Fox News finally terminated the contract of contributor Scott Brown after Brown told the network he is planning a New Hampshire Senate run. The move follows months of speculation about a possible run by Brown, a topic that was repeatedly raised during his appearances on the network.
Brown tweeted today that he “enjoyed being a part of the Fox family. Their analysis & insight has helped hold politicians accountable for their actions ... especially on ObamaCare. I am extremely grateful to everyone at Fox for their friendship, & wish them all the best moving forward.”
It became clear shortly after Brown was hired by Fox in 2013 that he was planning to use the network as a springboard to the next stage of his political career. And Fox was more than happy to play along.
The network gave Brown an online column, which he used to write columns with headlines like “Time to hold Democrats in Congress responsible for the mess they created.” Fox also let him practice stump speeches, plug his New Hampshire bona fides, discuss the need for Republicans to win back the Senate, and attack his possible opponent on-air.
Below are five segments that show the farcical nature of Brown's job as a “Fox News contributor.”
“This Guy Is A Ninth Generation New Hampshire-ite...His Mother Lives There”
Fox got the ball rolling early on by letting viewers know about Brown's post-Massachusetts political ambitions. During an appearance on Fox News Sunday the month after he was hired, Brown was asked by host Chris Wallace about the “talk” that he might mount a run for Senate in New Hampshire. Brown dodged the question, saying that “nothing's off the table, and nothing's on the table.” Fox News political analyst Karl Rove chimed in, saying that “this guy is a ninth generation New Hampshire-ite. That's the dirty little secret. His mother lives there.” Wallace responded, “Sounds like an endorsement.”
Rove's support of Brown won't be limited to saying nice things about him on Fox's airwaves. His American Crossroads political group announced it will be spending $600,000 next week on ads targeting incumbent New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D).
“People Know I Have Long And Strong Ties To New Hampshire”
During one of Brown's last appearances on Fox, Your World host Neil Cavuto gave Brown ample opportunity to speak to viewers about a potential senate run. Cavuto gave Brown the chance to respond to attacks that if he runs in New Hampshire, it would be as a “carpetbagger,” with Brown responding, “people know I have long and strong ties to New Hampshire, you know, going back generations.” Brown was also granted a platform to attack Senator Shaheen for joining Democrats in having “rammed” health care reform through Congress. The interview concluded with Cavuto awkwardly pleading with Brown to make any official announcement of his candidacy on Your World.
Brown “Might Be The Best Looking” 2016 Presidential Contender
Neil Cavuto's fawning treatment of Brown warrants more than one inclusion on this list. In a segment last month, Cavuto highlighted a poll showing Brown tied with Shaheen and devoted significant time to discussing a shirtless picture of Brown that had been taken at a charity event in New Hampshire. (Cavuto explained to viewers that there was “a lot of buzz” about the picture.)
During the conversation, Cavuto once again gave Brown the chance to highlight his “long and strong ties” to the state. And leapfrogging the Senate run, Cavuto told Brown that he “might be the best looking” 2016 presidential contender.
Speaking Of Benghazi, Democrats Shouldn't Have Passed Obamacare
Even when Brown's appearances didn't directly invoke his political ambitions, he still found a way to pivot to stump speech-like talking points. During an appearance on The Real Story, ostensibly to discuss the 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Brown awkwardly shoehorned in an attack on Democrats for passing health care reform and voting with Obama too often.
“You add this up with what's happening with Fast and Furious, the IRS, the rollout of Obamacare -- the misrepresentations and lies with regard to that,” Brown said. “And there's a lack of credibility with the administration. And all the Senators who have been supporting the president, seventy -- ninety-seven, ninety-eight, and ninety-nine percent of the time voting with the administration -- are going to be held accountable in '14, I can assure you of that.”
Brown Has “Extraordinary Priorities”
Appearing on Lou Dobbs' show in December, Brown was allowed to rip on the Affordable Care Act for several minutes before Dobbs asked Brown to weigh in on “on what you think of draft movements, particularly for the United States Senate in New Hampshire. You're one of those people being drafted.” Following Brown's usual non-denial denial, during which he said he was focused on the holidays and “taking care of my family and contributing” to Fox, Dobbs declared those to be “extraordinary priorities...very positive ones.” He added, “I personally - I think the draft movement is a terrific idea, get some sort of sense of what the people want early on.”