During the September 22 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends, co-host Brian Kilmeade asserted that NBC Saturday Night Live alum and Minnesota Democratic senatorial candidate Al Franken and Saturday Night Live executive producer Lorne Michaels have “both maxed out on their contributions to Barack Obama,” ignoring Michaels' contributions to Sen. John McCain's campaign, including $2,300 in 2007. According to Federal Election Commission filings, Michaels has given at least $5,300 to McCain and his Straight Talk America Political Action Committee since 2000.
By contrast, Jonathan Martin and Josh Kraushaar reported in a September 20 Politico article that “Michaels has also been a longtime supporter of Sen. John McCain's various political campaigns, donating $1,000 to him in the 2000 presidential primaries, $1,000 to his 2004 Senate reelection bid, a similar sum to his Straight Talk America PAC in 2006 and the maximum $2,300 to his presidential campaign this year.” They added: “When asked about his support for McCain last week by Politico, Michaels said he has also donated to Obama, although that donation has not been listed on the most recent available donor statements.”
From the September 22 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends:
KILMEADE: Al Franken was busy: Not only is he running for Senate in Minnesota, he also had to phone in a sketch to Lorne Michaels. Both have one thing in common. They've been friends for 30 years -- I guess two things in common -- and they've both maxed out on their contributions to Barack Obama. And I guess that sketch that they phoned in kind of played into that.
GRETCHEN CARLSON (co-host): Well, and apparently, it was the sketch about John McCain, and it wasn't a positive one for him. Let's listen.
NARRATOR: (video clip): Barack Obama plays basketball. Charles Barkley plays basketball. Is Charles Barkley qualified to lead our economy? He gambled millions away in Las Vegas. Don't let Barack Obama gamble with our economy. No way, no how, no Charack O'Barkley.
STEVE DOOCY (co-host): OK, so, it is extraordinary. And you know we've talked extensively on this program about how NBC does appear to be in the tank for Barack Obama. So, there they have --
KILMEADE: It's unbelievable.
DOOCY: -- they've got this hit job on John McCain, written by Al Franken, who is running for Senate in the state of Minnesota, not as a Republican. It is extraordinary. I was reading some of the blog comments. How could this possibly be legal?
CARLSON: Well, it doesn't -- this does not --
DOOCY: One candidate for --
KILMEADE: It's comedy.
DOOCY: -- for federal office essentially orchestrating talking points on a grand scale against another federal office.
CARLSON: Well the onus falls on NBC for this.
DOOCY: Yes.
CARLSON: Because this helps Al Franken with his constituents who are going to vote for him, because they're attacking McCain as well. But this -- the onus falls on NBC for doing this. And the proof was in the pudding when they first denied it.
KILMEADE: The onus is on me because I get the pundit pit next.
