Melanie Morgan

I'm talking, complaining, kvetching and whining this morning about the abysmal political coverage last night --not the usual suspects in the mainstream media, but our friends over at Fox News.

I watched television last night for 3 hours and fifteen minutes, and Fred Thompson's name was mentioned exactly ONCE around 7:54 PST as the guy who tied John McCain for third place in Iowa.

My pal Ron Winter sums it up best in an e-mail to me this morning:

"At the 6 pm newscast last night Fox repeated a RUMOR that Thompson was going to quit if he placed 4th, and release his delegates to McCain.

Thompson had already strongly denied the rumor earlier in the afternoon, which should have put an end to it right there before it ever was aired.

But then they ran it on air again with Mary Matalin once again denying it. What a crock. What the hell is going on at FOX?

20 years in journalism and one of the basic tenets I learned right out of the gate is you NEVER run with a rumor. You need at least two reliable sources to verify it, which then makes it fact, and then you get response.

But rumors are taboo. What gives?

Then, although they had portrayed Thompson as 4th throughout the run-up to the caucus, even though only a fraction of a point separated him and McCain, when Thompson pulls it out over McCain by a similar margin they say he is TIED! If the numbers were reversed you can bet Fox would have said Thompson came in a disappointing 4th and start signaling his demise.

I am really, really disappointed in these guys lately, and frankly, this clumsy and obvious attempts to manipulate the votes are tainting every single commentator who does politics on that station." ...Ron

And from David in London who noted that Fox was getting it wrong. 

#1. The all night 4 person Fox panel. After Laura Ingraham left, it comprised three in house liberals -- Greta Van Susteren, Susan Estrich and Shepard Smith yakking. But the on-air "interview" with Tom Tancredo was a bizarre disgrace. After asking his opinion about the result and MCCAIN... the three then talked over him and chatted amongst themselves. And when Shep Smith finally shrieks Tom another question about MCCAIN, Tom says he's scary... followed by AUDIBLE gasps from the liberals before Smith interrupts then proceeds to answer his own question. Amazing.

#2. Despite Fred Thompson actually gaining more caucus votes that McCain, their headlines all night flagged a tie for third all night.

Limping along on her last 15 minutes of fame, St. Cindy Sheehan is gunning for San Fran Nan, the 'most powerful woman in the world.'

Sheehan, whose heroic son Casey died in April of 2004, has become an embittered and discredited anti-war activist (see previous post of her 'Dozens' of fellow travelors protesting against the 'illegal, immoral, unjust war' in Iraq during the Rose Bowl parade.)

Now Sheehan has decided that she has San Francisco values, in her looney candidacy to beat Nancy Pelosi in her district race for re-election.

Cindy Sheehan is from Vacaville, which is about as close ideologically to San Francisco as Alpharetta, Georgia is to New York City.

Whatever.

While waiting for NBC, See-BS, and ABC requests for interviews about our trip to Iraq, I am THRILLED to report that Our Move America Forward folks Debbie Lee, Danny Gonzalez, and photographer Mary Pearson are BACK in the good ole' USA after six weeks away from home and family (counting the cross-country trip to rally support for our troops AND their mission!)

Our trip into Kuwait, and then Iraq to deliver our 200,000 Christmas cards, Hanukkah and holiday cards was a SPECTACULAR SUCCESS!

In the next few days, Debbie, Danny and Mary will have reports available at www.moveamericaforward.com

We think it's best if they get a couple of days sleep between now and then --they deserve it!