Those plucky researchers from Outfoxed take on Fox and those pesky memos. One newhound, two articles, 43 minutes = phony quotations, gross distortions, one outright lie, and a rowback. Updated!

The gals who call themselves the newshounds (another fine product from the Outfoxed mob) have been uncharacteristically silent lately. After Dan Rather's specious "defense" of the suspicious memos aired, their masters must have told them they had the green light to break their 15-hour silence and go after Fox with renewed vigor. But unfortunately, not with renewed accuracy. (Wait, "renewed" accuracy? We'll have to rethink that phrasing.)

Their first "report" ("Memogate"), posted at 10:54 PM, is from "deborah", whose stunning commitment to accuracy has been documented previously. Regarding Hannity and Colmes, who interviewed Jerry Killian's son Gary, she writes:

When asked who was behind these memos by Hannity, Killian was non committal [sic] saying," We know these memos did not come from within our group."...I also am wary about his use of the word "group" instead of "family' which would have been more appropriate.

Once again, don't be fooled by newspoodle quote marks. They are rarely verbatim, and this time is no exception:

KILLIAM: I honestly have no idea who would have done it. We the family have spoken, and we know these memos didn't come from anybody within our group.

And then she adds this insightful nugget regarding Hannity's interview with Amy Barnes:

The fact that he made Amy's interview an exclusive, preventing Colmes from questioning her, creates more doubt.

Except for the fact that the interview with Amy Killiam was a taped replay from Hannity's radio show. It only said Radio Interview in huge letters (but not Times New Roman) splashed across the screen. Perhaps that explains why Alan Colmes didn't ask any questions, ya think?

One additional note on this article that we can't resist adding, because it says something about the sycophants who are among the dozen or so regular posters at the site. One of them added this priceless comment to deborah's article:

I'd want to hear from the father, himself. You'd figure if the memos were false like this, the father would've said something.

Calling Miss Cleo!

43 minutes later, deborah was back for more with a sequel ("Memogate - Phase II"):

When [Bruce] Shapiro mentioned that the story concerned Bush's missed time from the guard and not his flying record, Hannity lost it. "I didn't invite you on this show to talk about his guard service! I told you that three times." His tone was very nasty....Hannity, who appears to have orchestrated this Memogate process, was not about to allow anyone to shed doubt on his theory. His comment, "I didn't invite you on..." revealed to me Hannity's desire to make the show his own by trying to shut out Colmes.

But tivo demonstrates that it was not Hannity, but Alan Colmes, who first tried (unsuccessfully) to keep Mr Shapiro on topic:

SHAPIRO: The fact is, though, that what's interesting is that this is actually a smokescreen. This story doesn't change the fundamental facts of the controversy.
COLMES: But we'll get to that in the next segment with Bill Bennett: are the facts true in the story. What about this issue of revealing sources? [the actual subject matter of the segment!]

Oops. There goes the theory that keeping a guest on topic was a conspiracy by Sean Hannity to shut out Alan Colmes. So let's see where Mr Hannity did make the statement "quoted" by deborah (as usual, don't expect verbatim):

SHAPIRO: But Sean, this does not change the fundamental fact.
HANNITY: Wait. I'm not talking--we--I didn't invite you on this program to talk about his guard service. We're here to talk about the media. We'll do that in the next segment. For the third time we told you that.

That's we, as in Alan Colmes and Sean Hannity. Both. Then deborah moves in for the coup de grace:

Colmes was not given his time to make any points.

No matter how many times we try to explain it to the newspups, they refuse to admit that the two hosts get equal time for questioning, and keep repeating the lie that Alan Colmes gets "shut out". A check on this segment with our trusty Timex chronograph revealed the following timings:

Alan Colmes: 2:52
Sean Hannity: 2:44

So we post a comment there to this effect. A few minutes later the sentence about Colmes not getting his time is gone. Vanished. Poof! No admission of error, no notice of correction. Just a stealth rowback, with nary a peep about getting caught in another lie. Such is the level of honesty amongst the Outfoxed crowd.

Update: Some time after that sentence disappeared, deborah chimed in to explain herself:

• I meant that he [Colmes] was was obstructed by a shouting match.

But the piece now has new language added by deborah that contradicts her "explanation":

Despite the chaos, Colmes managed to get some good points in with Bozell and help Shapiro regain his footing so he could continue his role. Colmes's [sic] prefers to retain his dignity by avoiding the shouting matches so he finds ways to make his points with thoughtful questions.

And deborah adds (again way down the page in the comments section, nowhere near the rewritten article itself):

• I have corrected the piece for other reasons having nothing to do with your critique.

So the one sentence that is removed just happens to be the one we singled out as false--but that had nothing to do with our critique?

Whatever.