Fox News’ underpublicized sick joke

I saw this on Talking Points Memo yesterday, and note that it’s been picked up by the New York Times editorial-page blog as well. Have a look at Fox News Channel contributor Liz Trotta as she jokes that it would be just great if Osama bin Laden and Barack Obama — and eh, who can tell them apart, anyway? — were both killed:

The question of the day is why Trotta’s sick joke hasn’t generated more outrage. After all, MSNBC’s Chris Matthews had to apologize publicly after he said Hillary Clinton’s political success was based on her husband’s “messing around.”

I’m tempted to say it’s because no one takes Fox News seriously, but certainly Media Matters, the liberal media-watchdog group, has been quick to pounce on Fox for other offenses. Perhaps it was because Trotta expressed her sick thoughts in the middle of a holiday weekend.

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11 thoughts on “Fox News’ underpublicized sick joke”

  1. She offered an “apology” yesterday.The only reason I can think of for it not generating more outrage is it’s a “dog bites man” story. A Fox commentator wishing for a Democrat to be killed is just not that far off their disgusting norm to be newsworthy, I guess.I’m sure it’s not the last of this sentiment to be expressed there and in the other Republican media outlets. The campaign will be bad enough, but an Obama administration will bring an avalanche of this stuff.

  2. Your first reason was accurate. Unless she had used the N’ word, she was only doing what was expected. I thought Charles Gibson was more offensive this morning telling the “Today Show” that he hadn’t had any problem with the media’s questions in the pre-war buildup.

  4. I’ve noticed that when somebody on CNN or MSNBC says something outrageous, that person is singled out as being offensive.When somebody from FOX News says something outrageous – we give it a title like “FOX News’ underpublicized sick joke”.What that woman said was tasteless, but she in no way is the face of FOX News. I’ve never even seen her before.MSNBC has the benefit of having Chris Matthews and David Shuster singled out as individuals after saying egregious things – but the liberal blogosphere denounces the entire FOX network for a stupid thing that a very low-level pundit said on its network.The stupidity of the comments above shows the irrational hatred the left feels for FOX News.

  5. Mark – what is irrational about disgust for a “news” network that fosters stupidity in its viewers? What is stupid about denouncing a network for the irrational hatred of its commentators?

  6. Bill O’Reilly pointed out Trotta’s sick joke yesterday.Liberals don’t take Fox News seriously,but they should.

  7. Mark, this blog leans left.The proprietor, an honest guy, knows what he’s doing. Not all the contributors can be similarly described. Frankly, I thought Liz Trotta retired years ago. Stupid remark that will be on her gravestone. Next case.

  8. mark and anon601,It’s not irrational to react negatively to a station devoted to vilifying you. When a station openly accuses anybody who questions the GOP of “hating america” a certain amount of hostility should be expected in return. Treating the “liberal blogosphere” as a whole shows the shallowness of your thinking.

  9. You all need to stop looking at everything through your ultra liberal glasses. It seems to me Trotta mis-spoke. She had intended to speak about Obama and the fact that some are possibly suggesting (Hillary) that he coule be killd, as was RFK. When she mistakenly said OSAMA (the names are quite alike) she was trying to point out that she would have no problem if he (OSAMA) was killed. She just got it a little screwed up. Stop looking to make problems where there are none. I know you libs are upset about losing two elections in a row (with a third loss looming) but if you just take a step back and analize this objectively, you will see clearly identify the gaf.

  10. Anon 8:50 – How does “Well, both if we could. Heh heh heh heh.” turn into “just got it a little screwed up”? Her intent was clear. It has nothing to do with liberal or conservative.

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