Fox News: "HOUSE DEMS VOTE TO PROTECT PEDOPHILES, BUT NOT VETERANS."

[DeadElephant_ORG]

This from Media Matters surprised even me:

O'Reilly wasn't alone pushing this line of attack at Fox News. Sean Hannity, Bill Hemmer, and The Fox Nation website all advanced the false claim that House Democrats voted to "protect" or "defend" pedophiles. On-screen text along the bottom of the screen on Fox quite literally read, "HOUSE DEMS VOTE TO PROTECT PEDOPHILES, BUT NOT VETERANS."
...
Rev. Pat Robertson this week suggested the "ultimate conclusion" of legal same-sex marriage is legal polygamy, bestiality, child molestation, and pedophilia. Tammy Bruce, a self-described "openly gay, pro-choice, gun owning, pro-death penalty, voted-for-President Bush authentic feminist", chatted about how the "gay Gestapo," as she put it on Fox News, "ultimately smears every gay person."

and on and on:
http://mediamatters.org/research/200905060016?lid=1034539&rid=27201474

It seems to me that claim that "DEMS VOTE TO PROTECT PEDOPHILES" goes way, waaaaaayy past the line of legitimate journalism, and on towards fraudulent libel.

Surely something can be done...

[donco6]

1. I want to see the House debate on the benefits of pedophilia.

When did that happen? Did I miss it?

[DeadElephant_ORG]

9. You didn't miss it. Seriously, what legally can we do about such a demonstrable libel?

Can a defined group of individuals - such as Democratic Congressmen who voted for the bill - sue for libel? It's an outright and defamatory lie.

[ShadowLiberal]

13. They probably could, but then the media/Fox would make them look even worse then Fox's lies do now

The problem is as a politician you can't really go around suing journalists for publishing false stories, maybe you could get away with it once without too much damage, but if over say 4 years as governor of a state you've sued 6 different media groups every year for libel then people are just going to think of you as Mr/Ms lawsuit happy and make jokes about you for it simply because of how many you file, regardless of the merits of your claims.

[DeadElephant_ORG]

14. if 50 dem congressmen sued Fox News for libel, it would be unique and sensational

and an extraordinary risk. But I ask, can Rupert Murdock and the Fox News management really take their claim to be "fair and balanced" seriously? Proclaiming "DEMS VOTE TO PROTECT PEDOPHILES" is as inflammatory as hyper-partisan rhetoric can ever be.

I believe there was a suit filed against Fox News over the false advertising of their tag line. I don't know what happened with that.

[DeadElephant_ORG]

15. see this screen-shot for yourself: This crosses a line.

[jillan]

2. why are they allowed to lie like this?

[Omaha Steve]

5. Reagan killed the fairness doctrine

Enough said?

[Occam Bandage]

6. Not "enough said" at all.

Fairness doctrine only applies to the airwaves. The government has no authority over cable television.

[walldude]

3. Fox news votes to defend traitors, anti-americans, terrorists, sexual predators

and just plain assholes.

[leftofcool]

4. don't forget wife beaters

I believe Hannity is one.....that is the rumor

[Enrique]

7. that Steve King is a piece of work

anyone running against him in 2010? It would be lovely to see him and Michelle Bachman both get booted.

[spanone]

8. fuck faux

[malaise]

10. Send them that list of Rushican perverts

There's a website full of them.

[hootinholler]

11. Only 2 recs?

Have we become that jaded?

-Hoot

[underpants]

12. They are projecting

rec'd