Nov. 15, 2006

The Memo

While this is not related exclusively to Brit Hume's "Grapevine", an internal Fox News memo, recently uncovered by the Huffington Post is germaine to any discussion of shows on the network. The memo itself, is a glaring indictment of the propagandistic, partisan nature of the network that laughably boasts "fair and balanced" as its motto. Written by Fox's vice-president of news, it lays out a strategy for undermining the recent Democratic electoral gains through news coverage designed to highlight statements by Iraqi insurgents' who "must be thrilled at the prospect of a Dem-controlled congress." Indeed, the memo commands Fox News staff to "be on the lookout" for any such statements, so that they might be included in network coverage, even as it seeks to reassure Fox staffers that the Democratic victory is "not the end of the world." The Huffinton Post has a fax of the entire memo on their site. As a bonus, Ill note that our very own sometime Grapevine host, Jim Angle, is mentioned specifically in the memo.

November 10. 2006

In today's Grapevine:

Having projected dissappointingly flat sales for the month of November, WalMart is pulling out all the stops on its Christmas marketing drive, blaring Christmas music 24/7, decorating its stores as gaudily as possible, and mounting Christmas count-down clocks on the walls to drive home the message to consumers that Christmas is on the way, sooner than you think, so you'd better buy, Buy, BUY, spend, Spend, SPEND, lest you get caught unprepared, with no present on hand for your own, disappointed, emotionally crippled, Tiny Tim on December 25th.

Brit Hume, of course, interprets this marketing decision as a triumph for good, traditional Christian values in the never-ending, ACLU-led War On Christmas:

"Holidays" Out, "Christmas" In

The folks at Wal-Mart are putting Christmas back into the holidays in a big way. Wal-Mart announced today that it will use "Merry Christmas" — "early and often" this season. Last year Wal-Mart and other retailers were boycotted by some groups because they downplayed Christmas in favor of a generic and politically correct "holiday" theme.

But a Wal-Mart spokeswoman says the company learned its lesson — and will have what's described as an "in-your-face" Christmas theme this year — featuring Christmas music over the loudspeakers and signs that count down the days until Christmas.

Oh yeah, and Muslim's want to cut your daughter's head off too, by the way.

Monday, Nov 6, 2006

Jim Angle Wants The Terrorists To Want The Democrats To Win

There can be no surer sign of political bias and hackery than when a so-called "reporter" runs a "terrorists want the Demcorats to win" story in the week before national elections. And Brit Hume, disingenuous spinmesiter extraordinarie, obliges us in Thursday's Grapevine with a story that's chock full of examples of terrorists wanting Democrats to win, culled from right-wing fringe publications such as World Net Daily:

"Greater Defeat Than Vietnam"

A report in the online publication World Net Daily says some leaders of terrorist organizations are openly encouraging Americans to vote for Democrats… in order to hasten a U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq.

Jihad Jaara — a senior member of the Palestinian Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade — says "of course Americans should vote Democrat." He went on to say a withdrawal from Iraq would mark the beginning of the collapse of what he called the U.S. "tyrant empire" — and would deal the US "a greater defeat than Vietnam."

Abu Ayman — a leader of Islamic jihad in Jenin — tells World Net Daily he is "emboldened" by Americans who compare Iraq to Vietnam. And the senior leader of that Palestinian group — says Democratic predictions that a withdrawal would end the insurgency are incorrect — and that a pullout would "prove the resistance is the most important tool — and that this tool works."

Curiously, the examples cited are all Palestinians. No word on why Iraqi insurgents and Al Quaeda representatives were not polled. However, given the polarizing effects of the U.S. occupation among all Arabs in the region, it's not implausible that Osama might be happy to see the Republicans retain power just a little bit longer... you know, to keep that recruiting drive running in high-gera for a few more years.

(Correction: though this post originally attributed this report to Brit Hume, after looking at the video, it appears that Jim Angle, Brit Hume's occasional Grapevine substitute host, presented the above report).