Remember when Fox News attacked the left for politicizing tragedy? That was so Charleston shooting ago!
While authorities were still trying to deal with the terror attacks in Paris yesterday, Fox News talking heads got right down to the business of exploiting the tragedy to score political points for the Republican home team.
Of course, the Fox News exploitation begins with blaming President Obama. I’ve already posted about Charles Payne and Megyn Kelly doing that on the air.
But before he had a chance to do the same on Monday's Fox & Friends, host Steve Doocy retweeted Fox contributor Richard Grenell’s tweet that “Obama’s politics is putting us at risk.”
Outnumbered cohost Andrea Tantaros went to work stirring up some Islamophobia while also attacking President Obama:
“Straight news” reporter Adam Housley didn’t come right out and blame Obama but we know what he meant when he said, “We destabilized Libya. In the last 12 years we have also helped destabilize Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Tunisia, parts of Africa & Lebanon;” “ISIS clearly has not been contained. Destabilizing Libya, Syria, Egypt, Tunisia...has made this threat worse;” and “Yet we won’t support the Kurds.”
Fox Business host Lou Dobbs seemed more interested in hating on Muslims than on President Obama. Dobbs tweeted “insight” from a far-right Islamophobe: “Borders must close to halt an ‘Islamic invasion’ says Geert Wilders.”
In case you you’re not familiar with the Dutch lawmaker, here’s a sample of Wilders’ mindset, via Southern Poverty Law Center:
Because Islam is not a religion, according to Wilders, “the right to religious freedom should not apply to Islam.” He called for a moratorium on the building of new mosques and the closure of all Islamic schools because “they are fascist institutions.”
But it was Fox regular, Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke, who most nakedly politicized: “If GOP plays this politically smart they can end any chance that the Dems win the WH in 2016.”
While you’re mulling all that over, let’s take a walk down memory lane to last summer, when Jon Stewart skewered Fox News pundits, including Tantaros, when they acted as though they would never politicize a tragedy. Stewart's mockery is not only apropos, it’s also very funny. And isn’t this a perfect time to have some laughs at Fox News’ expense? Watch it below.
(Thanks to NewsHounds Richard for his assistance with this post)
Crossposted at News Hounds.
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