They're Not Exactly Papal Persons

The passing of John Paul II may be major news, but to the Outfoxed gals it's a big yawn. Or worse. Updated! We should have known they would find some way to lie about it all.

John Paul II was one of the most beloved Popes in modern history. His passing is a time for contemplation and reflection. But others have a different reaction. The main sense one gets from the newshounds (another fine product of the Outfoxed mafia) is one of irritation that "important" stories are being deliberately ignored for something so trivial as the death of Karol Wojtyla:

Smith broke in to say their was a Fox News Alert that the Pope's condition has worsened....I will continue to monitor all of this extra attention that the Pope has been getting on Studio B. --Reported by: Donna --Reported by ellen at March 31, 2005 03:52 PM

many if not most people are not all that interested in this minute-by-minute coverage....This weekend is going to be a good time to do some spring cleaning or yardwork. --Reported by chrish at April 1, 2005 11:29 PM

Fox News is using the death of Pope John Paul II as an excuse to eliminate all that bad business news from the pages of its four Saturday morning "business news" programs. Undoubtedly, the Bush administration is very, very pleased. --Reported by Melanie at April 2, 2005 11:39 PM

Hmm. A bulletin on the condition of the Pope becomes "all this extra attention", and chrish couldn't care less about any of it? Such compassion. To the anti-Fox terriers, it's a big ho-hum.

But perhaps they're just playing to their base. What follows are actual comments posted to the newspups' site. We made a point to choose from those who are consistent defenders of the curs (not that difficult a selection process, actually, given how quickly the rottweilers move to delete messages and ban commenters when they disagree with the echo chamber). It is in these postings by the newspoodles' Amen Corner that one gets the full flavor of the hound attitudes toward the Pontiff. They show clearly the kind of company the anti-Fox terriers keep:

I still wonder why Faux is showing all of this interest in the Pope - I think they are trying to meld the Catholics with the Evangelicals - I don't think so. --Posted by: Scarlet, PbD at March 31, 2005 06:33 PM

The reason Fox is covering the Pope is because everyone else is, he's a Christian (even tho' he's not the neo-cons type of Christian) and it reminds their viewership of the 'murder' of Schiavo. --Posted by: RadMod at April 2, 2005 12:05 AM

I swear -- Faux has gone crazy over the Pope. They have the evangelicals, they want to make sure they get the Catholics.--Posted by: Scarlet, PbD at March 16, 2005 11:36 AM

I don't know that the Pope had anything to do with [the fall of Communism] really. If he did have that much to do with it, then how come Communist China hasn't fallen, did the Pope stop caring? --Posted by: kodiak PbD at February 22, 2005 08:24 PM

The "seeming" importantance [sic] to the story, based on the news coverage can only reaffirm to the sheep that they are truly intune [sic] and inline [sic] with everyone's beliefs. Sad. ---Posted by: godsownpartier at April 1, 2005 07:08 PM

Is it just me, or is the situation at the Vatican beginning more and more to resemble 'Weekend At Bernie's'? --Posted by: Leftist at March 29, 2005 10:02 AM

I've been thinking about how Faux has been pushing the Pope so much this month, covering his health, day in and day out. Even having a special on him. One day they even covered a whole hour show on him when he had his tracheotomy. I'm just wondering if it has anything to do with the fact that Jeb Bush is a converted Catholic now and they're gearing up for another Bush in the White House when Bubble Boy is through trashing it. --Posted by: Scarlet, PbD at March 27, 2005 06:12 PM

the Pope talking about sex. Why not Carrot Top on quantum physics? --Posted by: Gabby Hayes at August 6, 2004 10:50 PM

The fevered brain of many a Pope and Bishop works in delirious ways! --Posted by: Kent Brockman at December 3, 2004 05:26 PM

I still hate the Pope and all he stands for. --Posted by: Gabby Hayes at August 31, 2004 07:03 PM

God is choosing now to take away the Pope because of Neil Pavone and Randall Terry and even the Pope himself for wanting to prolong Terri's suffering. --Posted by: troublemaker at April 1, 2005 07:04 PM

A man who lives in a city of gold, which is also a country, who has been waited on hand and foot for roughly 30 years is about to die at the ripe old age of 130? I'm shocked! I think ifeel [sic] a tear coming on...oh, that's just my pink eye acting up. "REALLY OLD GUY DIES" will be the headline for the next couple of weeks then it will turn to "PRETTY OLD GUY CHOSEN TO SUCCEED HIM". --Posted by: jeff "Evangelicals are like cockroaches " valcarcel at April 2, 2005 03:41 AM

Really. No further comment is necessary.

Update: Melanie has revised and extended her remarks (excerpted above) involving the devious Fox Plot to hide business news:

business websites such as Bloomberg, CNBC, the Wall Street Journal, London's Financial Times, the New York Times' business page, and CNN's Lou Dobbs (to name but a few), are all posting business news. Meanwhile, Fox's "business" websites, Bulls and Bears, Cashin' In, Cavuto on Business, and Forbes on Fox, post this:
FOX News Channel's regularly scheduled programming has been pre-empted so we can bring you the latest on Pope John Paul II....Stay tuned to FOX News Channel.
That's it. Comment: Interesting that Fox News is using the death of Pope John Paul II as an excuse to eliminate all that bad business news from the pages of its four Saturday morning "business news" programs. Undoubtedly, the Bush administration is very, very pleased.

Melanie is not telling the truth. The four titles listed are not "Fox's 'business' websites". They are pages to promote four weekend programs. How could Fox "eliminate" business news from pages that are there to list guests and topics for upcoming broadcasts? She wants the reader to think these are Fox's pages for covering business news. Another doggie deception.

Fox's real "business website" can be easily found. That's why Melanie doesn't tell anyone there is a business section, let alone give its web address. Just go to the top stories menu on the Fox homepage and select "business". There one will find the stories Melanie claims were "eliminated". In fact, while Melanie was lying about stories being removed, the front page of the business section was sitting there, in plain sight:

We blame ourselves for not realizing that the mendacity of the Fox-haters never ceases, even in a time of international mourning.

posted: Sun - April 3, 2005 at 12:36 AM j$p send

Mike
The newshounds and their followers' opinions of Catholics seems to be driven by the tone of Fox coverage. Consider the recent post "Happy St Patrick's Day?", Reported by nancy on March 18, 2005:

> Considering all the fluff they normally cover, it's pretty amazing that FNL yesterday (3/17) managed to ignore St Patrick's Day.

To which "BushisOurRuination" commented:

> This is outrageous! Virtually NO coverage of this christian* celebration on a major news outlet! I'm especially surprised at O'Reilly and Hannity! This is yet another example of how the mainstream media attempts to marginalize and/or persecute we christians*!

> *(Are Catholics considered christians in FNC's version of reality? Or are Evangelicals and Protestants the only christians being persecuted according to FNC?)

If Fox had given lesser coverage to the Pope, Scarlet PbD would have commented thusly, instead of the quote you gave:

"I swear -- Faux has COMPLETELY IGNORED the Pope. SINCE [t]hey have the evangelicals, they DON'T CARE IF they get the Catholics."
April 3, 2005, 2:42:15 PM EDT – Like – Reply

Mike
Commenting to "GWBush's Bad Business = No Business On Fox," the illustrious "Gabby Hayes" said:

> Fox News is milking the Pope for every Catholic voter. They're the Ministry of Propaganda, doing their work daily to further the administration's agenda. (April 3, 2005 04:06 AM)

"Gabby Hayes" has previously demonstrated his special knowledge through his supreme skills as a prognosticator:

> ...you're taking the big fall in the fall, and this time next, Rove will be under indictment. (August 1, 2004 06:30 PM)

> Berger will not be indicted... (August 2, 2004 02:17 PM)
April 3, 2005, 2:54:38 PM EDT – Like – Reply

johnny dollar
Hehe.
April 3, 2005, 3:47:29 PM EDT – Like – Reply

Mike
In "GWBush's Bad Business = No Business On Fox," Melanie notes the "very bad day on Wall Street" that Fox is hiding:

> The Dow closed down 99.46 points, ending at 10,404.
> The Nasdaq fell 14.42 points and closed at 1,984.81.
> The price of a barrel of oil rose above $57.00 (for the first time ever) and closed at $57.27.
> The March job creation numbers were released: 110,000 jobs were created; half the number Wall Street predicted...

But on FOXNews.com, a story titled "Stocks Fall Amid Renewed Inflation Fears
Sunday," April 03, 2005, reported:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,152183,00.html

> "The Dow Jones industrial averagewas down 99.46 points, or 0.95 percent, to end at 10,404.30."
> "The technology-laced Nasdaq Composite Index was down 14.42 points, or 0.72 percent, to finish at 1,984.81." (On Friday, FOXNews.com ran a storytitled "Crude Oil Settles at Record High Above $57"):
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,152222,00.html
> "A barrel of light crude rose $1.87 to settle at $57.27."
> "...the Labor Department's (search) jobs report, which showed that only 110,000 new jobs were created in March, half of the 220,000 economists had expected."

Not a very good job of "hiding." Bush will be mad.
April 3, 2005, 3:58:17 PM EDT – Like – Reply

Kim
JD,

Respectfully, I would like to submit some other comments regarding the Pope:

May Pope John Paul II rest in peace.
Posted by: JP at April 2, 2005 05:00 PM

And I am sorry for Pope John Paul II as well. I am not Catholic and I disagreed with him on many things, but death is always sorrowful. Peace to him and to his followers the world over.
Posted by: Maggie, PbD at April 2,
2005 05:05 PM

I'm not catholic or follow any sort of religion but i'm glad John Paul II is now at peace! he did more for peace in a day than bush ever has done in his life! I hope the next pope can live up to and exceed the standard that he has set.. R.I.P.
Posted by: solitaire at April 2, 2005 05:47 PM

I am glad he was able to face his finals days with out fear of death and with a dignity all of us should aspire to.
Posted by: Kim, Pb.D at April 2, 2005 06:35 PM

I haven't been religious for a number years but I have the utmost respect for Pope John Paul II. May he rest in peace.
Posted by: John at April 2, 2005 03:36 PM

And, goodbye to the Pope, a religious man and a conservative that actually practiced what he preached, and lived by the rules he thought everyone should...
Posted by: KEG at April 2, 2005 04:11 PM

Please lets not lump this in with poor Terri Schavio. To Catholics the pope is their "father", they will mourn his passing as they would their father
osted by: anisha PbD at April 1, 2005 08:04 PM

Kudos to the Pope for recognizing that his earthly time is up and choosing to leave the world with courage and dignity.

I can't talk about this stuff anymore. It's simply too heartbreaking.
Posted by: Ribs at April 1, 2005 08:53 PM

Also, several of the comments you posted weren't made as remarks concerning the Pope's passing, and at least one was in regards to the Papacy in general, not this specific Pope.

Thanks for allowing me to post, JD. I just felt a little balance in regards to our view of the Pope's passing was necessary.

PS, I just wanted to tell you (I am sure you know) that someone calling themselves "john e dollar" is posting at News Hounds direct copies from your site, without attributing them to you. I don't know, you may not care but I wouldn't like it, if it were me.

Take care.
April 4, 2005, 9:34:15 AM EDT – Like – Reply

johnny dollar
Thank you for your comments. You are correct that there have been reasonable, sympathetic comments regarding the Pope. Too bad the newshounds themselves couldn't see fit to post articles in that vein, instead of complaining about the coverage and suggesting this is the time to cut the grass.

However, the derisive, negative comments are there also. These comments have not exactly been met with a storm of disagreements. Indeed, the people who posted the worst comments are the staunchest defenders of the newshounds! This is the company the newshounds keep.
April 4, 2005, 9:40:00 AM EDT – Like – Reply

Kim
Fair enough, this is your site and you can post what you want.

These sympathetic comments also came from people like me, and others, who are staunch defenders of News Hounds, and they have not been met with disagreement, ether.

One posted article pointed out that not only Fox, but other major networks have been doing wall-to-wall coverage of the Pope, and I agree with the sentiment that a good many important stories have been ignored, which I feel that the Pope would not have wanted.

Thank you for allowing me to express my views, hope you have a good day.
April 4, 2005, 9:55:11 AM EDT – Like – Reply

johnny dollar
Well that's the nicest thing a fan of the hounds has ever said to me!
April 4, 2005, 10:01:34 AM EDT – Like – Reply

Ira
On Friday, if FNC was over-covering the Pope to allegedly hide the bad day on Wall Street, so were CNN and MSNBC. I don't believe the News Hounds accused those networks of helping President Bush.

And if Fox was "hiding" the bad news on Wall Street, they were also "hiding" the highly questionable Sandy Berger plea bargain, something that basically embarrasses the Clinton Administration. Ditto MSNBC and CNN.

As the late Alabama Governor George Wallace might have said: "Maybe there ain't a dime's worth of difference between these three networks!"
April 4, 2005, 8:21:02 PM EDT – Like – Reply