Shepard Smith Smears Swift Boat Vets

Media Monitor ^ | 6/7/2006 | Cliff Kincaid

[Mike Bates]

While some press attention has been focused on the seeming odd-couple of Rupert Murdoch raising money for Hillary Clinton, another fascinating relationship has apparently been developed between Fox News and Hugh Hefner's Playboy. Fox News' Neil Cavuto aired an interview with Hugh Hefner on May 4, on the grounds that the announcement of his "Playmate of the Year" was "business news," and Fox News anchor Shepard Smith is interviewed in the June issue of Playboy magazine.

Asked about Internet stories that "lack veracity" but which serve as news. Smith replies, "Swift Boats," as if the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth had been engaged not in getting out the truth about John Kerry's military career and dubious war crimes charges, but in smearing the Democratic Senator and 2004 Democratic presidential candidate.

I'm sure you all remember that Fox News is supposed to be the conservative channel.

SNIP

It is strange in the sense that Smith talks about his "group" at Fox News, which wants objective news coverage, and other nameless people who don't seem to agree. However, he denies Fox has a conservative agenda, says he's never been asked to push a conservative point of view, and that he loves and trusts Bob Schieffer of CBS News.

Except for the devotion to Schieffer and the smear of the Swift Boat vets, the exchanges are mostly irrelevant and beside the point, which is that a Fox News anchor had made Playboy into a "respectable" forum. I suspect it is part of the same plan that involved Fox News media personalities such as Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity interviewing Howard Stern, who has attracted millions of listeners by talking dirty. This is the kind of audience that is supposed to count.

[Mike Bates]

Shep comes out of the closet, a little.

[NonValueAdded]

Shep is a punk.

[ncphinsfan]

"Shep comes out of the closet, a little."

Shep's been out of the closet for awhile. Shep needs to return to the closet.

[bcsco]

Very seldom watch FNC anymore, and NEVER Sheperd Smith. I've traded FNC for FR (two initials are easier to remember than three :) ).

[Williams]

Yes, I think Shep is a closet lib and lets it all hang out every once in a while. It's sad to see someone jump on the anti-Swift bandwagon. That is so MSM. Kerry absolutely lied about his record, and did things while in the service that are reprehensible. Like meeting with the North Vietnamese.

[LachlanMinnesota]

As time goes by...

Fox will become more like CNN all the time.

Remember, it is a business, and someone is telling them how they can make the most money.

Therefore, they will not be adhering to any political point of view, except when the expression of that point of view is the best chance for making the most money.

I already have written off Fox, though it is still breathing, I hear its death rattles in the distance.

[silverleaf]

Shep who?

Except for Brit Hume, Fox News no longer interests me nor does it serve as my source of analysis of current events.

[P-40]

FOX News is just another faux source of 'news' and is nothing more than a peddler of pap designed to appeal to the lowest common denominator. You will be much better informed by not watching that garbage. Leave it for the morons.

[mr_hammer]

It's very obvious he is a closet lib. His evening show is slanted to ET crowd. I stopped watching it a couple of years ago.

It still like Britt's show, although Fred & Bill get on my nerves with some of their neocon ramblings.

Charles Krauthammer is great! Clear thinking and devoid of an agenda; he tells it like it actually is. Truly a no spin dude!

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

Shemale Smith is the correct term for IT.

[atomicpossum]

I've stopped watching Fox.

[llevrok]

Shemp (as Levin calls him) always reminds me of a perpetual frat boy. Not my favorite.

I am down to Brit's show, Ollie's military history and Fox News Sunday.

I agree that most of my news comes via FR these days too.

[Txsleuth]

ping

[mkjessup]

Shep is the smarmy little punk that everyone knew in junior high school, who thought he was the only one qualified to address the student body assemblies.

I remember Shep as the smarmy little punk who decided to make himself part of the story in Tallahassee Florida during the election standoff of November 2000:

"Capitol Police on Friday arrested Fox News Channel anchor Shepard Smith, one of hundreds of journalists in town to cover the election drama, after police said Smith struck another reporter with his car during an argument over a parking space. The reporter, Maureen Walsh of Tallahassee, is a freelance journalist who works for Bay News 9, a cable news channel based in Pinellas Park. By day's end, Walsh was released from Tallahassee Memorial Hospital with bruises on her knees and legs, police said. Smith, 36, was charged with aggravated battery with a motor vehicle, a felony, and was released on $10,000 bail from the Leon County Jail.

I've known conservative news anchors, and Shep Smith is NOT one of them.

[SamAdams_Lite]

Charles Krauthammer is great! Clear thinking and devoid of an agenda; he tells it like it actually is. Truly a no spin dude!

Outside of those 10 minutes between between 6:40-6:50 PM EST it's either Aruba or car chases.

[HarleyLady27]

What do you expect from shep????? He's not all together together; not the sharpest knife in the drawer; one hamburger short a happy meal....you get the picture....

[sgtbono2002]

The Swiftees saved this country from Kerry. Thats for sure, By the way if the Swiftees are lying why dosnt kerry sign his F-180 expose his records to the world and prove it.

Why?? because his record will ruin him.

[Paige]

I stopped watching Shepard Smith when he started acting like Geraldo during Katrina. Talk about shrill!!

[olezip]

I wonder whether Shep read the book? The book by the Swift Vets puts forth a compelling argument supporting their assertions. Shep needs to support his assertions with verifiable facts. Shep needs to go to the doctor to have the foot in his mouth surgically removed. I wonder who is paying Shep to say that?