Once again, NBC News has highlighted dishonest propaganda from the far-left Media Matters outfit. Sadly, TIME magazine also participated in the sham.
Controversies about Sen. Tom Coburn's assertion that Fox News scared some Americans by saying they could go to prison if they don't buy health insurance under Obamacare. On Tuesday, here's what I said to the senator.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
O'REILLY: We researched to find out if anybody on Fox News had ever said you're going to jail if you don't buy health insurance. Nobody's ever said it. So it seems to me that what you did was you used Fox News as a whipping boy when we didn't qualify there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Now, Sen. Coburn admitted he may have made a mistake. But to be fair, the mistake is understandable, because last fall when jail time was on the table, Fox News reported it, as we should have. Listen to these sound bites.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think it's appropriate to have a threat of jail time for those who refuse to buy insurance?
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: You know, what I think is appropriate is that in the same way that everybody has to get auto insurance and if you don't, you are subject to some penalty.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm just trying to understand, if you don't buy health insurance, you go to jail? You didn't answer my question.
HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI: Well, the point, there is, I think the legislation is very fair in this respect.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Now, as we all know, the prison option was taken off the table when the final Obamacare bill was being debated, and that's what we were talking to Sen. Coburn about: the final bill debate. Not all that stuff.
So what I said is absolutely true. Nobody at Fox News reported inaccurately about the Obamacare prison situation. Nobody.
Yet, Media Matters, as they always do, distorted the entire situation. Shamefully, NBC News and TIME magazine lapped up the garbage and put it right out there.
Now, we expect that from NBC, but TIME magazine? Come on. You guys have got to wise up.
The importance of this is that you, the everyday American, are now being lied to on a regular basis by people working for huge corporations and nothing is being done about it. A voter-driven republic cannot survive if lies supersede the truth.
The bottom line on this story is that Sen. Coburn, again, a good man, made an honest mistake. But that mistake was picked up by NBC News and used to hammer Fox News, which is kicking their butt all over the place in the cable news ratings. The good news is NBC News will soon be taken over by Comcast, an honest corporation, and perhaps changes will be made.
The American people deserve an honest government and an honest media. Do we not?
And that's "The Memo."
Pinheads & Patriots
As you may know, our colleague, Fox News Pentagon correspondent Jennifer Griffin, has been fighting the good fight against breast cancer. Now we have some very good news. Jennifer is officially cancer-free after meeting her ordeal head-on and persevering, which is the key to life. Jennifer Griffin is a brave woman and a patriot.
Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!
On the pinhead front, it's ironic but Fox broadcasting is one of the biggest critics of conservative politicians.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "GLEE")
JANE LYNCH, ACTRESS: Ladies, I misjudged you. You may be two of the stupidest teens I've ever encountered, and that's saying something. I once taught a cheerleading seminar to a young Sarah Palin.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Cheap shot, huh? Now, I like that "Glee" program, but the line was totally unnecessary, and it was written by a pinhead.
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