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In the aftermath of this Wednesday's hearings on Benghazi, which the right has been hyping for weeks, as Chris Hayes and his guests, Rep. Carolyn Maloney and Media Matters' Eric Boehlert discussed, they turned out to be nothing more than a bust.

Surprise, surprise, right?

As Media Matters has documented, it was hard to keep track of all of the lies and myths being pushed by the right and by Fox News ahead of today's hearings, and but once they actually got started, there was very little to no new information, but plenty of attempts to lay the whole mess at Hillary Clinton's feet.

Maloney reiterated what she said during the hearing today about the Republicans and their motives:

“I find it truly disturbing and very unfortunate that when Americans come under attack the first thing some did in this country was attack Americans, attack the military, attack the president, attack the State Department, attack the former senator from the great state of New York and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton,” Maloney said, before going on to question the witnesses on the fact that the secretary of state’s signature is included on all sorts of documents he or she never actually sees.

Fox's coverage of the hearing was hardly what you'd call "fair and balanced" with them cutting away from the Democrats constantly during the hearing, including Rep. Maloney, which Hayes showed her a portion of during their discussion here.

As Maloney told Hayes during the segment as well, Republicans are entitled to their own opinions about the attacks and what went wrong, but they're not entitled to their own facts and even after being debunked, Chairman Issa is still refusing to take down their lies about Hillary Clinton on their web site.

As Hayes and Boehlert discussed, compared to other administrations, attacks on U.S. diplomatic targets are actually way down under the Obama administration. We all know that doesn't matter in Republican-land though, where their alternative reality refuses to acknowledge anything that happened prior to President Obama being elected.

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The Young Turks' Cenk Uygur speaks with Media Matters' Eric Boehlert about their recent report on our news networks all but ignoring the awful pending legislation called the Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA. Here's more from their report:

REPORT: News Networks Ignore Controversial SOPA Legislation:

Controversial legislation that the co-founder of Google has warned "would put us on a par with the most oppressive nations in the world" has received virtually no coverage from major American television news outlets during their evening newscasts and opinion programming. The parent companies of most of these networks, as well as two of the networks themselves, are listed as official "supporters" of this legislation on the U.S. House of Representatives' website.

As the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) makes its way through Congress, most major television news outlets -- MSNBC, Fox News, ABC, CBS, and NBC -- have ignored the bill during their evening broadcasts. One network, CNN, devoted a single evening segment to it. (The data on lack of coverage is based on a search of the Lexis-Nexis database since October 1, 2011. The Nexis database does not include comprehensive daytime coverage, and also does not include Shep Smith's 7pm nightly Fox News program, so both are excluded from the study.) [...]

The legislation also has powerful supporters. As Carr laid out in his article, "Virtually every traditional media company in the United States loudly and enthusiastically supports SOPA." This includes the parent companies of the TV news outlets now ignoring the fury over the bill during their primetime broadcasts, as well as two of the channels themselves.

ABC and CBS are listed as supporters of the bill on the House Judiciary Committee website, along with Comcast/NBCUniversal (which owns MSNBC and NBC News), Viacom (CBS), News Corporation (Fox News), and Time Warner (CNN). Disney Publishing Worldwide, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Corporation, which owns ABC, is also listed as a supporter, as are other Disney properties such as ESPN and Hyperion publishing.

To their credit, the online arms of most of these news outlets have posted regular articles about the fight over the legislation, but their primetime TV broadcasts remain mostly silent. Read on...

Good for Current TV for not ignoring the story as well. Here's more on the action being considered to protest the legislation -- Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Twitter considering “nuclear option” to protest SOPA.

And in an update, this legislation is so bad, it looks like even Paul Ryan is going to oppose it -- Paul Ryan Drops His Support Of SOPA.

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Media Matters Eric Boehlert joined the Ed Schultz show to discuss the strategy by the GOP presidential candidates to continually run to Fox News and then demonize the rest of the media and how that's working out for them. As Boehlert noted, it may work to win some of the early primary states, but they're not going to have a lot more trouble continuing it in the general election.

Here's more from Media Matters on the GOP "Fox Primary" race -- More Fox News Primary Woes:

Note to Republican candidates: If you want to survive through to the primaries do not become the object of Fox News' affection. That seems to be the kiss of death in this year's TV-driven campaign season.

Honestly, does wannabe kingmaker Roger Ailes and his team jinx every candidate they embrace? It's starting to look that way as Herman Cain's campaign continues to unravel.

Remember, as Media Matters recently detailed, between June and November this year Cain logged an astounding 69 appearances on Fox, totaling more than ten hours of airtime, as the channel gladly powered his campaign for months at a time. Free of charge. But now his run seems to be all but over.

Cain's spectacular fall mirrors recent GOP implosions, like the ones suffered by Donald Trump and Rick Perry, both of whom were heralded by Fox News as can't-miss stars for 2012.

Not to mention Fox News' other disappointments; the possible candidates who the channel relentlessly hyped and pleaded with to run (Chris Christie, Sarah Palin), only to have them beg off, leaving Ailes' crew crest-fallen.

The futile search for the Fox News Candidate of 2012 continues.

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Keith Olbermann took the night off on Current TV with his fellow former MSNBC contributor David Shuster filling in for him, which makes me wonder if Shuster might be one of the next people to be announced as one of Current TV's new lineup as they bring in new shows.

Speculation aside, Shuster talked to Media Matters' Eric Boehlert about the scandal with News of the World and how that has been covered at their American "news" channel, Fox News here in the U.S., and as Boehlert and Shuster noted here it's either been all but ignored or their coverage has tried to deflect it as part of some problem that has nothing to do with the media company's legal problems.

You can read more at Media Matters and how this story has been covered by our corporate media here -- REPORT: How CNN, MSNBC, And Fox Are Covering News Corp. Hacking Scandal*:

News Corp.'s long-simmering phone-hacking scandal has reignited, throwing its global media empire into turmoil. As allegations of hacking into private citizens' voicemail increase, media and tabloid practices have been called into question. With a large and influential presence in the United States, News Corp. and its subsidiaries (including Fox News) should be under intense scrutiny in the American press. A Media Matters analysis has found great disparity in the amount of coverage given to the scandal by CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News.

Analysis: CNN Covered News Corp.'s Hacking Scandal In More Than 100 Segments

CNN And MSNBC Report On News Corp. Scandal More Than Twice As Often As Fox News. According to a Media Matters analysis**, in the nine days since the News Corp. phone-hacking scandal reignited, CNN reported on the developing story in 108 segments, MSNBC covered the story in 71 segments, and Fox News covered the story in 30 segments.

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Hardball's Chris Matthews has finally started paying attention to the fact that Glenn Beck's show is nothing but fear mongering and incoherent rants and touting nonsensical conspiracy theories. Media Matter's Eric Boehlert and The Washington Post's Eugene Robinson discuss some of Beck's latest wingnuttery with the uprisings in the Middle East.

They also spent a little time discussing neocon Frank Gaffney who's been spreading panic about the Muslim Brotherhood taking over our government that John wrote about yesterday. Maybe Matthews will finally quit having him on as a guest on Hardball after this.

Best line in the segment by Eugene Robinson after Matthews asks him if Beck has any sense of history:

ROBINSON: This is the stuff normally you would prescribe medication.

Ain't that the truth?

Full transcript via Lexis Nexis.

MATTHEWS: Welcome back to HARDBALL. As the crisis continues in Egypt and may continue on for quite a while, if you listen to Dr. Brzezinski, the right wing, led by Glenn Beck, continues to traffic in conspiracy theories. Why not? They have more to do with scaring this country than getting the truth out of what`s happening over there.

So what are they up to this time? Well, Eric Boehlert is a senior fellow with Media Matters, and Eugene Robinson`s a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for "The Washington Post."

Gentlemen, thank you both for being with us. And I sometimes -- I`m not surprised by right or left-wing argument in this country. Sometimes the rhetoric is rather wholesome. Now, catch Glenn Beckon Tuesday night, this diatribe about the Caliphate. He starts talking about ancient Babylon. See if you can follow this. I did. Let`s listen.

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Media Matters' Eric Boehlert joined Ed Schultz to discuss the leaked email that David posted about earlier here today, and the launch of their new email address where Fox employees can contact them anonymously.

Fox exec directs staff to slant news reporting:

Media Matters releases internal Fox emails obtained from network source, encourages more to come forward

Washington, DC -- Today, Media Matters for America released emails, obtained from a Fox News source, showing Washington managing editor Bill Sammon directing staff not to use the phrase "public option" when discussing health care reform legislation. The emails, which were sent during the height of the health care debate, echoed Republican pollster Frank Luntz's appearance on Hannity where he encouraged host Sean Hannity not to use "public option," but instead use the term "government option" because "if you call it the 'government option,' the public is overwhelmingly against it."

"Fox News' overt political activism -- as evidenced in this instance by Sammon's email -- has gotten so bad that network insiders are coming to us to help expose it," said Ari Rabin-Havt, Executive Vice President at Media Matters. "Fox can expect much more."

Rabin-Havt added: "We're also launching whistleblower@mediamatters.org, an email address where conscientious Fox News employees can anonymously send examples of their employer's complete disregard for journalism."

Hopefully they'll get some more tips like this one soon.

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As Digby pointed out yesterday in her Moving Goalpost Alert, Chris Matthews has a problem if he thinks that John Boehner and Mitch McConnell represent the "center" of anything. And why does someone like Chris Matthews who's been either involved in or covering politics for decades now constantly need to be reminded that Newt Gingrich has been throwing flames for ages now and is nothing but a class-A hypocrite that should not be taken seriously?

This is not the first time in recent months that his guests have had to remind him of Newt's background.

MATTHEWS: We’re back now.

That’s former House Speaker Newt Gingrich at the Values Voter Summit on Saturday. As the Tea Party ramps up the red hot rhetoric on the right, Newt spewing out the molten lava. Here’s more of him on Saturday. Lets listen if we can.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GINGRICH: I have no problem with the mosques that exist in New York City that are peaceful and that obey American law. But I am opposed to any effort to impose Sharia on the United States and we should have a ...we should have a federal law that says, under no circumstances in any jurisdiction in the United States will Sharia used by any court to apply to any judgment made about American law.

And we should make clear to Justice Breyer and Justice Kagan, who both seem confused on this topic, that no judge will remain in office who tries to use Sharia law to interpret the American Constitution.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEWS: What do we make of this? Its sort of like Professor Henry Hill from hell.
Joe Conason writes for Salon.com and the "New York Observer." And Eric Boehlert is a senior fellow at "Media Matters."

Eric, how do you decide with what to do with stuff that’s so outlandishly awful, there’s nobody imposing Sharia law or Islamic law, cutting off hands and stoning in the United States. No judge is pushing it. And yet, the yahoos are buying it from a guy whops not a yahoo. Hess worse than a yahoo -- a guy who knows better and hes playing to them. Your thoughts.

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Media Matters Eric Boehlert spent a little time talking to Ed Schultz about how Rand Paul and Sharron Angle have taken up the Sarah Palin mantle for how to deal with the press. Throw some stones on right wing radio or ClusterFox or some other right wing outlet where you're going to have a friendly audience. When the local media tries to get you to do an interview, run from them. Ignore the local media when they try to get you to do an interview and dismiss them as being biased against you. And then play the victim if they do some negative reporting anyway.

Thankfully as Eric Boehlert pointed out, even if this strategy is working on a national level, both Paul and Angle are not getting away with it on a local level.

BOEHLERT: Actually Sarah Palin has gotten a complete free ride. She has stiffed the press, told them... made it clear she's not going to deal with any of them. She posts, or her ghost writer posts on Facebook and the national press, you know, runs around and writes it down because it's important news. She has gotten a total free pass. She's not running for anything right now.

But in Kentucky and Nevada I think they... it's hurt them and the local press has made it known... has made this a story. The fact that they won't talk to the press has become a story and if you look at the polls it might be hurting them locally.

Now if we can just get them to do the same at a national level for any of them, especially our half-term Governor Sarah McQuitter if she throws her hat in for the Presidential race in 2012.

If you can't answer questions to what are just straight reporters and not pundits who are actually trying to do their jobs that should disqualify you for running for any office, and especially for the United States Senate and for President of the United States. Sadly our national corporate media has done nothing but undermine the work of the few real reporters we've got left out there.

How pitiful is it that as they reported here, Rand Paul even ran away from a local Fox affiliate after doing their national show?

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Andrew Breitbart brushed off an opportunity to apologize to USDA official Wednesday after he posted a selectively edited clip that appeared to show her admitting to using racial preferences.

A video posted on Breitbart's Big Government alleged that Shirley Sherrod withheld help to a white family based on the color of their skin. Based on that video, the NAACP condemned Sherrod and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack called for her resignation.

After obtaining and reviewing the unedited video, the NAACP apologized to Sherrod. Vilsack has said that he will reconsider her resignation.

Breitbart debated the handling of the video with Media Matters's Eric Boehlert on ABC Wednesday. Boehlert called on Breitbart to publicly apologize.

"Andrew had no idea what the context of the comments were but that didn't stop him from launching the smear campaign," said Boehlert. "That's what Andrew and Fox media does. It's contemptible. If he had decency, he would apologize to Shirley Sherrod and would stop with the race-beating that we've seen all summer."

For his part, Breitbart said that the posting of the video wasn't about Sherrod. Breitbart claims he posted the video to highlight the NAACP cheering for racist comments.

"What this video clearly shows is a standard that the Tea Party has not been held to," said Breitbart. "The NAACP, it shows people in the audience there, applauding her when she discriminates against a white farmer. That was the point that I was trying to make."

"What the NAACP is arguing about the Tea Party is that there are people in... there are people in the crowds of Tea Parties and they're rebuking the Tea Party on that behalf. And I'm telling you, that this is a standard. If you want to talk about people clapping racist behavior, that's exactly what you see in the video," Breitbart continued.

"I think he knows Mark Williams," Boehlert countered. "Mark Williams is a national spokesperson for the Tea Party, who was expelled for making racist comments. The NAACP called out the Tea Party for racist elements. There are clearly racist elements. You look at the Tea Party media. Glenn Beck is saying Barack Obama is orchestrating a race war. Rush Limbaugh is saying Obama is keeping unemployment artificially high to exact revenge on white America. There are clearly racist elements. This race-baiting is out of control and Andrew's smear on Shirley Sherrod is latest example," said Boehlert.

"This was never about Shirley Sherrod," Breitbart interrupted.

"So apologize to her," said Boehlert. "Post a correction. Apologize to her."

But Breitbart ignored Boehlert and stuck to his talking points. "This was not about Shirley Sherrod. This was about the smears that have gone against the Tea Party," he said.

Boehlert isn't the only one who has called on Breitbart to apologize. Conservative blogger Jonah Goldberg also thinks Breitbart should say he's sorry.

I think she should get her job back. I think she's owed apologies from pretty much everyone, including my good friend Andrew Breitbart. I generally think Andrew is on the side of the angels and a great champion of the cause. He says he received the video in its edited form and I believe him. But the relevant question is, Would he have done the same thing over again if he had seen the full video from the outset? I'd like to think he wouldn't have. Because to knowingly turn this woman into a racist in order to fight fire with fire with the NAACP is unacceptable. When it seemed that Sherrod was a racist who abused her power, exposing her and the NAACP's hypocrisy was perfectly fair game. But now that we have the benefit of knowing the facts, the equation is completely different.

One SFGate.com blogger thinks that Breitbart may even be in legal trouble. "Andrew Breitbart may be a target for the U.S. Department of Justice' Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section ("CCIPS") which is in the Criminal Division," wrote Zennie62.

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CPR's Rick Scott twists in the wind as he tries to explain how he as the CEO of HCA had no idea his former company was participating in the practice of upcoding, where they defrauded the Medicare system for more than a decade and were forced to pay a $1.7 billion fine, the highest in U.S. history.

SANCHEZ: It sure looks to me like he's pointing his finger right at you. Do you think he is?

SCOTT: I think he was.

SANCHEZ: Yes, yes. Do you -- do you take credit -- I was just having a conversation with Eric Boehlert and they said, look, this guy has got this Web site. In fact, I'll show it to the viewers again. There's your Web site right there. We'll take it all the way to the very top. People can see it. It's CPR, Conservatives for Patients' Rights.

And there, you tell people where they can go, to these town-hall meetings. You tell them what they can do. You show them videos of what's been done so far.

Some people have used the word "orchestrated." I'm not sure what word you would use. But do you take credit for making sure this is going on? SCOTT: It would be nice to, right? But -- because I believe that people ought to show up to these meetings. They ought to be nicer about it. But they ought to show up to these meetings and tell them what they think.

I think they ought to show up whatever side you're on. You ought to let people know. I mean, we're going through a significant debate about what ought to happen in health care. Show up and tell them what you think.

SANCHEZ: But -- but you're -- but -- but let's be fair about this. You're not trying to get everybody to go. You're trying to gin up the people who are going to be on your side. I mean, you've got a lot to gain from this, don't you?

SCOTT: Well, I believe -- I clearly believe that government-run health care will be bad for you as a patient. It will be bad for you as a taxpayer. It will be bad for our country. But most importantly, bad for you as a patient.

Now, would I rather people show up that care about the debate on -- the way I believe? Absolutely. But when I'm on radio -- I'm on a lot of talk radio. I say show up, read the bill.

SANCHEZ: But you know, let's talk about this, though. I mean, the accusation that the White House was essentially making, one that you haven't challenged yet to my knowledge. Maybe you will here now.

Columbia Hospital Corporation, which you founded...

SCOTT: Absolutely.

SANCHEZ: ... which later became HCA, which made you, from my understanding, incredibly wealthy, was charged with defrauding the government for more than a decade and had to pay a record fine of $1.7 billion.

I mean, some would argue, and it would be hard to say they're wrong, that you would be the poster child for everything that's wrong with the greed that has hurt our current health-care system. People would ask, why should they listen to you?

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