Martin Frost signs on to FOX News.

[reprehensor]

Ex-Congressman Frost signs on with Fox News Channel

DALLAS Former Congressman Martin Frost of Dallas has signed a deal to be a political commentator for the Fox News Channel.

Frost lost his congressional seat in November after redistricting engineered by Majority Leader Tom DeLay forced him into a race with G-O-P Congressman Pete Sessions.

Frost served 26 years in Congress.

The Texan recently dropped out of the race for Democratic national chairman after failing to win the support of organized labor. Howard Dean won the chairmanship last week.

one more paragraph@link

[NoPasaran]

1. Well, that was quick

:puke:

[reprehensor]

7. No shit!

Well, at least there is no doubt now. I mean, how could any Democrat with half a clue about the Murdoch propaganda machine accept money from FAUX?

How you doin' NoPas?

[crispini]

2. Damn. Well, that's interesting.

:wtf: Uh, Martin? Wow. I wonder if he thinks he can boldly fly the Dem flag on the evil propaganda network? Huh..... I don't quite know what to think of that.

Hi, reprehensor, how ya doin? :hi:

[reprehensor]

10. No shame.

Wow. I mean, there are no metaphors to do justice.

Seriously, how could he accept money from Murdoch after all the shit that propaganda machine has done to-- well, the whole country, actually.

If you can't beat 'em?

Even Nader had his last book published by one of Murdoch's companies. That makes it hard for me to take him seriously. I do think that Public Citizen is OK, but still, how can you be against the GOP and what they do, while at the same time you allow them to profit from you?

Grr.

We are well, Cris, I have been putting in uber-overtime for a massive signage project, so not much for anything.

Did you know that Amy Goodman is in town on Friday night?

[crispini]

11. I dunno, man, it's pretty weird.

I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt until I see what he actually says, because that's the sort of thing I'd do, all well-intentioned, hey let me get on here and speak the truth to people... but damn, FAUX? Jeez....

Glad to hear you're good! Yeah, I think I'll probably be there on Friday night.... looking forward to it! Although not to that haul out to Irving! ya'll going?

[Lone_Wolf]

3. call it the Fox Tabloid Channel or the Fox Propaganda Channel...

It certainly isn't a news channel and shouldn't be confused with one.

[Jai4WKC08]

26. None of the news channels

Are NEWS channels. They're all, at best, entertainment. At worst, and most frequently, propaganda. Fox is just more obvious. And really, less dangerous because of it.

There are a helluva lot of people all over the political spectrum who are convinced CNN, MSNBC and the broadcasts networks are "liberal." The GOP has spent a lot of money and effort selling that idea over the last 20 years, and most people are totally clueless to how they're being manipulated.

[Lone_Wolf]

42. I agree...

The other networks function as "soft" salesmen of the conservative/pro-corporate agenda.

I've turned off MSM over a year ago, and started to rely on sites like IndyMedia, ZMag, and DU for my news along with Amy Goodman's Democracy Now! and a few other liberal radio programs.

I am better informed now than ever before.

[KittyWampus]

4. I Couldn't Muster The Patience To Work There.

[proudbluestater]

8. I think I could muster the patience, but how would I be able to work

with my hands perpetually balled up into fists all day? Before long, I would be toothless, having ground my teeth to the gumline while trying desperately to keep my fat mouth shut. Then the TMJ would kick up and my whole HEAD would explode.

Think I'll keep my rather pleasant job working with real people who very often THINK before they speak.;)

[Adelante]

12. Well, maybe he's reaching out

To fundamentalists? :shrug:

[FredScuttle]

36. He's taking blood money

pure n' simple

[Nite Owl]

5. He really needed a job

that bad?

[AlinPA]

6. People were actually considering him for DNC chair? Working on the

republican propaganda channel must pay a lot.

[Philosophy]

9. They're probably trying to turn him into the next Dick Morris

Figure he'll be disgruntled that he didn't get the DNC chair so he'll start badmouthing the new, progressive Democrats that are taking over the party.

[checks-n-balances]

13. I think that, probably, what you just said will be proven right

...unfortunately.

[blondeatlast]

21. Yep; he needs to be discredited now. Obviously he isn't one of us.

THERE. IS. NO. EXCUSE.

[lojasmo]

14. Anybody here want to fess up to supporting that fuckwit for DNC chair? N/T

[flaminbats]

15. cuuh..

anyone up for RNC?? :wtf:

[ClarkUSA]

16. How do we know he's not trying to help by getting some truth out?

I think he'll help the Democrats by getting our talking points out. They hired him to get an alternative point of view, not to give out Rovian world view.

He can actually help educate the average Fox viewer about Democrats. I am sure
that he wouldn't be averse to talking up Democratic values, either.

Let's watch and see. I hope he repeats DNC talking points the way lots of GOP commentators repeat GOP talking points.

[reprehensor]

17. There's little hope of that.

I hope I'm proven wrong.

Are you familiar with the top-down information dissemination structure of FAUX? They do not seek out 'alternative' view points.

FOX is a 24hr propaganda machine owned by staunch conservative Murdoch, and run by ultra-conservative Roger Ailes.

If Martin gets too far out of line, he'll get a warning, for say, insubordination, he steps out of line again, his contract will be terminated.

He may be allowed a few minutes to ramble on the air, but don't expect him to say a peep about media consolidation, Conservative bias on FAUX, Imperialist foreign policy of the Shrub administration or anything else semi-touchy.

As far as reeling off talking points, he will reel them off to have them shot down by 'clear-eyed conservatives' who will always have the last word, and a seemingly 'more logical' point of view, supported by 'facts' reeled off by say, Brit Hume.

Dean has done FAUX interviews, and has been gutsy enough to speak his mind. They count on that. They know people will sit through their garbage to hear Dean push the envelope.

Martin may have a subversive agenda in mind, but even so, the bigger FAUX agenda of demonizing anybody left of center and further down the road, anyone left of the hard right will drown him out despite his best intentions.

After over two decades of public service, Martin knows exactly what he is doing, and where his political viewpoint sits. He has a decent voting record.

In my opinion, he has no intention of running for office again, (certainly not as a Democrat), and so, collecting a paycheck from one of the biggest spewers of political bile on the planet is acceptable to him at this point.

[flpoljunkie]

19. Let's remember what Clinton said last week about Dems sticking together!

I have seen Martin Frost speak on the House floor and in press conferences with the Democratic leadership, and have been impressed. He speaks well and defends Democratic positions aggressively.

Do not sell Martin Frost short.

[blondeatlast]

22. I wish I had the time for your faith. I saw "OutFoxed." They know

exactly what they are doing.

If you haven't seen it, please do, and also read "The Republican Noise Machine" by David Brock.

Then perhaps we can have a rational debate about what's wrong with this.

[tanyev]

23. If that's what he's thinking, then he's incredibly naive,

and his career at Fox News will be breathtakingly short.

[anarchy1999]

18. All I can say is I never liked the man! Suspicions confirmed!

Damn!

[blondeatlast]

20. I haven't got time to wait for Frost to "prove" himself.

We need to discredit him now. This is a war, and he's a traitor.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr... :mad:

[Jai4WKC08]

27. Aw fer cryin' out loud

Give the guy a chance.

Ya know, there are a lot of Fox viewers who are not totally lost to the RW. They're just ignorant of how they're being manipulated.

I have a lot of hope that Frost will be able to provide a solid red-dog Democrat perspective. We'll have to see how much, if anything, the execs at Fox let him get away with. And he'll have to be pretty clever to say things in a way that won't get him branded as "just another lefty" a la Alan Colmes. But even if they end up firing Frost, or shutting him down, maybe we can get some milage out of it.

It takes some balls to go into the lion's den and confront the Repugs on their own turf. None at all to hang around progressive forums and snipe at the people who try.

[SeattleRob]

28. Don't hold your breath

Faux is a Republican Party Propaganda machine and does not want to hear true dissent. Look at the so-called Democrats they have on air.

And if you haven't seen it - watch Outfoxed!

[thebigidea]

31. yeah, that Alan Colmes sure has "balls," huh?

[blondeatlast]

32. Alan Colmes and Donna Brazile; yeah, they have real impressive cajones.

Not.

I don't need balls--I'm a female and I'm not a "professional" Democrat. You can accuse me of "sniping" all you want--I don't get paid for my views; my reps get my views for the price of a letter, envelope, and a stamp.

People who STILL watch FAUX couldn't care less about a Democratic perspective. That's why they watch FAUX, to get away from it.

The responses above, that were made while I was at work, pretty much reflect my feelings, anyway.

[CarolNYC]

38. Fox viewers

I actually know some of these people who are Fox viewers and even think that Fox is "fair and balanced" and yet they can be brought around to see another side if approached in the right way...I've seen it happen. It's not only the right wing nutjobs that watch Fox....although they do too.

[Adelante]

24. One of the topics of the week

(Dean has made it quite clear it's how he sees it. And so has my man Clark, for that matter.)

How do we bring the Dem message to those who were disenchanted with it and have been seduced into Republicanism by these lying GOP/media rat bastards?

I think this is a GOOD thing for the Democratic Party. Dems should be talking on the RW shows, both TV and radio, they should be writing articles and giving interviews for the stupid RW propoganda, I mean, newspapers. We should be going into the belly of the beast, because that's where these voters live, not AA radio, unless we are not serious about winning the presidency back. WE DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS, fraud or no fraud.

I also think Martin Frost is a misunderstood character, partly because he did run against Dean for chair. I don't say I agree with him on every point, although a lot I do, but Jesus Christ, he's no Zell Miller.

He did good work for the Dems when he ran the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in Newt's heyday. He was marked specifically for destruction in Delay's redistricting of Texas, where he was seen by the RW as "a ferocious dog needing to be put down," and fought like the devil in a new district to win it for the Dems. He didn't win it, but he forced them to spend multiple millions of dollars in that single district, trying to stop him from winning. He didn't have to do any of it, there was little chance he would win, he did it for the Democratic Party. If all he was interested in is a pundit's salary, he could have done it right then when he was first out of a job.

He's a Moderate Democrat from Texas, and he's no pushover, and he has the voice that maybe we need on this type of media.

This is precisely what the Party needs to be doing, sending our people into battle on the other side's turf. Who's got the background and the guts to carry it off if not somebody like Martin Frost?

GO MARTIN

[crispini]

29. I cross my fingers

that this is what will happen.

[Adelante]

34. I cross my fingers, too

I hope this is part of some new Democratic strategy now that Dean is chair to talk to the people this party has lost and get them to understand who we really are. We'll see what happens with it, but I'm hopeful.

[CarolNYC]

37. I agree

...and I'd certainly prefer to wait to see what he does with the job before crucifying him...Of course, it's obvious everyone doesn't feel that way....

[Tom Rinaldo]

25. I want Frost to do a good enough job to get fired

I know Murdoch would be loath to give a great Democratic spokesperson a lot of air time, so what I want is to see Frost work himself out of a job. If he can do that I say more power to him, Thank You Mr. Frost. Murdoch may not totally get that Frost isn't a typical "Blue Dog" Democrat even though he is from Texas and tried to run a centrist campaign to hold onto his seat after redistricting last time. I will hold fire on Frost until I see how he does. Hopefully Murdoch will be the one doing the firing.

[Crunchy Frog]

30. If that does happen, I'm hoping

he will write a tell all book about his experiences and about the inner workings of Faux. He could do alot of damage to them potentially.

Frankly, I'm reserving judgement on this until I see what he actually does with it.

[crispini]

35. Ooooo. Wouldn't THAT be da bom! nt

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[Laura PourMeADrink]

39. Much Too Soon. Does this mean he could have been a plant?

A repug owned Democratic Party Chairman if he had won? What a coup that would have been.

I hope it's not true - but it sure does smell fishy

[DaveinMD]

40. He's been a good Dem for years

and was the last chair of the DCCC to win seats.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

41. I know. And I believed him when I heard him. Hope I'm wrong. n/t