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In just a few weeks, the FOX News Channel (search) will celebrate its seventh anniversary, awash in success and publicity. In that short period of time, we have become one of the most powerful news organizations in the USA, an amazing accomplishment.
But that success has caused an incredible amount of anger among some in the elite media and among some liberal ideologues. And their attacks on us have now resulted in legal issues, such as trademark infringement and defamation.
The main point here is that trying to hurt a business or a person because you disagree with what they say is simply unacceptable in America. And that message has been sent by FOX. There's a principle in play. Vigorous debate is embraced by us, but smear campaigns will be confronted. It is simply a joke for The New York Times to editorialize that fabricated personal attacks are acceptable under the banner of satire.
I wonder if The Times thought that Donald Sagretti was funny when he manufactured dirt to hurt Richard Nixon's political opponents. I guess The Times editorial board would be yucking it up if their pictures appeared on a book cover accompanied by the word "liar." Satire, my butt.
There's no question that many of the attacks launched against FOX personnel are designed to injury and demean. It's unfortunate, but in this country, if you're successful or famous, many courts will allow defamation, slander and liable to go unpunished.
But once again, that's not the issue here. The point is accountability. We are shining a spotlight on the haters and the enablers. You can decide if that spotlight is aimed in the right direction.
Talking Points cannot understand how people could side with the defamers and their pals. But it's important to know just who these people are. For as Don Corleone once said, "kept your friends close, but your enemies closer."
And that's The Memo.
The Most Ridiculous Item of the Day
Some people think hitting somebody in the face with a pie is funny. I don't. Ralph Nader (search) was in San Francisco endorsing a Green Party candidate and some thug pied him. The guy got away. Nader walked it off after wiping it off.
This kind of thing is designed to demean, part of the collapsing national discourse that we mentioned in the Talking Points memo.
Ridiculous? Surely. And it's assault to boot.
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