Campaign Arm: Fox promotes GOP campaign video, which suggests Becerra laughed at the Pledge
Fox News has repeatedly promoted a video shot by Republican Congressional candidate Ari David's campaign of what they claim is Representative Xavier Becerra (D-CA) laughing at the recommendation that a meeting he was attending begin with the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. Fox News has frequently promoted other campaign videos by Republican candidates, and in some cases, let them raise funds on-air.
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Fox repeatedly promotes David's campaign video and website
Fox
Nation: "Congressman Laughs at Pledge?" Fox Nation
posted
David's video under the headline "Congressman Laughs at Pledge?" The article
linked to a February 22 Gateway Pundit post
on the video.
FoxNews.com:
"Congressman Derided for Laughing at
Suggestion to Recite the Pledge of Allegiance." A February 23
FoxNews.com article
accused Becerra of being "caught on a YouTube video laughing at a suggestion
that the Pledge of Allegiance be recited prior to a union meeting in Los
Angeles." According to the article, "[i]f the Pledge of Allegiance is a laughing
matter, then the joke may be on" Becerra. The article linked to the YouTube
video and included comments by David, who is running against Rep. Henry Waxman
in 2012. David "was stunned as an American that one of our members of Congress
would act that way." The article also included the Becerra's response, which
stated, in part, "[t]he meeting was already under way and the question was
unexpected. It took us all by surprise. When the speaker explained that he was
serious and asked me specifically if we could say the pledge, I said yes and
gestured to the moderator, who then led the entire gathering in reciting the
pledge."
Fox Nation and FoxNews.com link to a video with Ari David fundraising pitch. Both the Fox Nation and FoxNews.com articles linked to a YouTube video of the meeting. In the video's description was fundraising information for David's campaign. From YouTube:
Carlson: "Let's talk a little bit about whether or not the Pledge of Allegiance should be a laughing matter." On the February 24 edition of Fox News' Fox and Friends, co-host Gretchen Carlson introduced the video by saying, "[L]et's talk a little bit about whether or not the Pledge of Allegiance should be a laughing matter...well it was suggested at a meeting out in California, I believe, recently, and one of the Democratic Representatives Xavier Bacerra, apparently laughed at the suggestion that they should recite the Pledge of Allegiance before they started a union meeting." Steve Doocy called the reaction "pretty extraordinary, from mainly the union members." Doocy later reported that "Congressman Becerra says, 'as soon as I realized that they were asking for the Pledge, I said to the woman who was at the podium, let's go ahead and do it,' and they did it." Despite the fact that the video showed that the Pledge was recited, Carlson wondered if "maybe they needed a teleprompter for it because since we don't allow the Pledge to be said in very many places anymore, maybe people don't know the words anymore."
America's Newsroom host Bill Hemmer tweets link to David video, which included David's fundraising information. On February 24, Hemmer wrote on his Twitter account: "Have u seen this video? Did a Congressman laughed at pledge request? He defends @ 9:45am ET." Hemmer also included a link to the YouTube video, which included David's fundraising information. From Twitter:
Hemmer allows David "last word" which he uses to promote his website. On the February 24 edition of Fox News' America's Newsroom, host Bill Hemmer hosted Becerra and David to debate the incident. Hemmer allowed David the "last word," which David used as an opportunity to plug his website, saying "if people want to see more footage of [the video] please go to my website, Ari David for Congress.com."
Fox has previously campaigned for GOP and conservative candidates
On Fox, Brown encouraged viewers to visit his campaign website to find out "how to help with donating and volunteering." As Media Matters has documented, in several Fox News appearances during his campaign in the special election for the Massachusetts U.S. Senate seat, Scott Brown pointed viewers to his campaign website, solicited funds for his campaign, and also cited RedInvadesBlue.com, where, he said, "we have a money bomb right now that's hitting ... and you can help me fight back against the machine."
"Political analyst" Morris: "Please, please help" Brown. During the January 11 edition of Hannity, Fox News contributor Dick Morris urged viewers to "go to DickMorris.com ... to help elect Brown," because if "we win this fight, then there will never be another victory for Obama." DickMorris.com included a fundraising plea "to help us raise $300,000 for a last minute media buy to push Brown and the Republicans to victory"; Fox News executives allowed Morris to solicit funds for Republican efforts despite reportedly telling colleague Mike Huckabee to cease conflict-of-interest promotions that help his political action committee.
Fox plays GOP ad attacking Kirk's opponent, compares Kirk favorably to Brown. During its February 3 coverage of the Senate primary in Illinois, Fox News repeatedly aired a National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) "attack ad" targeting Republican candidate Mark Kirk's Democratic opponent, Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias. Fox News also provided Kirk a platform to attack Giannoulias, and repeatedly offered favorable comparisons between Kirk and Brown.
Conservative candidates stump on Fox during lead-up to elections. In the two weeks leading up to the November 3, 2009, elections, Conservative Party congressional candidate Doug Hoffman, New Jersey Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie, and Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell appeared on Fox News and its personalities' radio shows at least 16 times for live interviews lasting a total of 114 minutes and 36 seconds. Christie made at least five appearances totaling almost 37 minutes on Fox News and its personalities' radio shows; McDonnell made at least three appearances totaling 18 minutes; and Hoffman made at least seven appearances totaling almost 60 minutes.
Fox News hosts, political analysts spend Election Day celebrating and shilling for conservatives and GOPers. On November 4, 2009, numerous Fox News hosts and political analysts encouraged voters to donate to, as well as volunteer and vote for GOP and conservative candidates, including Christie, McDonnell, and Hoffman. The Fox News personalities included Mike Huckabee, Sean Hannity, Karl Rove, Newt Gingrich, Tammy Bruce, and Eric Bolling.
Leading up to elections, Fox personalities promoted conservative and GOP candidates and helped fundraise for them. Fox News hosts and analysts offered support for McDonnell, Christie, and Hoffman and their fundraising efforts leading up to the elections. For example, on his November 2, 2009, Fox News show, Hannity told Hoffman, "I hope I'm on the air this time tomorrow night and I'll be able to declare you the winner." On November 3, 2009, on Twitter, Fox News contributor Karl Rove encouraged his followers to donate to the Republican Governors Association in order to help Christie's campaign. On two Fox News shows in October 2009, Huckabee directed viewers to "go to balancecutsave.com," urging them to sign a petition telling Congress to "balance the budget," "cut their spending," and "save American families"; however, balancecutsave.com redirected visitors to Huckabee's political action committee, which financially supports Republican candidates. Subsequently, Huck PAC apparently emailed petition signers -- who were required to provide an email address in order to sign the "balancecutsave" petition -- a "newsletter" urging political action on behalf of Republican-backed candidates Bob McDonnell, David Harmer, and Doug Hoffman.
Why should anyone feel compelled to say such nonsense?
Oh, it's unpatriotic to NOT say it? Who says?
TPOA is a completely bogus load of nonsense.
You can train a monkey to hold their hand over their heart & make mouth motions to the pledge. Would that make the monkey patriotic?
BTW conservatards, TPOA was written by [gasp!!] a socialist!
http://www.ushistory.org/documents/pledge.htm
I laughed.
Of course he laughed...it's not a claim, suggestion or anything else...it's a fact.
And I'm with you...no big deal....except in the senseless, 24 hour blather by partisans...prompting more blather by the other side.
Doocey and crew is nothing more than an adult "Romper Room".
"Sometimes liberals tie themselves up so unnecessarily."
Yes, they do. But so do the conservatards.
The fact that Fox even ran this "story" makes me wonder what compelled them to run it?
What's the point, other than to tie the conservatards up so unnecessarily about something that's a non-issue?
That's pretty much what Fox does all the time anyway. And the ignorant conservatard masses just lap it up, like a dog eating it's own vomit.
Well, you spend a lot of time here. I guess you're just as petty as the rest of us petty folks. :-)
Not petty for Fox. They know what they're doing.
There's a lot of drooling conservatards out there ready to ingest any crap coming from Fox - even if it's fabricated - which they often do.
Then I take it you agree - the POA is just a load of crap, and Fox was wasting everyone's time by running that non-story. Just be sure to mention this to your buddies, when it comes up in conversation.
Mutating the term "conservative retards" into "conservatards" reminds me of the following from George Carlin's language archive:
-- You can't shiiit me...the word shoot is just shiiit spelled with two O's. --
I don't have a problem with the word "retard". It's freedom of speech, baby!
Apparently, sister Sarah didn't either, no matter how much she feigned her righteous indignation. She uses her downs-syndrome kid like a political tool. And to think, she's trying to act all politically correct!
She should be ashamed of herself, if she's capable of that.
By the way the trolls post here, yes, they ARE conservatards. I think that label fits them perfectly. They're brainless twits who can't tell the difference between reality and made-up crap like whatever comes out of Fox - as demonstrated by Fox's "coverage" about the POA. Conservatards swallow anything their heros Beck or Limburger throw at them. They're complete wastes of skin.
I can also be petty if I want. You and "right" will just have to deal with it.
I'm sure the mentally handicapped will appreciate your definition of their mental capacities.
But I'll give you a big atta boy for honesty.
You're here. Deal with us.
Becerra has said that the meeting was already underway for about an hour, and that's why everyone thought the guy who requested it was joking. And the guy who asked it was an aide for the Republican candidate.
The candidate laughed because it seemed like a ridiculous request an hour into a meeting!
Randy
He didn't laugh at the Pledge. That's why MMFA used the words they did.
Did this make Tea Party headlines on Fox Propaganda? Didn't think so.
I noticed from your link that they blamed it on the hotel staff.
There's a sample of that "accountability" the tea-baggers are ranting about.
Anti-Union CPAC Being Serviced By ‘Terrific’ Union Employees
Well, at least we had the Republicans lead us in their brave charge against those anti-american French by renaming french fries...See? That there are sum tru murkans!!!
/snark
Well, in Fox's defense, there weren't promoting Becerra. ;-)