Ingraham: Path to citizenship for illegal immigrants would bring more viewers to nets and cables with “the more liberal viewpoint”

Written by Kurt Donaldson

Published

On The O'Reilly Factor, nationally syndicated radio host Laura Ingraham claimed the “supposed mainstream media” are “making the same bet that [Sen.] Ted Kennedy [D-MA] is making” by supporting a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. Ingraham maintained that just as Kennedy supports granting a path to citizenship because it will “redound to the Democrats' benefit,” presumably through votes, the media -- which she claimed “tilts to the left” -- support citizenship because it will bring “new viewers, new listeners, new customers to the more liberal viewpoint” to which the media purportedly cater.

On the May 1 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, nationally syndicated radio host Laura Ingraham claimed the “supposed mainstream media” are “making the same bet that [Sen.] Ted Kennedy [D-MA] is making” by supporting a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. Ingraham maintained that just as Kennedy supports granting a path to citizenship because it will “redound to the Democrats' benefit,” presumably through votes, the media -- which she claimed “tilts to the left” -- support citizenship because it will bring “new viewers, new listeners, new customers to the more liberal viewpoint” to which the media purportedly cater. Ingraham included NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN and MSNBC among the “mainstream media” that “tilts to the left.”

Ingraham's suggestion that Democrats support granting citizenship to illegal immigrants because it would “redound” to their “benefit” echoed comments by Fox News host Brit Hume, who asked on the March 16 edition of Fox News' Special Report, “Is it fair to say the Republicans want these people to stay here so they can work, and Democrats want them to stay here so they can vote?”

From the May 1 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor:

O'REILLY: Why do you think the media is so hell-bent on supporting the amnesty movement? Because, no matter what they say, that's what this is all about. And the bottom line is that there are between 12 and 14 million people here, shouldn't be here. And they want them all legalized along with all of their families, adding 25 to 30 new citizens in the next 10 years to this country. Why do you think the media is so OK with that?

INGRAHAM: Well, if you believe that the mainstream media, supposed mainstream media, tilts to the left, which I believe, then you believe that they're making the same bet that Ted Kennedy is making and [Sen.] Barbara Boxer [D-CA], etc., that these new unskilled aliens, illegal aliens becoming citizens will redound to the Democrats' benefit. If it redounds to the Democrats' benefit, it then redounds to the benefit of NBC, ABC, and CBS, throw in CNN and MSNBC. So they think these are, you know, new viewers, new listeners, new customers to the more liberal viewpoint, and I think that's what the bet is that they are making.