Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

GOP baffled that ‘we don’t care if you die’ is not a winning slogan.

The willow is too close to the house.

Museums are not America’s attic for its racist shit.

The next time the wall street journal editorial board speaks the truth will be the first.

Relentless negativity is not a sign that you are more realistic.

Quote tweet friends, screenshot enemies.

That’s my take and I am available for criticism at this time.

Trump should be leading, not lying.

A fool as well as an oath-breaker.

The real work of an opposition party is to oppose.

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires Republicans to act in good faith.

Do we throw up our hands or do we roll up our sleeves? (hint, door #2)

In after Baud. Damn.

I’m more christian than these people and i’m an atheist.

Give the craziest people you know everything they want and hope they don’t ask for more? Great plan.

Republicans do not trust women.

Republicans are the party of chaos and catastrophe.

When they say they are pro-life, they do not mean yours.

It’s a good piece. click on over. but then come back!!

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Stop using mental illness to avoid talking about armed white supremacy.

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You are here: Home / Here’s What ABC’s Sister Network Has Been Up To

Here’s What ABC’s Sister Network Has Been Up To

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Boy, Team Obama was really out of line when they pointed out that Faux news is not really a news organization:

The four minute anti-Obama attack ad aired by Fox News this morning was the equivalent of $96,000 of free advertising for the Republican Party. Sources confirm to Media Matters that at the current rate of $6,000 for a 30-second ad on Fox and Friends, the cost of airing two four-minute attack ads would cost an outside group $96,000*. Fox News aired their ad at 6:45 a.m. and 8:07 a.m. during that program.

Here’s the spot:

We’re becoming a banana republic, but without the climate to grow tasty tropical fruit. And our media overlords are leading the charge.

And Fox News is not a news organization. In the long history of the world, has an empire ever been closer to being brought to its knees by concern trolls?

Reader Interactions

75Comments

  1. 1.

    trollhattan

    Admittedly, we’re working on that climate-for-tasty-tropical-fruit thing. Can appointing a generalissimo be that hard?

  2. 2.

    C.J.

    Uh, that’s obviously opinion programming. Why do you hate those heroes in the press corpse?

  3. 3.

    Omnes Omnibus

    We’re becoming a banana republic, but without the climate to grow tasty tropical fruit.

    Why do you think the right is denying climate change? They know what they are doing and they want the fruit to prove it.

    ETA: Beaten to the punch by another saabista.

  4. 4.

    Roger Moore

    Why does it always have to be bananas? Can’t we be bold and choose a different fruit? We should aim to be a Citrus Republic, or a Mango Republic, or maybe a Durian Republic.

  5. 5.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    Fox jumped the shark today, and everyone saw it. It was laid out in pure political essence. No one will ever take Fox News seriously again. Ever.

    A low level Fox and Friends Producer has completely and utterly trashed the entire brand, in one fell swoop. Ailles is probably pissed beyond belief.

  6. 6.

    Arm The Homeless

    @Roger Moore: “or maybe a Durian Republic”

    Horribly smelling, with a texture like pudding? I am sure there is a wetsuit and dildo joke in there, somewhere.

  7. 7.

    the Conster

    So, does that mean that the people who watch Fox News won’t be voting for Obama now after sitting all the way through that?

  9. 9.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Litlebritdifrnt:

    Fox jumped the shark today, and everyone saw it. It was laid out in pure political essence

    Nah, they did that with “Terrorist fist jab” and/or “Barack’s Babymama”. I can’t remember which came first. But both of those preceded Jake Tapper’s “our sister network” snivel.

  12. 12.

    Southern Beale

    And from our friends at the AP, last seen bringing donuts to the McCain campaign:

    This is a little awkward. Obama, who often disses George W. Bush, must welcome him to the White House tomorrow: apne.ws/JRyPhB -MS— The Associated Press (@AP) May 31, 2012

    I mean really? “Often”?? He does this often? When was the last time? Sounds like someone is trying to gin up some fauxtroversy.

  13. 13.

    robertdsc-PowerBook

    Now if only the Fox person in the White House Briefing room could be ejected and their chair left vacant.

    Failing that, the White House should ignore any and all questions posed by Fox News in perpetuity.

  15. 15.

    Stuck in the Funhouse

    Yea, just read that, without a smidgeon of shock. Such breaches of constitutional role of 4th estate impartial truth telling, probly has Thom Jefferson spinning in his grave.

    It even made Special Ed, scratch his head, though with the ever present ‘both sides do it’ creature comfort. Other networks have done positive pieces on Obama, and they did for Bush as well. But I don’t know of a single large news outlet putting together a ‘negative’ hit piece ad, especially in the heat of a presidential election. I think it’s a new level of debauchery, even for Fox.

    Should a news organization produce and publish attack ads like this? I know the initial response will be that other news organizations offer biased perspectives and hagiographies of Obama that go well beyond a single video … and that response is entirely valid. My point is that this ad was produced by Fox News itself, and it’s clearly intended to campaign against Obama. That’s the problem with this video, and I think it was ill-advised by Fox to have produced and published it.

    blind squirrel, and all that.

  17. 17.

    Baud

    @Southern Beale:

    This is a little awkward. Obama, who often disses George W. Bush, must welcome him to the White House tomorrow the AP, which used to be a respected news organization, has taken to tweeting bullshit.

    FTFY

  19. 19.

    MonkeyBoy

    So I guess the upshot of all the PACs etc. is that as long as Fox doesn’t explicitly say “Vote for Romney” that this really isn’t a political ad.

  20. 20.

    Spaghetti Lee

    We’re becoming a banana republic, but without the climate to grow tasty tropical fruit.

    Potato Republic!

  21. 21.

    ChrisNBama

    Even Ed Morrissey over at Hot Air concedes that the F&F “report” makes it nigh impossible for the right to argue that Fox isn’t what it actually is: a GOP propaganda mill.

    If MSNBC aired something even remotely similar, the right wing poutrage would result in Phil Griffin personally apologizing for the oversight in concert with the firing of any and all producers associated with the package.

  22. 22.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Southern Beale: well, really, what did President Bush ever do to warrant something so harsh as a “diss”? He left the country in tip top shape! Every move a right one! Only bitter far-leftists remember the Iraq War, Katrina, letting bin Laden get away, torture, blowing a hole in the debt with tax-cuts in wartime, John Robers, Samuel Alito….

  24. 24.

    El Cid

    We make our own tropical fruit environment, with the appropriate uses of Big Government, such as fruit and vegetable production in much of Central California and sugar production in Florida.

  26. 26.

    beltane

    You have to hand it to Rupert Murdoch, he’s the only man in history to successfully destroy the democracies of both the United States and the United Kingdom. If Hitler had only known that the key to world domination lay in a news empire that deployed armies scantily clad Aryan prostitutes news anchors to make fascism sexy and appealing, the 3rd Reich would be a reality.

    Shame on all of us for not eradicating this cancer while it was still a stage I tumor instead of waiting for it to grown to state IV terminal.

  27. 27.

    texascowgirl

    My 87 year old black Baptist grandmother keeps telling me that the president will win reelection because he’s “anointed”. Well with $1 billion in right-wing anti-Obama superPAC spending, Rmoney’s campaign spending, the whole of the corporate media, and the right-wing noise machine against him, he’d better be.

  31. 31.

    Marc McKenzie

    @texascowgirl:

    Well, to be honest, unlike Romney–who will only face a one-sided fight–the President will have a three-sided battle ahead: Romney and the GOP, the corporate media, and those who on the Far Left who are convinced that he’s worse than Bush.

    But I wouldn’t count him out. He had to have seen this coming, and I damned well think he’s going to fight tooth and nail for a November win.

    Of course, we could all throw up our hands now and walk away.

  32. 32.

    David Koch

    speaking of sista networks

    MSNBC attacked Elizabeth Warren today for being a centrist.

    I have to admit, it was hilarious watching the “progressive betters” who support her get a biter dose of their very own “purity” medicine.

  36. 36.

    texascowgirl

    @Marc McKenzie:

    I’m not throwing up my hands. I’m donating and phone banking. It’s just sometimes I wonder why he doesn’t throw up his hands. I would’ve held a press conference and told everybody to go fuck themselves by now.

    The Onion, said it best:

    theonion.com/articles/obama-openly-asks-nation-why-on-earth-he-would-wan,26933/

    Obama Openly Asks Nation Why On Earth He Would Want To Serve For Another Term

    PITTSBURGH—Citing three years of exhausting partisan politics, constant gridlock in Congress, and an overall feeling that the entire nation has “completely lost it,” President Barack Obama openly asked a campaign-rally crowd Tuesday why he’d want to serve another term as president of “this godforsaken country.”

    “My fellow Americans, I come to you today to ask, why?” Obama said to 1,200 people gathered inside a gymnasium at Taylor Allderdice High School. “Why can’t our congressional leaders work together to create jobs? Why can’t Wall Street ever be held accountable? And most important, why on God’s green earth would I voluntarily subject myself to this nonsense for another four years?”

    “I’m dead serious,” the president continued, saying that any reasonable person would have walked away the moment the Senate minority leader announced his main priority—above creating jobs and improving American health care—was to make Obama a one-term president. “I’m asking if anybody out there can come up with even one reason why I’d want to endure this unmitigated shit show for another minute, let alone through 2016. What’s in it for me, ex­actly? Can anyone answer that? Anyone at all?”

    After a long silence during which crowd members mostly just shuffled their feet and stared at the ground, Obama said, “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

  37. 37.

    DW

    Bear in mind, the House of Murdoch is currently starting to fall. If old man Rupert loses power, his heirs look unlikely to keep throwing money down right wing rat holes. So the News Corp teat may be drying up soon – Lord knows what effect that will have on American politics. Honestly I’m surprised there hasn’t been more coverage on the possible consequences of the News Corp trials. Perhaps the thought of having to work for a living is simply too terrifying.

  39. 39.

    David Koch

    @Baud: Her True Progress™ primary opponent Marisa DeFranco got free rein and she attacked Warren using the familiar purity ponies (“I support single payer while Ms Warren supports bailouts and giveaways to big insurance”) the professional left loves to use against Black Metrosexual Abe Lincoln.

  40. 40.

    vtr

    I have been in broadcasting since 1969. I have never known a news director with so little self respect as to say he didn’t know an associate producer was assembling something like that Fox piece. That’s utter bullshat.

  42. 42.

    RalfW

    @Litlebritdifrnt:

    No one will ever take Fox News seriously again. Ever.

    Hah.

    Well more than the 27%ers will never be dissuaded from thinking Fox is the one true truthiness.

  43. 43.

    RalfW

    @Baud: Uhuh, or this:

    This is a little awkward. Obama, who often disses George W. Bush, must welcome him to the White House tomorrow The AP, which used to be a respected news organization, has decided that Fox was onto something big today.

  44. 44.

    Todd

    My fondest dream is that Team O pulls this out in a big way, and locks Fox out of everything.

    I want to see Fox stuck using the stock footage of other networks for everything.

  46. 46.

    JGabriel

    The eagle that suddenly tilts its head at the 50 second mark, as if in alarm, is one the most hilariously dumb things I’ve ever seen a political commercial. In terms of clueless affect, it’s right up there with the neanderthal skeleton Woody Allen points to in Manhattan, while saying, “He was probably one of the beautiful people!”

    Except, Woody was funny on purpose. Fox isn’t, which is what makes it even funnier.

    I mean, think about it: they want their audience to literally identify with the alarm of a bird-brain.

    .

  47. 47.

    Amy

    All I can say is they even lost Howard Kurtz:

    The thing has to be seen to be believed. It is a classic piece of negative propaganda, scary music and all. . .

    I’m telling you, Mitt Romney’s campaign wouldn’t have produced this. The RNC wouldn’t have produced this. Karl Rove’s group wouldn’t have produced this. It is a parody of an attack spot and would have been laughed out of the political arena.

    thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/05/30/fox-s-anti-obama-propaganda.html

  48. 48.

    PaulW

    Isn’t there supposed to be a separation of the media from political campaigning? Is this something the FEC or FCC should be investigating?

  49. 49.

    Spaghetti Lee

    @Amy:

    Why, when you’ve lost Howard Kurtz, you’ve lost Howard Fineman and Howard Kurtz!

  51. 51.

    FlyingToaster

    Frankly, it’s not like anyone who watches FoxNoise at that time of day was going to vote for Obama. Ever.

  52. 52.

    Spaghetti Lee

    @Cacti:

    I thought their whole shtick was to anger up the next generation of geezers whenever there’s overturn. Like, if Paul Ryan succeeds in chopping SS/Medicare into tiny bits, Fox will slither up to the born in the 50s/60s crowd and say it was all Obama’s fault.

  53. 53.

    myiq2xu

    We’re becoming a banana republic, but without the climate to grow tasty tropical fruit. And our media overlords are leading the charge.

    Obama is president of this republic, and he’s the media darling.

    BTW – Was anything in that video inaccurate?

  54. 54.

    JGabriel

    Howie Kurtz:

    … reporters such as … John Roberts didn’t become unfair when they joined Fox from CNN.

    This is true, to the extent that John Roberts was a right-wing hack at CNN too.

    But Wednesday’s video tarnishes the journalists who work at Fox News. … [Roger Ailes] should make clear that such partisan garbage has no place on Fox News. Otherwise people will assume that Fox’s worst critics are right.

    Wouldn’t want people assuming anything that their own lying eyes tell them, right?

    .

  55. 55.

    Cacti

    @myiq2xu:

    BTW – Was anything in that video inaccurate?

    Like righties have ever bothered themselves with facts.

    Wingnuts have never met a fact they couldn’t handwave away. Like candidate Romney’s birther pal, Donald Trump.

  56. 56.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @myiq2xu: I guess with PUMAs, it’s a bitter fruit republic? a mushy, unpleasant produce that grows on clingy vines?

  57. 57.

    Bill D.

    @JGabriel

    That’s a gorilla skeleton, not a Neanderthal. Not that it really matters to us, but I’m sure the latter would prefer not be thought of as that primitive-looking if they were still around. Though come to think about it… ;-)

  60. 60.

    The prophet Nostradumbass

    Myiq’s looking for someone to hit in the back of the throat with the meat prod.

  61. 61.

    Ash Can

    Myiq is really trying to hide it, but he’s a KKK white-rober. Go back to the rural Alabama truck garage you came from, Myiq. You’re not fooling anyone here.

    And I hate to tell you all here, but this election may be the USA’s last stand. Go check with your friends abroad. See what they say. They just might agree — this may be it.

  62. 62.

    TaMara (BHF)

    @myiq2xu: Wow, you used to be a much better troll. Maybe you should go away for a while and come back when you’re back up to snuff. Election season is here, you should be bringing your best.

  64. 64.

    Marc McKenzie

    @texascowgirl:

    That’s the spirit! That’s what we do need to do–fight like hell for a victory this fall.

    And thank you for the link to the Onion article. It is funny as hell…but honestly, there is truth behind it….

  65. 65.

    Marc McKenzie

    @myiq2xu:

    “Obama is president of this republic, and he’s the media darling.

    BTW – Was anything in that video inaccurate?”

    Wait…are you serious?

    Hold on a moment….

    (Walks off and laughs hysterically for about five minutes or so before coming back)

    Okay, I’m back. Now, lemme ask again–are you serious–or on drugs?

  66. 66.

    Marc McKenzie

    @Ash Can:

    Which is why we really need “all hands on deck”. No more of the pouting, the “we’re sending a message by sitting this one out!” from 2010 (and honestly….do they like how things turned out?).

    We’d better get goddamned serious about this election. We’ve been too bloody complacent, too smug. If 2000, 2002, 2004, and yes, 2010, haven’t made us realize just how insane some of these GOPers are….then I don’t know. I really don’t.

  67. 67.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    @myiq2xu GoatBoy:

    Hey, it’s GoatBoy! How’s it going, you piece of racist PUMA shit? You score any of that prime wrinkled PUMA ass yet? No? Why, can’t pry yourself away from the goats?

    That’s believable. Now go get hit by a truck.

  70. 70.

    kay

    @JGabriel:

    Kurtz’s one and only concern are his personal friendships at FOX. His friends will be “tarnished”

    He’s just completely lost the point of what he does for a living. He thinks his job is to maimtain an illusion of credibility. It no longer matters if they’re actually credible.

  71. 71.

    kay

    I think we’ll have to be satisfied with the fact that they inadvertently broke some news here, provided some worthwhile context.

    They told us they’re soul- dead bought and paid for hacks.

    People should know that, and now they do.

  74. 74.

    Triassic Sands

    Jake Tapper is no fool. It’s just a matter of time before he needs a job, so he’s just padding his resume now for Fox, the network that scoops up all the discredited hacks.

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