The kind of analysis we can only find on Fox News

May 26, 2008

There’s obviously been considerable discussion of late about Hillary Clinton’s reference on Friday to Bobby Kennedy’s assassination in June 1968, with some suggesting that Clinton is continuing to campaign just in case tragedy strikes. (I, for what it’s worth, don’t buy into this interpretation.)

But yesterday, when scrutinizing the controversy, Fox News aired the kind of analysis that no responsible news outlet should tolerate.

For those who can’t watch clips online, Fox News contributor Liz Trotta was talking about Clinton’s Kennedy comment and said, “And now we have what some are reading as a suggestion that somebody knock off Osama, uh Obama. Well, both, if we could.”

In other words, Trotta first mixes up Osama bin Laden and Barack Obama, and then casually suggests both should be killed. She, of course, found her own quip hilarious.

In what twisted political world is this considered acceptable?

At the Huffington Post, Joe Vogel considers possible repercussions.

You simply DO NOT JOKE about the assassination of a United States Senator and probable Democratic presidential nominee. You also do not deliberately identify him with a terrorist who killed thousands of innocent Americans.

Liz Trotta MUST BE FIRED IMMEDIATELY and held accountable for her despicable remarks. Here is the contact information for Fox News:

Contact FOX:
Teri Everett, Senior Vice President
Corporate Affairs & Communications
Phone: 212-852-7070
E-Mail: teverett@newscorp.com

jhorner@newscorp.com

Or file an obscenity complaint here:

http://www.fcc.gov/eb/oip/Compl.html
Electronic Mail at fccinfo@fcc.gov
Toll Free: 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322); 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322) TTY
Fax: 1-866-418-0232

And at DailyKos, Lauren S adds, “Sure, she’s not the first to call Obama ‘Osama’ but I’m guessing she’s the first on a national cable news network to openly state that it’d be great if both Osama and Obama could both be killed.” Lauren also posted the Fox News segment with more context, but it doesn’t change the substance of what Trotta said.

Keep in mind, Trotta is not just some random crazy person brought into the studio off the street; Trotta is under contract as a Fox News contributor.

It’s always hard to know what to expect from such a ridiculous network with no professional standards, but Fox News really can’t keep Trotta on its roster after this one.

Update: Several readers have asked about the specific time of the proadcast, for FEC purposes. The comment came between 11:57 am and 11:58 am yesterday morning, eastern.

One of the fears of many Americans is that HRC’s comment would energize JUST this kind of response. Thank God it’s just words on Fox right now, but we don’t know what kind of talk is taking place in racist America around dinner tables, in bars and restaurants, etc.

Trotta should be tarred and feathered, run out on a rail with TV cameras recording the spectacle, and then fired.

  • I must confess that its hard for me to get too riled up over this one. Fox News is a cesspool. This incident certainly stands out even in that context but, from my perspective, focusing on this is like complaining about the smell of rotten eggs when you are at the garbage dump.

    No reasonable or intelligent person out to be spending any of their time watching or listening to Foxaganda. If they get rid of one of their commentators or not, that will still be the case.

  • This woman SHOULD know better. She is the former New York bureau chief of The Washington Times and she began her career in journalism in 1965.
    Trotta has worked for Hillman Periodicals; Inter-Catholic Press Agency; Long Island Press; Chicago Tribune; Newsday; NBC and CBS. She has taught Journalism at Stern College of Yeshiva University.

    Whatever the motive for Clinton’s comments, this is the type of conduct that is spawned by her obtuse remarks.

  • And now we have what some are reading as…

    Is it just me, or has “some” become the new way to start a rumor. I used to think it was just Katie Couric, but it has become way too common. Some might say it’s a coordinated effort by the right wing conspiracy.

  • Brent

    While I totally agree with you about the character of Fox and never watch it myself, it is the crazies who watch and believe and take their direction from Fox discussions. That’s what makes this particular comment so vile, ratchets up the racist hatred already existing, and why, I think, this one should not be allowed to stand.

  • If Princess Toad Mouth hadn’t uttered the original words on Friday, would Liz Trotta have had a context in which to demonstrate her baseness? And while I’m on the subject – Bill thinks this piling on is part of the evidence that his poor weak little wifey has been treated worse than any other politician ever – I defy him or any of the other Hillbots to list one thing, or any collection of things, behaviors, events, that could hold a candle to the events in 2004 that added ‘swiftboating’ to our political lexicon.

  • She also needs to spend a night being interrogated by the Secret Service. She did express the wish that a presidential candidate be murdered, after all.

  • I think complaning to the FCC is a great idea. They do want the date and time of the program, and while I have the date, I don’t know the time. Does anyone have that?

  • Clinton has caused this type of talk to spread and it is very scary. The Fox News Trotta person needs to be banned from Journalism of any type. Since when is it legal to suggest that somebody should be killed, particularly a presidential candidate and on national TV no less?

    I can tell you this, if somebody suggested this about Bush they would be facing some serious legal and career problems.

  • I posted this is one of the threads downstairs – this is what shillary has unleashed.

    (1). She knew what she was doing – has said the same thing verbatim 3 times

    (2). Just last weekened hucklebee started this – shillary knows this and saw the uproar it caused.

    (3). She has demonstrated she is more than willing to “catapult the propaganda” and now uses kkkarl rove as a leadaing “expert” in why she should stay in the campaign.

    (4). More than anyone, shillary knows how the mainstream media works. One buffoon states the lie and the rest of the media pile up, creating an echo chamber.

    Now, thanks to hucklebee shillary, we will listen to these types of remarks for weeks and weeks – perhaps until after election. They have legitimized talking/joking about the assassination of Obama.

  • In ordinary times, Liz Trotta would already be talking to the Secret Service. I point the finger at Hillary for opening the door, because idiots like Liz Trotta, and God knows what other Fox Noise-induced wingnut out there, now have the “reason” to talk about this. She will not be fired, and will be “shocked, shocked” that her joke was taken out of context. (What other context is there???) In ordinary times, you or I would have some ‘splaining to do, had we said that.

    But these are not oridnary times. God protect Obama and our country, please.

  • A simple counterpoint to this most recent “we can do what we want because we want to” event could be as simple as suggesting to the good folks at filthy yellow rag on video Fox that they are all expendable—and all that that implies….

  • Let’s not forget that it was Murdock’s NY Post that first concluded Clinton’s gaffe had evil subtext. Her quasi-apology didn’t help. Her campaign’s suggestion that Obama was fanning the flames didn’t either. But Hillary has a unique relationship with Fox now. Lay with dogs, wake up with fleas.

  • Fuck it.

    I’m getting a warm fuzzy from the fact that the same shit heads who jeer at filthy liberuls who want to protect terrorists (i.e. defend the Constitution) are now having long talks with the no nonsense and absolutely no sense of humour members of the Secret Service.

    We’ll soon hear whinging about “The SS” trampling their precious rights, unless the SS tells them to keep their fucking mouths shut, in which case they may drop coverage of Obama all together. [Nelson Muntz] Ha! Ha! [/Nelson Muntz]

  • secret service is going to give them a pass – while hucklebee started this, shillary quickly picked it up and has “catapulted the propaganda”.

    It will now be deemed “legitimate news” to talk about killing Obama.

    Shame on clinton. I understand why a faux neocon preacher does this.

  • I also would like to know the exact date and time of the broadcast (and possible rebroadcasts). I’ll happily file a complaint with Fox and the FCC.

    Under Bush the SS has become more like the Gestapo, at least in their protection of Bush and in sqelching any and all dissent aimed at him. But they should use their tactics on Trotta and the whole bunch over at FOX. I only worry how diligent they will be if Obama gets to be POTUS.

    If Fox continues to give permission to their wingnut audience to take matters into their own hands, then it seems to me that Fox should be taken off the air. Certainly if a far left group network (not that there will ever be one) advocated violence for political ends everyone connected with it would be arrested or just disappeared.

  • Who are the advertising sponsors for this segment, or other segments on which Trotta appears? If we want action, publishing and contacting those sponsors will help.

  • Dear Ms. Everett,

    I have just watched a replay of a news clip in which one of your contributors called for the assassination of a US Senator and likely presidential nominee. Regardless of one’s politics, this is beyond acceptable behavior for any news publication. My family expects an apology. If one is not forthcoming, we will honor any call for a boycott of any of your sponsors products.

    Sincerely,
    DD

  • Apparently Trotta has apologized today for her recommendation that Obama be assassinated.

    She said this:

    I am so sorry about what happened yesterday. In a lame attempt at humor I really just fell all over myself in making it appear that I wished Barack Obama harm or any other candidate for that matter. I sincerely regret it and apologize to anybody I’ve offended. It’s a very colorful political season and many of us are making mistakes and saying things we wish we hadn’t said.

    http://thinkprogress.org/2008/05/25/fox-news-contributor-jokes-about-assassinating-obama/

  • “And now we have what some are reading as…

    Is it just me, or has “some” become the new way to start a rumor.”

    This is a point addressed in one of the pieces about Fox (maybe it was Greenwald’s Outfoxed). It’s on purpose, and yes, it’s a conscious attempt to float unsubstantiated stuff by making it sound like it could be attributed to someone real if you took the time.

    Kinda like when Hillary said “People have been trying to push me out of this since Iowa.” Who exactly that was we’ll never know…

  • Dear Liz’s home phone number was posted in the comments at Youtube several times. He He He.

  • It’s gotta be down by now and her answering machine is a smoking ruin, I’m sure. And besides I CERTAINLY was not suggesting that anyone harass her at home. I was just stating what is by now a historical fact.

  • Yes, the Secret Service should be talking to Ms. Trotta. That this kind of ugliness and potentially dangerous trash talk is allowed seems indefensible. And also: As odious as I found the Clinton comment, and said so, Democrats need to refocus. As the wife of a former president and with Secret Service protection herself for years and years (and having been so reviled herself over the years, often very unfairly), Mrs. Clinton may have come to terms with the idea of assassination as just another risk, and therefore not truly understood the deep wound she touched. It is time to stop with the rage — even though what she said went straight to a fear a lot of us wish we didn’t have — and focus on making friends again with Clinton people, genuinely reaching out to fellow Democrats who are by and large good people just like Obama supporters, and move forward together.

  • Sure – reach out to clinton – after all, all she has done is pronounce that white voters in appalacia are more important than many more millions of other voters across this nation and she has picked up on hucklebees “point a gun” assassination meme and extended it across the media echo chamber.

    No harm done – these folks will be valuable allies, won’t they.

  • Trotta’s “attempt at humor” was sick and I think she should be prosecuted for inciting murder and hate crimes. But also note that her statement was in keeping with the general tone at Fox News where hate & fear & ridicule are stirred to the tune of a marching drum beat.

    This just makes me feel ill…sort of over the top when thrown on that disgusting growing pile of Recount, Bush, McCain, Lieberman, Rove and all the other corporate plunderers of America aided & abetted by the likes of FOX and other corporate media outlets.

  • I agree about the Secret Service. After all, they put their lives on the line for the Pres, VP, candidates and their families. It isn’t in their interest ot give it a pass. They need to put a stop to this before it goes any farther. They go after ordinary citizens for less. Even if they can be reasnably certain she isn’t part of a plot, they need to admonsih her to be careful lest it encourage people.

  • Everyone needs to remember that faux news and this type of “journalism” did not exist when there was an EQUAL ACCESS requirement to broadcast.

    There would not be 24/7 propaganda machines if they had to accommodate opposing viewpoints.

  • little bear (#29): I understand the recoil. But perhaps we should confine it to a few shouts and yelps in the morning shower. When awful things are said, like this Trotta obscenity today, go all out; but let’s start finding a way — issues that we do agree on — to allow Clintonistas to feel comfortable and welcome in their party again. We have let the Republicans’ slash and burn, divide and conquer rhetoric invade our discourse, and it can hurt us, might even lose the election — a thought too awful to contemplate.

    Obama is winning; even Krugman knows that (c.f. today’s column). Given the Republican opposition — which thinks nothing of stealing elections, in fact seems to prefer it — the Democratic nominee needs the greatest support possible.

    So Iet’s not do what divides us — even though we have every right to be upset — but what pulls us together. Obama’s health plan is not as good as Clinton’s, which dovetails closely with the one Edwards originally proposed. But they agree on other issues (again, c.f. Krugman).

    Many have supported Mrs. Clinton in good faith; many would love (count me in) to have a woman at the top of the ticket. Many are coming to understand, if I read the blogs correctly, that Mrs. Clinton is not, for many reasons (variously policy, performance or both) the one, not this year. They have worked hard, they have donated, they are disappointed, they are upset, they are hurting.

    I’ve supported Obama since Edwards withdrew, and I haven’t seen anything like his candidacy since the Kennedys (I volunteered in both ’63 and ’68 as a kid; the end of those two careers was so heartbreaking for those of us old enough to be thinking then). Obama is making great strides against McCain these days, but weak as McCain seems now, the Republicans will unite and attack. They are very good at destruction and lies.

    We need every Democratic vote, not just for Obama but for the nation.It is also good for us, to pull together if we can, to look to the good in each other when we can. This is part of hope, audacious as it is, and after the last 7.5 years, we need to have hope. Without it, nothing gets done. Perhaps I am naive, but I believe in going forward and doing the best we can, frail though we humans be.

  • little bear finds the honey pot:

    secret service is going to give them a pass – while hucklebee started this, shillary quickly picked it up and has “catapulted the propaganda”. It will now be deemed “legitimate news” to talk about killing Obama.

    That’s exactly where this crap is trending.

  • Just wanted to know if anyone has any figures on how often this similar type of verbal gaffe has occured on Fox. Maybe someone could throw together a montage of these occurences as evidence of a pattern.
    No need to repeat the disgust with this school yard level logic, just the hopes that someone is keeping track of it.

  • ROTFLML (#35) and little bear (#29) are probably right. I’m calling/writing FOX, the FCC, my Rep and my Senators. This crap must not go unchallenged and Trotta’s apology doesn’t cut it. She, and others like her, need to be held accountable. It’s a new concept for the Bushites, but it has to start somewhere.

  • What was so lame about her Osama “slip-up” is that she clearly caught herself and decided to go ahead with it anyway. How pathetic. These people are childish morons. They can’t even smear people properly anymore.

  • Shouldn’t the Secret Service be investigating someone who publicly encourages the murder of a presidential candidate. I thought was illegal to do such a thing.

  • Trotta is trying to say she was just saying that “some are reading this as a suggestion to…” but “some” did not make the comment “both if we could”. That came from her mouth alone and is, if you put the sentence together with her comment would read that “somebody knock off both Osama and Obama if we could”…which clearly is seditious and should not only cost her her job at Fox but should land her in court or behind bars. Calling for assassination on National TV is not humorous.

    Where is Lieberman’s sense of the senate condemnation? Where is the Petraeus Betray-us outrage. Where are the voices of the Senate when assassination has been invoked. All so very understanding and forgiving I imagine.

    I would like to see that sound bite of just this sentence run as many times as Wright’s sermon sound bite was run.

    It will all come down to campaign finance ‘revolution’ and bringing back the fairness doctrine to rid ourselves of such crap being spewed on our…yes OUR…airwaves.

    Elections are the bottom line of our democracy…the media brings us the campaigns…it should be illegal to profiteer using our airwaves to bring us the bottom line of our democracy where representatives are charged millions to run for office. Just say no to the corporate media and their lobbyists by revoking their licenses for profiteering on our elections.

    People like Trotta would be called right then for their hideous comments

  • In her apology Liz said, ‘It’s a very colorful political season.’ Hmmm. Should I laugh or be outraged? I guess I’ll have to wait for one of the coded messages Obama sends out to control his supporters.

  • Who were the advertisers for this program? They are the ones viewers should hold accountable. Fox (media) doesn’t give a damn about complaints. They thrive on it. Advertising $ on the other hand is sacrosanct. Focus on getting comments from the program sponsors and ask if they condone this sort of behavior. If the advertisers get enough heat-especially if that flak is made public-then they will either pull their ads or let Roger Ailes know their dismay-either way-it’s probably far more effective than complaining to fox.

  • Of course. Blame Clinton again. Idiots. It’s always Clinton’s fault, according to you republican wannabes.

  • Trotta is one sick puppy. What she confirms for me is the historical mindset of the right wing power structure: If someone challenges their power, they’ll just kill ’em. It’s their ‘final solution.’ Just ask JFK, RFK and Wellstone. What we’re seeing now, in their blatant actions, is their desperation. This evil is in its final days and they are running the tables because they know they won’t get back in power for a very long time. So, they don’t care who knows they are lying, killing, torturing, looting. They think they are immune from prosecution. AND, with Pelosi protecting them in the House, THEY ARE.

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