The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age

    We're Definitely NOT In a "Get Smart" Episode; However, Satires Are 'Blowing Up' On the Right

    By azpaull on Mon, 10/26/2009 - 3:03pm |

    First, I see that Rush, Ledeen and Co. are trumpeting a SATIRICAL piece about Obama's college thesis (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/23/fake-obama-thesis-story-g_n_332255.html ).  A few minutes later, I come across the story on Media Matters that Glenn Beck has tweeted about Pelosi bringing a vote on banning Fox "News" from Congress.  I seriously worried that MM was playing a kind of "Get Smart" double-secret-parody-game.

    So, I checked out Beck's Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/glennbeck ).  Sure enough, he posted this: RT @FreetownBill: Pelosi says she's abt 2 bring a vote 2 ban Fox News from covering Congress. http://ow.ly/wveK #ocra cnt B!about 13 hours ago from TweetDeck

    The link goes to "The Recliner Commentaries", which published this quote from Hugh Hewitt with their pithy commentary: 

    ***

    Saturday, October 24, 2009

    Pelosi: Stripping Fox News of Access

    From HughHewitt.com:
    In an interview with MSNBC's Keith Olberman last night, Nancy Pelosi announced that she would move to bring a vote to the floor of The House of Representatives as early as next week to ban Fox from covering Congress. "That Fox regularly grants access to Republican Congressman to spread their lies and propaganda on their airwaves is a violation of the public trust, and their continued desire to challenge such well documented facts as Global Warming, and the efficacy of single payer health insurance, proves that they are simply doing the work of the special interests. They should thus be stripped of their journalistic access in the halls of Congress," argued Pelosi.
    This is an unbelievably shocking abuse of power! In the Orwellian world of the Democrats, apparently Freedom of the Press only applies to news organizations that promote the Democrats' Leftist, socialist agendas.

    The Democrats are beginning to sound more like Hugo Chavez or Fidel Castro than Americans! " *** Go to Hewitt's site, and you see that his post was obvious SATIRE:  &&& Saturday, October 24, 2009 "This Just In" by Lee Habib Posted by: Hugh Hewitt at 4:24 PM

    This Just In ........ 

    by Lee Habeeb, Salem Radio Network

    More bad news for Fox News ..... sort of.

    Oct. 28, 2009 12:43 PM. This just in from Speaker of the House Pelosi.   In an interview with MSNBC's Keith Olberman last night, Nancy Pelosi announced that she would move to bring a vote to the floor of The House of Representatives as early as next week to ban Fox from covering Congress. "That Fox regularly grants access to Republican Congressman to spread their lies and propaganda on their airwaves is a violation of the public trust, and their continued desire to challenge such well documented facts as Global Warming, and the efficacy of single payer health insurance, proves that they are simply doing the work of the special interests. They should thus be stripped of their journalistic access in the halls of Congress," argued Pelosi.

    &&&

    http://hughhewitt.com/blog/g/4e4cadf5-7f1f-4572-baf7-fe5955090c52

    Uhhhhh, notice the FUTURE DATE, guys?  (It goes on to "predict" that the White House cuts Fox News off of the internet, and that Fox then goes on to surpass the 20 million viewership mark!

    Are these two cases of prominent talk show hosts just business-as-usual?  Or, does this mark a whole new trend away from the right using shady conspiracy theories and unsourced opinion to fuel their rant-a-thons, moving to using every satirical post on the internet and treating it as fact?  It truly feels like we're watching an episode of "Get Smart", with only a couple of minor changes (to the title, to the characters)  necessary.  And, hey, maybe it is time for The Onion to go public!  Maybe it is