Cavuto spends more time on expletives than financial reform

Despite impending Senate debate, Cavuto spent just 3 minutes and 31 seconds over two days on the subject. A Media Matters for America review of the April 27 and April 28 editions of Your World found that Cavuto spent just 3 minutes 31 seconds over the two shows on financial reform legislation, despite the legislation's impending discussion on the Senate floor and three failed attempts by Senate Democrats, on April 26, 27, and 28, to break a Republican-led blockade and begin floor debate of the bill. By contrast, Cavuto spent 6 minutes 7 seconds over the two shows discussing the use of expletives during a congressional hearing.

Cavuto obsesses over Senate expletives

Levin highlighted Goldman Sachs exec's description of investment during hearing. During an April 27 congressional hearing examining investment firm Goldman Sachs' behavior prior to the financial crisis -- which included the creation of a “hybrid collateralized debt obligation” called Timberwolf, a security linked to subprime mortgages that Goldman sold to investors in 2007 -- Sen. Carl Levin highlighted a Goldman executive's description [registration required] of Timberwolf in an email as “one shi**y deal,” then repeatedly used “shitty deal” to describe the investment during the hearing.

Cavuto quizzed guests about expletives, devoted a commentary to it. On the April 27 and April 28 editions of Your World, Cavuto repeatedly discussed use of expletives during the hearing and asked several of his guests about it:

• Opens show with focus on “senators who like to curse.” At the start of his April 27 show, Cavuto noted “senators who like to curse,” adding, “This senator a dozen times calling the Goldman guys a word that rhymes with 'pretty.' ” Cavuto played a montage of statements from the hearing including two examples of Levin using the word; a few minutes later, calling it “an example of your lawmakers at work,” Cavuto played a montage composed entirely of Levin and other senators using the word. This was followed by Fox News senior judicial analyst Andrew Napolitano saying that the senators' use of the word showed “their desire to get on Your World with Neil Cavuto and on a lot of other shows as well.”

• First question to Sen. Sanders is on cursing. Cavuto began his interview with Sen. Bernie Sanders by asking, “Senator, what do you -- first off -- think of the way some of your colleagues spoke today?” When Sanders made a statement about financial reform, Cavuto responded, “Senator, you said all of that without once cursing.”

• Cavuto “Breaking News Alert”: Levin swears “for the 12th time at these hearings.” Later on April 27, Cavuto aired a “Breaking News Alert” to note that “Senator Levin has just, for the 12th time at these hearings with these Goldman guys, uttered the word that rhymes with 'pretty.' ” Cavuto claimed that this is “the first time in American history a single senator has cursed so many times at a single briefing,” then added, “Actually, we don't even know if that's true, but it is incredible.” He then asked House Minority Leader John Boehner for his “take on all this cursing going on.”

• Cavuto to Martha Stewart: “You are the dean of decorum. Would you do that?” On his April 28 show, Cavuto asked guest Martha Stewart about “one senator in particular who a dozen times cursed.” He brushed off Stewart's response that Levin “was reading an email,” then asked, “You are the dean of decorum. Would you do that?”

• Senators' use of “choice words” is “shhh ... itty.” In a “Common Sense” commentary at the end of his April 28 show, Cavuto said, “Curses -- I can't get over this,” and again played a montage of senators' use of the word, adding, “Blunt language doesn't prove your point, senators, blunt actions do. Admitting you missed things would be nice; throwing some choice words is just bad and not pretty. It's shhh ... itty.”