Only on a Fox prompt card: “The Democrats' assault on Bush: Is that bad for America and the markets?”

Written by Raphael Schweber-Koren, Jeremy Schulman & Joe Brown

Published

On the November 18 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends, co-host Steve Doocy asked Fox News contributing market analyst Tobin Smith: “The Democrats' assault on Bush: Is that bad for America and the markets?” Doocy, who appeared to have read the question off a note card he was holding in his hand, said the question was “here on the card.” He then asked: “What does that mean?”

Smith responded: “I just want Republicans to act like Republicans. ... [W]e've had Republicans that have just taken a temporarily insane pill, I think, and have decided that all of a sudden that we need to tax profits and that we need to get rid of, you know, tax benefits.”

From the November 18 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends, co-hosted by E.D. Hill and Brian Kilmeade:

HILL: Will the political battle over the war in Iraq affect Wall Street?

KILMEADE: You know, we've got to ask Tobin Smith that. He's in Washington, D.C., right now. I remember him from two hours ago. He's the editor of the ChangeWave Research and a regular on [Fox News program] Bulls and Bears, for now. We're not sure if he's going to be renewed. He's right here at Fox & Friends this morning. Hey, you never know, I just don't want to get too close to him and then find out --

HILL: He's great.

KILMEADE: You know, then find out he's gone.

HILL: He's terrific.

SMITH: And I'm following a guy pulling a bus. I mean, there's nowhere to go but up.

KILMEADE: At least he had his shirt on.

DOOCY: All right. Hey, let's ask -- we understand -- it says here on the card --

SMITH: Yeah.

DOOCY: “The Democrats' assault on Bush: Is that bad for America and the markets?” What does that mean?

SMITH: Well, we're going to talk about it this weekend, but I'll give you the short answer. Listen, I just want Republicans to act like Republicans. I mean, you know, the Democrat [sic] assault is one thing. The other issue is that we've had Republicans that have just taken a temporarily insane pill, I think, and have decided that all of a sudden that we need to tax profits and that we need to get rid of, you know, tax benefits. And I think that that combined is what really has got people sort of spooked.