skin the fox

SkinTheFox.com

In 1996, Fox News began broadcasting extreme right propaganda labeled "fair and balanced" reporting.

Fox "News" today is little more than an advertising arm of the current White House administration. With a clear intent : disseminate false information to support a government administration that came to power under questionable circumstances; maintain a government administration that remains in power through more questionable circumstances; and disseminate false and misleading information to the American People to support that current [and questionable] government administration.

We, the American People, will no longer tolerate or support advertising or political propaganda in the guise of "news." We will no longer tolerate or accept the brainwashing of America. We will no longer tolerate or support any sponsor who financially supports or contributes to Fox News' continued and mis-labeled "journalistic" practices.

PURPOSE ::: LETTER ::: FOX NEWS SPONSORS ::: BOYCOTT O' THE WEEK :::

NEWS ::: CONTRIBUTORS ::: LINK UP ::: THE STUFF ::: <-- those are links monkey boy

ANDY SCHUB

Andrew Schub is our Newsletter Contributing Editor. He will be posting weekly stories on things Bush and Fox News you may not know about but should, may know about but do not know enough about, or may know about but dagnabbit you just need to know more.

FACTOR THIS
by Andrew Schub

Okay, Class. Pop quiz time.

Take out a No. 2 pencil, put your books under your desks, and let's begin.

Who said the following?

"I've been in combat. I've seen it. I've been close to it. And if I'm... my unit is in danger, and I've got a captured guy, and the guy knows where the enemy is, and I'm looking him in the eye, the guy better tell me. That's all I'm gonna tell you. He better tell me. If it's life or death, he's going first."

Was the speaker:

[a] Colin Powell

[b] Donald Rumsfeld

[c] Tom Clancy

[d] My uncle Don, who as a soldier has been in the Army, the National Guard, and the Merchant Marines

Put your pencils down.

If you answered [a], [b], [c] or [d] you are wrong.

The correct answer is [e] : Bill O'Reilly.

No, really. . . Bill O'Reilly. Fox News Channel's nightly commentator Bill O'Reilly. AKA, Fox News Channel's nightly -- and STAR --

"Journalist."

That is a direct quote from O'Reilly speaking on his radio program "The Radio Factor."

If you're thinking, "Huh? When the hell did Bill O'Reilly ever see combat?," that is exactly what the next caller to the show was wondering too:

O'Reilly: We've got a caller. Roger. Roger from Portland, Oregon. What say you Roger?

Roger: Yeah, hey, Bill. First things first. You just said you've been in combat, but you've never been in the military, have you?
O'Reilly: No I have not.
Roger: Then why do you say you've been in combat?

O'Reilly: Why do I say that, Roger? Because I was in the middle of a couple of firefights in South and Central America.

Roger: But you were a media guy.

O'Reilly: Yeah. A media guy with a pen, not a gun. And people were shooting at me, Roger.

Roger: People might think that you actually were in the military.

O'Reilly: Oh... We don't want to mislead anybody. But I made it quite clear... quite clear in many, many circumstances --

Roger: [mumbles something about being, or not being, "fair and balanced"]

O'Reilly: [quietly disconnects Roger] Yeah. Hey listen, Roger. You can take your little "fair and balanced" uh... snip remark and shove it, okay? You're not getting on this air. Um... You, mister macho man, have never come close to anything I've done, down where I've been. So take a walk and... uh... 'nuff said.

To appreciate the full extent of O'Reilly's tirade [keep in mind he may have been speaking to an actual soldier or veteran who has actually been in and seen combat] listen to the whole thing:

AIR AMERICA | AL FRANKEN'S AUDIO HIGHLIGHTS

[Scroll down to Tuesday, Jan 18 2005, and click on "Sergeant Bill O'Reilly's Tales of Combat.]

Oh, and in case you are wondering --

There is no mention in O'Reilly's biography on NewsMax.com of ever being in combat of any kind.

NewsMax does say O'Reilly "reported on the wars in El Salvador and the Falkland Islands --

"From his base in Buenos Aires, Argentina."

That is hardly being "in the shit." That is hardly being "in country." That is being in a nice comfortable base in Buenos Aires.

NEWSMAX.COM

Hell. There is no mention in O'Reilly's biography on his official website of ever being in combat of any kind.

O'REILLY'S OFFICIAL WEBSITE

Bill O'Reilly has never seen combat.

Bill O'Reilly has never served in the military.

Bill O'Reilly, as a journalist, spent all his time in non-combat zones.

This leaves two explanations for Bill O'Reilly talking like he's Sgt. Rock:

Bill's delusional; Or Bill's a liar.

I won't waste time trying to figure out which. Either way --

NO LEGITIMATE NEWS ORGANIZATION THAT EVEN PRETENDED TO HONOR REPORTING, TRUTH, NEWS, OR FACTS, WOULD HAVE THIS MAN ON ITS NEWS STAFF -- LET ALONE MAKE HIM THE STAR OF ITS "NEWS" NETWORK.

Andrew Schub

"People are bastard-coated bastards with bastard filling."
--Dr. Cox; "Scrubs"

* updated 01.21.05

Past News : read past news issues by Andy and guest contributors.