1. Mediaite
  2. Gossip Cop
  3. Geekosystem
  4. Styleite
  5. SportsGrid
  6. The Mary Sue
  7. The Jane Dough
  8. The Braiser
Advertisement

Fox and Friends Nails Jay Carney’s ‘Bible Blunder’ Without Noting White House Correction

video
» 100 comments

On Thursday morning’s Fox and Friends, co-host Gretchen Carlson took White House Press Secretary Jay Carney to task for a “Bible Blunder” while responding to a question about President Obama‘s “In God We Trust” zinger. Carney quoted the Bible as saying ““The Lord helps those who help themselves,” and while Carlson rightly points out that the phrase does not appear in the Bible, she fails to note that the White House issued a correction hours later.
 
President Obama criticized congressional Republicans yesterday for wasting time on commemorative baseball coins and reaffirming “In God We Trust” as our national motto, saying, “I trust in God, but God wants to see us help ourselves by putting people back to work.”

At Wednesday’s White House briefing, The Associated PressErica Werner, citing the President’s quote, asked Carney, “Isn’t it a bit much to bring God into the jobs debate?”

Here is Carney’s reply, as noted in the official White House transcript, released at 4:31 pm Wednesday:

Well, I believe the phrase from the Bible* is, “The Lord helps those who help themselves.”  And I think the point the President is making is that we should — we have it within our capacity to do the things to help the American people.  And that’s why he’s working so hard to get Congress to take action on the American Jobs Act and the provisions therein.  And he — because he believes it’s in the interest of the American people that that action be taken and certainly believes that Americans who are unemployed, who are looking for work, deserve the attention of Washington, the attention of Congress as well as of the President in their policymaking decisions.  It’s a number-one priority for him, getting the economy growing faster and getting the economy creating more jobs.

Now, he was obviously making this particular reference in the context of inaction by the House of Representatives, which has spent time on issues like commemorative Hall of Fame baseball coins and reaffirming a motto that I don’t think anyone doubted, which is that “In God We Trust” is our motto.  So his point was simply that the House should get busy with matters of great importance to the United States and to the American people.

You’ll note the asterisk following Carney’s quote. At the top of the transcript is a notation that reads “* This common phrase does not appear in the Bible.”

Carlson notes Carney’s biblical gaffe (or was it an homage to Pulp Fiction?), and the phrase’s origin in ancient Greek writings, but fails to disclose the White House’s correction.

Here’s the clip, from Fox and Friends:


Update: On Friday morning, Gretchen Carlson ran an “update”, noting the White House’s correction:

“An update now on a story we told you about yesterday. White House spokesman Jay Carney caught in a bible blunder. Carney attributing the phrase “the lord helps those who help themselves” to the Bible but that’s not from the good book. His blunder quickly caught and corrected by the White House a few hours later. The phrase actually comes from ancient Greek writing.”

Follow us on Twitter.

Sign up for Mediaite's daily newsletter.

Email Twitter Facebook Digg Reddit Stumble Upon Yahoo Buzz LinkedIn Tumblr Delicious
  • Anonymous

    Fox stealing page from Limbaugh, tell half the story to make your point.

  • Michelle

    And Mediiate ignored the story period until it came time to ridiculing FOX.

  • Michelle

    Kind of like Mediaite reporting Biden’s rape rant endlessly but REFUSING to post the fact check that shredded his claims?

  • cdnhawk

    Either way it isn’t much of a story. Who cares?

  • Anonymous

    Sorry TC, try as you do, the STORY was not the correction but the ignorance of Carney. Kinda like when presidential candidate Howard Dean said  that “Job” was his favorite book in the New Testament!

  • Anonymous

    Yes, when it shows the ignorance of the Obama admin, it really isn’t a story is it.

    Have you traveled on Obama’s “intercontinental railroad” yet?

  • Anonymous

    Bret Baier noted the correction last night . Carney had to rent a hotel room in Washington to get to a bible to look up his error .

    What does the Bible say about theft ?

    “DOE Inspector General: Over 100 Criminal Investigations Of Obama Stimulus Spending”

    http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=47282

  • Jonathan Cantor

    Yeah Mediaite reports on this…

  • Michelle

    Are you telling me if Palin or Beck quoted something from the “Bible” that wasn’t in the Bible that Mediaite wouldn’t have been all over it!?  You’re delusional if you think that.  They’ve reported on less than that.

  • Anonymous

    This show that libs should never talk about  something  they do not believe in.

  • Anonymous

    You need to take that up with Mediate, I don’t disagree that Biden was off on his numbers in the Flint speech, but this story was about Fox

  • Anonymous

    STFU!!!

    Seriously, why can’t you admit that Fox did something wrong instead of telling us about Biden? lol….you are a master (mistress) of spin

  • Anonymous

    Kinda like MSNBC did with Perry’s “big black cloud” quote that was a lie from the beginning?

  • http://mediamatters.org/ Leedog

    More proof that the Fox News’ morning idiots continually get the story wrong!! Though, the sad thing is, that the average Fox News believes their lies without hesitation!!

  • Anonymous

    Oh look, its  rubeboy in another meltdown.

  • Michelle

    Looks like I struck a nerve. 

  • Are you kidding

    What are you talking about this whole article is a spin. Its trying to take heat off Carney for being a idiot and turns into more whining about Fox News. Its typical of Tommy who is nothing more then a liberal lapdog. Oh and he’s also this site White House correspondent. Really showing what this site is all about.

  • Michelle

    I was responding to your comment and showing Mediaite does the same thing you are chastising FOX for. You libs hate it when the truth is thrown back in your face.  Deal with it.

  • BR

    He’s simply pointing out your hypocrisy .

  • BR

    Or visited all 57 States?

  • Anonymous

    So you say Carney didn’t say that?

    Nice lie! They were reporting on the error he made- who cares if he corrected it- you act as if correcting an error makes the error go away- it doesn’t- Carney is an idiot.

  • Anonymous

    They’re all going to melt down :

    “Obama fails all viability tests”

     ”…Obama fails on all counts. The numbers say that voters don’t think he deserves reelection, he has no meaningful accomplishments, and the nation is headed off in the wrong direction under his watch. He is simply not viable by any measure. That’s an empirically informed, hard-nosed judgment. This isn’t a movie or fantasy tale where a miracle occurs at the last moment to save the day. If Democrat campaign professionals don’t start acknowledging the same, and intervening, they risk Obama bringing down their entire ticket”

    http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/david-hill/191211-obama-fails-all-viability-tests

  • Anonymous

    I’ve always thought that it was a stupid saying any way, and no, it’s not in the Bible and is contrary to biblical teachings.
    Oh, and fuuck Fox.

  • Anonymous

    Don’t you love using skyfet’s riposte on libs?

    I do!

  • Michelle

    It’s possible that Barry just got the books on his nightstand mixed up.  Has anyone checked the Qoran for those words?  TWEAK!

  • Anonymous

    Poor baby- mommy didn’t give ya enough hugs. It hurts when the Obama admin prove how stupid is , don’t it?

    here is a tissue.

  • Michelle

    Excellent example!

  • Anonymous

    Stonepark’s comedy persona is a old drag queen, wearing leopard print pants, tight black top, drink in one hand and a cigarette in the other. Kind of a Peg Bundy is a drag queen thing.

  • van

    Another supersmart liberal that can’t speak without deranged tourettes.  You morons never disappoint.

  • Anonymous

    Thanks for adding your normal contribution to the thread- that would be NOTHING!

    I love how irrelevant you have become.

  • Anonymous

    XXX OOO

  • Anonymous

    Well again, story was not about MSNBC. This story was about Fox, and changing the subject does not change my original opinnon.

  • Anonymous

    Hey Leedog!
    How you been?
    It’s been a good week to be a Dem and watch the Republian’s eat their own young!…LOL

  • Anonymous

    LOL

    But poor boy, you started off by bringing Rush Limbaugh into the story, and this is not about Limbaugh!

    You lose!

  • Anonymous

    meltdown? 

    Did your partisanship blind you from seeing that there was a “lol” in my comment?

    BTW; Fox lied

  • Anonymous

    Sorry, with Cain and Perry failing, we are celebrating and not melting down

  • Anonymous

    lol………..nice try, use the “struck a nerve” escape route to avoid admitting that fox lied.

    I admire your spin and deflection….you should have been a PR person

  • Texan

    he failed e-verify, too

  • cdnhawk

    Yes, they would have been all over it if Palin or Beck did it……my point was that it was a story not worth covering irregardless of who made the gaff… 

  • Anonymous

    lmao……there was a correction and therefore the whitehouse admitted the mistake. The spin exists when Fox doesnt mention the correction

  • Anonymous

    The “lol” was everyone’s reaction to your typical sophomoric, puerile comment.

    And no, FOX quoted carney who LIED!

    LOL

  • Anonymous

    . Did you hear about the drag queen Stonepark?  That he isnow on the patch? A. He’s down to four butts a day

  • Texan

    They didn’t report the correction is equivalent to “lying?” Loon logic.

  • Anonymous

    tourettes? Because I wrote “STFU”?

    Lmao…….another right wing loon

  • Texan

    tommy

  • Anonymous

    She*

    Two wrongs do not make a right. However, there were reports on the Biden rape story and so, there is no hypocrisy or first wrong…….

  • Texan

    dufus, how did they lie?

  • NDanielson

    Well they’ve brought rape, murder, race and now god into their “jobs” bill. Meanwhile their “peaceful” protests have turned to rape, theft, vandalism, threats of violence, rioting and city parks into open sewers just to get their way. And the leftists in the democrat party continue with their racism and class warfare to support every degenerate they can to stay in power.

    Who cares that Gretchen Carlson left out their big-deal correction?! The left is sick, sick, sick, and we have this two-bit lackey sticking up for them at every opportunity. The democrats are pathetic. No ideas no morals, no honesty, no responsibility for anything they do. Lies and attack.

    These are the very people who think god on our currency and in our lives is wrong and must be stopped or the people who oppose THEM should be ridiculed? You have to be pretty damn pathetic yourself to continually support the absolute garbage that the left has become, and the tactics they use to perpetuate all of it!

  • Anonymous

    What truth, since I rarely watch MSNBC, should I have to respond to your opinnon.This story is about FOX. Tommy please include a current story about MSNBC so I can respond, and make Michelle and Stonepike  feel better about themselves. Again, this story was about FOX

  • Anonymous

    lol is lol is lol is lol………………………

    BTW; a half truth is a lie…….Fox lied. The white house issued a correction and Fox omitted it 

  • Anonymous

    I always use Limbaugh as a teaching moment to show how never to act.
    In the words of Michelle, Winning

  • NDanielson

    She is under no obligation to keep up on the latest White House “correction”. Who cares that they attempted to “correct” themselves? Just their pathetic lapdogs with an IQ of less than 13. There definitely needs to be a correction in this country, that is for sure.

  • Michelle

    I actually agree with you that it wasn’t worth covering in the first place.  That just further proves my first comment correct, that Tommy had no interest in it until he could involve FOX. 

  • Texan

    rent free

  • http://mediamatters.org/ Leedog

    You’re right!! Why should Fox News be concerned with corrections that other credible news organizations would mention??

  • Texan

    tommy left lout the fact that Fox News reported the correction made by the white house. therefore, he lied.

  • http://mediamatters.org/ Leedog

    Hello!! Yes, it’s also been fun seeing the Republicons defend a sexual predator such as Herb Cain!! Lol!

  • http://mediamatters.org/ Leedog

    Credible news organizations try to cover the whole story!! That’s one reason why Fox News is not a credible news organization!!

  • Anonymous

    Here you go – MSNBC stealing page from Limbaugh, tell half the story to make your point.
    See what I did there.

  • Anonymous

    Soneones up to pranks and childish things again. I believe that someone created a ghost account. They to it to other libs too,.Stealing someones avatar (picture) is easy.I have reported it to disqus. They don’t seem to care. I really don’t care myself anymore. Like who give a flying f@(k? But on the otherhand life must be pretty dull for whoever it is,
    Power to ‘em ……LOL

  • Anonymous

    Thankfully there is no issue too small…….too meaningless….so miniscule, that Tommy will not bravely pick up that bucket of water and trudge up the hill……bless you, T.C……you make us all proud….and a little weepy.

  • http://mediamatters.org/ Leedog

    We need to fight fire with fire!! I’ll start doing it to the Republicons here!!  =)

  • Anonymous

    MSNBC stealing page from Limbaugh, tell half the story to make your point.

  • Anonymous

    I’m glad you share a fellow “teas” opinion with us.

  • Anonymous

    Is, “I struck a nerve”,… code for “he got me”? That’s the way we’ll take it.

  • Anonymous

    From the camps of,… no history, no facts, no numbers, no science and now no morals. You never disappoint.

  • Anonymous

    You don’t spin,… but I can spin.

  • Anonymous

    I never heard that before, never! You might think that some losers would run that into to the ground, but not the “teas”!

  • Anonymous

    So the “teas” should stop all reference to facts? That’s a little harsh!

  • FreeMike

    Mediaite would cover it because Palin or Beck would insist they were right and it’s just some leftist “gotcha” plot that the majority of bibles don’t corroborate their quote.  The WH, on the other hand, corrected themselves.

  • Anonymous

    Who cares? 

  • Anonymous

    Tommy allows Carnival Carney to skate because the WH came to the resue with an after the fact correction they should have already known but goes after Fox?

    Ummmm if Carney hadn’t said a stupid uniformed thing then Fox wouldn’t have either…

  • FreeMike

    With Herb Cain as the forerunner for the Repub nomination, one would think that you should be a little more open to ”corrections.”

  • Rio

    Pretty lame excuse is all you have.  Looks like you just got taught.

  • Anonymous

    No, it means a lib is crying, like you, dear!

  • Anonymous

    Yes, you changed the subject again!

    man, are you one stupid lib.

  • Anonymous

    The fact is that Carney made a fool out of himself just like you are doing, sweet pea.

  • Anonymous

    Nice lie-  FOX is #1!

    LOL

  • Anonymous

    LOL

    Talk about switching topics because he can’t defend carney’s stupidity- you are priceless- which really means worthless!

    LOL

  • Anonymous

    No, you made a fool out of yourself and are now backtracking.

    I must have struck a nerve.

  • Anonymous

    This from a lib whose lifestyle is such the  he  carries  a separate rectal insurance plan.

  • Anonymous

    Wrong! But thaks for admitting it was a mistake just like FOX pointed out.

    It would have been a lie if FOX said the WH never clarified Carney’s error but since they didn’t that makes you a liar!

  • Anonymous

    You are an ignoramus supreme- FOX did not report anything that was not true- it was Carney who lied about the Bible.

  • Michelle

    I didn’t see them correcting Joe Biden on his bogus claims, after the fact check came out.  Did you?

  • Anonymous

    Dear, your next post won’t be crying will it? I know you “tea’ kids can’t give up a point, when wrong! Please don’t cry, sweet pea!

  • http://twitter.com/TommyBennett Tom Bennett

    Fascinating and profoundly important.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_CTNSAc_IU ObamasNotThePresident

    Yeah “in God” not “in Godernment”

  • Anonymous

    An Ode to STONEPARK

    I’m glad to be a Drag Queen, of that I am so proud.
    I’m altogether bitchy, annoying and so loud.
    I squeeze in tiny jeans that are three sizes small.
    I’ve never had a credit card,
    but they love me at the mall.

  • Anonymous

    Have at em

  • Anonymous

    Drag Queen Names

    Ophelia Pain
    Hannah Kronistik
    Summer Clearance
    Carlotta Tendant
    Rita Book
    Bridget of Madison County
    Anna Nutherthing
    Iona Trailer
    Julie Meewunday
    Hilda Klime
    Tara Fying
    Patty O’Furniture
    Frieda Peoples
    Aleekie Roof… named after her mother, Aleekie Tubb
    Sarah Belle Palsey
    Leta Horticulture
    And of course Stonepark3

  • Anonymous

    Someones been doing the same BS to Widdlebabydanielson as well!

  • Anonymous

    I know that you are not that bright, so please read my last post again…………………………….
    Is it sinking in yet………………
    Bet you feel like you were got……..
    If your still don’t get it ask the teacher for help.

  • Anonymous

    #1. I posted two fact-checks of Biden, so that’s a lie.
    #2. This post was tongue-in-cheek. Neither the gaffe, nor Fox’s non-correction, were that big a deal. Lighten up, people.

  • Anonymous

    The post was tongue-in-cheek. Lighten up.

  • Anonymous

    O’bummer has the guy with the right name as his front man, “Carney” since that’s the term for folks who run Carnivals.

  • Anonymous

    Let’s all help Obama and his lap dog Tommy Christephor retire.

  • James Young

    Yeah i was about to say:

     ”The phrase “God helps those who help themselves” is a popular motto which emphasizes the importance of self-initiative.The phrase originated in ancient Greece, occurring as the moral to one of Aesop’s Fables, and later in the great tragedy authors of ancient Greek drama. It has been commonly attributed to Benjamin Franklin, however the modern English wording appears earlier in Algernon Sidney’s work.”

  • Anonymous

    Much to do about nothing!!

  • Cqz

    Does it make any difference if WH corrected it or not?  
    Get the points…. Air heads. 

  • Anonymous

    Carney’s point is that those who don’t help themselves, Obama is going to help.

© 2012 Mediaite, LLC | About Us | Advertise | Newsletter | Jobs | Privacy | User Agreement | Disclaimer | Power Grid FAQ | Contact | Archives | RSS RSS
Dan Abrams, Founder | Power Grid by Sound Strategies | Hosting by Datagram