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A Tale Of Two Fox & Friends Interviews

by Justin Berrier/Media Matters

Among the many things Fox & Friends does that betrays their "fair and balanced" mantra is how the hosts interview guests of different ideological backgrounds. Their habit of lobbing softball questions to GOP candidates and officials even got so bad that Fox's own Las Vegas affiliate slammed the show for their kid-glove treatment of then-Senate candidate Sharron Angle.

On this morning's broadcast, the co-hosts invited both Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, and Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, to comment on last night's Republican caucus in Iowa and the presidential election in general.

First up was Wasserman Schultz. Co-host Gretchen Carlson led the interview by claiming she was "looking forward" to one of their "spirited discussions." In the discussion that followed, Carlson asked Wasserman Schultz if Gov. Mitt Romney "is the worst nightmare for Democrats," and, "How can it not be bad news for you that Mitt Romney wins Iowa." Carlson touted the "record turnout" in last night's caucuses and declared that "there doesn't seem to be a tremendous amount of enthusiasm" for President Obama. Carlson also made dubious claims about Romney's history of creating jobs as CEO of Bain Capital. Watch:

About 20 minutes later, co-host Steve Doocy interviewed Preibus. The interviews could not have been more different. While Wasserman Schultz was peppered with GOP talking points and promotion of Romney, Preibus wasn't challenged on a single claim he made. In fact, Doocy helpfully made Preibus' points before him, and then merely asked him to elaborate. The interview was so friendly, in fact, that Fox & Friends had a graphic ready listing what the RNC claims are Obama's "failed promises":

Doocy ended the interview by promising another interview on "another day" to discuss a different list that the RNC has compiled to attack Obama -- "a catalog of things the president has said in the last three years and also in the run-up to the election" that "is going to come back to haunt him." Watch:

ANN COULTER TELLS FLORIDA CPAC THAT REP. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ IS A ‘HIDEOUS BEAST’

From Think Progress

Today, the Florida Conservative Political Action Conference gave primetime billing to right-wing provocateur Ann Coulter. As is her style, she wasted little time hurling derogatory insults and venomous name-calling. Coulter called DNC Chairwoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) a “hideous beast who has a voice like a hyena getting an abortion,” eliciting wild cheers from the audience. Watch it:

In her comments, Coulter referenced Rep. Allen West’s (R-FL) sexist attacks on Wasserman Schultz from earlier this summer, in which he called her “the most vile, unprofessional, and despicable member of the US House of Representatives,” telling her to “shut the heck up” because “you are not a Lady.” ThinkProgress reached out to a CPAC spokesperson to see if they would condemn Coulter’s hateful comments. We have not heard back.

Motor City Liberal Comment: Honestly Ann Coulter looks like a zombie from "The Walking Dead" so Ann shouldn't be talking about how another woman's looks.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz named DNC chair

By Sahil Kapur

WASHINGTON – Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) has been tapped as the next chair of the Democratic National Committee, a decision spearheaded by President Barack Obama.

After multiple media outlets reported the news, the DNC sent out an email to reporters Wednesday night confirming that Obama "announced his choice of Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz to lead the DNC as its newest Chair," calling her the "the right person for the job."

An outspoken advocate for women's issues and rising star within the party, Wasserman Schultz is known to be a prolific fundraiser and a disciplined messaging guru.

The four-term congresswoman, currently the vice chair of the DNC, will succeed Tim Kaine, a former governor of Virginia who's running for the state's open U.S. Senate seat next year.

According to the Washington Post's Chris Cillizza, longtime Democratic strategist Donna Brazile will temporarily helm the DNC until Wasserman Schultz assumes the new role -- DNC rules necessitate a 15-day gap period.

Rep. Wasserman Schultz: Bill Redefining Rape To Prevent Abortions Is ‘A Violent Act Against Women’

By Tanya Somanader

House Republicans wasted no time in declaring their legislative priorities for the 112th Congress. The first: repeal health care for millions of Americans. The second: redefine rape. A day after repealing health care, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) introduced the No Taxpayer Funding For Abortion Act, a bill that would not only permanently prohibit some federally funded health-care programs from covering abortions, but would change the language exempting rape and incest from rape to “forcible rape.”

By narrowing the Hyde Amendment language, Republicans would exclude the following situations from coverage: women who say no but do not physically fight off the perpetrator, women who are drugged or verbally threatened and raped, and minors impregnated by adults. As the National Women’s Law Center’s Steph Sterling puts it, this new standard of force “takes us back to a time where just saying no was not enough.”

And yet, 172 Republicans — including sixteen women — and lone Democrat Rep. Daniel Lipinski (IL), chair of the House Pro-Life Caucus — readily support the new standard. Appalled at such a cavalier attack on women’s rights, one House member is not taking the change lightly. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) “fiercely denounced” her conservative colleagues for this “absolutely outrageous” dilution of victims’ rights. Enraged at the suggestion that “there is some kind of rape that would be okay,” Wasserman Schultz told The Raw Story that she considers the bill itself to be “a violent act against women”:

“It is absolutely outrageous,” Wasserman Schultz said in an exclusive interview late Monday afternoon. “I consider the proposal of this bill a violent act against women.”[...]

“It really is — to suggest that there is some kind of rape that would be okay to force a woman to carry the resulting pregnancy to term, and abandon the principle that has been long held, an exception that has been settled for 30 years, is to me a violent act against women in and of itself,” Wasserman Schultz said.

“Rape is when a woman is forced to have sex against her will, and that is whether she is conscious, unconscious, mentally stable, not mentally stable,” the four-term congresswoman added.[...]

Wasserman Schultz dismissed the effort as a nonstarter in the Democratic-led Senate and a guaranteed veto by President Barack Obama, but conceded that it may pass the GOP-controlled House. She called it “yet another example” of how the “extreme right-wing fringe of Republican Party has complete control over their agenda.”

Because the bill makes the Hyde Amendment (which currently requires renewal every year) permanent, supporters are ignoring the rape language change and say it “largely codifies what has already been in practice” since 1976. As TPM notes, the pro-life community, “which is usually more than willing to sound off on abortion and what needs to be done to stop it,” has been “radio silent.” Smith, the bill sponsor, who lauds the bill’s “comprehensive approach” in restricting victim’s rights, refused to address the issue of forcible rape.

While this is not the first time anti-abortion lawmakers have attempted to pass the forcible rape language, there is probably a good reason the pro-life network has stayed mum. An overwhelming number of Americans believe abortion should be a choice when a woman is the victim of rape or incest. In a poll taken 30 years after theRoe v. Wade decision, 81 percent of Americans believed abortion should be legal in cases of rape or incest. The visceral and comprehensive violence such attacks inflict on victims should be as well understood among lawmakers as it is among the public. But the GOP insists that, despite what common sense, compassion, and gender equity demand, just saying no is no longer enough.

UPDATEThe Washington Post issued a correction to point out that Lipinski is not the sole Democrat supporting the bill. As of today, Democratic Reps. Dan Boren (OK), Jerry Costello (IL), Mark Critz (PA), Joe Donnelly (IN), Mike McIntyre (NC), Collin Peterson (MN), Nick Rahall (WV), Mike Ross (AR), and Heath Shuler (NC) are also sponsors.