“I don’t understand how people put up with this,” Smith tells Mediaite. “On the left and the right. The crap coming out of their mouths right now — it just seems, to me, completely worthless.”

Smith’s an easy news personality to think you have figured out. He shows up on TV for a couple hours every day with the voice and look of a traditional newsman. His show — on the news side of FNC schedule, as opposed to the opinion block — doesn’t afford him the freedom to go on long-form Bill O’Reilly-style rants or to cozy up to Victoria’s Secret models to do a weather report. And he kind of likes it that way, preferring to focus on what he terms “real” — the straightforward news that cuts through all the fluff and opinion and just delivers facts. “I think what people like is real,” he explains. “I think that’s kind of what everybody is looking for, and it seems easier to me just to do real. I have a good time figuring out whats going on, trying to add context and perspective to it and telling people about it.” Whatever formula Smith is using seems to be working; he’s an integral part of the reason Fox News has spent 10 straight years as the top-rated cable news station.

Growing up in Mississippi, Smith was raised never knowing who his mother voted for in elections, an attitude that may have helped foster his ease with just reporting news and not letting his political opinion leak out onto the screen. In fact, the more you talk to Smith off set, the more you see just how much of a role his upbringing plays in his life. “I’m pretty well grounded in my Mississippi roots,” Smith says. And that may be an understatement. He flew back home 21 times last year to visit family. He still goes to college games with his father, who hasn’t missed a Mississippi football, basketball, or baseball contest in the last four years. He’s a New York Giants fan not because he lives in New York, but because the team’s quarterback, Eli Manning, also attended Ole Miss. In fact, Smith is a regular texting buddy with Manning, the Super Bowl’s Most Valuable Player.

“I stay in touch with Eli and the Manning family,” Smith says. “Eli Manning is a good man from a good family and I just think any kids growing up the New York area who want to find a sports hero — I think you can do a lot worse than Eli Manning. I’m just proud that he represented my school and remembers his roots and knows that he represents his family and the place he comes from. He acts right. And I’m just real impressed with him and proud to be friends with his family.”

Smith’s sports obsession doesn’t end with the Manning family, either. He has a habit of sneaking sports segments into his shows, and sometimes does it to the point where he has to be reined back in. “Every time we do too much sports, they remind me that we are not a sports network. We have Fox Sports, we have 12 Fox Sports networks, or 25 of them or whatever they are. But I feel like, if we do what we are really interested in, we can maybe get our audience interested.” He’s also no stranger to sports bars, occasionally popping in to Manhattan spots to catch a game. And if someone recognizes him, they more often buy him a shot of whiskey than pepper him with questions about Fox News. Smith says that he’s more comfortable talking sports, in fact, than he is talking politics. That is, if you can reach him to talk at all. “I go to the places where I know the bartenders and the managers and my friends and I can go in there and yell and scream at the TV and knock over cups and stuff like every ridiculous sports fan does,” he explains. “Sports is a big part of my life.”

NEXT>>>>”You don’t go out on a first date not looking your best”

RELATED: Shep Smith Compares A Trump Endorsement To That Of ‘Shakira And Big Bird’

Seriously. For the entirety of Trump’s short speech, Romney held the hand of his wife in a death grip. He looked less like a candidate receiving an important endorsement from an influential peer and more like a child desperately clinging to his mom while being forced to meet a scary looking neighbor. You can imagine what Ann Romney was saying right before the cameras rolled:

“Come on, Mitt. Mr. Trump just wants to tell you how big you’ve grown!…I’m sorry, Don. He’s usually so friendly. I think he’s just tired.”

I think BuzzFeed’s Ben Smith summed up the atmosphere the most succinctly:

But that’s not all. Shepard Smith, who had already made it abundantly clear how ridiculous he thought this was by comparing a Trump endorsement to one from Big Bird, continued to report on the whole situation with sarcasm so thick it probably fogged up the Fox News cameras. He celebrated the affair by banging on a bell and holding up a flashing red light marked “Breaking News,” a description made with tongue planted firmly enough in cheek that it passed through, circled his body, and hit his other cheek during its travels.

Think I’m overusing the colorful imagery and hyperbole? Just watch the clip and see if I’m exaggerating.

And, to make matters worse, Smith took his time during Romney’s follow up speech to fact check Trump’s words and instantly began pointing out the errors in the magnate’s numbers.

Just to reiterate in case anyone’s forgotten, this was the way people treated the endorsement from a guy who used to LEAD THE GOP POLLS.

Watch the clip below from Fox News:

In other words, he then joked that endorsements from Shakira and Big Bird would be coming next.

Smith kept the joke alive. Later in the show, after Judge Napolitano teased a coming interview with the the prostitutes supporting Ron Paul, Smith couldn’t help but bring it back up.

SMITH: Pimps and prostitutes for Ron Paul, Donald Trump for Mitt Romney, we still don’t know about Shakira and Big Bird but we’ll learn in the next hour.

NAPOLITANO: Isn’t it great being in this business?

SMITH: It’s the weirdest election season I’ve ever lived through and I’ve been here for what feels like 130,000.

Not a massive amount of respect for a guy that, at one point, some people genuinely wanted to run for office.

Watch the clip from Fox News below:

“Shep,” I call him, because we’re friends, “Shep. What’s with the weight loss?”

And we’re not the only ones who’ve noticed. Smith’s fans even expressed concern about his weight on Facebook:

RELATED: Fox’s Shep Smith Argues SOPA With Panel: ‘I Will Laugh When You Find Your Butt In Jail’

Columnist Paula Froelich recently offered photographic evidence of her favorite anchor’s weight loss, noting that “It’s like he’s melting away in front of our very eyes…”

And a NY Daily News article on Fox News’ ratings milestone (a decade at number one, kiddos), describes Smith as a “recently slimmed-down anchor.” The article’s writer asked him what’s going on:

One on-air impression in recent months is that Smith has dropped a lot of weight.

“I’ve lost too much,” he says.

After years of eating cheeseburgers, Snickers bars and having a generally horrible diet, Smith was told by his doctor that he had sky-high cholesterol and high blood pressure. He’s since cut out the junk and plays tennis three times a week. “I’m in the best shape of my life,” he says, adding that his last medical report was great.

“The days of Twinkies and double cheeseburgers are over for Shepard Smith,” announced TVNewser.

But surely a burger and a chocolate bar are ok once in a while, no? All things in moderation, Shep!

h/t NY Daily News

“Now you are toting the line of the Hollywood…” Willis began to answer.

“I am saying if i create dinner and you want it, you have to pay, and i say you have to pay for it you do!” Smith exclaimed. “You cannot just take it. Isn’t the concept the same?”

Rupert Murdoch Weighs In On SOPA Over Twitter: Obama Siding With Pirates, Google Is ‘Piracy Leader’

Legal correspondent Randy Zelin complimented Smith on his dinner analogy.

“What you said before — people don’t mind stealing intellectual property, and that is the very root of this,” Zelin added. “It used to be protected and it is so watered down with the internet age that people really don’t care they stealing somebody’s intellectual property.”

“…My boss says it is a risk making movies,” Smith added. “It costs a lot of money to make movies. If I make movies, I want to sell the movies that is why i made them, but if you take them and give them to people I would have sold them to, you really have stolen what I paid to create.”

Zelin contended that Congress was moving too swiftly with anti-piracy legislation. “We are reacting too quickly,” he claimed. “It is a knee-jerk reaction.”

“Forgive me when I laugh at you and you end up in jail because these artists created this stuff and they make their living off selling this stuff, if you steal this stuff and I pay for it, I will laugh when you find your butt in jail.”

“Going after Google and Verizon, that is the problem,” Zelin interjected. “You are targeting the wrong problem here.”

Watch Smith argue SOPA with his legal panelists below via Fox News:

RELATED: Shep Smith Is Not Having Chris Wallace’s Teasing Of Ole Miss Football

“Do not go to a casino with him,” Smith advised. “Do you know, do you know,” he then began to ask, “I’ve been gone for, what? Three work days? Two work days, I guess, really. We went on Saturday to New Hampshire and then got back… You know how they have these little marks, here, where your bellybutton goes? It tells you where you sit. Somebody took my mark away! So I don’t know even where to sit anymore!”

“Do you think they’re trying to tell me something?” he asked of the panel. “This has a Geraldo mark.”

Someone, for the love of all that is good and holy and televised, please let Shep know where to put his bellybutton.

Have a look, from Fox News:

RELATED: Shep Smith Flips Out On Legal Guests Over Baby Lisa: ‘You’re Both Full Of It!’

Holt was discussing Santorum’s campaign in general with Smith, commenting that his retail politics in Iowa “reminded me of the old Rick Santorum” and that he “got his [surge] at exactly the right time, and if he does well in New Hampshire I see this, it’s possible, but it’s the money and it’s the time.” Smith agreed except for his reservation that Santorum’s extreme views would not go over well with many voters. “It’s going to be talked about eventually that Rick Santorum is, among other things, a man that equated homosexual sex to bestiality,” Smith remarked, adding that “his list of things that are not going to appeal to any moderate is long.”

Holt agreed but considered that, compared to other candidates, Santorum didn’t have as big of a problem, to which Smith countered, “I don’t think all social conservatives consider gay love similar to bestiality.” “That’s true,” Holt replied, but added that “these candidates have had their share of gaffes” and that Santorum “he has more of a story to tell than just a few odd statements.”

The segment via Fox News below:

A flabbergasted Smith raised his voice in surprise. “That would turn the establishment on its left ear!” He bellowed. “Spinning!”

Rollins also said that Newt Gingrich, while he shouldn’t be counted out, badly fumbled a chance to win Iowa:

“He has no campaign,” Rollins said. “In his egotistical-driven role here, he thought he didn’t have to have one. He was in Virginia signing books when he should have been in Iowa. He’s not going to win in Iowa. [But] he could have won Iowa.”

Smith then asked about Rick Perry, who Rollins said is making some noise and has a lot of resources. His four true contenders left? Gingrich, Mitt Romney, Perry, and Paul. When Smith asked Rollins about Paul running as a third candidate if he doesn’t get the nomination, Rollins said that, “Paul as a third-party candidate would guarantee Obama getting re-elected.”

The Ron Paul explosion seems to be catching Smith by surprise, even if it was a little feigned for some drama on his show. In 2008, Smith reminded Rollins, “nobody wanted [Paul] in the debates, nobody would let him play, nobody would give him the time of day, nobody would put him on television.”

“He’s been running non-stop for six years,” Rollins explained.

Watch a clip of the exchange below, courtesy of Fox News:

Fortunately, thanks to a Florida mall Santa, the most magical time of the year is upon us.

Yeah, a Santa in the Gardens Mall in Palm Beach Gardens attempted to do an exciting show for the children by rappelling from the ceiling down into the food court. Unfortunately, his fake beard got caught in the rope, forcing the elves to try and distract the kids as he flailed about helplessly.

The whole thing is pretty humorous, especially when you have color commentary from a giggling Megyn Kelly. However, the funniest moment of the day belongs to Shepard Smith. When Kelly tossed his way, Smith dryly intoned that “That’s what he gets for impersonating Santa Claus.” Yeah, for shame, mall volunteer!

Watch the clip from Fox News below:

“Why is one side of the political aisle,” Smith asked, “hugging onto something that’s illegal around the world, including here?”

Fox News contributor Judith Miller explained that the argument that keeps popping up where this particular issue is concerned is, simply, that “it works” …even if those who have performed and been subject to waterboarding have opined that it is not a particularly effective means of procuring accurate and useful information.

RELATED: Bernie Goldberg On CNN Reporter’s ‘Multiple Choice’ Waterboarding Query: I Thought It Was An SNL Sketch

“And let’s remember,” she added, “only three people were waterboarded in the previous administration. And the administration itself walked away from that policy later on.” This may not be something you’d want to be official U.S. policy, she continued, but it’s also not something you’d want to “rule out” completely and forever.

“This President ruled it out,” Smith reminded her.

“He did,” Miller laughed, but “he was also the one who is now killing Americans from drones and predators, American citizens who have never been formally accused of anything. That, the previous administration did not do.”

Watch their exchange, via Fox News:

On Wednesday’s Studio B, Shepard Smith along with attorneys Randy Zelin and Keith Sullivan, went over the role Joe Paterno played in the Jerry Sandusky case. Sandusky was the long-time defensive coordinator for the Penn State football team who was arraigned on 40 criminal counts Saturday for various sexual acts with underage boys (The graphic grand jury report can be found here).

The school has announced that Paterno will retire at the end of the year, but Smith wondered if he would — or should — even make it to December. He asked Zelin how long Paterno will remain head coach, and Zelin said that the school and coach are probably talking “every 30 seconds,” and that Penn State will likely give Paterno a soft landing, where he retires as the “good cop” and the school ends up playing the role of bad cop. Smith then asked if the coach even deserved a soft landing. Paterno followed protocol and reported an incident to the athletic director. But he didn’t call the police or take it any further than that. Sullivan dissected the angles of complicity from a legal and moral point of view:

Did Paterno break the law? No. Did he do what was minimally required? Yes. [But] morally and ethically, he has failed as a human being and as a leader. He should’ve been terminated by the end of the business day yesterday. It’s a disgrace that they will allow him to resign at the end of the season.

The usually-reserved Smith then got a little heated, suggesting that Paterno is the most powerful man in the state of Pennsylvania, and — while having done a great deal in the past transforming the lives of young athletes — he could have done more to get Sandusky put away. “If he wanted him removed from that campus, if he knew what had happened and wanted him gone, [he would have been],” Smith said. “And since he did not, is he at least morally responsible for the abuse that happened to how many children since then?”

Watch the clip, along with it’s awkwardly somber ending, below, courtesy of FOX News:

Early in the segment Smith recalled a previous episode where he was evading an open container law. “John Brady and I were down in New York City and cops were coming and we had a beer and you are not supposed to have a beer open on the street and we took off running,” Smith explained. “Run. run. run. run. Now they are angry, now they say ‘we know you stole something! Admit it!’ I didn’t do anything like that, come on! That is how cops approach things, don’t they?”

“And that’s exactly the problem,” Zelin replied. “Why that a problem!?” Smith boomed. “It’s a huge problem,” Zelin responded. “Why is it a problem!?” Smith repeated. “Because it’s not about justice,” began Zelin. “It’s about making an arrest and closing a file. This target wouldn’t be on her head if she kept her mouth shut we would not be speculating. ‘Ah she’s drunk, timeline doesn’t work, this doesn’t work, that doesn’t work…”

Zelin attempted to answer Smith’s question, only to be shot down by the Fox News host. “Come on, Randy! That’s asinine!” rebuked Smith. “No! Randy, Randy, Randy! You’re wrong, stop!” The argument continued through the segment, with Smith continuing to curiously spar aggressively with his guests.

“To the police officers, in small towns across America, I sincerely apologize to you for what’s been said on this set today. Most of us, thank you for what you do, we do not distrust you and we believe when a child is missing, you are looking for a missing child not trying to close a case. I think you’re both full of it!”

Watch the exchange below via Fox News:

(Incidentally, it was far out that Shep admitted breaking the law earlier in the segment, what’s going on at Fox News today, is it Admit Your Past Crimes Day?)

Shepard Smith welcomed public relations consultant Fraser Seitel to Studio B on Wednesday to discuss the dangerous back-and-forth attacks going on in the Republican camp, specifically the barbs being sent Mitt Romney‘s way by Rick Perry. The concern is that whatever negative remarks Perry has about Romney during the nominating process will come back up — assuming Romney is the nominee — in the lead-up to the general election. “These same words are going to come out of Barack Obama‘s mouth later on,” Smith said.

RELATED: Rick Perry Admits Debate Mistakes To Bill O’Reilly, Addresses Mitt Romney Feud

Both men noted that Perry is currently mired in fifth place, and this might be his last gasp. “Perry is desperate and he’s trying to get some traction,” Seitel explained, suggesting that Romney needs to parry the blows from Perry, not drag the issues out any longer than they need to be. He believes that as the field is whittled down, Republicans will lessen the attacks on their opponents, as saying anything bad just gives their opponents more ammunition.

As for Perry? Smith believes that while the accusations and vitriol harm Romney, there’s not much more damage it can do to the Texas governor. Especially in the eyes of publishers. “If the numbers stay like they are,” Smith said, “all Rick Perry is going to do is make some noise and sell some books.”

Enjoy the video below, courtesy of FOX News:

While FOX continued to pounce all comers in the ratings, it was MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell who made for the most intriguing storyline: Friday marked his last show at 8 p.m. (he’s being swapped with Ed Schultz and starts broadcasting at 10 p.m. tonight), and he went out with a bang, finishing in second place behind Bill O’Reilly in the time slot, (among adults, 25-54). Even more impressive, especially for those not interested in demos, was that O’Donnell was the only non-FOX show to attract over one million total viewers. He had the most total viewers of any show on MSNBC on Friday night.

Some other fun facts from Friday:

Here are the complete cable news ratings for Friday night:

TV NEWS RATINGS: 25-54 DEMOGRAPHIC (L +SD)
5 pm	The5 382	Blitzer 162	Matthews 166	Special 156
6 pm	Baier 323	King, USA 122	Sharpton 169	Prime 151
7 pm	Shep 410	Burnett 118	Matthews 172	Issues 142
8 pm	O’Reilly 660	Cooper 174	O’Donnell 252	Grace 104
9 pm	Hannity 482	Piers 168	Maddow 254	DrDrew 85
10 pm	Van Susteren 349	Cooper 219	MSNBC Investigates 150	Behar 73
11 pm	O’Reilly 369	Burnett 135	MSNBC Investigates 259	Showbiz 135
TOTAL DAY	290	127	156	108
PRIME TIME	502	187	219	85
Data by Nielsen Media Research. Live and same day (DVR) data.

TV NEWS RATINGS: TOTAL VIEWERS (L +SD)
5 pm	The5 1,502	Blitzer 624	Matthews 609	Special 599
6 pm	Baier 1,886	King, USA 485	Sharpton 689	Prime 586
7 pm	Shep 1,779	Burnett 411	Matthews 792	Issues 604
8 pm	O’Reilly 3,111	Cooper 587	O’Donnell 1,026	Grace 616
9 pm	Hannity 2,055	Piers 699	Maddow 937	DrDrew 444
10 pm	Greta 1,660	Cooper 655	MSNBC Investigates   319	Behar 347
11 pm	O’Reilly 1,316	Burnett 376	MSNBC Investigates   416	Showbiz 329
TOTAL DAY	1,228	435	444	339
PRIME TIME	2,286	647	761	458
Data by Nielsen Media Research. Live and same day (DVR) data

Some observations from around the dial:

Here are the complete cable news ratings for Thursday night:

TV NEWS RATINGS: 25-54 DEMOGRAPHIC (L +SD)
5 pm	The5  307	Blitzer  187	Matthews  168	Special  168
6 pm	Baier  445	King, USA  215	Sharpton  153	Prime  156
7 pm	Shep  395	Burnett  189	Matthews  159	Issues  205
8 pm	O’Reilly  550	Cooper  332	O’Donnell  197	Grace  185
9 pm	Hannity  449	Piers 249	Maddow  325	DrDrew  184
10 pm	Van Susteren  324	Cooper  300	Schultz  1225	Behar  177
11 pm	O’Reilly  440	Burnett 196	O’Donnell  151	Showbiz  134
TOTAL DAY	330	206	142	128
PRIME TIME	443	294	249	178
Data by Nielsen Media Research. Live and same day (DVR) data.

TV NEWS RATINGS: TOTAL VIEWERS (L +SD)
5 pm	The5  1,431	Blitzer  965	Matthews  906	Special  560
6 pm	Baier  1,952	King, USA  854	Sharpton  762	Prime  571
7 pm	Shep  1,801	Burnett  679	Matthews  734	Issues  690
8 pm	O’Reilly  2,993	Cooper  891	O’Donnell  937	Grace  753
9 pm	Hannity  2,182	Piers  777	Maddow  1,097	DrDrew  582
10 pm	Greta  1,319	Cooper  789	Ed Show  874	Behar  495
11 pm	O’Reilly  1,314	Burnett  482	O’Donnell  544	Showbiz  424
TOTAL DAY	1,370	701	558	386
PRIME TIME	2,167	819	971	600
Data by Nielsen Media Research. Live and same day (DVR) data

Apparently some in the media are trying to turn the re-entry of a dead NASA satellite (the size of a bus) into Skylab 2.0. However, Smith could only get a few sentences into his report on the (infinitesimally small) chances of getting hit by pieces of the falling craft before stopping and declaring the story “the stupidest thing we’ve ever done!”

Trace Gallagher attempted to do the story as written, describing how even the military doesn’t know where the satellite will land. However, it’s pretty hard to raise any tension when Smith is pointing out that people are in more danger of “getting struck by lightning four or five times in the next 30 seconds while standing indoors.” And Smith just kept going too, absolutely refusing to take a single word of this seriously.

“If I may, lets move from Present News to Future News. In Future News, somebody says he or she just found a big chunk of space junk and gets all the media cameras out there and then says ‘Baba Booey.’ I mean, this is a walking, talking joke, isn’t it?”

Smith couldn’t stop laughing as he tried to get through the list of every Fox News outlet that would be covering the satellite 24 hours a day for until it hits this Friday and was still joking about “Bus Day USA” a few segments later.

Watch the hilarious clips below:

As part of a larger campaign to observe 15 years on air, Fox News Channel will be hitting the road, sending many of their top on-air talent to numerous locations around the nation to report live and broadcast their shows. Starting out from Orlando on September 19th, the tour will hit six cities across the country, airings special episodes of key shows from each stop.

Following is the announced schedule:

9/19 – Orlando − FOX & Friends

9/27 – Las Vegas − Studio B & The FOX Report with Shepard Smith

10/3 – Chicago − Your World with Neil Cavuto

10/6 – Atlanta − Hannity

10/11 – Boston − The O’Reilly Factor

10/20 – Phoenix − On the Record with Greta Van Susteren

In the eBook, Smith looks back on his experience covering the 9/11 terrorist attacks. An experience, he recalls, that moved the veteran reporter to tears:

I didn’t have a recollection of it until a subway ride, it had to be be weeks in, when a man was crying and another man came over to console him. I think that’s my first vivid memory of what happened.

I cried, too. There was a lot of it during that period.

Smith also reveals that he “hates” the anniversary of the event because he doesn’t much want to remember that day then years ago.

That may be a factor why, in addition to the eBook, Smith will also be a part of the network’s two-hour special, “Fox News Reporting: Freedom Rising With Shepard Smith,” which will focus on the future rather than the past. Specifically, the special will look into the building of the World Trade Center and 9/11 memorial, drawing on the nearly exclusive behind-the-scenes access Shepard and his crew were given to the site. The goal behind the special, Shepard tells the NY Daily News, is to document the progress being made at the site so that people won’t feel that nothing had been accomplished, as well as to be able to look forward instead of solely ruminating on past events.

Shepard has made focusing on the future a hallmark of his ongoing coverage of the 9/11 attacks, including taking Senators to task over their hesitation to pass a bill offering relief to first responders and, then, tearfully celebrating the bill’s eventual passage.

The special airs Friday, September 2nd at 9 p.m. ET on Fox News.

h/t NY Daily News

Powerful hurricane and tropical force winds have hit many areas in the southeast, and rain has been reported from New York to Wilmington, Delaware.

Smith cut to reporter Doug McKelway in Ocean City, Maryland, but because of an audio malfunction, they were unable to communicate directly. Nonetheless, McKelway delivered his report as waves peaked right behind him, describing them as some of the biggest he has ever seen in the region. Local officials are concerned that the heavy rainfall combined with a poor drainage system could pose a threat of flooding.

Smith cut directly to footage from Fox’s local affiliate in Washington DC to highlight the attempts by local officials to place handbags strategically in the city. Smith praised all of Fox’s affiliates in the hurricane-targeted areas for doing their best reporting in such difficult weather.

Smith has been praised in the past for his coverage of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and so his dedication to keeping viewers informed about Irene obviously comes from a very personal place.

John Roberts, reporting from North Carolina, stood out in the middle of a field as heavy winds blow around him. Roberts said he was feeling the heavy part of the storm, but the eye is steadily approaching the area for a brief respite from the hurricane. Roberts also worried that New York could face the same harsh weather.

People have their fun with reporters who fall over while reporting on heavy weather, but for McKelway and Roberts to brave what most people wouldn’t even dare venture into if their lives depended on it is admirable. News reporters provide a public service by informing people what to expect and how they can be safe.

Watch the video of the segment below, courtesy of Fox News:

The eBook will detail the planning and construction that has gone on at Ground Zero since the attacks through text, photos, animation and video, according to the release:

The multimedia enhanced e-book provides an overview of the rebuilding effort that has taken place at Ground Zero over the last 10 years. It explores all aspects of the new World Trade Center site, including building details, the construction process and timeline, and the individuals and organizations that made the rebuilding effort possible. Readers will be able to visually explore the 16-acre site through more than 85 photos, original animation, and 15 videos of FNC anchor Shepard Smith reporting from Ground Zero.

That’s right: The book offers your daily dose of Shepitude. He will also contribute a video report in the book’s introduction, sharing with readers his experiences while covering the attacks and their aftermath.

Will you be downloading the book? Do you think it’s a fitting way of remembering 9/11?

As Cameron reported to Shepard Smith live on the scene at a Republican event where Romney was headlining, he begins to explain how Thursday’s Fox News debate will be pivotal for the candidate. A graphic appears to cover Cameron up and, suddenly, surprise! Speak of the devil, Romney pops into the shot, apparently trying to get somewhere with his hot dog. “Governor! We’re on live with Shepard Smith!” Cameron informs the candidate, to which he deadpans, “Oh. Hey, Shep, how’re you doing?” Cameron excitedly notes that “This is the kind of thing that happens in Iowa! Only for Fox News can the candidates come and talk to us this quickly!”

Romney then pleasantly details his thoughts for tomorrow’s debate, noting that “it’s wonderful out here” in Iowa and thanking Cameron for coming out. Cameron then asks about the other surprise factor in Iowa– Sarah Palin, who will be in Iowa this weekend for some reason. “Well, that’ll be fun,” Romney replies. “I’m going to be there tomorrow.”

Romney is extremely sunny throughout the appearance, and it certainly is good PR. It felt like a moment in a boxing promotion segment, where one of the colorful personalities set to take the ring tomorrow made a special appearance to remind everyone of why they had bought the tickets to the event in the first place. And while it wouldn’t be a stretch to question the spontaneity of the dialogue, Romney’s enjoyment of the event, the mingling with voters, and the time it took to say hello to Fox News had an element of sincerity that made for a great TV moment.

The segment via Fox News below:

Today you will learn which wrestlers are the “look-alikes” for every primetime cable host. Tomorrow, the fantasy match-ups will take place in order to crown one “King of the Ring” and to determine who is the most dominant talk show host in all of sports entertainment!

The Four Matches Between Timeslot Competitors:
Match 1 –> Chris Matthews vs. Shep Smith vs. John King vs. Jane Velez-Mitchell
Match 2 –> Lawrence O’Donnell vs. Bill O’Reilly vs. Wolf Blitzer (pinch hitting) vs. Nancy Grace
Match 3 –> Rachel Maddow vs. Sean Hannity vs. Piers Morgan vs. Dr. Drew Pinsky
Match 4 –> Ed Schultz vs. Greta Van Susteren vs. Anderson Cooper vs. Joy Behar

Check out who each of the cable news hosts most resembles from the history of professional wrestling, along with a description explaining the connection below each picture. Let’s get ready to rumble!!!

Chris 'The American Dream' Matthews inspired by Dusty Rhodes (1 of 16)

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Fast talking and full of random analogies, the jovial Dusty Rhodes is just like . . . Matthews!

Take a look at our gallery and let us know: Do you agree with our choices? Vehemently disagree? Have you sworn to ever read anything debt-related ever again? And who would you have added or removed from our lists?

Winner: Chis Jansing (1 of 14)

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Chris Jansing earns high marks for hosting live coverage on MSNBC for five hours Sunday night, offering an real-time, in-depth look at the unfolding discussions.

Smith was talking to Wall Street Journal assistant managing editor John Bussey about the current negotiations going on in Congress over raising the debt ceiling. Bussey pointed out that the Bush tax cuts and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan cost more than the previous administration thought they would, and highlighted the fact that ratings agency S&P will downgrade the United States’ debt unless a deal is struck that guarantees roughly $4 trillion in deficit reduction. He explained that while not as serious as a default, “rising interest rates [and] rising costs of capital for everyone.”

Smith pointed out that S&P downgraded Japan’s credit rating several months ago, but Bussey said that the effects of a downgrade in Japan “did not have the same kind of dislocation you would probably see in the United States.” He warned that mortgage rates could go up and the United States would have to pay creditors more to take on the national debt.

What particularly interested Smith was why Obama would be willing to approve any temporary deal given the current political climate in Washington.

Why in the world would he allow this to go six more months and have to deal with this again? ‘Cause he knows what the political opposition is going to do, they’re going to move the goalposts like they do every time.

Bussey explained that Obama’s intention is to resolve the issue so it won’t have to be addressed again until after the 2012 election. Smith asked him what he thought the chances were that a deal would not be agreed upon and the United States would default. Bussey said he still believes that “they’re not that foolish” and a deal will be agreed on, but the bigger question going forward is what kind of deal will they reach and whether it will result in a credit downgrade.

Watch the video below, courtesy of Fox News:

Hernandez, who had just been hired when he was careful to move the maimed Rep. Giffords into an upright position so as to keep her from choking on her blood, thus saving her life, was palpably excited to be at the game and throw the first pitch, telling Smith that he had been practicing and was hoping to keep the ball from bouncing. He updated viewers on his life since January– plenty of first aid awareness and volunteer work, he said– and on how grateful he was for the opportunities. “I’ve had a lot of opportunities that I never would have had before to go out and speak to, especially young people about the importance of getting involved,” he explained. “I’m very busy, but I’m loving every second of being about to talk about the things that are important to me.”

Smith also noted that Hernandez had saved the Congresswoman’s life in less than 30 seconds, and asked whether his outlook on life had changed since the incident as he now knew that “ten seconds from now, no matter what happens, you may be in a position to save a life.” Hernandez answered that it has definitely had an effect: “you really have a different world outlook when you realize that in ten seconds you really can make a difference.” He also spoke to how the family of Christina Taylor Green were coping with her loss, and how happy he was to get a chance to see them, as they had not been together in some time given the family’s mourning. He concluded praising them for their poise in such a tragic situation.

The segment via Fox News below:

Watch Fox News’ segment on the proposed law, where Studio B host Shepard Smith freely admits he “doesn’t understand what the motive is.” Things got a little heated, to say the least:

John Stossel is another reporter who has misgivings about the bill. In a FoxBusiness.com blog post titled “Dead Children Make Bad Laws,” (Sensational? Sure. More sensational than naming a piece of proposed legislation after a deceased young child currently in the glare of the media spotlight, even if that legislation has little to do with the circumstances surrounding that child’s tragic death? Eh…) Stossel brings up a few practical concerns (and a strongly Libertarian take) where the passage of Caylee’s Law is concerned:

What if the child has a history of getting mad and running away for a day? Or a week? What if the kid sleeps over at a friend’s place?

Salon.com points out that laws named after victims and passed in an emotionally charged atmosphere have a bad track record. Almost all the laws that go after sex offenders – “Megan’s Law”, the “Adam Walsh Act”, “Dru’s Law”, and “Jessica’s Law” – are named after victims. Yet as I’ve reported, those laws are responsible for locking up and stigmatizing innocent kids, like sixteen year olds who have consensual sex with a peer.

The government criminalizes too many things. Murdering your child is already against the law. So is lying to the police. We don’t need more laws.

While Smith’s main issue seemed to be, appropriately enough, “What in the world does this have to do with Caylee, other than piggybacking off her name and the notoriety of her case?,” Stossel adds an additional concern for innocent parties whose lives could be adversely impacted by the passage of such a law. And both men seem to support the same basic idea: that legislation should be based on rational, intelligent, well thought-out means of protecting lives and liberty, and not on heightened emotion or (cynicism alert) appropriating national tragedies in order to gain political points.

But what say you, Mediaite commenters? Is Caylee’s Law a good idea?

Evidently, a sober yet hungover Sayegh inquired what was taking “so [expletive] long to close the overhead compartments” after the plane had been delayed for nearly an hour. A Delta flight attendant seated quite nearby heard and, annoyed, announced “That’s it!,” apparently then asking that the plane taxi back so that Sayegh could be removed. Sayegh was then promptly escorted from the aircraft by police.

No report was filed, no charges were ever waged against Sayegh, and he was presently placed on another flight – all factors which, he says, are proof that the attendant overreacted and reasons why he may decide to sue the airline.

Atlantic Southeast Airlines, a regional carrier for Delta, issued a statement regarding the incident, saying that their flight attendants are responsible for the “safety and comfort” of all passengers and that there are instructions in place urging passengers to refrain from using foul language.

Take a look at the interview, courtesy Fox News:

“Can you believe this? A little girl has been murdered or died in someway and the mother’s accused of it and this is what results? It’s like Camp OJ all over again. The crowd appears to be taunting this one woman, yelling ‘Get out of line! Get out of line!’ We’re told police and paramedics eventually and removed several people from the scene. Very impressive, Florida. You should be so proud of yourselves.”

Well, that’s what Smith said. Now, allow me to take his comments and add on my two cents:

WHAT THE F**K IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?

There are some forms of entertainment I don’t see the appeal in, like my grandparents watching Two and a Half Men or my parents watching televised golf. And while I would never sit down and spend my time watching lazy double entendres without character development or a sport whose broadcast consists mostly of a lot of grass and old guys talking quietly, I still understand how other human beings could enjoy that kind of thing. But this?! What kind of sicko says to themselves, “Hey, I’ve got a day to kill. Why don’t I head down to the courthouse so I can watch a woman cry as her father accuses her of murdering her daughter. Yippee!” Not only that, these people were so turned on by this idea that they through a freaking fit when they couldn’t get in and the police had to lead them off!

IS THERE SOMETHING BROKEN IN YOUR HEAD?! IS YOUR LIFE SO F**KING AWFUL THAT THIS STORY IS THE ONLY THING THAT MAKES YOU FEEL BETTER IN COMPARISON? HOW CAN YOU ENJOY HUMAN MISERY THIS F**KING MUCH?!

Look, I don’t go this far out on a ledge that much, and I’ve only let my true feelings about this case and the frenzied attention it receives show up a couple of times on this site, but this is something else. I’ve held my tongue watching Nancy Grace forcibly shoehorn her repulsive “Tot Mom” nickname (which she made up herself!) into every news story she does on it because I know she’s only doing it for ratings. And speaking of ratings, it chills me to the bone that every Anthony-related post we put up gets enough traffic to sustain this site for a whole week, but I’ve kept my mouth shut. This though? This is just too damn much. People actually want to watch this trash in person?!

Maybe I’m just bitter because I spent my entire adolescence being told that the video games I played were going to turn me into a serial killer and I just know that some of the same idiots who made that argument are the people who now pour over every single new detail in this case. The same hypocrites who thought rap music was ruining a generation now know exactly where little Caylee Anthony’s corpse was found and just how many pieces it was in.

Ooh, fun side note! I just Googled “Caylee Anthony” to make sure I spelled her first name right and look what Google’s first common search term was:

That’s right! “Caylee Anthony skull pictures.” More people have searched for that than those searching for her name!

I used to think our society was way beyond the time where public lynchings were a good excuse for a picnic. It turns out that the only difference now is that people are just allowed to watch up until the body drops and the neck snaps. That part is private.

Everything else though? Just good, old fashioned entertainment.

Watch the clip from Fox News below:

In a discussion of Defense Secretary Robert Gates and his suggestions at a NATO meeting in Brussels that America’s European allies should be sharing more of the risks and costs of conflicts–or the U.S. might one day decide the burden-sharing arrangement was no longer in American interests–Fox News anchor Shepard Smith vented about the extraordinary number of commitments U.S. forces are already engaged in. “We’ve got Afghanistan, which seems to be war without end. We’ve got Iraq, which is clearly war without end. We have our third “not war” now in Libya, and we have our fourth not even yet war in Syria, yet we’re there,” Smith said, asking “isn’t there a time when you say ‘enough already, fight your own fight?’”

Smith’s guest, Kurt Volker, a former U.S. Ambassador to NATO, described Smith’s comments as a “misperception,” saying these are not “someone else’s fights.”

The two men did agree on the excessive costs–hundreds of millions of dollars–being committed to keeping U.S. forces in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere, at a time when the U.S. is in deep economic trouble. Volker argued that Congress “weigh in on Libya” and be involved in decision-making and spending.

Watch it here, from Fox News:

Fox News anchor Shepard Smith says it’s insulting for outgoing New York Times executive editor Bill Keller to call Fox’s “Fair and Balanced” slogan “cynical,” as he did back in March. In an interview at the New York Press Club, Smith was asked about those comments. “I don’t enjoy being insulted by people who talk in generalities,” Smith said to journalist Rich Lamb. “My guess is that the people on his opinion page don’t get that kind of broad and sweeping review.”

Smith compared the range of talent at Fox News, from hardworking journalists to brash opinion hosts, to the same collection of talent at the Times:

“My guess is that the people on his opinion page don’t get that kind of broad and sweeping review. He has some very outspoken people on that page, and they are respected. And we have some outspoken opinion people, and he chooses to paint all of us with the same brush. We have journalists just like he does. And I’ve worked very hard my whole life to try to remain exactly that. I did it when I worked for CBS and I did it when I worked for ABC [stations he worked at in Florida prior to FNC] and I’m doing it now. And, if someday I’m doing it for somebody else, I’ll do it there. Journalists know what we do. We find out about things. We give them context and perspective and we report on them. That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do in 25 years in this business. That’s all I’m ever going to do. That’s all Roger Ailes wants me to do. And I hope that’s what Bill Keller wants out of his journalists, just like Roger Ailes wants out of his. It’s not nice.“

Watch it here, from the New York Press Club: