Washington Post Continues Media Whitewash Of Radical GOP Rep.-Elect Allen West

By George Zornick Over the weekend, NBC’s Meet the Press featured Rep.-elect Allen West (R-FL) without mentioning the offensive Islamophobia that West made central to his congressional campaign, nor the long history of extreme statements and associations that made West a Tea Party star.

Today, the Washington Post continues the mainstream media’s absolution of West’s extremism in a profile titled “Allen West, one of two black Republicans just elected to House, goes against grain.” Among the many issues that the author Krissah Thompson glosses over or ignores, the section about West’s abuse of an Iraqi man is the most troubling. Thompson writes:

West was charged by military authorities and forced to retire after firing a handgun near the head of an Iraqi police officer during an interrogation in 2003. The officer was suspected of having information about attacks on U.S. forces in the area. West admitted wrongdoing and paid a fine. His case became a cause celebre for conservative media personalities, and 95 members of Congress signed a letter to the Army secretary in support of him.

Thompson doesn’t mention that “military prosecutors said [West's] actions amounted to torture and violated articles 128 and 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.” The actual facts of the case are much more disturbing than Thompson describes:

According to an investigation and by West’s own admission, he walked into an interrogation room and placed a gun in his lap. If the Iraqi detainee didn’t talk, West told him, then West would have to kill him. The detainee insisted he knew nothing about a plot against West. The lieutenant then allowed his soldiers to beat the man. The detainee was then dragged outside, supposedly for his execution. But West fired over the detainee’s head. At that point, the detainee gave West information that may or may not have been helpful — the detainee told the New York Times he made something up just to save his life. In that same article, West admits he may have been wrong about there being an assassination plot.

And like Meet the Press, the Post completely ignores the clear vein of Islamophobia that ran starkly through West’s campaign this year. West has said that Islam is “a totalitarian theocratic political ideology, it is not a religion.” He believes that jihad is an a core of being Muslim, saying of a radial Islamists’ interpretation of the Quran, “this is not a perversion. They are doing exactly what this book says.” And west is proud of these beliefs — he has said that “[u]ntil you get principled leadership in the United States of America that is willing to say that,” we won’t be able to “secure Western civilization.”

When West says bigoted things about Islam, like that war and terror are dictated in the Quran, he often claims that “I don’t care about being popular.” It’s unlikely he would be — unless the mainstream media continues to hide his extreme views.

Fox News: Threats against Democrats are wrong, but ..

Media Matters Research Amid reports that several Democrats in Congress have been the targets of death threats, racial and anti-gay epithets, and have had their offices vandalized for their votes on health care reform, several Fox News personalities have been quick to first condemn the threats but then immediately make excuses for the threats. Others have appeared to dismiss the seriousness of the threats. Fox News condemns, then dismisses threats Doocy: "So why are people angry? Maybe because they didn't want this bill?" Teasing a segment about the threats against Democrats, Fox & Friends co-host Steve Doocy said: "Meanwhile, some House Democrats getting extra security after a series of death threats and even a little vandalism over their health care votes. So why are people angry? Well, maybe because they didn't want this bill?" [Fox & Friends, 3/25/10] Kilmeade: "Are Democrats using" threats of violence "to their advantage to marginalize Republican opposition?" On the same episode of Fox & Friends, co-host Brian Kilmeade said: "Here's the question, though: Is this a Democratic tactic to take some of the people on the fringe who are clearly out of line, doing things that show violence and threats because they feel as though the vote did not go their way. And are Democrats using that to their advantage to marginalize Republican opposition?" Kilmeade continued: "For example, Tim Kaine just put out an email -- he's a great guest of ours and is always insightful for us -- put out an email saying, look at what's happening out here in America amongst the other party. We're going to need your help, send $5. So, wait a second. How outraged are you if you're looking to raise money off the outrage?" [Fox & Friends, 3/25/10] Carlson agrees it's "disappointing" that Democrats are making threats so public and says "they should just stop discussing it all together." After Doocy said House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) "thinks the Democrat lawmakers are feeding the public's frenzy over the threats by discussing them so openly in the media," Fox & Friends co-host Gretchen Carlson said: "It's such a political thing, though, guys. I think it would be happening on the other side of the fence, too, that maybe the other political party would try to take advantage of a situation, and that's disappointing. I think it's disappointing -- they should just stop discussing it all together. Just agree on the fact that it's disappointing behavior, no matter who's doing it." Later, after Kilmeade said, "You hurt your own cause when you have racial epithets or have homophobic phrases," Carlson said, "It ruins it for everybody, just like the kid who acts up at the birthday party." [Fox & Friends, 3/25/10] Fox & Friends airs viewer emails comparing threats against Democrats to American Revolution, William Ayers. After Carlson said, "The most important thing is what you think about all of this, because you are the ones that are going to go to the polls eventually," Fox & Friends aired several emails from viewers that condemned the threats but immediately appeared to defend the actions. One email claimed that Democrats are using the threats "to gain sympathy. Like Rahm Emanuel said, 'you never waste a crisis.'" Another read: "[W]hat did they expect when they basically stole from the...American people. What do they think 1776 was about & wasn't there some violence back then?" A third email said: "I don't like violence & it is wrong. Having said that, why should Democrats be surprised? Bill Ayers of the Weather Underground bombed the Pentagon & now he is a 'respected' speaker of the left. Why should Democrats expect anything different?" [Fox & Friends, 3/25/10] Excerpts from the emails: threatmail1 ff_threatmail2 ff_threatmail3 ff_threatmail4 ff_threatmail5 ff_threatmail6 ff_threatmail7 Beck: Obama is "poking and prodding" people to commit violence. ... "They need you to be violent. They are begging for it." On his March 24 Fox News show, Glenn Beck referenced the "crazy tea baggers in the streets" and said, "Why would a government continue to poke you and poke you and poke you and poke you? Why would they say these things? Why have these people said these things about good Americans?" Beck later said: "This might be the most dangerous monologue I've ever done, because I am telling you now -- they need you to be violent. They are begging for it. You're being set-up. Do not give them what they want." [Glenn Beck, 3/24/10] Hannity: "So do you think that this is just an effort to smear conservatives?" During his March 24 Fox News show, Sean Hannity said that Democrats "are trying to make a big deal over the weekend and this is denied by a lot of people. I have not seen the videotape that confirms this yet. If anyone has it, send it to me. I want to see it, of racial slurs, anti-gay slurs being made at the Tea Party movement. Do we have any evidence that corroborates this at all?" Later, he asked: "So do you think that this is just an effort to smear conservatives? Is this a concerted effort to say, you know what? They are all a bunch of racists; they're all a bunch of homophobes?" [Hannity, 3/24/10] Cupp: Democrats "want us to feel sorry for them that they've gotten a couple of ... angry voicemails." On Hannity, commentator S.E. Cupp said, "You know, Democrats who did this -- who sort of rammed this down our throats regardless of the fact that it actually won't save us any money, it's going to bankrupt us and the American people didn't want it -- want us to feel sorry for them that they've gotten a couple of angry, you know, voicemails. They should read my e-mail. You know, what did they expect? No one condones threats. No one condones the violence, but I'm glad people are angry. I hope they stay angry." Earlier in the show, Cupp had promoted Andrew Breitbart's decision to "combat the Congressional Black Caucus' allegations" by promising to donate $10,000 to the "Black [sic] Negro College Fund" if someone can prove the "n word" was yelled at the congressmen. [Hannity, 3/24/10] Fox Nation: "Are Threats Really Elevated, or Are Dems Playing Politics?" The Fox Nation displayed a picture of several Democratic congressmen with the headline, "Are Threats Really Elevated, or Are Dems Playing Politics?" The headline linked to a NewsBusters post that claimed there are "no specific examples of alleged threats of violence cited" and that the media and politicians are "trying to construct a meme of conservative violence as we run up to the 2010 elections." From the Fox Nation: fn_threats1 Fox Nation: "Was Tea Party Story a Racial Rant or a Set Up?" The Fox Nation posted an image of Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) purportedly holding up a cell phone camera, along with the headline, "Was Tea Party Story a Racial Rant or a Set Up?" The Fox Nation linked to Gateway Pundit, which alleged that the accusation of racial epithets toward Democrats was "a lie" because "[t]here were several cameras filming the democratic representatives as they walked to the Rayburn Office Building. And, the representatives had at least two cameras filming the entire event. (It was almost as if they were expecting something to happen?)" From The Fox Nation: fn_threats2 Charles Krauthammer: "I'm sure a lot of this is trumped up. ... You are always going to have a kook and a nut here and there." On the March 24 edition of Fox News' Special Report, Fox News contributor Charles Krauthammer said of the threats, "I'm sure a lot of this is trumped up the way of the unruliness of some of the crowd on the day of the voting in the House was trumped up. You are always going to have a kook and a nut here and there. It's being used by supporters of ObamaCare to tar opponents with, you know, threats, violence, being un-American in general. I think it ought to be denounced, as the Republicans have. It should be. But it's not reflective of those who oppose the bill." Stephen Hayes: "This happens all the time," "counterproductive" for GOP to condemn them again. Discussing GOP leaders' condemning the threats on Special Report, Weekly Standard columnist Stephen Hayes said: "They shouldn't continue to do it. They did it. They did it once, and they should never do it again. That's the end. He said we don't approve of this. That's it. If you continue to beat it up, it continues to be a story and it's counterproductive." Later, Hayes said, "This happens all the time, and I could refer to you my own voicemail sometimes after appearances on other programs and other networks where the vitriol level was every bit as harsh as what I heard in Bart Stupak's voicemail." [Special Report, 3/24/10] M.C.L Comment: Like I said in post stories, when Bush was president Fox News tried to make it a federal offense to be critical of the president now on Fox News you got junior right wing whores like S.E. Cupp trying to minimized death threats to elected officials , I bet if I made nasty hateful voicemail to Republican Mike Rodgers,Thad the Vulture or Stay Puff Miller S.E. Cupp and her partner in right wing hypocrisy Sean Hannity would be signing a different tune. Fox News is the source of this violence and they're trying their hardest to deflect being part of the story and they're using the old conservative tactic of blaming the victims and our media is either lazy or scared media to point this out. Let's say the media is too lazy and new proof all a staffer or intern has to do is watch an half hour of Fox News and see where is this "outrage" is coming from. People in the corporate media has to take a stand if something happens to President Obama or elected officials it's on them as well because they know where this hate is coming from it comes from Fox News, right wing talk radio, the RNC, conservative blogs and elected and formerly elected Republican officials.

Does the WashPost's Ruth Marcus even watch Fox News?

by Eric Boehlert

After reading her predictable, talking points-approved condemnation of the White House's push back against Fox News, my suspicion is that the Post columnist doesn't watch Fox News. And my guess is she's not alone among the growing army of Village pundits who have all stepped forward to uniformly announce that the White House is way off the mark in deciding to fact check Fox News.

In a way, Marcus is simply reinforcing the age-old Beltway truism: When Democrats criticize the press it's whiny and petty, but when Republicans do it, it's savvy and brash. (Just ask veterans of the Clinton administration.)

But more specifically, Marcus is commenting on a media landscape of which she is completely ignorant. For instance, she claims Fox News operates just like MSNBC did during the Bush years. MSNBC featured Bush bashers Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann, and today Fox News boasts Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity, so c'mon what's the big deal. I guess the big deal is I don't remember either Olbermann or Maddow comparing MSNBC employees to persecuted Jews during the Holocaust, which was the twisted comparison Beck recently made regarding the Fox News staff.

In other words, I don't recall Olbermann or Maddow going bat shit crazy on national television, scribbling away on a chalkboard as they fantasized about connecting George Bush to every conceivable strain of historical evil. And I don't remember either MSNBC host launching hateful and hollow witch hunts against semi-obscure administration officials, the way Hannity has latched onto the homophobic attacks against Kevin Jennings.

But guess what? The same elite pundits who are telling the White House is chill out over Fox News are the same elite pundits who for weeks have refused to acknowledge the hateful Jennings witch hunt. Which brings me back to my original question: Do journalists like Marcus even watch Fox News? Do they understand what its programming day now looks like? My guess is the answer is no, even though lots of them have taken it upon themselves to speak out as Fox News experts; to lecture the White House about how normal and mainstream the cable outlet is.

For Marcus' edification, here's a recent example of where the Fox News family broke from the standards of professional journalism and clearly pushed a falsehood.

Here's another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another.

Yes, that list just covers a sampling from this October. And no, I don't recall MSNBC flooding its airwaves with provably false programming the way Fox News now does on a routine basis.

Can any serious journalist look at the kind of media malpractice record that Fox News has accumulated this year and really claim that it's not doing anything that's unusual or unique in the ranks of modern-day American journalism? Or that it's just like MSNBC, but from the right? Or that the White House should not be concerned about the nearly uninterrupted falsehoods unleashed in its direction?

Can any serious journalist look at that record and claim that it's the White House that ought to change its behavior? They can if they don't actually watch Fox News.