Fox News (And Trump) Whines that Trump Didn’t Get Credit for Vaccine They Say Kills People

Posted by Mark NC on May 14, 2021 at 3:50 pm. 2 Comments :

Historical revisionism is one of the primary functions of Fox News. They are working hard to misinform their gullible viewers on a wide range of subjects. They have already succeeded in convincing them that Donald Trump was the real winner of the 2020 presidential election. Now they are trying to peddle the blatant lie that the January 6th insurrection at the Capitol was just a day at the park.

In addition to those fallacies, Fox News is collaborating with Trump to make sure that Trump gets the credit he imagines that he deserves for personally creating the COVID vaccines and saving the world. On Friday morning Fox News interviewed Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito. Host Bill Hemmer managed to contort a question with a preface suggesting that President Biden had cheated Trump out of the glory that he believes is rightfully his. Hemmer asked…

“Were you struck by the fact that the President did not make a single mention of Operation Warp Speed?”

lol pic.twitter.com/IK3AQ7ON3I

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 14, 2021

Not surprisingly, Capito replied that credit should be given where it’s due, and that means to Trump. Never mind that Operation Warp Speed played no role in the development of the first vaccine that became available in the U.S. (Pfizer). Hemmer’s loaded question not only falsely implied that Trump was entitled to recognition for the vaccines, but that Biden was rude not to have mentioned it.

The only thing Trump deserves credit for is his negligence, incompetence, and deliberate malfeasance, that resulted in the deaths of more than half a million Americans, and the illness of hundreds of thousands more. Trump downplayed the severity of the pandemic from the start. He promised that it would disappear by magic when only a few hundred people had died. He proposed treating it with bleach and ultraviolet light. And he failed to put in place a plan to distribute and administer the vaccine.

Other than that, Trump was a perfectly nauseating attention hog who had endless praise for himself. And he continues to play that demented character for his cult followers. Less than an hour after the segment on Fox News, Trump posted a comment on the hysterically lame blog that he set up because he was booted off of Twitter. He wrote that all he wanted was “Just a mention please!,” and then asked…

“Isn’t it incredible that because of the vaccines, which I and my Administration came up with years ahead of schedule (despite the fact that everybody, including Fauci, said would never happen), that we no longer need masks, and yet our names are not even mentioned in what everybody is calling the modern day miracle of the vaccines? […] The Biden Administration had zero to do with it. All they did was continue our plan of distribution, which was working well right from the beginning!”

So Trump and his administration came up with the vaccines? It wasn’t the scientists and doctors who were working on them long before Trump’s “Warped” speed sham? And notice that Trump isn’t expressing any gratitude for the lives saved by Biden’s successful inoculation project. The only thing Trump demonstrates any interest in with this comment is satisfying his own voracious ego and maligning his foes.

It’s rather odd that Trump and Fox News are now so insistent that Trump be celebrated for “his” vaccine. This is the vaccine that Trump received himself in secret. For months Fox News and the rest of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire have been scare mongering about the vaccine. Tucker Carlson is convinced that it doesn’t work, but that government overlords will force it on you. The New York Post has been publishing stories about how it is supposedly killing people.

All of that notwithstanding, Trump is now whining that he isn’t getting credit for the vaccine. He can’t understand why he isn’t being celebrated for his selfless devotion to the cure. But that’s a typical reaction for a malignant narcissist. And for Trump it’s just another day of exalting himself and disparaging others. To Trump, nothing else matters.

NOTE: Twitter recently suspended the News Corpse account after 11 years without giving a reason. So if anyone wants to tweet articles from my website, please feel free to do so often and repeatedly. Also, Be sure to visit and follow News Corpse on Instagram. Thanks for your support.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

BUSTED: Sean Hannity of Fox News Attacks Biden With Maliciously Edited Video

Posted by Mark NC on May 13, 2021 at 1:27 pm. 6 Comments :

Following his inauguration, Fox News wasted no time viciously denigrating President Joe Biden. Before the first day was over Fox had already done a story about “Biden’s Disastrous First Week.” Four months later Fox is still pounding out the same dishonest message. This week they did another story about what they falsely characterized as “Battered Biden under siege as crises confound the White House.”

In the real world, Biden is enjoying one of the most productive and popular presidencies in modern times (which is driving Fox News crazy). He ushered through a two trillion dollar pandemic relief and stimulus plan. He rejoined the Paris Climate Accords. He signed numerous executive orders reversing much of the damage done by Trump. He is advancing historic infrastructure legislation. He’s moving forward expeditiously on reforms for race/police, immigration, gun safety, taxes, and voting rights. And he effectively managed COVID vaccine programs that have already resulted in nearly 50% the country being at least partially vaccinated. That’s a sharp contrast to Donald Trump who has become America’s Biggest Loser.

Among the most prolific purveyors of falsehoods in Fox’s “Bullshit Factory” is Sean Hannity. He has spent most of his time for the past year maligning Biden as “frail, weak, cognitively struggling Joe.” It’s become an endless loop that Hannity repeats ad nauseum in the hopes that his shtick will stick. But Biden refuses to cooperate, and instead speaks with sincerity and intelligence.

Since Hannity can’t make a coherent argument to support the insults he aims at Biden, he has now resorted to producing deliberately deceptive videos that were edited to make Biden look bad. On Wednesday night Hannity played one such video. Hannity introduces the clip in a manner that he thinks is disparaging to Biden, but which actually makes Hannity sound like a cranky seven year old. (video below)

The subject was the recent cyber-attack on Colonial Pipeline that temporarily disrupted gasoline distribution (and that GOP wackos blame on Biden. Hannity called it “Joe Biden’s ongoing gas crisis” and complained that…

“Joe Biden didn’t want to talk about it. He was too worried and concerned he’d get in trouble if he answered too many questions. And his staff threatened, I guess, not to give him his hot cocoa before his afternoon nappy. […] When Joey addressed the crisis his remarks were pretty bizarre.”

Hannity’s assertion that “Biden didn’t want to talk about it” because he was “concerned he’d get in trouble,” was triggered by an obvious joke on Biden’s part. But the humor-challenged Hannity was too dense and consumed by hostility to get it. Then his inner toddler took over to whine about cocoa and naps.

However, the video posted below shows both Hannity’s edited segment as well as the uncut exchange between Biden and the reporter who made the inquiry. The uncut clip shows that Biden answered the question clearly and substantively. But Hannity’s version removed all of that and resumed the video later at a point where Biden’s remarks appear to be unrelated because they are out of context.

This is as dishonest as it gets. And it is sad that it was presented on a cable network that has the word “news” in its name. But it affirms just how unethical Hannity is, and Fox News as well for employing him.

You can see here with these two clips that they specifically edited out Biden talking about good news about the pipeline pic.twitter.com/7tpPk99ATs

— Acyn (@Acyn) May 13, 2021

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

FLAGRANT FOWL: QAnon GOP Rep Blames ‘Biden’s America’ for Chick-fil-A Sauce Shortage

Posted by Mark NC on May 13, 2021 at 7:53 am. 7 Comments :

On a day when there was no shortage of newsworthy subjects to focus on – Liz Cheney’s ouster from her House Republican leadership post, conflict in the Middle East, congressional hearings on the Capitol insurrection – Colorado’s own QAnon congresswoman, Lauren Boebert, managed to detour into a deep ravine of ridiculousness – an area with which she is intimately familiar.

The Hill published a story Wednesday morning with breaking news coverage of a critical matter facing the American people…

“‘Due to industry-wide supply chain disruptions, some Chick-fil-A restaurants are experiencing a shortage of select items, like sauces. We are actively working to make adjustments to solve this issue quickly and apologize to our Guests for any inconvenience,’ a Chick-fil-A spokesperson said.”

Holy Shitake Mushrooms! First a deadly pandemic, and now this? Haven’t we suffered enough? Well, according to QAnon Rep. Lauren Boebert our tribulations have been thrust upon us by the singular cause of every problem known to mankind for the past four months: President Joe Biden. Or so says Boebert…

Is there no limit to how awful Biden’s America can get? https://t.co/fm9eGHhkel

— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) May 12, 2021

That’s right! Somehow Biden is responsible for the Chick-fil-A sauce shortage that is devastating the nation. Boebert doesn’t say exactly how Biden screwed this up, but she’s certain that he’s the one who did it. Just as certain as she is that Biden’s climate plan includes cutting 90% of red meat from our diets. It’s a coordinated plot to hit the beef industry first, and then – BAM – go after poultry when people try to adjust. It’s downright diabolical.

Some folks are saying that Boebert herself is a double agent, carrying out her own role in this dastardly scheme. Last year it was reported that “her pork sliders allegedly poisoned dozens of people at a local rodeo, making them nauseous and sending some home with bloody diarrhea.” So there goes pork products.

Before long the Democrats (or is it socialists?) will force us all to become – GASP – vegetarians. Or worse, we will all simply be starved to make the planet more hospitable to the non-human species from whom it was stolen. Boebert’s comrade, Tomi Lahren, may have already caught on to that conspiracy:

Gas shortages now. Food shortages tomorrow? Wow…starting to feel like socialism is on the way….

— Tomi Lahren (@TomiLahren) May 13, 2021

Never mind that the sauce shortages were caused by interruptions in distribution due to gas shortages caused by the Russian-affiliated cyber-ransom attack on Colonial Pipeline. See how the dots are connecting? Then Fox News played its part by frightening their viewers into believing that the supply of gas would soon dwindle, so they had better stock up.

In the meantime, you may want to to start hoarding condiments from your favorite fast food restaurants before they have all disappeared. There may not be much time left. And if we aren’t careful, the only source of nutrition left will be from Del Taco. And if you don’t know what that means, ask Tucker Carlson who has uncovered the “white replacement theory,” a plot by Democrats to flood the electorate with non-white voters. There are dark days ahead folks.

UPDATE: Naturally, Fox News was all over this frightful story, shouting that “Chick-fil-A sauce shortage blamed on ‘Joe Biden’s America'” And they featured tweets by numerous worried and sauce-less patriots such as Josh Mandel, Clay Travis, and Ted Cruz:

Joe Biden is destroying America. https://t.co/0G1zpgS2ax

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) May 12, 2021

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Sean Hannity Flings Flaccid Threat at Jimmy Kimmel: ‘Don’t Talk About My Show’

Posted by Mark NC on May 11, 2021 at 11:44 am. 6 Comments :

The violent insurrection advocates and malicious anti-vaxxers at Fox News have been working overtime to frighten the American people on behalf of the former reality TV game show host, and twice-impeached loser, Donald Trump, whom they have coronated as their lord and savior.

But they have to take some time off every now and then to bask in their own narcissistic outrage and victimhood. On Monday Sean Hannity took the opportunity to lash out against a late night talk show comedian who, according to Hannity, was “spewing hatred and rage” He thinks that’s what comedians do because his only role model is Fox’s terminally unfunny Greg Gutfeld.

Hannity was appalled that Jimmy Kimmel had the temerity to poke fun at his interview with Caitlyn Jenner. In Kimmel’s monologue (video below) he mocked Jenner’s callous commentary about the homeless in California, noting that a neighbor of his was moving to Arizona so he wouldn’t have to “walk down the streets and see the homeless.” Well, that was just too much for Hannity who unloaded this unhinged rant:

“Far-left, low-rated late-night host Jimmy Kimmel is spewing more hatred and more rage saying, ‘Is it transphobic to call a trans person an ignorant a-hole,’ in response to our interview with Caitlyn Jenner talking about the real problem of homelessness. Jimmy, what is with all the anger and all the cheap shots? Yet you haven’t noticed all the homeless people all over your state.

“By the way, don’t you have anything better to do? Maybe actually trying to be funny or boost your dismal ratings because we’re absolutely crushing you by like 70% in total viewers. That’s this quarter. Jimmy, here’s my advice, don’t talk about my show anymore. […] You talk about my show, I’ll hit you back 50 times harder.” [Later adding that…]

“We had a little spat back in the day. And if he wants me to remind his bosses at Disney of all the crap that he’s done over the years that, frankly, are pretty ignorant, to use his words, I’ll be glad to pick that fight. I’d advise him not to talk about me anymore. That’s my advice. Late night as we once knew it is dead.”

First of all, Hannity’s idea of what “talking about the real problem of homelessness” is consists of two sentences about a wealthy man who was driven from California by just the sight of poor people. But then Hannity got to the core issue, which was his hurt feelings at having been the butt of Kimmel’s jokes.

So naturally, Hannity threatens Kimmel with a threat so impotent it couldn’t hold up a feather. Does Hannity think that the Disney executives are unaware of the ancient bits that Kimmel did long ago? Does he really think that bringing those up is hitting back “50 times harder”? And what is his point about the ratings? Anyone who is knowledgeable about television knows that you can’t compare primetime numbers to late night.

Hannity is competing in a contest for which is pitifully unprepared. If Kimmel chooses to take up this challenge you can rest assured that Hannity will end up toasted beyond recognition. So in addition to provoking a fight over an issue that Hannity can’t defend, he’s also setting himself up for an epic ass-whooping. and this is what passes for “news” on the Fox network.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Biden’s Broad Based Approval Proves the Impotence of Fox News Propaganda

Posted by Mark NC on May 10, 2021 at 12:54 pm. 4 Comments :

Joe Biden has been president for nearly four months. Throughout that time Fox News has done what Fox News always does: Attacks Democrats, liberals, and anyone who fails to fall in line with the the network’s ultra-rightist dogma. Fox’s CEO, Lachlan Murdoch even said publicly that he considers it Fox’s job to oppose Biden.

That mission has narrowed of late to more directly apply exclusively to Donald Trump, rather than the conservative “principles” that once guided the propaganda spew of Fox News. It has become the mandate of both Fox News and the Republican Party to back up Trump, even when it goes against their agenda, the best interests of the party, or the law.

So how’s that working out for them? A new poll by the Associated Press-NORC has an abundance of good news for Biden, along with proof that Fox News has utterly failed in their smear campaign. The poll found that 63% of the American people approve of the job Biden is doing as president. That was broken down between a whopping 96% of Democrats, a healthy 62% of independents, and even a significant 23% of Republicans.

The poll also found that Americans are more optimistic about the direction of the country (54%) than they have been in four years. Which means that this increased optimism isn’t just due to the success Biden has had managing the COVID pandemic. It contrasts with the sullen pessimism that infected the whole of Trump’s term.

As for the handling of the pandemic, Biden has a stellar 71% approval, including 47% of Republicans. The relief and stimulus bill that Biden and congressional Democrats passed (without a single Republican vote) was overwhelming popular across the political spectrum. What’s more, Biden also has majority approval of his handling of healthcare (62%) and the economy (57%).

These numbers are notable, not only because they reflect a growing appreciation for Biden and the progressive initiatives being implemented by Democrats, but also because they were achieved while the most watched cable “news” network was engaged in a full court press to malign the new president. Fox News has labored mightily to undermine Biden at every turn. Although it wasn’t an easy task considering the difficulty they had finding anything to criticize. For that reason Fox obsessed over bizarre trivialities like the “canceling” of Mr. Potato Head, or Grammy porn, or the fallacy that Biden plotted to ban hamburgers.

It’s encouraging to see that despite their best efforts, Fox News has been a dismal failure at dragging down Biden and the positive agenda he’s pursued. Their propaganda blitz doesn’t seem to have tarnished him in the least. If anything, it suggests that he would be even more popular had they not been so obsessively denigrating him.

The only people being hurt by Fox’s avalanche of lies are Fox’s own viewers. They are now more distant from reality than ever. They are more likely to contract the coronavirus due to the scare mongering of Fox News anti-vaxxers like Tucker Carlson. They are more willing to believe Trump’s “Big Lie” about the 2020 presidential election being “stolen” from him. They are more comfortable with the rancid racism that is integral to Fox’s messaging.

In short, the audience that is still transfixed by Fox News and its toxic brand of anti-American hostility will continue to wallow in the cesspool of falsehoods that Fox peddles as “news.” But, as this and other polls certify, the majority of the American people remain uncontaminated by Fox and hopeful about the nation’s future. So Fox is just screeching to the choir and having little impact on congregation.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Fox News Openly Admits it Interferes with Elections

Posted by Mark NC on May 9, 2021 at 12:55 pm. 8 Comments :

The blatant partisan biases of Fox News have been well known for most of its 25 years as a shameless dispenser of conservative propaganda. Having been founded by an ultra-rightist newspaper baron (Rupert Murdoch) and a Republican media consultant (Roger Ailes), it could hardly be anything else.

Nevertheless, Fox News has labored feverishly to persuade the gullible that they are a “fair and balanced” news source. That deliberately misleading slogan was abandoned abandoned three years ago in favor of “Real News,” which is even worse because, not only is it utterly false, it clamps onto Donald Trump’s tedious “fake news” rants. Trump has even repeatedly leveled that charge at Fox News. And in response, Fox’s CEO, Lachlan Murdoch just bends over more to Trump and spins the network’s coverage to boost him and the GOP. Murdoch recently said publicly that he regards Fox News as “the loyal opposition“ to President Joe Biden.

It isn’t often that Fox News admits that they are committed to trafficking in right-wing lies. But one rare incident occurred on Sunday tucked into an article on their website headlined: “NPR ripped for ‘openly admitting’ Big Tech interference in elections.” Fox linked to an NPR article about Facebook’s suspension of Trump and how it has affected him. It read in part that the suspension…

“…will likely have major consequences for Trump’s political power. [and that] being on Facebook is crucial for modern-day political campaigns. [and that] Trump’s campaign used Facebook to fundraise and spread its message — at times with false and odious information.”

From those sentence fragments, Fox News concluded that NPR was “openly admitting Big Tech interference in elections.” But that conclusion is absurd in the extreme. What NPR was saying was that exposure on Facebook – or the lack of it – can have an effect on elections. Which is both true and glaringly obvious. But having an effect is not the same as interfering. All media has the very same effect. Including cable news.

So, is Fox News “interfering” in elections when they report/distort the news in a manner that benefits conservatives? Well, yes they are. But that’s because what Fox does is entirely different than what Facebook, NPR, and other media do.

Facebook’s suspension of Trump was not intended to affect the outcome of an election. It was due to Trump’s own defiance of the rules that every Facebook user must comply with. If Trump had not posted disinformation that incited violence and led directly to deadly riots on Capitol Hill, he would still be able to post, and he could quit his petulant whining.

Fox News, on the other hand, continues to get away with the same reckless and inflammatory rhetoric that got Trump suspended and people killed. Their programs are riddled with falsehoods that are plainly intended to have an effect on elections, and worse, are likely to cause great harm. That’s especially true with regard to their downplaying of the COVID pandemic and their vaccine scare mongering. Consequently, if anyone deserves to be suspended from Facebook – and all other social media – it’s Fox News.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

‘I Watched It On TV,’ Cries Trump ‘Big Lie’ Believer at America First Rally

Posted by Mark NC on May 8, 2021 at 11:47 am. 9 Comments :

This is what we’re up against, folks. Friday marked the launch of the “America First Tour” headlined by Donald Trump’s most zealous fans, Matt Gaetz (who is currently the subject of a federal investigation for sex trafficking and corruption) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (who is a devoutly committed disciple of QAnon). The affair was held at a retirement community in Florida known for being a bastion of ultra-conservativism.

CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan attended the event and interviewed some of the Deplorables gathered to cheer on the Dyspeptic Duo. In one particularly disturbing segment, O’Sullivan entered into this dialog with a couple of Trump’s true “Big Lie” believers:

Q: You guys genuinely believe the election was stolen?
A: Uh huh.
Q: If you believe that that’s true, isn’t that horrible?
A: Yes. I know it is. Is it horrible that we would even be in the situation to even think that?
Q: But it’s false.
A: No it is not. Why would they have all those ballots hidden under tables? Why did that man drive that truck all the way across state lines with ballots?
Q: The ballots under tables thing with Giuliani in Georgia, that’s all been proven to be false.
A: It has not. I watched it on TV.

Friday night in The Villages with @OutFrontCNN pic.twitter.com/sXk7Dc1F0q

— Donie O'Sullivan (@donie) May 7, 2021

Well, that settles it then. She saw it on TV. And as the whole civilized world knows, everything on TV is one hundred percent true. Why just a few days ago I saw Tucker Carlson reveal that Barack Obama is going to force you to get your kids vaccinated. Tucker wouldn’t lie, would he?

It’s a safe bet that the couple in that clip keep their television tuned to Fox News (or Newsmax, or OAN) twenty-four hours a day. And they believe every lie that they broadcast. In this case, they are referring to a thoroughly debunked story about allegedly phony ballots that were hidden under a desk at a Georgia counting facility. The charge was that these ballots were later retrieved and counted after all the observers were sent home and they were all votes for Joe Biden.

That story was feverishly spread by most of the right-wing media. Trump, of course, also included it in his delusional tales of a “stolen” election. However, the story has indeed been proven to be unequivocally false. The video they claim to have “watched on TV” shows the normal process of ballot counting with independent observers present and no irregularities whatsoever.

The problem here is that there is no way to convince the couple in the video that they have bought into a lie and are being taken for fools. They will continue to believe what they think they saw on TV, even if shown the evidence that it’s false. And they aren’t alone. They are just the latest representatives of the cult that has grown like a fungus around the lies disseminated by Fox News and their ilk.

If we hope to halt the totalitarian aspirations of Trump and his Republican Autocratic Party (like the execrable Lindsey Graham who just declared that the GOP cannot “move forward” without Trump), we have to stop it at its source. And that means monitoring and challenging the propaganda dispensed by the Trumpists and their Ministry of Disinformation (aka Fox News) at every opportunity.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

SALVATION: Lindsey Graham Accepts Trump as His Political Lord and Savior

Posted by Mark NC on May 7, 2021 at 7:55 am. 4 Comments :

There aren’t many Republican officeholders who are more shamelessly devoted to Donald Trump than Lindsey Graham. His devotion borders on the blind adoration of a cult follower. He defends every idiotic thing Trump does and says. He salivates at the chance to spend time with Trump at his resort or on the golf course. And now he has confessed out loud his belief that the Republican Party cannot exist without Dear Leader Trump.

Graham made a pilgrimage to the GOP media Mecca (aka Fox News) on Thursday for a prayer meeting with fellow Trump cultist, Sean Hannity. While there, Graham testified as to the salvation he has received through the grace of Trump:

“Let me just say to my Republican colleagues. Can we move forward without President Trump? The answer is no. I’ve always liked Liz Cheney but she’s made a determination that the Republican Party can’t grow with President Trump. I’ve determined we can’t grow without him. All of these people like Herschel Walker, and all of the people you just named are attracted to the Trump Republican Party. Economic populism. America First agenda. If you don’t get that as a Republican you’re making the biggest mistake in the history of the Republican Party.”

Lindsey Graham: Can we move forward without President Trump? The answer is no. I’ve always liked Liz Cheney but she’s made a determination that the Republican Party can’t grow with President Trump. I’ve determined we can’t grow without him. pic.twitter.com/ptdo7AQCKD

— Acyn (@Acyn) May 7, 2021

For the record, in four years Trump presided over the loss of the House, the Senate, and the White House to Democrats. He never had an approval rating that hit 50 percent. He lost the popular vote twice. He was impeached twice and both times polls showed that a majority of the people favored his impeachment. He is the first president in decades to leave office with fewer people employed than when he started. He exploded the national debt by cutting taxes for corporations and the wealthy. He advanced the nuclear aspirations of both Iran and North Korea. He withdrew the U.S. from the international Paris Climate Change Accords. [Inhale…]

[And exhale…] What’s more, Trump incited deadly riots in Washington, D.C. by insurrectionist mobs. He continues to push his “Big Lie” that the election was stolen from him, which is likely to foment more violence. And worst of all, his negligent and incompetent mishandling of the COVID pandemic resulted in the deaths of more than half a million Americans.

That’s the record that led Lindsey Graham to the determination that the Republican Party can’t grow without Trump. No, really. That’s it!

This is the same Graham who, before his epiphany, described Trump as a “kook” who is “crazy” and “unfit for office.” It’s the same Graham who later sought to “harness the magic” of Trump. Needless to say, a sane person would come to an entirely different determination. A sane person would recognize that Trump is a dead weight that is sowing division and hostility through his lies and a cult-like demand for loyalty and unwavering obedience.

What Graham thinks is attracting people to the Republican Party is actually just attracting desperate and frightened party shills to the cult, while simultaneously “canceling” apostates like Liz Cheney and Mitt Romney who dare to tell the obvious truth that Biden beat Trump. The American people are not fooled by this. And the more that Trump is embraced by GOP lackeys like Graham, the better it will be for Democrats.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Jen Psaki Targeted in a Phony Fox News ‘Controversy’ About Biden and the Press

Posted by Mark NC on May 6, 2021 at 4:50 pm. 1 Comments :

Poor Fox News. The stridently right-wing network, and Republican Party they shill for, have been having an extraordinarily difficult time finding mud to throw at President Joe Biden. Consequently, they have resorted to laughably fantastical tales of Biden plotting to eliminate meat, or phantom links on the White House website, or Vice-President Kamala Harris profiting on her books being distributed to migrant children.

Or Dr. Suess, or Mr. Potato Head, or Snow White, or any of a dozen other ludicrous trivialities. The easily debunked book “scandal” inspired CNN’s Jim Acosta to label Fox News a “Bullshit factory.” Which is something most Americans had already concluded about Fox “News.” As a result, they wouldn’t be surprised by a new story by Fox that deliberately mischaracterizes remarks made by Biden’s press secretary, Jen Psaki.

The headline of the piece on Fox’s website reads: “Jen Psaki admits Biden taking impromptu reporter questions is ‘not something we recommend’” The framing in that sentence relies on the word “admits” to imply something that was previously done in secret, but has now been revealed. The problem is that Fox’s framing is typically dishonest and devoid of relevant context.

The sentence fragments that Fox obsessed over referred to Biden taking spontaneous questions from the press. Psaki was quoted as saying “that is not something we recommend. […] In fact, a lot of times we say ‘Don’t take questions,'” To Fox News that was an “admission” that Biden was incapable of handling media inquiries. Of course, he has done so quite often with a measure of clarity, accuracy, and honesty, that Donald Trump could never get close to.

Psaki also added that, despite their advice, Biden would take questions anyway because he’s “going to do what he wants to do because he’s the president.” That should have silenced Fox’s scandalizing, as it affirms that Biden is definitely not afraid of the press.

CNN provided more context to this matter in an article noting that Psaki was being interviewed by David Axelrod for his CNN podcast “The Axe Files.” A segment of that interview shows Psaki elaborating on why taking spontaneous questions wasn’t recommended. It had nothing to do with ability, but everything to do with a rational, communications driven strategy:

“You’re never gonna satisfy the White House press corps and their desires for access, and I think there have been mistakes made in the past of trying to do that. If you do a press conference every other week, or once a week, that doesn’t satisfy them, they’re going to push for more, that’s their job. What we’ve tried to do, which has also been maddening I know for the press corps at times, is kind of not get pulled in by distractions.

“He likes the press corps and likes that back and forth and that engagement. But what we’ve tried to do in general, in thinking about how we use his time, is really think about what the public cares about, right? The public cares about the pandemic, the economy.”

On a new #AxeFiles, WH @PressSec Jen Psaki speaks candidly about the daily tug-and-pull with the media and the administration’s determination to avoid getting knocked off message. “We’re never going to satisfy the White House press corps.” pic.twitter.com/v6sFyiD5sw

— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) May 6, 2021

In other words, the Biden press team is focused on serving the public. That’s a massive departure from Trump and his press team who were focused on satisfying his voracious ego with undeserved bragging, infantile insults, and flagrant lies. Public service is something that Trump and company could never aspire to – or even comprehend. And the difference between Trump’s narcissism and Biden’s compassion is both refreshing and beneficial to the nation.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Fox News Gets Exclusive Access to Voter Suppression Bill Signing By Florida Governor

Posted by Mark NC on May 6, 2021 at 12:30 pm. 2 Comments :

In what can only be described as a submission to state TV politics, Florida governor Ron DeSantis held a bill signing ceremony where he denied access to every media organization – except for Fox News. Even the local station that was designated as the pool representative was refused entry.

This is the sort of journalistic atrocity that would be expected in a third world dictatorship or a Donald Trump administration. As the Tampa Bay Times reported…

“When Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a new bill this morning to change the future of mail-in voting in Florida, the only television cameras allowed to capture the moment belonged to Fox News.

“Outside, reporters and videographers from local news outlet were told the ceremonial bill signing was an ‘exclusive’ for Fox & Friends, the conservative network’s morning show. DeSantis confirmed as much later in the day.”

This was a public event paid for by taxpayers. But DeSantis turned it into a totalitarian style propaganda affair covered only by approved state media. It assured that the only people who would be able to see this farce were Fox News viewers who, ironically, would be the primary beneficiaries of a bill that suppressed voting by low income and minority voters. Anyone who didn’t have cable, or who chose to watch actual news networks, were shut out. And to make matters worse, the whole idea was DeSantis’ alone. In a statement to the Tampa Bay Times, Fox News said that…

“Fox never asked for the special treatment. In a statement to the Tampa Bay Times, the network said, ‘FOX & Friends did not request or mandate that the May 6th event and interview with Gov. Ron DeSantis be exclusive to FOX News Media entities.'”

The bill itself is another initiative to make voting more difficult, similar to bills passed in Georgia and Texas. DeSantis held up a placard detailing what he said the bill would accomplish, including common Republican strawman issues like enforcing voter ID, banning ballot harvesting, prohibiting mass mailing of ballots, increasing election transparency, and prohibiting private money from running elections. None of these activities were identified as having caused any problems in any past election.

What DeSantis left out was that the bill also provided for restricting mail-in ballot drop boxes, making it harder to vote by mail, forcing people to request mail-in ballots every two years, criminalizing giving food or water to voters in line, and expanding partisan challenges to vote counting.

When asked why he restricted news coverage to Fox News, DeSantis dodged the question, saying only that it was “a wonderful bill signing […] on Fox and Friends and we were happy to give them the exclusive on that.” But granting exclusive coverage to a public event is a brazen assault on democracy. And it only confirms that DeSantis was afraid of the broader Florida population finding out just how deceitful and despicable he and the Republican Party are.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

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