Sen. Boxer, former DNC chair McAuliffe rip on "fair and balanced" Fox

Media Matters recorded this brilliantly...

From the September 26 edition of Fox News Live:

BOXER: The Iraqi people have to step up to the plate and they have to defend their own country just as we did. And the American people want them to do it. The thing is we want them to succeed but they have to want to succeed as much as we want them to.

SKINNER: Well, Senator, President Bush would probably say he does have indications that they certainly do want to succeed. Thanks so much, Senator Barbara Boxer.

BOXER: Well, we all want to succeed -- it's our policy -- and I think our policy is not helping matters at all.

SKINNER: OK, well, as you know, the president said this morning the offense is not going to make us less safe -- disagreement with you -- we appreciate your perspective today.

BOXER: I hear that you agree with the president. I'm not surprised, OK.

SKINNER: We're just trying to bring both sides -- Senator Barbara Boxer of California.

BOXER: Oh, you're fair and balanced. Thank you very much.

SKINNER: Thank you very much. Indeed, we are.

From the September 26 edition of The Big Story with John Gibson:

GIBSON: Did the Clinton administration do more than the Bush administration to fight terror? Let's ask former DNC chair Terry McAulliffe. He served as head of the Democratic Party during the Clinton years. Now Terry, I've got a $20 bet here with the floor director that you are not going to be on the Democratic talking points and start this by attacking Fox News or Fox reporters. Do I win?

McAULIFFE: Oh, you know I love Fox News -- fair and balanced! Come on, I can't get on it enough!

GIBSON: All right. Good.

From the September 26 edition of Tucker:

CARLSON: It's interesting to see, since I covered Clinton, as you know, and you, for all of those years, it's interesting to see the attacking machine cranked up again. I notice you all are trying to paint Chris Wallace as some kind of -- over at Fox -- as some sort of right-wing lunatic.
You're aware of the fact that Chris Wallace, I don't think, is a right-winger, for one thing, but for another, you know, he had [Defense Secretary] Donald Rumsfeld on his show -- and I'm not here to defend Fox; I'm just telling the truth -- and he gave Rumsfeld a hard time about 9-11, too.

Why is it that every time someone calls the Clinton people to account they, all of a sudden, start screaming, "You're a right-winger! You're part of the conspiracy against us!" Why can't you evaluate criticism on its own terms? Why do you need to name-call?

McAULIFFE: I know Chris Wallace. I have appeared on the Fox Sunday show many times with Chris Wallace. Let me be crystal clear, Roger Ailes pays his paycheck, he is a tool for the Republican Party, and that's fine. I still go on his show --

CARLSON: You know what?

McAULIFFE: -- I still like Chris, but he is what he is, and now, let's not deceive ourselves.

CARLSON: That's just -- that's just -- you know what? That's just total -- that's just
McCarthyism. That's so low. It's --

McAULIFFE: Oh, it's McCarthyism?

CARLSON: Yes, it is. It's --

McCAULIFFE: You bet it is. You got the bow tie on too tight today, Tucker.

CARLSON: It's embarrassing, actually. It's embarrassing. I'm serious, Terry. Why can't you just evaluate --

McAULIFFE: Your bow tie's on too tight.

CARLSON: Why can't you just evaluate -- evaluate -- I'm not even wearing a bow tie, man.

McAULIFFE: You're not? Oh, you're out in California now, taking your little dance stuff, you know, so you're not wearing the bow tie anymore?

CARLSON: Look, if somebody -- look, if somebody says something, why not just say, "You know what? That's either reasonable, it's unreasonable, and here is why." Why is it always a personal attack against the motives of the person asking the question? Why is that your style? Why? That's what children do. You're not a child.

McAULIFFE: Tucker, you must be from outer space or you're out in California taking some hallucinogenic drugs. You're telling me about Fox? From the day Bill Clinton became president, it was one accusation after another; all some little two-bit thing after -- so please, don't talk to me about Fox and Bill Clinton. You have no credibility even saying it, and if you want to go back and look at the history of Fox when Bill Clinton was president of the United States -- they are a tool of the Republican Party, which is fine. I still go on their show.

CARLSON: OK. OK.

McCAULIFFE: I love to go on their show -- fair and balanced.

CARLSON: I'm not -- I'm not - I'm not going to defend -- look, I'm not here to defend Fox.
McAULIFFE: But it is what it is. Don't kid yourself.

CARLSON: I'm merely here to attack you. Now, let me -- let me just suggest that this is --

McAULIFFE: Oh, come on, Tucker.

VIDEO / LINK: Sen. Boxer, former DNC chair McAuliffe on "fair and balanced" Fox

-Mr. Joseph