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Bill Moyers Fights Back Against Fox News' Attacks

Posted by Amanda Terkel at 4:45 AM on September 3, 2007.


Amanda Terkel: Moyers defends his reporting on Karl Rove in the face of slanderous accusations from Fox News.
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Jack Abramoff is Going to Jail
Amanda Think Progress

This post, written by Amanda Terkel, originally appeared on Think Progress

On Aug. 17, PBS's Bill Moyers criticized Karl Rove for cynically invoking Christianity for political purposes while telling others that he is an agnostic. Moyers called Rove "a skeptic, a secular manipulator."

Two days later, Rove appeared on Fox News Sunday and took on Moyers's criticism. "I'm a Christian. I go to church. I'm an Episcopalian," responded Rove. "You know, Mr. Moyers ought to do a little bit better research before he does another drive-by slander."

Then on Aug. 26, Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace criticized Moyers, stating that he needs to do "reporting 101":

If you want to find out about someone's religious beliefs, a good first step might be to ask him. ... Of course, you never called Rove. That's reporting 101, but it would have gotten in the way of a tasty story line about a non-believer flimflamming the Christian right. I guess, Bill, reporting is easier when you don't worry about the facts.

But on Thursday, Rick Byrne, Director of Communications for Bill Moyers Journal, wrote that the show repeatedly tried to contact Rove. It never received a response:

For the record, Bill Moyers did ask Karl Rove to come on BILL MOYERS JOURNAL, by fax and by mail. These requests were made before Chris Wallace responded on-air on Fox News Sunday to Bill Moyers' letter, and we still haven't heard from Karl Rove.

Wallace should have spoken to Moyers and asked him if he tried to contact Rove, before baselessly accusing him of sloppy journalism. "That's reporting 101."

Digg!

Tagged as: moyers, rove, fox news

Amanda Terkel is Deputy Research Director at the Center for American Progress and serves as Deputy Editor for The Progress Report and ThinkProgress.org at the Center for American Progress.


Return to PEEK  » Post Tools: email EMAIL print PRINT 25 COMMENTS PERMALINK
Also in PEEK
Sarah Palin May Be a Pit Bull in Lipstick, but She's No Populist
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Post by Jim Hightower. September 4, 2008.		 Republican National Convention: Whitest in Forty Years
As America diversifies, the GOP goes against the grain.
Post by Blue Texan. September 4, 2008.		 Jack Abramoff is Going to Jail
Abramoff will see prison time.
Post by Amanda. September 4, 2008.

Comments Turn comments off sitewide Give us feedback »
Comments closed.
The comments for this story have been closed. Thank you to everyone who participated. 		View:
Like fair and balanced journalism? Mr. Moyers is it.
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Ian MacLeod on Sep 3, 2007 7:22 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
He is the only journalist/commentator I never miss. I decline to watch most other MSM news programs save to see where they want to misdirect us now, but Bill Moyers is a delight to watch and listen to, and always instructive. He often asks questions of his guests and interviewees that grate on my nerves, but I immediately realize that they have to be asked if he is to get the whole picture; it does not mean he's advocating for anything. He goes after the facts, and he brings them to us. He doesn't tell us what to think, but sometimes he tells us what he thinks, and I like the way he thinks. He's honest, compassionate and passionate without being overbearing, a genuine patriot, and a fellow Texan I can be proud of. I wish we had more like him. We did once, and they were tricked and driven out of the field. Carl Rove, that Pillbury Doughboy com Killer Clown who is the architect of so much government dishonesty, and destruction, and misery the world over, that admirer of Machiavelli and Stalin, could come up with only a schoolboy level taunt that was, of course, another lie. Shot down fair and square. Bill Moyers is what Faux "News" claims to be and never was or will be. He's the real deal.

Stay around, Mr. Moyers, please. Your country needs you!

Ian

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Moyers and Democracy
[Report this comment]
Posted by: peacelf on Sep 3, 2007 7:26 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
There's no other journalist in the mainstream media, including pbs, that uses the language of "democracy" more than Bill Moyers. He uses the word, "democracy" often and with a sincerity and the context of promoting its politics in pure form, not as a moniker to hang on jingoism.

Even while Moyers is a liberal, he brings forth issues that affect dialgue and bring us one step closer to democracy and a more perfect union. This should be the goal of every journalist!

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Can't we all just get along?
[Report this comment]
Posted by: veive on Sep 3, 2007 8:24 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Let's not be too hard on Rove. He is, after all, Bush's brain, and being that retarded is burden aplenty. As far as Chris Wallace's reportage goes, suffice it to say that his daddy's not very proud.

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We need more Bill Moyers
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Schroeder on Sep 3, 2007 8:30 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
We do need more Bill Moyers and Amy Goodmans. I make certain that I don't miss either of them. It is sad that there are not more journalists on television who meet their level of integrity. Keith Olberman does a pretty good job; however, it would be good to see what he could do if the network would stop putting a 'lid' on what he's allowed to do.

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» RE: We need more Bill Moyers Posted by: turkeybut
» RE: We need more Bill Moyers Posted by: turkeybut
Karl Rove
[Report this comment]
Posted by: PJAW on Sep 3, 2007 8:55 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
is like a puddle of vomit on the carpet, no one wants to look at it or deal with it but it needs to be done. I'm thankful to Moyers for trying to scrape up the chunks and make the room a little more pleasant for others. I'm sorry he got some stink on his hands in the process.

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» RE: Karl Rove Posted by: Liam
vitrolic response to Moyers mild critique
[Report this comment]
Posted by: off-the-radar 2 on Sep 3, 2007 9:01 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Some of the vitrolic response to Moyer's rather mild remarks about Karl Rove My Fellow Texan are surprising. Dissenting opinions aren't welcome or even tolerated in democratic America?

What really worries me though is the PBS ombudman's response to Mr. Moyer's program and to Mr. Moyer, PBS Ombudsman Criticizes Bill Moyer. The Ombudsman actually wonders whether editorializing belongs on PBS?

And why does PBS have an Ombudsman and such a conservative person at that? Maybe this is in response to the federal government's ongoing efforts to muzzle PBS?

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Moyers is our good fortune
[Report this comment]
Posted by: alternetrose on Sep 3, 2007 9:33 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
With nearly every reporter who once followed the guildlines of ethical journalism now gone from television, we are very fortunate to have Bill Moyers yet available on TV to keep us abreast of the truth.

If you have never seen his show, you have not experienced television reporting as it should be. I watch my local news, but for world affairs I watch Bill Moyers, Amy Goodman and Keith Olberman. I suggest not wasting your time on other shows, airing under the category of "news". They are not. And remember, watching them contributes to their rating, and this results in promoting more of the same! Much like Congress could stop the war by not funding it, we can stop poor journalism by refusing to watch it!

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Bill Moyers is doing his job just fine!
[Report this comment]
Posted by: manderson on Sep 3, 2007 11:33 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Mmmm...I didn't know Karl Rove actually had a denomination, period. He certainly doesn't act like anyone who studied Jesus---just his followers (Lord, protect me).

Time for the mandatory 20th century German history lesson---Adolph Hitler had a religion, too...Roman Catholic, to be specific (just doing my research and reporting 101, here), and he was a very religious man, from all accounts. Being religious didn't stop Hitler, or King Phillip of Spain, or King James of England, or any other supposedly "Christian" leader from persecuting and murdering whoever they deemed as enemies of the state.

Hitler managed to kill six million, and our Repugly-crat Neo-liberal-conservative regime is getting started on a pogrom for ITS targets----anyone, regardless of race or religion; but directed at non-whites and non-Christians, primarily; who don't follow the SECULAR Corporatist program, aided and abetted by the same hate pundits who are bashing Bill Moyers.

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forked tongue turdblossom
[Report this comment]
Posted by: wangmo on Sep 3, 2007 12:47 PM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Would someone sharper than I am at doing research locate that quote (IT WAS A VIDEO CLIP) where Turdblossom said he was "NOT one of those fortunately blessed with FAITH" or something like that--his spun version of "Yeah, I'm a full-on Atheist," and post it for us all, side by side, with this lie implying religious faith.
It's always a good thing to catch these republifascist neotard reptiles at their deception game and immediately nail their forked tongues to the wall ASAP lest their viral kooties of deception further contaminate the integrity of the American psyche which has been FUBAR by these spinmeister demons far too long.

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» RE: forked tongue turdblossom Posted by: Linda in VT
It cuts both ways
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Linda in VT on Sep 3, 2007 1:10 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I take a back seat to no one in my admiration for Bill Moyers. My DVR is set to record Bill Moyers Journal every time. But I was a little surprised at his saying Rove is a nonbeliever, because one of the juicier bits of information making the rounds during the Plamegate escapade was that Rove's pious assertion that he didn't know Valerie Plame was Joe Wilson's wife etc. rang just a tad hollow, given the fact that Plame, Wilson, and Rove are all members of the same Episcopal parish in Arlington!
I know there are those who will say that we Episcopalians are, in fact, nonbelievers etc., but that's not generally the case, certainly not in Virginia! -- or in Texas, as far as I can tell. Our approach to doctrine is pretty broad on the whole, and it's more practice than content that binds us together. So it's possible that Rove is both a secular humanist nonbeliever and an Episcopalian, but maybe not. Either way, he's not someone I admire, to put it delicately.
(Rev.) Linda Maloney (Episcopal priest)

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» Rev. Maloney Posted by: bob t
» RE: ev. Maloney Posted by: Ian MacLeod
gathaiga
[Report this comment]
Posted by: gathaiga on Sep 3, 2007 3:01 PM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Fu__s channel has never been limited in their "reporting" by a lack of facts. Unfortunately, in a nation where 2 digit IQ's are becoming more and more common, they will never lack for an audience.

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According to Rove,
[Report this comment]
Posted by: TruthBeTold on Sep 3, 2007 6:58 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
he is a Christian, he goes to church and he is an Episcopalian.

What church allows Karl Rove inside it's doors?

What's wrong with that priest? Surely he must realize that his preaching/teaching are not having a good effect on Rove.

Does black smoke erupt as soon as he walks across the threshold?

Are the church pews disinfected after Rove leaves?

Do other church members sit beside him? Those pews can become crowded at times.

Do they touch his hands during the greeting?

What's wrong with them?

If they touch him, do they immediately go home and bath in disinfectant?


And as for Chris Wallace, he works for Faux Noise and will never measure up to the journalist his father is. That must surely weigh on him.

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Bill Moyers
[Report this comment]
Posted by: bob t on Sep 3, 2007 8:30 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Bill Moyers may be as incensed as I am that the right wingers and their religions USE God for their own selfish political gain. They couldn't be more usurious, they all are and abomination unto God.

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My "contact" with Karl Rove
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Ellie1 on Sep 4, 2007 5:24 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I live near a very high priced town largely of conservative persuasion (although several principled performers live there also). Word got out that Rove was attending a fund raiser at a home there. About 40 of us showed up with anti-war protest signs and stood across the the street. The "lady" of the house (using the term loosely) eventually came out and asked us to leave because we were "upsetting her children". How strange-having a lying murderer in her home did not upset her children or her, but WE did! The morality of these neocons is impossible to comprehend!

We did not leave.

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PBS
[Report this comment]
Posted by: bob t on Sep 4, 2007 7:03 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
PBS is alsoattacking Bill Moyers. Michael Gettler, their ombudsman, has written against Bill Moyers. M. Gettler may be caving in to the radical and religious right wingers.

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The utter cowardice of some people knows no bounds.
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Ian MacLeod on Sep 7, 2007 10:33 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I'd suggest that everyone write the PBS ombudsman and let him know that removing Bill Moyers will remove a large portion of honest - and MUCH appreciated and needed - honesty and integrity from the ranks of journalism, as well as a large chunk of the PBS viewership - and contributors. Make sure that last is included. People like that have nerve endings inserted into the polls.

Ian

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