Fox graphics falsely asserted Castro "wants" Clinton-Obama as "dream team"
SUMMARY: During a Fox & Friends segment discussing an August 28 column by Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, on-screen text falsely asserted, "CASTRO'S DREAM TEAM: WANTS CLINTON AND OBAMA IN '08," referring to Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Also during the segment, an on-screen graphic depicted Castro, Clinton, and Obama enclosed in a red heart. In fact, at no point in his column did Castro endorse Clinton or Obama. Indeed, he attributed to Clinton and Obama a pro-democratic view that he called an "error," and he said of Clinton and Obama, "They are not making politics: they are playing a game of cards on a Sunday afternoon."
During the August 29 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends, during a segment discussing an August 28 column by Cuban dictator Fidel Castro in the Cuban newspaper Granma, on-screen text falsely asserted, "CASTRO'S DREAM TEAM: WANTS CLINTON AND OBAMA IN '08," referring to Democratic presidential candidates Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (NY) and Barack Obama (IL). Also during the segment, an on-screen graphic depicted Castro, Clinton, and Obama enclosed in a red heart. In addition, during the August 28 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, guest host Michelle Malkin previewed an upcoming segment by falsely claiming that "Fidel Castro, of all people, endorses a Hillary Clinton-Barack Obama presidential ticket." Malkin went on to ask, "What is that all about?" In fact, at no point in his column did Castro endorse Clinton or Obama. Indeed, he attributed to Clinton and Obama a pro-democratic view that he called an "error," and he said of Clinton and Obama, "They are not making politics: they are playing a game of cards on a Sunday afternoon."
From Castro's column:
Today, talk is about the seemingly invincible ticket that might be created with Hillary for President and Obama for Vice President. Both of them feel the sacred duty of demanding "a democratic government in Cuba". They are not making politics: they are playing a game of cards on a Sunday afternoon.
The media declares that this would be essential, unless Gore decides to run. I don't think he will do so; better than anyone, he knows about the kind of catastrophe that awaits humanity if it continues along its current course. When he was a candidate, he of course committed the error of yearning for "a democratic Cuba".
Enough of tales and nostalgia. This is written simply to increase the conscience of the Cuban people.
In an August 21 column in The Miami Herald, Obama stated that "[a] democratic opening in Cuba is, and should be, the foremost objective of our policy," and that "[i]f a post-Fidel government begins opening Cuba to democratic change, the United States (the president working with Congress) is prepared to take steps to normalize relations and ease the embargo that has governed relations between our countries for the last five decades." He added: "Cuban-American connections to family in Cuba are not only a basic right in humanitarian terms, but also our best tool for helping to foster the beginnings of grass-roots democracy on the island. Accordingly, I will grant Cuban Americans unrestricted rights to visit family and send remittances to the island." Further, the Herald reported in an August 22 article that "Clinton's campaign said she agrees with Obama that exiles should be able to freely send money to their relatives in Cuba but said she does not favor 'any wholesale, broad changes' to the travel restrictions until Fidel Castro falls." The Herald added that according to Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithee, Clinton " 'supports the embargo and our current policy toward Cuba, and until it is clear what type of political winds may come with a new government -- if there is a new government -- we cannot talk about changes to U.S. policy.' "
From the August 29 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends:
BRIAN KILMEADE (co-host): Fidel Castro, a dictator.
STEVE DOOCY (co-host): Sure.
KILMEADE: Hasn't lost an election in a long time.
DOOCY: Sure.
KILMEADE: And now he's holding on to life. But before he does that, he's a student of our electoral process, and he thinks he knows who the unbeatable, impenetrable team is.
DOOCY: Impenetrable?
GRETCHEN CARLSON (co-host): I'm surprised he did not only just pick Obama, because it was Obama, recently, who said that, yeah, he would start up any conversation with any dictators around the world, while Hillary Clinton, during that debate, said, "Hmm? Not so fast, I might have to do a little more research before I would do that."
DOOCY: Yeah, and of course anybody running for president of course needs to win Florida. And to win Florida and the very influential, powerful Cuban exile community, you gotta say stuff like, "Well, there should be democracy in Cuba." Anyway, Castro said, quote, "Today, talk is about the seemingly invincible ticket that might be created with Hillary for president and Obama for vice president. Both of them feel the sacred duty of demanding a democratic government in Cuba." All right. Also, let's tell you a little about this, kids.
From the August 28 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor:
MALKIN: And Fidel Castro, of all people, endorses a Hillary Clinton-Barack Obama presidential ticket. What is that all about? We hope you stay tuned for those reports.
[...]
MALKIN: Very quickly, Laura [Schwartz, Democratic strategist].
SCHWARTZ: Minimum wage, raising it. Energy legislation --
[crosstalk]
SCHWARTZ: I wouldn't discount the working class in this country, Karen [Hanretty, Republican strategist]. That's the problem with the Republican Party today. I know that's another situation, but they've ignored the working class, and that's -
[crosstalk]
SCHWARTZ: Hey, what about those working poor, those families in the inner city that can't even make enough to live -
[crosstalk]
MALKIN: Well, Fidel Castro agrees with you, and he's endorsed the Hillary-Obama ticket, so there you go. Ladies, thank you.
this is a low even for fox. this is "fair and balanced"? there's more truth in an episode of the simpsons.
Castro? CASTRO? Who gives a sh*t about Castro any more?
about a million cubans in florida, which is a swing state. trying to link these two as supported by castro is an attempt to influence a community that is totally hostile to anyone seen as being pro-castro.
You know this would happen the minute Castro called Clinton-Obama "invincible".
For Fox "News" a "prediction" is the same as an "endorsement". Of course, that misconception is common amongst partisans who cannot tell the difference between the two things, because they often have difficulty themselves distinguishing what they want to be true, from what will likely happen.
Fox can do whatever it desires...I actually believe that having Hillary or Obama in the White House will give them many more years of the sheep following along. Imagine the cost for their advertisers as the viewer numbers stay the same? They will continue to preach the lies and hate of anyone who does not fit into Murdochs' Bizarro World. They could care less who wins but they may even endorse one of these two, as a joke. But most of the Fox junkies, wouldn't know the difference.
P.S. Anyone notice that Malkin used to look good if seen periodically...but seeing her on a regular basis...I think Fox will give her her TV walking papers soon.
I thought we were suppose to be looking for terrorist under the beds now, not commies.
This is tantamount to sedition. Please, someone take Murdoch's citizenship away!
Me, on the other hand, think this would be a great combination. 1st woman/1st black regardless of order would drive the right wing to suicide! Nothing better could happen to America.
"This is tantamount to sedition. Please, someone take Murdoch's citizenship away!" -Snoop
NOOOO! Then we'd have to take him back...keep the two-bit hack with all the other two-bit hacks on his two-bit hack network. While we're at it, we've got a Prime Minister who seems to be getting past his prime, can I interest you in a used John Howard? We'll throw inthe cats of Neighbours for free...
On a more serious note, I'd be more inclined to put Obama as Pres, and Hillary as VP. She seems to be more of a follower than a leader, but would work well as a Democratic Cheney lite IMO...Obama actually seems to have some ideas of his own going.
The 'cast' of Neighbours, I mean.
Darn. I was looking forward to replacing the current administration with the neighbors' cats. I mean, really, could anyone argue that this country wouldn't be in better shape had they been in the whitehouse for the past 6 years?
Well we all wanted them to drop the pretense.
castro is an expert in Democracy according to these Fox boobs ?????? It was wildly speculated in the beginning, fueled by Mr Obama's silence about Mrs Clinton. Now they are giving this dictator credit on American TV as news ?.
The last issue of The Weekly World News is on the newstands now.
Fox no longer has any competition in the fake headline business.
Can stories of space aliens talking to Sean Hannity be next?
Now that I think about it, if they did it would prove that there's no intelligent life out there.
This is absurd. You're criticizing Fox for falsely quoting Castro, but do not question whether or not Fidel Castro is alive, yet alone whether he has actually written the quoted articles released by Cuba state media. Hello!!! Cuba is a totalitarian state with no free press; it is all state sponsored propaganda! No one with a functioning brain believes that the disappeared control freak dictator is happily blogging away. This would be laughable if not for the suffering of the Cuban people.
---"No one with a functioning brain believes that the disappeared control freak dictator is happily blogging away"---
Maybe you should ask Fox News why their brains aren't functioning.
So what? Are you confused about the function of this site? It is not about international politics its about MEDIA CONSERVATIVE MISINFORMATION. So THAT is why they didnt write the article YOU wanted written. Capishe?
fox claims castro is supporting hillary/obama. that's the problem we have with fox.
That picture up there?
We in the biz call that a "wind tunnel".
Well I think this is the strategy they follow:
You lie about something someone said/wrote.
Then when that lie is uncover, start a "debate" of what COULD be. For example, some would say "Even if he did not write this, he would prefer a Democratic candidate over a Republican" or "the fact of the matter is that Castro WOULD prefer Obama/Hillalry" deviating the focus on the lie to something based purely on speculation.
This way we create a "debate" out of nothing. Once you do that... people that hate Castro will connect the dots and hopefully (for these clowns) will try to stay away from Obama and Hillary.
Very good point. The proper argument would be to not allow them to change the subject and say if you HAD a real poit why did you have to LIE to make it?
Why can't they stop lying? Seriously, if either of my children prevaricated to anywhere near the extent that republicans do, I would get professional psychological help for them. It's really starting to look like they have some kind of collective mental problem.
From Douchebag Doocy: "All right. Also, let's tell you a little about this, kids. "
That says it all about the relationship of Fox and its viewers.