Health Care

Fox Host: Public Option Would Be Tax-Payer Funded Government Health Care Program

Brian Beutler | November 23, 2009, 4:38PM

You'll be shocked to learn that Fox News is misinforming its viewers about the public option.

"The reason that the public option is so controversial is, it's a government-run health option. So if you can't get health care anywhere else, this is the idea, that you could get it from this government-offered plan, which of course would be paid for by the taxpayers."

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Roundup

TPMDC Sunday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | November 1, 2009, 1:04PM

Lieberman Pledges To Filibuster Public Option, Blames Its Supporters For Holding Up Reform
Appearing on Face The Nation, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) pledged to filibuster against the public option: "The government going into the health insurance business -- I think it's such a mistake that I would use the power I have as a single senator to stop a final vote." He also blamed public option-supporters for being the ones who are obstructing reform: "All of a sudden if you're not for this government health insurance company, you're against health care reform. I'd say to them, 'Don't stop us from getting something good and important done for the American people.'"

Boehner: NY-23 Election Part Of 'Political Rebellion Going On In America'
Appearing on State of the Union, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) addressed the situation in NY-23 by delcaring, "We're in the middle, I think, of a political rebellion going on in America," and said that the Republicans will work to earn the support of people coming into the political system. At the same time, he insisted that the GOP was not excluding moderates, in light of moderate GOP candidate Dede Scozzafava's withdrawal from the race: "We accept moderates in our party. We want moderates in our party. We cover a wide range of Americans."

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Roundup

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | October 23, 2009, 9:02AM

NYT: Behind The White House Vs. Fox News Fight
The New York Times reports on the White House-Fox News feud, and how it followed an unsuccessful attempt by senior adviser David Axelrod and Fox head Roger Ailes to work out their problems. "We simply decided to stop abiding by the fiction, which is aided and abetted by the mainstream press, that Fox is a traditional news organization," said deputy White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer.

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will depart form the White House at 10:05 a.m. ET, arriving in Boston at 11:30 a.m. ET. He will tour a research laboratory at MIT, at 12 p.m. ET, and will deliver remarks on clean energy at 12:30 p.m. ET. He will deliver remarks at a fundraising reception for Gov. Deval Patrick at 2:05 p.m. ET, and will speak at a fundraising event for Patrick at 2:45 p.m. ET. He will depart from Boston at 3:40 p.m. ET, arriving at 4:35 p.m. ET in New York City. He will join Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), and tour a small business at 5:15 p.m. ET. He will deliver remarks at a Dodd fundraising dinner at 6:45 p.m. ET. He will depart from New York at 8 p.m. ET, arriving back at the White House at 9:10 p.m. ET.

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Liz Cheney

Liz Cheney: White House Fight With Fox News Is 'Censorship' And 'Abuse of Power'

Eric Kleefeld | October 21, 2009, 4:43PM

Liz Cheney appeared on Sean Hannity's TV show last night, and had some very tough things to say about the Obama administration's public feuding with Fox News.

Cheney said that David Axelrod and Rahm Emanuel were sending a "clear warning" against other networks: "It's clear censorship, and it's, in my view, abuse of power from the White House."

As for why the Obama administration has it in for Fox, Cheney said: "They became accustomed to an environment where they just got a lot of adoration, and they don't like to be challenged. And Fox News has sure been, you know, at the top of the list of those asking the hard questions."

She may have a point about a White House being accustomed to an environment of adoration and not being challenged. This would explain why the Bush-Cheney White House liked Fox News so much.

Roundup

TPMDC Sunday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | October 18, 2009, 1:02PM

Jarrett: Obama 'Not Demanding' Public Option
Appearing on Meet The Press, White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett made it clear that President Obama is not demanding that a public option must be included in the health care bill: "He's not demanding that it's in there. He thinks it's the best possible choice. But I think, David [Gregory], let's not underestimate how much progress we've made. The fact that there's agreement on so much means that we are right on the brink of delivering for the American people, and that's a positive sign for our country."

Specter: GOP 'A Party Of Obstructionism' With No Plan
Appearing on Fox News Sunday, Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) blasted his former party: "On the Republican side, it is no, no, no -- a party of obstructionism. You have responsible Republicans who had been in the Senate -- like Howard Baker, Bob Dole, or Bill Frist -- who say Republicans ought to cooperate. Well, they're not cooperating ... Take a look at the absence of any Republican plan."

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Roundup

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | October 15, 2009, 9:00AM

Obama Making First Presidential Visit To New Orleans
President Obama is making his first trip as President to New Orleans today, to review the continued reconstruction process from Hurricane Katrina. While this is the first trip by Obama himself, there have also been 17 other trips by administration officials to the city, and a total of 35 trips to the Gulf Coast region overall since March.

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will depart from the White House at 9:25 a.m. ET, arriving in New Orleans, at 12:25 a.m. ET. He will visit with students at the Dr. Martin Luther King Charter School at 1 p.m. ET, and he will hold a 2:15 p.m. ET town hall at the University of New Orleans. He will depart from New Orleans at 4:10 p.m. ET, arriving in San Francisco at 8:20 p.m. ET, speaking at a 10:20 p.m. ET DNC fundraising dinner and a 10:35 p.m. ET reception.

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Michele Bachmann

Bachmann Coins Fox News Slogan: "The Factor" Is The Factor

Eric Kleefeld | September 23, 2009, 12:04PM

Fox News caught up with Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) at the Values Voters Summit, where she praised Fox News and slammed the competition over at MSNBC -- and even coined a new slogan for Bill O'Reilly.

Bachmann couldn't even bring herself to say the competition's name. "Whoever these guys are on MS-- they aren't a factor. The Factor is the factor," said Bachmann, in the midst of an epiphany. "You know, that's it - the Factor is the factor. That's what's important."

She also heaped praise on Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck, for being sources of truth: "People vote with their feet, and they love Bill O'Reilly, they love Glenn Beck, they love the shows that are on Fox. That's what matters, because people want to go where they can find truth. They obviously aren't finding truth over on some of these other channels."

(Via Think Progress.)

Glenn Beck

As Sponsors Flee, Tea Partiers Petitioning In Support Of Glenn Beck

Brian Beutler | August 18, 2009, 1:22PM

It hasn't been an easy week for Glenn Beck. Since calling President Barack Obama a racist, his Fox program has lost a number of major sponsors including GMAC, Roche, RadioShack, Men's Wearhouse, State Farm Sargento, Procter & Gamble, and Progressive Insurance. But he does retain a strong constituency of far right wing supporters.

The so-called 9/12 coalition is urging tea baggers and other protesters to sign a petition in support of the controversial TV host.

You can see the petition here here. Among other things, signatories warn Beck's former advertisers that they reserve the right "to stop purchasing your product or using your services as a form of economic protest."

A message distributed today to the 9/12 coalition's private email list, and obtained by TPM, says, "Let Fox News and those that Advertise on TV know that you support the Glenn Beck program.... This petition/letter will be sent directly to Fox News and shared with the advertisers on his program, past and present."

And it seems to be working. In the last half hour, over one hundred people have joined the campaign, which went live today. At publication time--and don't read any significance into this--666 people had signed on. The letters and form emails will be delivered to Fox News directly.

Fox News

Fox Chyron Refers To Rep "Joke Sestak"

Brian Beutler | August 17, 2009, 10:25AM

It's a new evolution in the continuing saga of Fox's error-ridden chyrons. This time, instead of referring to some scandal-plagued Republican as a Democrat, they referred to Senate hopeful Joe Sestak (D-PA) as "Rep. Joke Sestak"

Take a look for yourself.

In fairness to Fox, the "O" and the "K" keys are pretty close together on the QWERTY keyboard. But given Fox's track record, it's hard not to wonder whether this might've been another Freudian keyboard slip.

Fox News

Glenn Beck Jokes About Murdering Nancy Pelosi

Brian Beutler | August 7, 2009, 10:46AM

We all know Fox News is a family channel. Fair and balance news, politics, and... jokes about murdering the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Glenn Beck has to clear a pretty high bar at this point to really shock anybody anymore, but this?

Tea Party

Obama Mocks Fox, Teabaggers

Brian Beutler | April 29, 2009, 1:53PM

Speaking at a town hall event in Arnold, MO earlier today,President Barack Obama took a swipe at Fox News and their tea bagging fans for their lack of seriousness. Watch:

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