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Media & Censorship
What
Happened to Decency at FOX News Channel when Cheney Used the "F" Word? by Larry S. Rolirad Republicans have no sense of accountability. When Janet Jackson exposed herself on TV, Michael Powell, FCC Chairman and son of Collin Powell, was banging down the Congress demanding that television and radio stations maintain more appropriateness in their shows. The House of Representatives in the US Congress, which is now enjoying a Republican majority, immediately passed the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2004. According to Lisa Porteus of Fox News, some main points of the Act are:
Hoping to gain points, the FCC began to enforce the Act right away. Fining radio stations that played "indecent" music or dicussed "indecent" topics became the norm. Clear Channel was fined $475,000 for radio talk-show host Howard Stern's "indecent" show were fined thousands of dollars (see CBS.com link). Suddenly the higher standards applied to cable stations, not just the big networks. Broadcasters in general began to wonder if they would ever be able to speak their minds. And while all this was happening, the righteous Fox News Channel was applauding the FCC's move. The decency argument even came up when the photos from Abu Ghairab Prison were released to the Press. In a Fox News Channel discussion, Monica Crowley, Fox News Contributor said: "And I also want to pick up on something that -- a point that Jim is starting to make here, which is the use of this sort of inflammatory language too. In talking about the prisoners were mistreated, nobody is making excuses for that. However, we have to make the distinction of how they were -- how -- in what context all of these eveents took place. I think one of the reasons why the media -- and this was a public investigation, as you, Neal, pointed out. General Kimmitt had made this announcement back in January. One of the big reasons why the media didn't really move on this initially was there was a lack of pictures." (see FoxNews.com link) A Fair and Balanced Media? On June 25th, 2004 I watched Vice President Dick Cheney on Fox News Channel being interviewed by Neil Cuvato concerning what he 'allegedly' said on the floor of the Senate to Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy (For transcript see Foxnews.com). When questioned Cheney danced all around the truth. First, Cheney said he couldn't recall what he had previously told Leahy. Then, after several attempts to get to the truth by the interviewer, Cheney finally admitted to using the 'F' word. Cheney said "He (Senator Leahy) had challenged my integrity and I didn't like that." Cheney went on to say that he even felt "proud of saying it". He said it made him feel good. But Cheney then said the 'F' word wasn't in his normal vocabulary. What I didn't get is how he could be proud about something if he couldn't even remember what he said just a moment before. Cheney's truth avoidance system was in high gear...or for him, the same gear he always drives in. Instead of being outraged that a Vice President had behaved in this indecent way, the hosts and analysts on Fox News went on to defend the man. Later that night on the FOX News Channel show, analysts sat around to share their reaction to Cheney's crude behavior. Everyone on Fox defended Cheney or brushed it off as a non-event. Some even praised Cheney. Can anyone imagine what Fox, or any Republican, would say if Senator Hillary Clinton had told Cheney to go F himself? Can anyone imagine what Republicans would say if Senator Kerry had told Cheney to go F himself? I get it that the Republicans want an end to vulgarity and indecency on TV, but does it only apply when liberals do it? The Fail Proof Tactics of Defense The funny thing about Fox News is that they seem to have the same type of training in dishonesty and truth-dodging as the Vice President himself. Like their fellow Republicans, they react to criticism of Cheney and Bush in their typical denial fashion. They start by automatically attacking President Clinton, Hillary, or Al Gore for any indecencies in the past. They then call anyone who has critisized Cheney a hypocrite, or any of their usual words like 'liberal', 'communist', 'traitor', or some other mindless rant. After that they insist that Senator Leahy, the object of Cheney's foul-mouthed tirade, is a lowly man. They will even praise Cheney for being a "man's man", or being "macho" for using the 'F' word. These reactions are not uncommon. This is how Republicans react to anyone telling the truth about one of their lying liar 'leaders'. Republicans are incapable of accepting responsibility, or being accountable. They will twist and turn in every direction other than the direction toward the truth. What makes this even more amazing is that Republicans constantly claim that they are the 'party of fiscal responsibility' or the 'party of accountability'. How can they possibly make such claims when none of their Presidents in the last thirty years have embraced responsibility or accountability? Since it was obvious during the interview that Cheney was stringing one lie after another over a trivial matter, how can Republicans, or anyone, believe Cheney on matters that are far more serious, like the lies Cheney and Bush told to the American people and the United Nations to justify going to war against Iraq? OK Republicans, you can now begin responding to my article in your typical fashion, as I just described above. I have heard it all before, ad nauseum. And as Diogenes walked the streets of ancient Athens looking for an honest man, I feel certain that not one Republican will step forward to condemn Cheney for his uncouth behavior, or worse, Cheney's attempted cover-up of what he said. Media Routinely misses Cheney's many Indiscretions Fact is Cheney has done much worse and Republican media such as Fox News has covered up for him even then. Regarding WMD's in Iraq, he told the American people that he had solid evidence of it. In a speech on July 24, Cheney cited four statements from the National Intelligence Estimate (See Whitehouse.gov link):
None of these came to be true. And yet, there's very little criticism from Fox News Channel about that, or for that matter from Republicans in office. Also unreported by the greater American Press was Cheney's likelihood of being indicted by French Courts in the trial of Halliburton executives charged with having bribed many political leaders of oil producing nations (See article at Juryfury.com). Some former Republicans and official appointees of Republican Presidents are however coming out in protest. In his recent book, The Price of Loyalty: George W. Bush, the White House and the Education of Paul O'Neill, former US Treasury Secretary, Paul O'Niell, spoke quite the same way about Cheney's twisted ways, and they have known each other for over thirty years. And in his book titled, Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror, the White Houses ex-Terrorism Czar, Dick Clarke, first appointed by Reagan, promoted by George Bush Sr., retained by Clinton, and finally demoted by Bush Jr., has a startling tale of how the current Bush Administration, including Cheney, completely ignored his warnings about al Qaeda, and how they used the 9/11 attacks to justify their own war games for Iraq. Both books are worth reading if you want to understand Dick Cheney and the twisted way he works. The media won't tell you what the books will. References: House Passes Broadcast Decency Bill by Lisa Porteus, Fox News. Happy Home for Howard Stern Associated Press, NEW YORK, April 16, 2004 FOX News Watch: May 8 Edition The Vice President's Remarks on War on Terror at AEI on July 24, 2003 US Media fails to report that Vice-President Dick Cheney may be indicted in France for Bribery by Sophia Barkat Halliburton, VP Cheney’s Former Company, Faces Second Criminal Probe In Four Years by Jason Leopold The Price of Loyalty: George W. Bush, the White House and the Education of Paul O'Neill, by Paul O'Niell Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror by Dick Clarke About the Author(s): See under Our Contributors to find out about the Author(s) of this article. |
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