An internal Fox News research briefing book obtained by The Daily Beast openly questions Fox News contributor John Solomon’s credibility, accusing him of playing an “indispensable role” in a Ukrainian “disinformation campaign.”
The document also accuses frequent Fox News guest Rudy Giuliani of amplifying disinformation, as part of an effort to oust former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, and blasts Fox News guests Victoria Toensing and Joe diGenova—both ardent Trump boosters—for “spreading disinformation.”
The 162-page document, entitled “Ukraine, Disinformation, & the Trump Administration,” was created by Fox News senior political affairs specialist Bryan S. Murphy, who produces research from what is known as the network’s Brain Room—a newsroom division of researchers who provide information, data, and topic guides for the network’s programming.
The research brief is especially critical of Solomon, a former opinion columnist at The Hill whose opinion pieces about Ukraine made unsubstantiated claims about its government interfering in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Solomon’s pieces for The Hill fueled Giuliani’s efforts to dig up dirt in Ukraine, which eventually helped lead to Trump’s impeachment. Trump has also frequently cited Solomon’s questionable reporting on Twitter in his own defense.
While Solomon is portrayed on Hannity’s show as a crusading “investigative reporter”—despite The Hill overtly branding him an opinion columnist—the Brain Room document accuses the contributor of taking part in a Ukrainian smear campaign.
“John Solomon played an indispensable role in the collection and domestic publication of elements of this disinformation campaign,” the Fox briefing book notes.
New York’s financial regulator on Wednesday filed civil charges accusing the National Rifle Association of offering insurance to its members without a license and concealing how it routinely kept some of their premiums for itself.
✄
Wednesday’s charges focus mainly on the group’s alleged ties since 2000 to insurance broker Lockton Cos, including the sale of 28,005 policies to New Yorkers and the NRA’s receipt of more than $1.8 million in associated royalties and fees.
Lockton’s policies included the NRA-branded “Carry Guard,” which the regulator said offered policyholders unlawful liability coverage, including for criminal defense costs and “intentional” conduct in shooting incidents.
The NRA was also accused of misleadingly promising coverage for gun collectors, dealers, instructors, clubs and shows at the “lowest possible cost,” when in fact the group typically kept between 13.7% and 21.9% of premiums paid.
Lockton was fined $7 million by the regulator in May 2018 over its involvement with Carry Guard.
“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.”
It was a strange moment in U.S. religious history. The command to love your enemies, of course, came from Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. “Love your enemies, bless those that curse you, do good to them that hate you.”
It might be expected for a president to express how difficult obeying such a mandate can be. Trump decided to dispute the command itself.
And some in the crowd laughed.
✄
What did Trump accomplish in his 26 minutes or so at the podium?
First, the president again displayed a remarkable ability to corrupt, distort and discredit every institution he touches. The prayer breakfast was intended to foster personal connections across party differences.
Trump turned it into a performative platform to express his rage and pride — the negation of a Christian ethic. Democrats have every right and reason to avoid this politicized event next year. And religious people of every background should no longer give credence to this parody of a prayer meeting.
Second, Trump has again shown a talent for exposing the sad moral compromises of his followers, especially his evangelical Christian followers.
Jerry Falwell Jr., Franklin Graham, Robert Jeffress and Eric Metaxas don’t have it easy after an event such as this one. Not only do they need to defend Trump’s use of a prayer breakfast as a campaign rally.
Not only are they required to defend his offensive questioning of religious motivations. They must also somehow justify his discomfort with a central teaching of the Sermon on the Mount and his use of a prayer meeting to attack and defame his enemies.
These evangelical Christian leaders will, of course, find some way to bless Trump’s sacrilege. But he makes their job ever harder and their moral surrender ever more obvious.
Ok when do they leave? Both parties are in it for the money and power. They forget about the citizens of this country and worry about the illegal aliens and the criminals instead of the citizens that they are supposed to be working for. They send our kids to fight wars that we dont ever plan to allow them to eliminate the threat by grinding them into the sand and only accepting unconditional surrender to as a alternative to Total annihilation by us.
electricshadow Premium Member about 4 years ago
Make room at the bottom so the ostriches can fit in there.
kaffekup about 4 years ago
Fortunately, the Democrats aren’t digging holes, they’re working on cleansing the WH and Senate of pure evil. And will.
amethyst52 Premium Member about 4 years ago
Make it comfortable and homey, you’ll be down there awhile.
Renatus Profuturus Frigeridus Premium Member about 4 years ago
Will be a long , long time before the dawn .
Silly Season about 4 years ago
(Repost)
https://www.thedailybeast.com/fox-news-internal-document-bashes-john-solomon-joe-digenova-and-rudy-giuliani-for-spreading-disinformation
~
An internal Fox News research briefing book obtained by The Daily Beast openly questions Fox News contributor John Solomon’s credibility, accusing him of playing an “indispensable role” in a Ukrainian “disinformation campaign.”
The document also accuses frequent Fox News guest Rudy Giuliani of amplifying disinformation, as part of an effort to oust former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, and blasts Fox News guests Victoria Toensing and Joe diGenova—both ardent Trump boosters—for “spreading disinformation.”
The 162-page document, entitled “Ukraine, Disinformation, & the Trump Administration,” was created by Fox News senior political affairs specialist Bryan S. Murphy, who produces research from what is known as the network’s Brain Room—a newsroom division of researchers who provide information, data, and topic guides for the network’s programming.
The research brief is especially critical of Solomon, a former opinion columnist at The Hill whose opinion pieces about Ukraine made unsubstantiated claims about its government interfering in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Solomon’s pieces for The Hill fueled Giuliani’s efforts to dig up dirt in Ukraine, which eventually helped lead to Trump’s impeachment. Trump has also frequently cited Solomon’s questionable reporting on Twitter in his own defense.
While Solomon is portrayed on Hannity’s show as a crusading “investigative reporter”—despite The Hill overtly branding him an opinion columnist—the Brain Room document accuses the contributor of taking part in a Ukrainian smear campaign.
“John Solomon played an indispensable role in the collection and domestic publication of elements of this disinformation campaign,” the Fox briefing book notes.
Silly Season about 4 years ago
In other news…
New York’s financial regulator on Wednesday filed civil charges accusing the National Rifle Association of offering insurance to its members without a license and concealing how it routinely kept some of their premiums for itself.✄
Wednesday’s charges focus mainly on the group’s alleged ties since 2000 to insurance broker Lockton Cos, including the sale of 28,005 policies to New Yorkers and the NRA’s receipt of more than $1.8 million in associated royalties and fees.
Lockton’s policies included the NRA-branded “Carry Guard,” which the regulator said offered policyholders unlawful liability coverage, including for criminal defense costs and “intentional” conduct in shooting incidents.
The NRA was also accused of misleadingly promising coverage for gun collectors, dealers, instructors, clubs and shows at the “lowest possible cost,” when in fact the group typically kept between 13.7% and 21.9% of premiums paid.
Lockton was fined $7 million by the regulator in May 2018 over its involvement with Carry Guard.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-new-york-nra/new-york-charges-nra-with-violating-insurance-laws-deceiving-members-idUSKBN1ZZ2EE
RobinHood about 4 years ago
“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.”
] fear this hole will be the former.
Silly Season about 4 years ago
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trumps-politicization-of-the-national-prayer-breakfast-is-unholy-and-immoral/2020/02/06/529518e4-4931-11ea-bdbf-1dfb23249293_story.html
By Michael Gerson
It was a strange moment in U.S. religious history. The command to love your enemies, of course, came from Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. “Love your enemies, bless those that curse you, do good to them that hate you.”
It might be expected for a president to express how difficult obeying such a mandate can be. Trump decided to dispute the command itself.
And some in the crowd laughed.
✄
What did Trump accomplish in his 26 minutes or so at the podium?
First, the president again displayed a remarkable ability to corrupt, distort and discredit every institution he touches. The prayer breakfast was intended to foster personal connections across party differences.
Trump turned it into a performative platform to express his rage and pride — the negation of a Christian ethic. Democrats have every right and reason to avoid this politicized event next year. And religious people of every background should no longer give credence to this parody of a prayer meeting.
Second, Trump has again shown a talent for exposing the sad moral compromises of his followers, especially his evangelical Christian followers.
Jerry Falwell Jr., Franklin Graham, Robert Jeffress and Eric Metaxas don’t have it easy after an event such as this one. Not only do they need to defend Trump’s use of a prayer breakfast as a campaign rally.
Not only are they required to defend his offensive questioning of religious motivations. They must also somehow justify his discomfort with a central teaching of the Sermon on the Mount and his use of a prayer meeting to attack and defame his enemies.
These evangelical Christian leaders will, of course, find some way to bless Trump’s sacrilege. But he makes their job ever harder and their moral surrender ever more obvious.
William Robbins Premium Member about 4 years ago
Now, we’ve covered this already. No hiding.
MichaelSFC90 about 4 years ago
How do you spell “evil”. H-I-L-L-A-R-Y.
Scoutmaster77 about 4 years ago
As a historian, I can tell you that you’ll be waiting a very long time.
jmworacle about 4 years ago
Don’t forget you supplies…..
Night-Gaunt49[Bozo is Boffo] about 4 years ago
What’s going on is far from foolishness. It is deadly serious.
God particle about 4 years ago
Ok when do they leave? Both parties are in it for the money and power. They forget about the citizens of this country and worry about the illegal aliens and the criminals instead of the citizens that they are supposed to be working for. They send our kids to fight wars that we dont ever plan to allow them to eliminate the threat by grinding them into the sand and only accepting unconditional surrender to as a alternative to Total annihilation by us.