Fox News' Kelly misquoted Edwards to suggest he cited Hilton affair in "two Americas" comments
SUMMARY: Discussing Paris Hilton's jail sentence, Greg Kelly stated:
"[A]ccording to John Edwards, this kind of drives home his point about
two Americas.
He said this on the campaign trail: 'I still believe,' he said,
'with regard to Paris Hilton, that we have two Americas.' " In fact, Edwards said:
"I still do believe, without regard to Paris Hilton, that we have two Americas."
Discussing celebrity heiress Paris Hilton's jail sentence on the June 10 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends Sunday, host Greg Kelly stated: "[A]ccording to [Democratic presidential candidate] John Edwards, this kind of drives home his point about two Americas. He said this on the campaign trail: 'I still believe,' he said, 'with regard to Paris Hilton, that we have two Americas.' " Newsday columnist James P. Pinkerton responded: "[I]f by ... two Americas, you mean the America of multimillionaire trial lawyers who put their money in overseas hedge funds and get $400 haircuts and charge it to their campaign, I agree. There are two Americas." However, Kelly misquoted Edwards' comments from a June 7 press conference. As video shown during the June 8 edition of MSNBC's Hardball clearly shows, Edwards said: "I still do believe, without regard to Paris Hilton, that we have two Americas." [Emphasis added]
Moreover, contrary to Kelly's suggestion that Edwards drew a parallel between the Hilton story and his message about economic inequality in America, Edwards was actually responding to a reporter's question linking the two. Indeed, the reporter asked: "Senator, you speak all the time about two Americas, can you just tell us briefly, you know, what you think the message sends that Paris Hilton got out of jail after three days, when she was originally supposed to spend 45 days in jail?" In his answer, Edwards said that he was "going to stay out of the Paris Hilton story" and stated twice that his comments were "without regard to Paris Hilton."
From a transcript of the June 7 press conference posted on the New York Times political weblog The Caucus:
Reporter: Senator, you speak all the time about two Americas, can you just tell us briefly, you know, what you think the message sends that Paris Hilton got out of jail after three days, when she was originally supposed to spend 45 days in jail?
Mr. Edwards: Um, I'm gonna stay out of the Paris Hilton story. Although I saw it seems to be completely dominating the news, I had the television on just before I came down. Uh, I still do believe, without regard to Paris Hilton, that, uh, we have two Americas and I think what's important is, it's obvious that the problem exists.
The issue is what are we going to do to create one America with universal health care, with more economic equality, having, raising the minimum wage, access to decent housing, access to college for kids who can't afford it? Those are the tools, some of the tools, that allow us to close the gap that exists in America today between those who are doing well and everything else. I think the next president of the United States is going to have a huge responsibility. Last. It's not healthy for our economy, it's not healthy for our democracy, and I think we need to do something about it -- without regard to Paris Hilton.
Similarly, as Media Matters for America noted, on the June 8 edition of Fox News' Your World, host Neil Cavuto falsely asserted that Edwards "used" the Hilton story "in part of his campaign comments, talking about the dichotomy between the rich and the poor."
From the June 10 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends Sunday:
KELLY: Well, Jim [Pinkerton], you know -- well, let's see what John Edwards said this -- according to John Edwards, this kind of drives home his point about two Americas. He said this on the campaign trail: "I still believe," he said, "with regard to Paris Hilton, that we have two Americas." This kind of underscores his theme. You buy that, Ellen [Ratner]?
RATNER: I absolutely buy it. And, in fact, there was some guy on the execution chair saying, "Capital punishment. Those who have the capital don't do the punishment." I think that there is no question that she got special treatment. But I want to say something else, which is that I think that she should have gotten treatment. And all people in her condition ought to be getting treatment, not jail.
KELLY: Jim?
PINKERTON: Well, I mean, if by John Edwards being two Americas, you mean the America of multimillionaire trial lawyers who put their money in overseas hedge funds and get $400 haircuts and charge it to their campaign, I agree. There are two Americas.
From the June 8 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:
CHRIS MATTHEWS (host): So, are the rich and the powerful above the law? Presidential candidate John Edwards was asked about the Paris Hilton affair today.
[begin video clip]
EDWARDS: I'm going to stay out of the Paris Hilton story. Although I saw it seems to be completely dominating the news. I had the television on just before I came down. I still do believe, without regard to Paris Hilton, that we have two Americas, and I think what's important is obvious -- it's obvious that the problem exists. The issue is what are we going to do to create one America with universal health care, with more economic equality, having a -- raising the minimum wage, access to decent housing, access to college for kids who can't afford it?
Here we go again....
am I crazy or did a lot of posts go away?
"free market where everybody would earn exactly what they deserve"
Please show us how the "free market" could determine such a subjective phrase as "what they deserve" in reference to individual wages and salaries.
Don't hurt your brain too much....
Apparantly CEO's DESERVE about 400 times as much as those who work in their industry. That is about the average for the Forbes 500
Can't get too upset with Greg Kelly said. Everyone must remember that these Fox Sheep only read what is written for them and they only say what they are told.
His mom , wife and kids must be proud of him. And if they read these, I am also proud of little Greggie, he can read.
I listened to the BBC last night and they reported Paris Hilton received her sentence of 45 day for driving on a suspended license, never mind the parole violation and dui twice. The media themselves, noth here and abroad manipulate the news to change the news.
You know... call me crazy... but I'm beginning to suspect that Faux News might not be operating completely on the up & up.
Mescal, now that's funny.
The subject of this MM post is about how Fox News' Greg Kelly misquoted Democratic Presidential candidate John Edwards, but you would never know it from all the previous comments.
I just read through all 42 comments (as of now) and I haven't seen anyone refer to how FOX NEWS' Greg Kelly misquoted John Edwards.
As for FOX NEWS anchors misquoting Democrats, there is nothing new here. The FOX NEWS anchors are notorious at editing a quote to fit the right wing agenda of FOX NEWS.
FOX NEWS is also known to report on anything other than the Iraq War. Three soldiers were killed Sunday in the bridge bombing in Iraq, but FOX NEWS never mentioned it.
Another bridge was bombed on Monday, but it is too early to tell if there are any U.S. casualties, but even if there are FOX NEWS won't report it.
yup, rino and casey earned their pay from the RNC in this thread.
It wasn't just Gregg Kelly that claimed that John Edwards used the Hilton imprisonment as an example of class bias in criminal sentencing. Fox's Neil Cavuto repeated this falsehood in a segment with Bill O'Reilly. Fox is deliberately trying to establish a false meme.
This is another example why Fox cannot be taken seriously as a news organization but must be considered a propaganda arm of the GOP.
The right is just phoning in the outrage. Here Paris is the ideal of a successful capitalist. In Bernie Goldberg's book she is everything that is wrong with America.
The reason why right-wing pundits slander John Edwards is because the are afraid of him. He has consistently nailed the issues. He has ideas (yeah, real plans) to get this country back on track. He is youthful, smart, and energetic. He came from humble beginnings and made himself a wealthy man.
No wonder Edwards is the focus of so many slanderous and irrelevant attacks. He is everything Bush is not. Even the best of the Republican hopefuls are far from even a pale comparison to Edwards. After years of Republican criminal lies and corruption, the empty promises of prosperity and justice by the likes of Romney, Guiliani, Thompson, et alia come across like so much oily smoke.
How it must gall the neo-cons to know that Americans are realizing that their country has been hijacked by incompetent and corrupt religious lunatics. Americans have come to the realization that these lunatics have been consistently and constantly politicizing EVERYTHING--from the Justice Department to the illegal Iraq War (you know, that bumper sticker: "The War on Terror"). Americans have also come to realize that the neo-cons have even shredded the Constitution, not to make this nation more secure (in itself a rather poor reason) but simply to seize more power. Americans have learned that the recent period of Republican control of all three branches of government have been one of the most disastrous, most shameful, moments in the history of this nation.
When Democrats were voted in to take control of both the House and the Senate, they were given a mandate to end the war and restore our basic rights. They will have a long hard road ahead of them to undo the damage done by the lunatics that still retain control over two branches of our government. The shameful slanders against John Edwards by the neo-cons demonstrates their arrogant disregard for decency and fair play. The KNOW that they cannot win the presidential elections fairly so they resort to slanderous and petty name-calling. How appropriate that they use Paris Hilton to trivialize the mortal wounds they have already inflicted on this once great nation.
I had a lot to say about this Prof, but you said it for me - good job!
Amen, Prof.
How did everything I wrote about the minimum wage get erased? It was completely on topic. Raising the minimum wage is one way in which Edwards wants to bring together the "two Americas."
And you & Edwards are absolutely right on that issue, Rino.
Raising the minimum wage IS a good way to help bring those two Americas together.
Thanks, man!
except that was not the topic here. again you attempted to change the subject, and this time you got slapped down for it. try to learn the lesson this time.