This week's Fox Campaign is against NBC News. They are trying to equate NBC News with MSNBC, and then go after everyone for doing what Fox does on a daily basis every single day. Today's targets were Andrea Mitchell and Martin Bashir.
For a media critic, Brent Bozell sure doesn't listen very well, does he? Or maybe it's just that Sean Hannity's dazzling delivery of utter BS distracts him for that split second it might take to actually listen to what someone said.
Hannity leads off by asking NBC News about an MSNBC anchor, then manages to misstate what Bashir asked, claiming Bashir accused ANN Romney of using her MS and cancer to close the gender gap.
Now here's the real question Martin Bashir asked:
BASHIR: We know that Ann Romney herself has had some suffering in the form of multiple sclerosis. She's also suffered with breast cancer. Do you think that he's intentionally using her to close the gender gap?
See how carefully Hannity did that? He took a question about MITT Romney and turned into one about Ann. And by the way, he's absolutely using her story to close that gender gap, like any political candidate would. We all have a story, and hers has MS and cancer in it. Of course they're going to use it, just like the Obamas use Michelle's story about her father having MS and still going to work each day. But the key here is that it's Mitt using Ann, and that was the question.
As you might imagine, the pearl clutching was magnificent in the remaining seconds of that particular segment. They're both outraged beyond all belief that anyone would do such a thing. After all, aren't spouses off-limits?
Laugh with me about that before I show you the list. Here it is:
- Hannity attacks Michelle Obama for daring to wear designer clothes. On the flip side, he also says her shopping trip to Target was all a sham, too. No double bind there, eh?
- Hannity says Michelle Obama looks angry and bitter.
- Hannity attacks Michelle Obama for appearing on David Letterman's show because Letterman said something bad about Sarah Palin that he later apologized for.
- Hannity attacks Michelle Obama's college thesis, a document he has never read.
- Hannity allows guest Jesse Lee Peterson to opine that Barack Obama "was elected by mostly racists and guilty white men" without challenge.
- Hannity attacks Michelle Obama for daring to tackle the issue of childhood obesity.
- Hannity goes after Mike Huckabee because Huckabee defended Michelle Obama's love for her country.
- Hannity joins Sarah Palin in a joint attack on Michelle Obama's remarks in a speech
- And there are the "whitey tape" rumors, which supposedly came from Michelle Obama.
Shall I continue, or do you see where I'm going with this? In order to feign outrage, Hannity and Bozell have to lie about the original question asked and ignore all of the times their channel echoed Rush Limbaugh's insults and slams on Michelle Obama, all the times they originated their own slams, and all the times Hannity sat in his seat and either said nothing or cheered right alongside them.
So, Brent Bozell? Want to write up your own media gaffe for Media Research Center now, or should I just send this over to Media Matters for archival purposes?