Harry Reid's Letter To Fox: Roger Ailes Blew It
Here's the letter Senator Harry Reid and the Nevada state Democratic Party sent to Fox News informing them that they were pulling out of the Fox-hosted debate set for this summer:
March 9, 2007Marty Ryan
Executive Producer
Fox News Political Programs
Dear Marty,A month ago, the Nevada Democratic Party entered into a good faith agreement with FOX News to co-sponsor a presidential debate in August. This was done because the Nevada Democratic Party is reaching out to new voters and we strongly believe that a Democrat will not win Nevada unless we find new ways to talk to new people.
To say the least, this was not a popular decision. But it is one that the Democratic Party stood by. However, comments made last night by FOX News President Roger Ailes in reference to one of our presidential candidates went too far. We cannot, as good Democrats, put our party in a position to defend such comments.
In light of his comments, we have concluded that it is not possible to hold a Presidential debate that will focus on our candidates and are therefore canceling our August debate. We take no pleasure in this, but it is the only course of action.
Sincerely,
Tom Collins
Chairman, Nevada State Democratic PartyHarry Reid
U.S. Senator (D-NV)
I am sure Ailes thought the Nevada Democratic Party would sit quietly and let him bash one of the leading Democratic activists and Democratic astivists nationwide. And judging by Democrat's behavior over the last six years he would have been right. It's a good sign that those days may be over.
March 10, 2007 8:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
So what did Ailes say?
Tom
March 10, 2007 8:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
"PS: Please note the spelling of the adjective when used in the future on your 'news' network. It's "Democratic" not "Democrat". Thank you."
March 10, 2007 8:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
He told 2 tasteless jokes one about Hill the other about Obama, the joke with Barack, basically called him a terrorist and the one about Hill, was something along the lines that she was recieving hundreds of calls telling her she needed to stay on the road night and day to win the campaign...the punchline was that 200 of them were from Bill.
March 10, 2007 9:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
Will FOX learn anything from their bias? Nope.
Will they learn that the American people and not just the Democratic party are onto it? Nope.
Will they learn that the American people want honest news without FOX's biased opinions? Nope.
If FOX had/has any intentions of becoming more neutral, FOX would have moved from the far right and more to the center a long, long time ago.
You don't have to be a blind conservative not to see it, just an ignorant one to deny it.
March 10, 2007 9:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think you give the American people far too much credit.
In times of peace, the wise man prepares for war. -- Horace
The blade itself incites to violence. -- Homer
March 10, 2007 10:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
Right. Fox will not change because they have found an audience and they want to keep it. That audience is the one that (idiotically) sees the Republican Party as their "team." The mystery is that so many Democrats still wanted to go on Fox News with the absurd idea that they could win over the Fox audience.
March 10, 2007 11:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
This idea should never have happened. The decision to withdraw was made AFTER bloggers protested and candidates declined. Ailes' typical stupid remarks just made it easier to pull out. The Nevada Democrats should be ashamed of themselves to have started this fiasco in the first place.
ARGville: Opinions with bite
March 10, 2007 11:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
deleted
March 10, 2007 11:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
Right now on FOX's "Cashin' In" investing program they're doing a segment called "$tocks for Barack". What should Barack Obama invest in? Yuck, yuck, yuck!
(Note to Stephen Colbert: we need a new word such as truthiness to describe the kind of "news" Fox does)
If we had such a partisan outfit it would spend weeks investigating Rudy's less than savory business ventures and cronies, and then deliberately miscast what they find, whether it's nothing or not, as a smoking gun. When their findings are debunked they'd keep repeating them as accepted wisdom and try to find a way to mention it in every segment, even the weather report, until their viewing audience
had ingrained in their lizard brains that Guiliani was mob boss, not mayor of NYC.
How do you think Hillary got saddled with an impenetrable 40% negative poll rating?
March 10, 2007 12:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree with the guy over at Huffpost who says the bash was against Bush, and not Obama. Imagine Jon Stewart saying exactly the same thing Ailes said. You would have laughed. C'mon--you know you would have.
I hate Fox more than anything, but this is being way overblown.
March 10, 2007 12:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe George Soros, needs a cable news network, with Michael Moore as CEO.
March 10, 2007 1:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Personally, I did not even 'get' the Barack joke. I just knew it was mean-spirited slander based on the Hill joke.
March 10, 2007 1:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
No, see, we're asking for supposedly objective people to behave objectively. And for people who are partisan, so stop behaving as if they are obj...
Oh wait. You were just trying to be funny.
March 10, 2007 3:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sure the joke made fun of Bush's stupidity AFTER they spent a whole week a month ago telling us Obama's middle name is Hussein and he was educated in a radical madrassa in Indonesia. Everybody but the repub deadenders knows Bush is an idiot. That part of the joke reinforces to indies the other part of the meme Ailes is hoping to keep alive: Obama is Muslim.
March 10, 2007 4:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Look, I'm voting for Hill. That said, the joke about Bill is actually funny. I thought it was odd that the Dems would enter into anything with Fox. I'm all for outreach into the provinces of "red" voters . . but Fox? They have less (as much as ?) credibility as the Justice Dept., the DoD, The FBI, The CIA, State, Arlen Specter, er, well, the list is too long to complete.
March 10, 2007 5:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Did Roger "balance" the jokes with ones about Rudy in drag or Newt's infidelity? If not, I'm "deciding" FoxNews is not "fair".
March 10, 2007 7:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
Are you talking about the joke where Hillary was told to stay on the road for the next 2 years?
I cannot understand how any Democrat can find that funny. Stupid, yes, but funny? No, you're wrong about that.
March 11, 2007 1:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
"In the past, Moveon.org has said they 'own' the Democratic Party. While most Democrats don't agree with that, it's clearly the case in Nevada," said David Rhodes, VP-Fox News.
You stay classy, Fox News.
March 11, 2007 2:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Roger Ailes is an idiot now and was since at least 1968 when he ran Nixon's media campaign (see Selling of the President) and, according to Fox, it's moveon.org's fault. I don't think so.
Tom
March 11, 2007 3:15 PM | Reply | Permalink