UPDATED - Fox News: Tom Ricks Apologized For Benghazi Criticism; Ricks: No, I Didn’t

[DonViejo]

Last edited Tue Nov 27, 2012, 05:29 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: TPM

Fox News Channel executive vice president Michael Clemente on Monday responded to the much-discussed interview with Tom Ricks, claiming that the Pulitizer Prize winner apologized privately for criticizing the network's coverage of the September attack in Benghazi, Libya. In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Clemente accused Ricks of using the interview to generate publicity for his new book, The Generals. Clemente also seemed to take exception to the lack of public contrition from Ricks.

“When Mr. Ricks ignored the anchor’s question, it became clear that his goal was to bring attention to himself -- and his book," Clemente told THR via email. "He apologized in our offices afterward but doesn’t have the strength of character to do that publicly."

But that's news to Ricks, who told THR in his own email that he never offered an apology to Fox — privately or publicly. "Please ask Mr. Clemente what the words of my supposed apology were. I'd be interested to know," Ricks said. "Frankly, I don't remember any such apology."

Watch the exchange between Ricks and Scott:

Read more: http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/fox-news-tom-ricks-apologized-for-benghazi-criticism

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Tom Ricks: Fox’s Bret Baier Knows I Didn’t Apologize

UPDATE: TOM KLUDT 3:23 PM EST, TUESDAY NOVEMBER 27, 2012

Author Tom Ricks continued his battle with Fox News on Tuesday in a series of emails with TPM, insisting that he never really apologized for attacking the network's coverage of the September attack in Benghazi in his now-viral interview.

Fox executive Michael Clemente has repeatedly said that Ricks apologized to the network following the Monday interview. But in the email to TPM, Ricks called Clemente's account "misleading."

"Rather than quote an offhand departure comment that is misleading, you should ask Bret Baier about the conversation I had with him after the interview," Ricks told TPM. "It was lengthy, and on point. And contained no apologies."

"You pretty much have my end of it," Ricks wrote in another email. "But there is more to be told by Fox."

-30-

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/ricks-foxs-bret-baier-knows-i-didnt-apologize

[mucifer]

1. That's pretty funny. They are so pathetic.

[curiousdemo]

38. Someone is lying....

I wonder who? Fox News that's who!!!!

[PA Democrat]

2. LOL. It just keeps getting better and better.

[KansDem]

3. Who'ya gonna to believe?

Proven liars or Mr. Ricks?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

4. What he actually said: "I am sorry that any American actually watches you and

believes that the crap you air is fact. What a sorry bunch of liars and GOP PR jerks you are."

Michael Clemente: "See? He said sorry! Twice!"

Ricks: "Sigh!"

Michael Clemente: " He just proved our point again!"

[bulloney]

5. Faux Snooze has zero credibility, and their lying has become more brazen and frequent.

It's like they don't care. They feel that they have enough of a base of dumb sheep who won't check on them for accuracy.

[kentauros]

11. The flock would never do such a thing to begin with.

Fox is their only source of news. They likely don't even know about this story

[Dakota Flint]

6. Isn't there anything that Fox News won't lie about?

[freshwest]

15. No. That's their raison d'être.

[dchill]

43. If they're not lying...

They're not doing their jobs.

[calimary]

47. Welcome to DU, Dakota Flint!

No. And - to use that phrase I HATE: "both sides," they do indeed lie about both sides. They make up all kinds of bad stuff about people on our side, in any way possible. They ignore and/or cover up all kinds of bad stuff about people on their side, also in any way possible.

Glad you're here! The more of us who see through their lies and other assorted bullshit, the better!!!!!

[Dakota Flint]

54. Thank you for your welcome but

I've been with DU daily since 2004. Just don't say much but appreciate the thought.

[calimary]

61. I have indeed found that at times - sometimes the low-post-count means exactly what you describe.

Even so! Glad you're here, even if you don't weigh in a lot!

[catbyte]

7. What a pathetic pile of fail.

[Plucketeer]

8. WOW!

What's SO laughable here is that we don't NEED Dorothy to "pull back the curtain" - the folks behind it are showing themselves voluntarily!

[Ganja Ninja]

9. What's one more lie to the people that built Bullshit Mountain?

If they told the truth just once, now that would stand out.

[1StrongBlackMan]

10. From what I have read/heard ...

“When Mr. Ricks ignored the anchor’s question, it became clear that his goal was to bring attention to himself -- and his book," Clemente told THR via email.

Ricks' book, entitled: The Generals, has nothing to do with Bengazi. And that makes since because the book was written long before Bengazi reached the rightwing lexicon.

That said ... the apology that Clemente speaks of was, "Sorry folks ... I gotta put an end to this fox-promoted lie."

[John2]

37. From the snippets

Mr Ricks was giving an explanation and it was Fox News that cut the interview off. What is I'm missing here? I didn't see Ricks ignore anything but the Fox anchor just didn't like what he was hearing from Mr Ricks on live air. This is the same strategy that I see with the whole Republican propaganda machine. They try to change every discussion to fit their views of things. I don't consider FOX a news organization at all, but a tool for Rupert Murdoch, so he can influence Public Opinion towards his views. That was a technique perfected by the Nazi Party and Joseph Goerbbels during the rise of the Third Reich.

[1StrongBlackMan]

42. True that ...

The first rule of examination/cross examination ... Never ask a question for which you do not know the answer (and have memorialized somewhere ... in course the subject goes off script).

[sarcasmo]

12. I knew he didn't, yesterday faux claimed he apologized in studio and didn't have the stones to

apologize publicly.

[caveat_imperator]

32. Wow. Ricks tells the truth about faux news and their response is to slander him

and risk being taken to court?

[calimary]

50. Welcome to DU, caveat_imperator!

Glad you're here! I dunno - does anybody sue for slander and/or libel in situations like this? Frankly, I think that should happen - and A LOT. Tie them up in court and force them to prove what they said was not a lie or an attempt to mislead. But it seems to me that if it was doable, Pox Noise would have been sued so often that it'd be bankrupted.

[1StrongBlackMan]

13. Now, if ...

THR (whoever that is) were a journalistic organization, they would do as Ricks requests, no challenges, and ask Clemente, "what the words of (Ricks') supposed apology were."

Then print the response ... if any.

[yellowcanine]

14. Ricks did not "ignore" Scott's question. He just did not answer it to his liking.

There is a difference. Scott and Fox News got punked by Ricks and they are having a lot of trouble handling that, given that Ricks has military creds and they don't. I also do not believe that Ricks apologized.

[LisaLynne]

17. If you don't say what they want to hear, they hear nothing.

This illustrates that perfectly. And I also agree with you that Ricks did NOT apologize. It's really pathetic that they made that up.

[Berlum]

16. Fox (R) lying about their lies

How Republican of them.

[nxylas]

18. Funny way of drawing attention to your book

The only mentions I saw of it were in the onscreen graphics and captions. Ricks himself never mentioned it.

[yellowcanine]

21. Yeah I didn't hear Ricks mention the book either.

More Fox projectile vomiting.

[Jennicut]

19. I need to get some popcorn.

This is getting good.

Faux News lies. What else is new?

[frylock]

20. what does it say about the strength of character of someone who would lie..

about the strength of someone's character? fuck these lying assholes. fuck. them.

[SCVDem]

22. Be seein' ya!

On all the talk shows, comedy news, and with up to the minute reports from MSNBC.

Shine the light on the lies!

Would CNN have him on live?

[The Wizard]

23. The HMS Pox News

has struck a reef and is floundering on the rocks. It is the Titanic of broadcasting, losing money just to push an untenable political agenda. Throw them anchors (no pun intended). Unleash the sharks and barracudas.

[MADem]

24. Hee hee.....he hasn't changed! Good on him! nt

[Botany]

25. So the whole segment was just a lead into this lass talking about cyber Monday?

But to those that live in the Fox Bubble they will still think that Tom Ricks apologized
to Fox for being rude.

[The Wielding Truth]

26. He answered the question on Benghazi.

[AlbertCat]

27. it became clear that his goal was to bring attention to himself

Uh.... what, did he FORCE his way on your show, or did you ask him to come on? Who goes on TV NOT to "bring attention to himself"? Exactly how do you interview someone and ask their opinion (because the are an expert)without bringing attention to them????

What the hell is Fox News obviously lying about now?

[blackspade]

28. It sounds like he answered the question to me.

[reflection]

29. Ignored the anchor's question?

I must have missed that part.

[blue_heron]

30. Rachel needs to invite him

on her show, so he can repeat what he said, and he can say he didn't apologize, and he can continue making his point without having his interview ended abruptly.

the point he was making was very valid. There are many lives lost that are not scrutinized, where something went very wrong, and lessons could be learned.

[calimary]

49. Welcome to DU, blue_heron!

Wouldn't surprise me if that happened somewhere on MSNBC's prime time lineup. I'd almost expect it to show up on Al Sharpton's show. He's been getting some pretty great scoops - including the first interview I'm aware of, with James Earl Carter IV - complete with Carter's new vintage video find (in this case, it was lee atwater holding court with eager acolytes, talking about the rationale for dog-whistle messaging.

Happy you're here with us! We need you! Stay vigilant!

[alcibiades_mystery]

31. Ricks looks like the kind of guy who would put your teeth down your throat for lying on him

I'd be careful in Georgetown bars if i was Michael Clemente.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

35. Good point!

[caveat_imperator]

33. I hope he sics his lawyer on them for this.

Aren't these false claims that Ricks apologized and is too cowardly to do so in public outright slander?

[coalition_unwilling]

34. From Ron Suskind's "The One Percent Doctrine":

The aide said that guys like me were "in what we call the reality-based community," which he defined as people who "believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality." ... "That's not the way the world really works anymore," he continued. "We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality—judiciously, as you will—we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors…and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reality-based_community

[hue]

36. Haha! Ricks is my new hero!!!!

[Rob H.]

39. LOL

So he callls Faux News on their bullshit in public, on the air and they think he won't call them on their bullshit when they're not on the air? That just proves that in addition to being liars, the blow-dried talking heads and their handlers at Faux are stupid and cowardly, too!

[DEMLISTENER]

40. Too much Benghazi

Sick of hearing about this from the talking heads, but especially the senators and congressmen. If this is the most important thing they have to worry about as our economy tanks I would advise they retire and/or step down and make room for the next generation with some fresh ideas.

[hrmjustin]

41. Welcome to DU!

[calimary]

48. Welcome to DU, DEMLISTENER!

Good to have you here! Basically they're clinging to ANYTHING that might a) take their limited minds off the FACT that even they can't ignore - that President Obama was reelected; and b) serve as raw material they can use to manipulate public opinion, turn citizens against our President, and maybe, just maybe, use it to drum up enough of a scandal that they can somehow plant the seeds for impeachment. Because Hell knows they sure weren't able to get rid of him on Election Night.

If voter suppression doesn't work, there's always voter nullification. Unfortunately, these assholes don't know when to quit. Which means we've GOT to stay vigilant!!!

[Faryn Balyncd]

44. Fox owes the American people & the FCC an apology for ATTEMPTED impersonation of a news organization

[YOHABLO]

45. Now They're Lying About An Apology .. Oh yeah, Fox sorry ..

we called you on you BS and now to save face you just make up another lie. Fascist pigs!

[SunSeeker]

46. Fox claims Ricks said, ""Sorry…I’m tired from a non-stop book tour."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/27/tom-ricks-didnt-apologize-fox-news-interview_n_2197136.html

Even if he actually said that, I don't see that as taking back the statements he made in the interview. At best, it is an explanation for his bluntness. I am glad he didn't have the energy to use euphemisms. It is about time someone told it like it is on Fox.

[Cha]

51. We said Clemente was a Liar on Monday. nm

[LisaMCdonald]

52. Beautiful!

Faux SnoozeFighting with their own guests/experts?
Fox News is going down, Laura ingraham is going off the air, Repubs are leaving Grover Norquist, Donald Trump said we Repubs have to stop being so hateful .... now were getting somewhere!

Now this change I can Believe in.... Music to my EARS....

[mikki35]

53. THE LIGHTBULB JUST WENT OFF!!!!!!

I get it now! I get it! Yahoo!!!

THIS is where they got their completely bogus Obama "APOLOGY TOUR" BS!!!

[Curmudgeoness]

55. You could tell by the smile on his face at the end

that he knew exactly what he was doing......and he was not remorseful.

Tom Ricks, my newest hero.

[ashling]

56. Ricks should sue for slander

I'd like to be in on the depositions and discovery for that one

[dregstudios]

57. More and More from Bullsh*t Mountain

The talking heads guarding the inhabitants of Bullsh*t Mountain from rejoining the world of the sane just won't budge an inch will they? Fox News is a propaganda machine which dumbs down America by the day through disinformation and their slanted agendas. See their anchors spewing forth feces from their mouths in my visual homage to the network on my artist’s blog at http://dregstudiosart.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-fox-news-scylla-guardian-of-bullsht.html

[Sadiedog]

58. I hate faux more and more

and when I think that I could not possibly dislike them more something else happens. I feel the same way about the party they shill for! It`s weird that growing up I always knew that Republicans would hate me and all I stand for but there were times when a few of them seemed reasonable. Now it`s like all the crazies took over and Wow! I was actually feeling so good after the election hoping that things might get better but now I have my doubts!

[nakocal]

59. Fox News - where republican sheep go to be told what to think

[Angry Dragon]

60. Fox had him on to promote his book

unless they had a different agenda and did not tell their guest

[Yavin4]

62. A little sun light of truth shone on Bullshit Mountain n/t

[BootinUp]

63. We should be grateful that Faux news has jumped the shark so publicly

They have truly exposed themselves in the last couple of years beyond anyone's doubt.

And thank you Mr. Ricks for your straight and honest assessment while on air in the devils den.

[hrmjustin]

64. Fox has no class at all. I hope when John Scott does his weekly show on the media that he addresses

this.

[davidpdx]

65. If I was Ricks I'd simple say

put your money where your mouth is and prove it.