Faux News Spews; I Need Booze

[JMarie]

1 hour ago, AmazonGrace said:

 

See, this is how I get my "information" from Fox News.  All the important stuff is either at the bottom (in the Fox News Alert area), or in a box in the upper right hand portion of the screen.  You never ever need to listen to anyone's irritating voice if you're using the JMarie Method.

[AmazonGrace]

Newt calling the FBI Gestapo on Fox. 

 

[GreyhoundFan]

"Trump touts Hannity’s show on ‘Deep State crime families’ led by Mueller, Comey and Clintons"

Spoiler

On Wednesday night, like most other weeknights, it was to be expected that President Trump would be tuning into his favorite prime-time pundit. But as if his followers needed a reminder, the president tweeted about it.

“Big show tonight on @seanhannity!” Trump tweeted, promoting Sean Hannity’s 9 p.m. segment on Fox News. By early Thursday morning, Hannity was the No. 1 topic trending on Twitter, and scores of viewers watched as Hannity fired out his usual attacks on his favorite subjects: Hillary Clinton, special counsel Robert S. Mueller III and former FBI director James B. Comey.

In a conspiratorial, long-winded monologue, Hannity charted connections he sees among all three of them. The pundit outlined what he described as “obvious Deep State crime families trying to take down the president,” consisting of the Clinton “family,” the Comey “family” and the Mueller “family.”

Hannity said he was inspired by Comey, who appeared in a video this week promoting an interview between Comey and ABC’s George Stephanopoulos that will air Sunday. In the interview, Stephanopoulos suggests that Comey compared Trump to a “mob boss.”

“Mr. Comey, you’re really going to compare the sitting president of the United States to a mob boss so you can make money?” Hannity said of the former FBI director, who is currently promoting his soon-to-be-released book. “If he’s going to use a sweeping analogy I’ve decided tonight we’re going to use the Comey standard … and make some comparisons of our own.”

He began with what he called “a family responsible for actual crimes … the head of the notorious political cabal, of course Bill and Hillary Clinton, the Clinton crime family.”

For the Clinton family, Hannity brought up allegations of sexual misconduct against President Bill Clinton and, of course, accused Hillary Clinton of committing crimes, obstructing justice and mishandling national secrets on a private server. Linked to the Clinton “crime family” were individuals such as Hillary Clinton aides Cheryl Mills and Huma Abedin, “sketchy” former Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe, former attorney general Loretta E. Lynch, and others, including Christopher Steele, the author of the “dossier” alleging ties between Trump and Russia.

Then there’s the “Mueller Crime Family,” Hannity said. The host drew connections between the special counsel and his “best friend” Comey, as well as notorious gangster and killer Whitey Bulger. Hannity accused Mueller of “looking the other way” at Bulger’s crimes while he was a federal prosecutor in Boston. Then, of course, Hannity mapped out the “Comey Crime Family,” linking the former FBI director to Lynch, Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein, Steele, former deputy attorney general Sally Yates, and “fellow Comey Deep State sycophant” former CIA director John Brennan.

Though Hannity retweeted Trump’s tweet promoting his Wednesday night show, he insisted that the president “was not given ANY heads up on my monologue using the ‘Comey’ standard!!!”

Regardless of what Trump knew before the show, the president is known to watch Hannity’s show regularly and look to it for guidance.

As CNN’s Brian Stelter tweeted, Wednesday night illustrated that “the line where Fox News ends and where Trump begins is getting blurrier by the day.”

Aides have said Trump regularly calls Hannity before or after the program to give feedback, The Post’s Josh Dawsey has reported. “Aides sometimes plot to have guests make points on Fox that they have been unable to get the president to agree to in person,” Dawsey wrote.

Hannity on Wednesday night once again called the Russia investigation a “witch hunt,” as does Trump, and brought on guests who attempted to discredit Justice Department officials and the special counsel.

One guest, Joseph E. diGenova, a former U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia who served as an independent counsel and a special counsel in the 1990s, called Comey a “dirty cop” and said Mueller has surrounded himself with “a bunch of legal terrorists” who are trying to snag Trump in a “perjury trap.”

A Fox News regular who has advised Trump, diGenova said Attorney General Jeff Sessions has an “obligation” to fire Rosenstein as soon as Thursday morning in light of this week’s raids of the office, home and hotel room of Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael D. Cohen.

Rosenstein, who oversees Mueller’s work, signed off on the search warrant. Cohen is under federal investigation over possible bank fraud, wire fraud and campaign-finance violations, The Post reported. Trump lashed out Tuesday at prosecutors for the FBI raid, claiming that it signals an end of attorney-client privilege and tweeting: “A TOTAL WITCH HUNT!!!”

On Hannity’s show, diGenova encouraged Trump to stop cooperating with the Russia probe. His remarks fall in line with a plan former White House chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon is pitching to the White House, The Post reported Wednesday. Bannon is recommending that Trump fire Rosenstein and end cooperation with the special counsel.

I'm wondering how they hide the foam coming out of Shamity's mouth, since he seems like he must have rabies. Oh, wait, rabies is a disease of warm-blooded mammals -- that doesn't apply to Shamity.

[Cartmann99]

3 hours ago, GreyhoundFan said:

Though Hannity retweeted Trump’s tweet promoting his Wednesday night show, he insisted that the president “was not given ANY heads up on my monologue using the ‘Comey’ standard!!!”

I totally believe Hannity! I also believe that zombie Ed McMahon will be coming to my door with a big-ass check from Publisher's Clearinghouse, and George Clooney will beg me to play the love interest in his next movie.

[fraurosena]

I wonder if the FCC will start that investigation or if this request will be put aside as so much 'librul' rancour at losing the election. 

I hope it will be the former, but am afraid it will be the latter option.

[GreyhoundFan]

"Fox News: We had ‘no knowledge’ of ‘Fox & Friends’ prize at Bill O’Reilly event"

Spoiler

Fox News has issued a forceful statement announcing the cancellation of its involvement in a fundraising event involving fired host Bill O’Reilly at Trump International Hotel in Washington. Under the scheme, a conservative nonprofit named Foundation for Liberty and American Greatness (FLAG) invited O’Reilly — who reached settlements with female colleagues for sexual harassment and mistreatment — to speak at a fundraiser, with O’Reilly as the draw:

And somehow, a sweetener involving the phenomenally awful morning show “Fox & Friends” appeared throughout the donation promotion, as reported by Media Matters for America:

How did that get there? “We had no knowledge of this and we are not allowing FOX & Friends to be part of any donation package,” noted a network spokesperson in a prepared statement. The founder and executive director of FLAG is Nick Adams, a conservative who was born in Australia but loves the United States. “What are these values that make America exceptional? Individualism, not collectivism. Patriotism, not relativism. Optimism, not pessimism. Limited government, not the nanny state. God, not Caesar. Faith, not secularism. E pluribus Unum, not multiculturalism. Life, not death. Equality of opportunity, not equality of outcome. Goodness, not moral equivalence,” wrote Adams in a July 2015 piece on FoxNews.com.

Adams has appeared occasionally on Fox News programming, including a March 2017 hit with … Bill O’Reilly. The two bonded over their diagnosis of the country’s core problem. “I think political correctness is pretty much behind every single problem that we see in America today,” said Adams on the program, among the last that O’Reilly hosted. Also:

In light of the donation scheme, Adams may have to work a bit harder to get the FLAG message to the TV-viewing public. “We were in touch with Nick Adams at FLAG as soon as this came to light and it was immediately canceled – he used FOX & Friends and FOX News Channel for his own personal gain and he will no longer appear on the show as a guest,” said the statement from a Fox News spokesperson.

The Erik Wemple Blog has attempted numerous times to secure comment from Adams. Is it fair to claim that he “used” Fox News — or did he have a willing partner somewhere along the line? After all, Adams has appeared on “Fox & Friends,” and a host of the franchise’s weekend edition — Pete Hegseth — sits on the FLAG Advisory Council. Asked about just that matter, a Fox News spokesperson said that Adams, indeed, had acted on his own, without any involvement by Hegseth.

One moment after this post was published, Adams sent the Erik Wemple Blog a statement confirming Fox News’s account: “FLAG acted on our own. The wording on the website was an honest mistake. The moment FLAG became aware of it, we took action to correct it.”

Whatever the logistics, the fundraiser marks an unfortunate moment for Fox News. Since it forced out former (and late) chief Roger Ailes in 2016 and O’Reilly one year ago — both in the aftermath of sexual harassment scandals — the network has taken steps to fortify its HR department and otherwise prevent a lapse into the bad old days. The appearance of “Fox & Friends” on a fundraiser headlined by Bill O’Reilly can’t help.

 

[Howl]

Ooopsie!  Sounds like Adams is a taker, not a maker. 

[JMarie]

And look where this super fun evening would have taken place....

[fraurosena]

Sean Hannity loses ratings war even after Trump begs for viewers

Quote

Not even a presidential tweet can turn around Sean Hannity’s second-place ratings on Fox News.

Just hours before Hannity’s show Wednesday night, Trump tweeted out a plea that people watch the Fox News program that night:

What viewers saw Wednesday night, in part, was attorney Joe DiGenova claim that special counsel Robert Mueller had surrounded himself with “legal terrorists,” and that Trump should cease all cooperation with the Russia probe.

It’s all part of a Fox News-sponsored campaign to smear federal prosecutors in order to protect Trump as he clings to power.

DiGenova nearly became Trump’s top defense attorney last month, after John Dowd quit the post. 

Yet despite Trump promoting Hannity’s show to his 50 million Twitter followers, Hannity received no ratings bump whatsoever and his show still came in second place behind MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow on Wednesday night.

During the 9 p.m. slot, Maddow drew 3.2 million viewers, compared to Hannity’s 3 million.

In terms of the ad-friendly demographic of viewers between the ages of 25 and 54, Maddow won the night in a landslide with 770,000 viewers to Hannity’s 570,000.

This is part of a larger trend this spring where Hannity finds himself trailing Maddow on a nearly nightly basis as she emerges as the most-watched host in all of cable news.

By getting Trump to tweet out a promotion for his show on Wednesday, Hannity played his ace. And it flopped.

 

[fraurosena]

 

[JMarie]

2 hours ago, fraurosena said:

 

Did she really have no commercial breaks during last night's show?  So it would be like she's depending on the commercial revenue from other shows to fund her salary?  That doesn't sound very democratic to me.

(setting the DVR for tonight's show, yay!)

[AmazonGrace]

 

[Cartmann99]

26 minutes ago, AmazonGrace said:

 

Karma is working way too slowly on Mike Huckabee. 

[Cartmann99]

2 hours ago, JMarie said:

Did she really have no commercial breaks during last night's show?  So it would be like she's depending on the commercial revenue from other shows to fund her salary? 

Wingnut welfare

[GreyhoundFan]

4 hours ago, Cartmann99 said:

Karma is working way too slowly on Mike Huckabee. 

Karma or Mueller. I'm wondering what dirt he's worried they'll dig up. Can you imagine Sarah's scowl if they escort daddy away in handcuffs?

[onekidanddone]

2 hours ago, GreyhoundFan said:

Karma or Mueller. I'm wondering what dirt he's worried they'll dig up. Can you imagine Sarah's scowl if they escort daddy away in handcuffs?

Mickey confesses to groping several female employees, and sharing the same Ashley Madison account with Josh Duggar. I'd love to see Mike's tearful apology on Fox telling us  how the Rufus and his family forgave him.

[JMarie]

To be fair, tonight's programs actually were Breaking News (and not the "breaking news" Fox News claims every single day).  The most exciting thing (and I'm using the word exciting very loosely) was the argument between Sebastian Gorka, who agrees with Trump's actions, and military analyst Douglas MacGregor, who does not.  Gorka looked grumpy, and MacGregor had the most awful toupee ever (dark brown, with his own white hair on the sides).

There wasn't a single commercial break.  How much longer can her show exist?

[AmazonGrace]

 

[JMarie]

8 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

 

It's like they're soothsayers!  Creepy!

[AmazonGrace]

 "Oh my god please keep the pee tape hidden please keep the pee tape hidden..."

[Cartmann99]

*chuckles while sipping her iced tea*

 

[JMarie]

Get your  and/or  and settle in for a good read!

https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2017/05/26/75-things-know-about-sean-hannity/216675

[Cartmann99]

With the news of Sean Hannity being Cohen's third client, I can't wait for @JMarie's recap! 

[AmazonGrace]

 

As an aside, the average Hannity viewer can't work out that he's doing a monologue unless they explicitly state it in the captions?

[Cartmann99]

1 hour ago, AmazonGrace said:

 

As an aside, the average Hannity viewer can't work out that he's doing a monologue unless they explicitly state it in the captions?

*Scene: A living room in a house where two Fox News fans live*

George: Mary! Hannity is starting! Hurry up with the cocoa!

Mary: *looks out from the kitchen* Is he still talking about wood?

George: Huh?

Mary: *comes in carrying two mugs of cocoa, hands one to George, and points at the television* Monologue, George. That's what they call a single log in France.