For years, Fox News has been claiming, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, that its reporters are “fair and balanced” journalists who simply report the news. So how will they explain “reporter” William La Jeunesse all but announcing his opposition to Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA)? Today, La Jeunesse, who hours before called Boxer a “big-spending liberal,” said that Boxer's “weakness” is "[s]he stands for everything that is wrong with Washington and she is the status quo."

From Happening Now:

LA JEUNNESE: Well, Patti Ann, you know, given that both these women are ex-CEOs, there's a term they use in businesses to evaluate your competition called SWOT. Strength, weakness, opportunity, and threat. Now, if we apply that to the senate race, Boxer, Fiorina, Carly Fiorina really buried her competition here.

Her strengths? Let's look at those. Number one, she is a former executive who managed a payroll. She also, you know, managed people. She ran a business, that's a message that played well given California's high unemployment and massive deficits. She opposes gay marriage and abortion -- that's an opportunity to solidify her credibility with conservatives.

Possible weakness? She mocks global warming in a state where 80 percent of voters consider it a serious problem.

Now, Barbara Boxer. She has ten million dollars in the bank. She has the support of every union and environmentalist in California. Both are experienced at getting out the vote, and running attack spots. Boxer supports amnesty for illegal immigrants, which should help with the Latino vote -- one out of every three Californians.

Weakness? 18 years in the Senate. She stands for everything that is wrong with Washington and she is the status quo, Patti Ann, and will have to defend it.

In a statement last year, Fox News VP Michael Clemente defended his employer by stating that “the average news consumer can certainly distinguish between the A-section of the newspaper and the editorial page, which is what our programming represents. So, with all due respect to anyone who might still be confused about the difference between news reporting and vibrant opinion, my suggestion would be to talk about the stories and the facts.”

So question to Clemente: Does La Jeunesse's statement that Boxer “stands for everything that is wrong with Washington” belong in your so-called “A-section of the newspaper?”