Fairly Unbalanced: Fox News Politburo Purges Democrats At Senate Hearing On Syria

When President Obama announced that he would seek the opinion of Congress with regard to a military response to the use of chemical weapons in Syria, the hypocrisy of the right immediately rose to the surface of the debate. Many of the same people who had previously condemned the President for not seeking congressional approval, shifted to criticizing him for doing so.

Fox News
For more Fox [distortions of the] News read
Fox Nation vs. Reality.

However, nothing illustrates the transparent intention to oppose Obama regardless of what he does as the coverage of the Senate hearings on Syria that commenced today.

Fox News was generous enough to broadcast the opening statements of Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, as well as those of the committee chairman Robert Menendez and ranking GOP member Bob Corker. From there on, however, their coverage had a much more partisan hue.

At about 4:00 pm (ET), Fox cut away from the hearings for an interview with former congressman Ron Paul. Fox then methodically skipped questioning from Democratic senators as if they were mere interruptions. Then, when it was Tea Party darling Marco Rubio’s turn, Fox went back to the live broadcast. But their return was just for Rubio’s opening statement and initial question. They immediately cut away again when Sec. Kerry began his answer. Fox then skipped the next Democratic senator completely, but aired the accusatory inquiries of GOP Sen. Ron Johnson. Guess what happened when Johnson finished his question and the cameras turned to the witness table – live coverage stops. This pattern repeated itself again with Democratic Sen. Coons getting cut, followed by John McCain getting covered in full.

At one point during the coverage, while Fox was airing a series of right-wing analysts bashing Obama, Neil Cavuto promised that as soon as Rand Paul’s turn came around, he would return to the live hearing. It was an explicit admission that Fox had no intention of airing any other part of the hearing that might include Democrats, but would faithfully broadcast their pal Rand Paul. And since Cavuto’s program ended before Paul’s time came, the promise was repeated by Dana Perino in the next Fox program. Lo and behold, Fox refrained from airing anything else from the hearing until Paul, then left the hearing again when Democrat Tim Kaine began his question time.

This couldn’t have been a more blatant demonstration of bias. Democratic senators were virtually ignored. After Republican questions were aired, the answers by the Democratic representatives of the administration’s cabinet were likewise ignored. This was clearly an editorial decision, and it is further evidence that Fox cannot be taken seriously as a news network. They are an openly partisan propaganda outfit for the benefit of the Republican Party. Their mission is to advance a conservative agenda, and that means preventing their already ignorant audience from being exposed to opinions that differ from those of the right-wing commentariat.

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24 thoughts on “Fairly Unbalanced: Fox News Politburo Purges Democrats At Senate Hearing On Syria

  1. If this is true (I really don’t have any desire to watch the Farce Networks), I don’t believe I have ever seen a more obvious demonstration of Shlox Snooze’s priorities. We all know they’ve done this before, but certainly not to this extent. So that when the time comes to vote, the mindless fools of Farce Nation can push the lie that the Dems had nothing to say in their own defense and condemn them for their lack of patriotism.

    Then they will denounce any network that claims otherwise.

    Absolutely pathetic – isn’t there any legal body that can take Shlox Snooze off the air for this?

    • Your last line is a dangerous request – today it’s Fox News – tomorrow it could be someone else.

      Don’t watch it, you’re not going to miss anything – I won’t watch Fox News and haven’t for a long time unless I’m in a house that is watching it and even then I try to turn it off – Don’t waste any time – their coverage is horrible and one sided – and this is coming from an right wing extremist.

      • We would condemn MSNBC or any other network if it pushed the Democratic dogma as overpoweringly as Fox does. It’s not a question of condemning Fox out of hand.

        But you have to admit that Fox is more obvious about their bias than any of the so-called leftwing news stations.

        • They are pretty obvious, which is why I don’t argue that point – I generally agree.

          • Let me say one other thing – you may condemn MSNBC if it did what you say, but there is no evidence in all the articles Mark has written that he hold “left wing” biased programming to any standard at all. They get a pass no matter what they say or do, so not all would take your position.

            • I think you’re off base here because Mark is not claiming to be unbiased. He biasly exposes the bias of a so-called news network that claims to be unbiased and is anything but. I think he is performing a public service to demonstrate how Fox uses the public airwaves for benefit of one political party. At the same time you are free to write articles about the left-wing bias of MSNBC.

  2. For a news network that exists to promote partisan-conservative dogma, there is everything to lose and nothing to be gained from the prospect that its audience might agree with a Democrat.

  3. If it quacks like a duck, walks like duck looks like a duck it is what it is a duck. The good news is most people know what Fox News is about they only appeal to their target audience

  4. See no Democrat
    Hear no Democrat
    Speak no Democrat.

  5. “If it quacks like a duck and moves like a duck, it’s a duck. Unless, of course, it’s a pig.” Groucho Marx.

    Look, Mommy, that’s Fox Nation…

  6. The FCC should take away their license to broadcast for this outrageous claim they make as being a news organization. Maybe a lawsuit can be filed!

    • Yes, because they are using the public’s airwaves to push Republican drivel. Doubly offensive because the Murdoch isn’t even an American.

      • Now that’s a smart position to take – take away their right to say what they do because “they push Republican drivel” – gotta love a lib. What will you do when someone tries the same for pushing democrat divel? Will you like that?

        • I would reinstate the Fairness Doctrine and enforce it. That would go a long way toward taking care of the problem and is not inherently a “liberal” solution. You’re a little quick with the labels.

          • Fairness never carried much weight with me – that’s a losers way of looking at things. So no, it’s dumb solution in my view – it, as usual, takes freedom away and forces us all to be what you and your ilk consider is the right way to live and behave – no thanks.

        • There is no network that throws bullshit around like Faux news. There is no network as one sided as they are. They consistently lie and put out half truths for morons like you to suck up. and boy do you guys suck.

          • I don’t think I’ve ever defended Fox News as a news outlet, just their right to exist and do what they do under the first amendment. I’m not a big fan of overt bias which appears on many “news” channels and have stated that many times – unlike those here, I would never dream of trying to silencing the MSNBCs of the world – regardless of my personal opinions about progressivism/liberalism – and I’ve made those clear too.

    • Unfortunately they can legally broadcast lies as news. They sued for that right a decade ago in Florida:

        • But, of course, if any other network “broadcast lies,” you can bet that Shlox Snooze would be the first out of the gate to condemn them and demand that the network be taken off the air for their vile slander. Since, of course, Shlox Snooze would never do the vile, evil, things that it just proved the other networks do, right?

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