asked Vitter and Ensign to resign from Congress? Why did McConnell and Coburn provide cover for Ensign when they know he had done wrong?
          Report Abuse
        • Author by DellDolly (March 20, 2010 12:25 am ET)
          3  
          Fox was running with a tabloid story that had no good evidence to support it.

          There's NO problem running with a story once there's evidence.

          Sorry you can't see the difference and the problem with a supposedly legit news organization running with story that they haven't vetted! For normal people, it IS a problem.
          Report Abuse
    • Author by MagCynic (March 19, 2010 6:48 pm ET)
      1 12
      Guys, the memo says things that Nancy Pelosi has already said concerning this bill being the first step in a complete transformation of the health insurance industry. Pelosi's own words lend credence to the authenticity of the memo.
      Report Abuse
      • Author by foghornleghorn (March 19, 2010 6:54 pm ET)
        4  
        Psst...I confess. I wrote the memo.
        Report Abuse
      • Author by loonz (March 19, 2010 6:56 pm ET)
        3  
        And I helped Foghorn look up Pelosi's words.
        Report Abuse
      • Author by RKAllen (March 19, 2010 7:18 pm ET)
        6  
        Pelosi's own words lend credence to the authenticity of the memo.
        OH! Well then case solved! Good work, Mag. I think Scotland Yard is looking for crack investigators like yourself with such a keen sense of observation and deduction.
        Report Abuse
    • Author by dimes (March 19, 2010 7:04 pm ET)
      5  
      Even Drudge has pulled it off his site - no one has any proof whatsoever that it wasn't a hoax.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by Dem02020 (March 19, 2010 7:16 pm ET)
      3  
      I say we examine the memo closely, particularly to discover what kind of typewriter it was typed with, and do Democrats use that kind of typewriter...

      I suspect karl rove on this one.

      All that's missing is Dan Rather, and George W. Bush is missing too, missing from his Alabama Air National Guard service.

      Remember to always check those memos, check them closely for the typeface they are written in!
      Report Abuse
    • Author by clearstate (March 19, 2010 8:12 pm ET)
      6  
      It wouldn't be the first thing that the GOP fabricated, like the census forms last month.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by sluggo (March 19, 2010 11:59 pm ET)
      1  
      FOX viewers will believe anything they see on FOX. The only requirements seem to be that outright logical contradictions don't appear in the same sentence. Their viewers have very short memories, but you at least need to put an intervening pause in between. For example:

      "The CBO numbers accurately show how this bill will cost you hundreds of billions of dollars and you should be scared, but the CBO shows this bill will reduce the deficit, which cannot be true."

      The FOX editorial department will rewrite this so it reads:
      "The CBO numbers accurately show how this bill will cost you hundreds of billions of dollars, and you should be scared." [PAUSE - ROLL EYES - CLENCH JAW] "The CBO shows this bill will reduce the deficit, which cannot be true".

      The additional pause gives the FOX view's brain a chance to forget the first sentence so they can process the second sentence and everything is ok.
      Report Abuse