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Huckabee: Media Matters Is ‘Operating Illegally,’ David Brock May Be ‘Paranoid Schizophrenic’

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The Daily Caller‘s extensive reports on Media Matters exposing their work as partisan and, through anonymous sources, accusing Media Matters’ head David Brock of being little short of insane and using tax dollars for partisan campaigning, has certainly been one of the dominant themes in the Fox News story cycle this week, and this morning on Fox & Friends, Mike Huckabee got to weigh in. And he had quite a few heavy-handed comments for the organization, possibly being one of the first to call the operation flat-out illegal.

RELATED: Megyn Kelly To Media Matters’ Private Eyes: You’ll Just Catch Me Watching Downton Abbey

Huckabee began by joking about the report that Media Matters considered hiring private detectives to investigate Fox News anchors, telling host Juliet Huddy he had “seen your file.” He then went on to the serious topic of Media Matters using tax dollars for their operation. “The outrageous thing about this is that it is a political campaign… it is not a watchdog, it is a lapdog,” he said of Media Matters, adding that the organization was “operating illegally” and explaining that “when you use tax exempt money in a clearly partisan way… that’s against the IRS code for a 501(c)(3).” While he objected morally to some of what they do, he argued that “you have the freedom to do things that are cruel, unethical,” and considered the reports “disgusting,” “but when you do it with tax dollars, that’s where the problem is.”

Host Clayton Morris shifted the conversation from the organization at large to head David Brock, “a guy who is questionable at best.” That assessment seemed fair to Huckabee, who added that he “has an interesting history” of being both a far-right Republican and a far-left Democrat. Huckabee also added the weird and entirely meaningless point that Brock “once was straight, now he is gay,” as if unaware of the entire concept of “coming out” to form some sort of thesis that Brock had “vast moments of polar movement.” He moved on quickly from whatever that was supposed to mean, however, to add that he believed Brock to be acting like a “paranoid schizophrenic,” a concern everyone else on set apparently shared.

Huckabee’s comments via Fox News below:

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  • T.Gloves Donahue

    Brock is one strange duck. Libs are anti-gun, and his bodyguard carries a Glock (illegally) in Washington.

    First, it is important to note that Brock has a history of allying with whichever political group has shown him the most regard. During the 1990s he attacked Clarence Thomas’ accuser Anita Hill and also wrote sharply critical articles and books about Bill and Hillary Clinton. In a somewhat ominous and psychologically violent use of language, he described himself as a “right-wing hit man.” Yet, when his book “The Seduction of Hillary Rodham” wasn’t embraced by politicians on the right, Brock grew bitter. He then recanted a great deal of what he had written about the Clintons, exposed one of his confidential sources (despite this being journalistically unethical) and began to cultivate a left-wing following.Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/02/17/whats-wrong-with-media-matters-founder-david-brock/#ixzz1mkgUoVLm

  • Anonymous

    As if Bozell’s Media Research Center, FOX, right-wing HateRadio, AEI, Cato, Heritage, and all the other corporatist propaganda message machines didn’t exist and churn out anti-Obama drivel 24/7.

    Gandhi: “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win!”

    Media Matters is winning.

  • Anonymous

    This has now reached “Linsanity” type coverage over at Foxnews..  It’s just as annoying too.. It seems like Foxnews is only trying to appeal to the paranoid wing nut base.. No one else cares about this..  

  • Anonymous

    Wow that Ghandi quote fits perfect.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Neil-Murphy/100000566621491 Neil Murphy

    You sir are a fool. The whole FOX lies thing has now been totally discredited, using that as a part of your post screams idiot/liberal troll. Take your pick.

    Media Matters is winning huh? They havent accused anyone of being racit in like 3 whole days now, you know why? Because they are wide open to several years worth of slander charges, so is MSNBC and if they can find 1 dollar that came from the Obama admiistration so is the white house. Character assasinatio is against the law.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Neil-Murphy/100000566621491 Neil Murphy

    Why would he think the law applies to him? He works for the president and his job is to tell lies about good people.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Neil-Murphy/100000566621491 Neil Murphy

    Cmon you rotten libtards, I am fired up. Get out here and start spewing your bullshyt, or havent they wrote it for you yet you Fkin WEENIES.

  • Anonymous

    Yes, but does he travel with ex Secret Service for bodyguards? Have a bombproof office? Did Brock buy all the houses around his out of fear? No, that’s Roger Ailes!

  • Anonymous

     Not that it matters but I can’t help noticing that Huckabee is fatter than ever. :(

  • Anonymous

    What is so ironic is every criticism I have read regarding Media Matters is always name calling. I have never, ever read a legitimate article demonstrating their information is false. Media Matters is scheduled to shortly release a book regarding the FAUX network. FAUX probably realizes it is factual and has to resort to attacking the messenger.

  • George C

     What a jerk . I shall leave an anonymous comment about him on a blog .

  • Ben

    Well…this just keeps getting better and better huh…

    At first I was gonna say Mike better have some facts to back him up when he’s saying MM is operating illegally.

    But then I remembered…he’s on Fox News so,he doesn’t need any facts whatsoever,there ain’t gonna be any consequences for being wrong or lying.In fact,he probably got a bonus already.
    I’m sure the anti-colonial Kenyan in the White House agrees with me.

  • http://twitter.com/mattparkerfl Matt Parker

    Huckabee had better start worrying about the birth control antics of his political protege and less time about Media Matters… 

  • Anonymous

    huckaphony searching the blackmarket for  diet pills, he must be stoped.

  • Anonymous

    FAUX lies have been totally discredited? Really. By whom? The FAUX Nation? You are nothing but a right wing nut job. Payment is coming due in November.

  • Anonymous

    FOX has apearently pulled out all the stops in their battle against Media Matters.  It seems Media Matters has hit more FOX nerves.  In addition, Daily Caller themselves is not exactly a reputable media source that can be relied on for being unbiased.  It only takes a brief look into the Media Matters web site to discover Media Matters just don’t accuse FOX of just anything, but provides the clip from FOX that documents their comment from FOX.   I can’t even recall an instance where FOX has tried to refute a Media Matters article by showing the clip MM used from FOX along with their complete article.  Usually it seems they give the job of refuting MM goes to Steve Doocy who will repeat anything Murdoch and Ailes tells him to say. 

  • Anonymous

    Media Matters – Repeating Fox News verbatim in their own words, which makes fox look stupid.

  • Anonymous

    Perhaps Brock thinks the Mossad might target him in advance of any action regarding Iran.

    Like Osama did with Ahmad Massoud just before 9/11.

  • Anonymous

    Their standard line is “we were taken out of context”. However, they never show the clip or explain how they were taken out of context. Only their lemmings believe them and Media Matters is simply killing them.

  • TVNewsViewer

    So did I miss the part where Huckabee got a degree in psychology, or is he just playing a shrink on TV?

  • Anonymous

    The formerly Extreme Racist, Homophobic Right Winger Mr Brock when Outed as a Homosexual suddenly became  an Extremist Anti Semitic Left Winger…..Mmmm lots of therapy needed here!

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/3EV7LMBN3SWQMEVDJCAKUCTCKM Top

    Reverend Fried Squirrel should know better than spewing lies. Oh, wait. He works for Fox.

    How dare Media Matters show video and audio clips of wingnutz spreading lies!

  • OSTL

     out of context/doctored or not, huh, bob?

  • Anonymous

    Porky squeling again!

  • Anonymous

    As long as Huckabee is taking time to do long-distance diagnoses,  he’s also on record as saying that Terry Schiavo is actually less dead than she appears.

  • naikod sorparap

    Thank you!!
    I guess you’re never too old to learn something stupid.

  • naikod sorparap

     Light travels faster than sound. This is why you appear bright until we hear you speak.

  • Anonymous

    Translation: I can’t dispute your comment so I will say something to make myself sound smart.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_3GKFVYE4ERPTIPL3NJ3S7COQGY Doc P

    Bubba messpelin agin, 2….in between grunts and oinks…

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_3GKFVYE4ERPTIPL3NJ3S7COQGY Doc P

    I was busy with yer wife and daughters…

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_3GKFVYE4ERPTIPL3NJ3S7COQGY Doc P

    Hey Hucky, what would you classify your dog-stranglin’ son as…an anti-social misfit? A murdering savage? Disturbed developmentall- disabled preadolescent?

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Michael-Johns/1681497708 Michael Johns

    I think this is a bunch of BS,TGD! We need Stewart, Colbert, and MMFA.

    FOX is just pissed because Brock exposes the obvious fact-free bias of the network, as does Jon and Stephen. And for FOX to mention on the chyron underneath, Brock is an admitted drug user. So what, so is RushBo, Glenn Beck, our president, and most of America. FOX is a laughable joke.

     I’ll never forget months after the election when they Brietbarted Biden (they do it all the time, but this time it was wrong on so many levels). FOX actually apologized the next day – after being called out – for misrepresenting what they claim Biden said months after the election. March 2009, Fox News’ Martha MacCallum told her panel: “Take a look at what was said in recent interviews this weekend.” FOX then aired a clip of Biden stating: “The fundamentals of the economy are strong.” The panel FOX assembled wasn’t told that Biden was quoting McCain and that it wasn’t recent. The panel gave ol’ Biden a good dressing down to say the least! The apology from FOX doesn’t pass muster. Why would FOX have such a short clip in the can, and why would they create it without context? It’s one politician quoting another polititian… why cut a clip like that without intending to deceive?There are hundreds of similar examples of FOX’s deception. Let me know if you’d like an emailed list.

  • Anonymous

    Huck has far more than his allotment of psyche problems already.

  • Anonymous

    You liberals who love to express hatred of all things non-liberal sure are quick to take sides which is ironic since you obviously don’t watch much of Fox News.  I’ve seen MANY instances of them disproving MM and MSNBC lies and selective edits.   Perhaps you need to watch more, you’ll learn something.

  • http://twitter.com/12barbluz Lightnin’ James

    Media Matters has really got the Fox wingnuts panties in a twist. I didn’t realize they were this effective. I am sending them money today. Keep up the good work.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/3EV7LMBN3SWQMEVDJCAKUCTCKM Top

    Mitten’s supporter and Fox staple OUTED!

    http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/02/arizona_sheriff_rocked_by_accusations_of_alleged_immigrant_ex_boyfriend.php

    Go ahead conservaclowns!  “He was taken out of context!”

  • AIiveStiIIKickin

    WOW!!
    What a GREAT President Huckabee would have made.
    We would have a decent man and a respectable lady in the White House instead of a golf-addicted , lazy slob and an “angry black woman”
    Folks would be smiling at each other on the street bragging about their pay raises instead of fighting each other, jostling for position, in the food stamp/welfare/unemployment  lines.
    There would be no Solyndra…..No Arab Spring…..Israel would still be a valued ally….Gasoline would be below $2.00 a gallon (maybe even below $1.00)…Less babies would be butchered by approval of  their Mothers……and Barack Hussein Obama would be in a Federal Prison for fraud and Identity Theft….Not to mention Healthcare would still be a self-afforded privilege rather than a forced mandate relating to theft.
    Who knows….The future might even have held the promise that the Olympics would be in Chicago.
    Are you sure you really want to vote for the same punk in 2012?

  • Anonymous

    “I’ve seen MANY instances of them disproving MM and MSNBC lies and selective edits.”

    really….. were they like the palm trees in Wisconsin?

    please provide links of Fox News disproving MM or MSNBC with facts.

  • Anonymous

    I agree with Roger Ailes for trying to correct the course of Fox News. You guys are Nuts!

  • Anonymous

    As far as I can tell there hasn´t been presented a single piece of hard evidence for questionable actions by MMFA. Daily Caller doesn´teven  know when the memo was written.

    I doubt the quoted memo even exist. Show it to us. DC doesn´t even know when the memo was written well informed as they are and as thoroughly this´piece of crap was investigated. 

    Now, there´s a paid mouthpiece diagnosing a human being from a couch with 3 other human beings without being a trained psychiatrist or knowing the person in question. Yay, that´s what seals the deal for the gullible FOX audience.

    Nobody gives a flying f*ck about Brock´s personal life. Fox lies and MMFA has a quiet impressive and large collection to prove it, just one click away.  For example, omfg, look at this an avaliable document:

    http://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/images/item/sammonmarxistemail.pdf 

  • Anonymous

    From: Sammon, Bill

    Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 8:23 AM

    To: 054 -FNSunday; 169 -SPECIAL REPORT; 069 -Politics; 030 -Root (FoxNews.Com); 036 -FOX.WHU; 050 -Senior Producers; 051 -Producers

    Subject: friendly reminder: let’s not slip back into calling it the “public option”

    1)      Please use the term “government-run health insurance” or,
    when brevity is a concern, “government option,” whenever possible.

    2)      When it is necessary to use the term “public option” (which
    is, after all, firmly ensconced in the nation’s lexicon), use the
    qualifier “so-called,” as in “the so-called public option.”

    3)      Here’s another way to phrase it: “The public option, which is the government-run plan.”

    4)      When newsmakers and sources use the term “public option” in
    our stories, there’s not a lot we can do about it, since quotes are of
    course sacrosanct.

    http://mediamatters.org/blog/201012090003

  • Anonymous

    Yeah squeling….sucker!…As it was meant to have been written, Hanging around Porky’s trough too much

  • Anonymous

     National Debt Increased by 75% under Bush:

    2001 – $5.871 trillion
    2008 – $10.640 trillion

    National Debt Increased 25% Under Obama:

    Jan 31st 2009 = $10.569-tr­illion
    Jan 31st 2011 = $14.131-tr­illion

    But of the $3.56-tril­lion increase, 98% was carry over from Bush programs:

    Bush: $910-billi­on = Interest on Debt 2009/2011
    Bush: $360-billi­on = Iraq War Spending 2009/2011
    Bush: $319-billi­on = TARP/Bailo­ut Balance from 2008 (as of May 2010)
    Bush: $419-billi­on = Bush Recession Caused Drop in taxes
    Bush: $190-billi­on = Bush Medicare Drug Program 2009/2011
    Bush: $211-billi­on = Bush Meicare Part-D 2009/2011
    Bush: $771-billi­on = Bush Tax Cuts 2009/2011

    Bush’s contributi­on:

    2001 to 2008: $4.769-tri­llion
    2009 to 2010: $3.181-tri­llion

    Total: $7.950-tri­llion

    Increase Since 2001 = $14.131 – $5.871 = $8.26-tril­lion

    Bush’s contributi­on: $7.950-tri­llion / $8.26-tril­lion = 96%

    Increase caused By Bush’s Programs: 96%
    Increase caused by Obama’s Programs: 4%

  • Anonymous

    Huckabee. Shove it.

  • Anonymous

    Don’t confuse the ideologues with facts. ;-)

  • AIiveStiIIKickin

     That reply must have stressed your brain cell and used up your thought quota for the day.
    LOL!!

  • Anonymous

    yeah sure.

  • http://twitter.com/aemoreira81 Adam Moreira

    Technically, there is nothing  wrong with partisanship per se, Mr. Huckabee. The law governing 501(c)(3) only proscribes two types of activities: politicking/lobbying, and political campaigning…nothing else. If you see a problem with what Media Matters is doing, but it doesn’t fall under one of those two things—and to say that it does requires proof—then you should be instead advocating for the law to be changed.

  • Anonymous

    And check out all the evangelical “pastors” who reek of republican.

  • http://twitter.com/aemoreira81 Adam Moreira

    That’s okay as the law is composed now. They simply cannot campaign for a specific candidate.

  • Anonymous

    “wink” “wink”

  • Anonymous

     The vast majority of what MM does is reprint large transcripts of right wingers talking and repost chunks of video and audio of the same.   Not sure how allowing a wider audience to hear the often nutty and hate filled words of these people could be considered ‘telling lies.’   

    Perhaps you’d like to expose a few of the supposed lies told by Media Matters?

  • Anonymous

     

    Die painfully okay? Prefearbly by getting crushed to death in a
    garbage compactor, by getting your face cut to ribbons with a
    pocketknife, your head cracked open with a baseball bat, your stomach
    sliced open and your entrails spilled out, and your eyeballs ripped
    out of their sockets.

    I really hope that you get curb-stomped. It’d be hilarious to see you
    begging for help, and then someone stomps on the back of your head,
    leaving you to die in horrible, agonizing pain.

    STFU, before you get your face bashed in and cut
    to ribbons, and your throat slit.

  • Anonymous

     Shouldn’t that be abdomen sliced open and entrails spilled out?  There are no entrails in the stomach itself.  Just sayin.

  • http://twitter.com/Rickstersays Rickster Rickster

    fox news is in desperation mode. this is pathetic in the extreme.  fox news, we lie so much we’re illegal in canada where they insist that the news tell the truth

  • http://twitter.com/Rickstersays Rickster Rickster

    fox news spends an awful lot of time attacking people that don’t agree with fox news and who point out that fox news does in fact lie.  fox news is known for taking things out of context and editing to suit their own agenda. i have seen them show edited comments of obama speaking ten minutes after i heard the man say something and then claim he is saying something completely different than what he really said. THEY LIE. THEY CHEAT. THEY’RE CROOKS.

  • Verreauxii

    Frances, would probably serve your readers greatly by contextualizing Huckabee’s “schizophrenic” remarks. I guarantee you they were in reference to “Dr.” Keith Ablow’s ad hominem laced article on Mr. Brock. It’s on the FoxNews website. 

  • Anonymous

    Sure it’s been discredited. Their logo is “Fair and Balanced,” doesn’t that prove that FaUX tells the truth?

  • http://twitter.com/Rickstersays Rickster Rickster

    i hear tell they keep the kid locked in the attic

  • Anonymous

    Your ignorance, hatred and jealousy goes without comment.  Keep letting FOX tell you what to think instead of thinking for yourself!

  • Anonymous

    Remember this guy is a Christian something or other, what a joke Huckabee has become.  He just falls right in line of saying crap w/o any facts to back it up.

  • Anonymous

    I think brock is loving the Fox News attention because it can only help his book sales. 

  • Anonymous

    It looks like Huckabee is headed for another problem, all that money and a second chance and he looks to be just about back to his heart attack zone of weight, seriously wasn’t once enough for him?

    As to his opinions about Brock? Who cares what this toad thinks, he works for FOX and is defending them JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER EMPLOYEE who all seem to be demanding the same thing “if you are a FOX viewer you should not read this book” and they are going drive sales of this book through the roof and drive some of their viewers to read the book to find out what the hell all the brew ha ha is about and for some of them it will be a WTF moment and it seems the tower of Fox babble is starting to fall both in ratings and influence.

  • Verreauxii

    Have you read the article by that repulsive human being yet? 
    http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/02/17/whats-wrong-with-media-matters-founder-david-brock/

  • Anonymous

    Baffle with BS:  The national debt as of today is 15.368 trillion (and going up every second.)
    So, it took Bush eight years to add 5-trillion to the nat debt; Obama has added
    5-trillion in under 4 years.

    Bush – bad
    Obama – worse

  • Just some Blow Hard…

    Watch everything. read everything. Question everything, especially stuff you agree with.  Only then will you find truth. 

  • Anonymous

    Yes  that’s right.Call a liberal a paranoid schizophrenic.  Huckabee , that is a serious mental illness and not some insult to be bandied about.  As if Fox News is impartial.  Lets be real , conservative, liberal,  rightwing, leftwing everyone sees the world through their personal perceptions and one’s politics for that matter.

  • AIiveStiIIKickin

     Wow!!
    You sound just like an abortion “Doctor”

  • Anonymous

    While FNC is not free in Canada, like CNN, it certainly is NOT illegal.

  • Anonymous

    so media matters is wanting to do investigative reporting on the facts.

    no wonder fux newz is upset.

  • Anonymous

    If only you’d same the same of Glenn Beck using other left-wing progressives and George Soros’ own clips and words to show millions of Americans what they believe in and who they are.

  • AIiveStiIIKickin

     I never heard FOX state what I wrote.
    If you have…post a link.
    Otherwise…..well….you know….

  • AIiveStiIIKickin

     Hey, John…..How would you like to meet my ex-wife?

  • Anonymous

    BS. Republicans are pathological liars- they would not recognize the truth if it were printed in a 40 font.

  • Anonymous

    Fox sucks and so foes anyone who watches those cretins.

  • Anonymous

    Honestly, I never saw that kind of thing on Beck.  I didn’t watch him much but when I did tune in, he seemed to be frantically running around on the chalk boards trying to imply nefarious intentions to things like the Girl Scouts, the tides foundation, the firefighters unions, etc…   

    I’ve seen Eric B-whatsisnames columns and a few others on Media Matters, but beyond that it seems mostly to be reposting much more than original editorial material.   

  • daveinboca

    You must be talking about Brock, right?

  • daveinboca

    It’s the past and present MMFA employees who are telling the Daily Caller that Brock is barking mad schizo…!   They had to work with this “former conservative,” a shape-changer like Arianna Puffington.

  • daveinboca

    Johnt is an Alinsky-type violent bitchboy—-a typical hypocrite libtard.

  • daveinboca

    Your calculations remind me of the Churchill line: “lies, damned lies, and statistics.”   No group lies more than the democrats and their polls and their phony statistics, shithead.

  • Anonymous

    The DC is reporting that Brock’s ex was paid nearly a $850K to prevent disclosure of MMFA issues.   http://www.myfoxdfw.com/dpp/news/Media-Matters-boss-paid-former-partner-850G-blackmail-settlement_99596180

    What a strange story… 

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