Fox's Angle falsely suggested Kaine condemned Moran's comments on gun control

On the April 18 edition of Fox News' Special Report, during a report on the mass shooting at Virginia Tech, Fox News chief Washington correspondent Jim Angle falsely suggested that, in the wake of the shooting, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine (D) specifically criticized "activists" and "politicians," who "rush forward to say there should be some new effort at gun control," citing Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) in particular, as one of those "politicians," who "did that." Angle asserted that "Democratic governor of Virginia, Tim Kaine, said this is not the time to raise the issue of gun control" and aired a clip of Kaine saying: "People who want to take this within 24 hours of the event and make it, you know, their political hobby horse to ride, I've got nothing but loathing for them." Angle presented Kaine's quote as a response to Moran, who, in a clip aired by Fox News, said on the floor of the House, "The proliferation of handguns -- the kinds of guns that were used in this tragic incidence -- that has to be brought under control." In fact, Kaine was not responding to Moran or even addressing gun control advocates in general. Rather, he was answering a reporter, during an April 17 press conference in Blacksburg, Virginia -- before Moran made the statement Fox aired -- who appeared to be asking about the argument by "pro-gun lobbyists" that Virginia Tech students should be allowed to carry guns.

In response to the question, Kaine made a blanket assertion that the shooting in Blacksburg was not "a political hobbyhorse or a crusade or something for a campaign or for a fundraising mailing."

Later, during the same press conference, which was broadcast on the April 17 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, a reporter asked Kaine: "Are you concerned that the gunman may have used a high-capacity magazine that would not have been legally available to him prior to the expiration of the federal assault weapons ban?" In response, Kaine stated that an "after-action review" into the shooting spree "will focus on those issues as well." When pressed on the subject, Kaine added: "Dealing with families is first. The careful and independent assessment of what occurred is second. Once that is done, there will be ample time to discuss whether there need to be any changes made to policy here or elsewhere."

From the April 18 edition of Fox News' Special Report with Brit Hume:

ANGLE: Hello, Brit. Well, that's right. Every time there is a shooting, some activists and some politicians rush forward to say there should be some new effort at gun control, and one of those who did that today was Representative Jim Moran of Northern Virginia. Here's what he had to say.

MORAN [video clip]: The proliferation of handguns -- the kinds of guns that were used in this tragic incidence -- that has to be brought under control. And it is we, the people's representatives, who have to stand up and do something about this.

ANGLE: It is time, he said, no matter how politically difficult it is, to reduce the number of weapons in our society. But the Democratic governor of Virginia, Tim Kaine, said this is not the time to raise the issue of gun control.

KAINE [video clip]: People who want to take this within 24 hours of the event and make it, you know, their political hobby horse to ride, I've got nothing but loathing for them. To those who want to, you know, try to make this into some little crusade, you know, I say take that elsewhere. Let this community deal with grieving individuals and be sensitive to those needs.

From the April 17 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:

QUESTION: Mr. Kaine, some gun lobbyists -- or pro-gun lobbyists have said that if students were allowed to carry arms, somehow [inaudible] it wouldn't have been as bad as it was.

KAINE: Look, I think that, you know, people who want to take this within 24 hours of the event and make it, you know, their political hobby horse to ride, I've got nothing but loathing for them. This is not a political hobbyhorse or a crusade or something for a campaign or for a fundraising mailing.

At this point, what it's about, is comforting family members, doing what can be done to make sure that they have the ability to see their family members, that bodies can be released to families, and helping this community heal. And, so, to those who want to, you know, try to make this into some little crusade, you know, I say take that elsewhere. Let this community deal with grieving individuals and be sensitive to those needs.

[...]

QUESTION: Are you concerned that the gunman may have used a high- capacity magazine that would not have been legally available to him prior to the expiration of the federal assault weapons ban? And is there anything that Virginia or the federal government can do to make that not available?

KAINE: Christina, the after-action review that I mentioned earlier will focus on those issues as well.

I don't know enough about the -- you know, the precise components of the ban that expired and the weaponry used here to be able to comment on that now, but, certainly, the facts will be out, and, at that point, that can be discussed.

But, at this point, that is not something I know enough facts to wade into.

QUESTION: Are you going to [Inaudible] for some changes in state law?

KAINE: Before we talk about any policy changes, we have to get our best assessment of what occurred. That is first.

Dealing with families is first. The careful and independent assessment of what occurred is second. Once that is done, there will be ample time to discuss whether there need to be any changes made to policy here or elsewhere.