The Democrats’ two-fisted response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress today was just too much for Fox News’ Republican fee-fees. Yes, the same Fox News gang that has been “just asking” whether the Obama administration is anti-Semitic was so overcome that they cut off the Democrats’ press conference in order to start criticizing them.
Fox thought the Democratic response was important beforehand. A Fox News Alert for it interrupted the Outnumbered show. “Let’s watch and listen,” cohost Harris Faulkner said. First up was Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY). He blasted Netanyahu.
YARMUTH: ...Now the prime minister can go home to his campaign and say he lectured Congress and the American people on things that, apparently, we didn’t know.
…I resented the condescending tone… and I also resent the fact that he was telling us how to negotiate when the administration and their representatives have been at this for two years now with the cooperation and participation of five other major nations in the world.
This speech was straight out of the Dick Cheney playbook. This was fear mongering at its ultimate.
Rep. David Price (D-NC) was next. He said it's time to “move on to reinforce the U.S./Israel security relationship and to protect the world against a nuclear-armed Iran.” He also said, “The invitation and the speech set a dangerous precedent.”
Well, that was just too much for Fox News ears to bear!
“Wow,” Faulkner said after the producers cut away. She said two words came to mind: “Acrimonious and political.” Yet “acrimonious and political” attacks on Democrats and President Obama are standard fare on Outnumbered and Fox News.
“We’re going to pull away from the lectern just to digest some of what was just said,” Faulkner continued. Of course, what she meant was, “That’s enough from the Dems. Time to attack them for not going along with Netanyahu’s GOP awesomeness!”
Cohost Melissa Francis sneered, “The dangerous precedent was that folks from other nations who oppose a sitting president can come and address Congress for the American people. Oh no! We can’t allow that! We don’t want opposing viewpoints to be aired!” She continued with earnest outrage, “Isn’t that the very heartbeat of our country? Isn’t that democracy, that you disagree publicly, you hash issues out? Are you so afraid to let the other side hear the argument?” In fact, “hearing the argument” is not at all the why Democrats objected to Netanyahu’s speech. Regardless, though, it was hilarious to hear Francis complain about other people being “afraid to let the other side hear the argument” moments after Fox had just censored opposing viewpoints.”
“We want to let everybody know, we are keeping a close watch on this,” Faulkner said about the Democrats’ press conference. Meaning that if something producers thought worth airing came up, they’d go back to it. “But we want to talk about some of the verbal flame throwing that was just coming down,” Faulkner said. “To hear John Yarmuth… say these words (about Netanyahu), “He can go home!” She shouted it with disgust.
Cohost Andrea Tantaros weighed in with her own disgust.
TANTAROS: This was more than openly hostile and acrimonious. I mean this was disrespectful, it was in poor taste, it was arrogant, it was condescending... And then to accuse this of being political. To drag in Dick Cheney somehow and talk about fear mongering?
If you haven’t collapsed into giggles over Tantaros complaining about anyone else being openly hostile and acrimonious, you should. This is the same woman who asked her radio show listeners to “do me a favor” and punch an Obama supporter “in the face.” She’s also the same Outnumbered cohost who has “asked” twice this week whether the Obama White House is anti-Semitic because it has not taken kindly to Netanyahu’s GOP political stunt.
Furthermore, let’s take a stroll down Memory Lane for some other kinds of political commentary that Outnumbered has engaged in:
Fox News contributor Keith Ablow: “(Obama’s) desire is to portray the United States as weak and ineffectual, and that’s what he’s done consistently.”
Guest cohost Rachel Campos-Duffy: I think there’s no doubt right now that (Obama) is fundamentally transforming the Middle East by negligence or intentional negligence.
Cohost Kennedy: “Michelle Obama is so like ‘The Duchess’ when she speaks.”
On Fox News, only some opposing views are “the very heartbeat of our country." You can probably guess which ones.
Watch the hypocrisy above, from today’s Outnumbered.
Crossposted at News Hounds.
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