Fox News’ Shep Smith Shames Coburn For Blocking 9/11 Bill: ‘This Is The Senator’ Blocking ‘Necessary

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Fox News’ Shep Smith Shames Coburn For Blocking 9/11 Bill: ‘This Is The Senator’ Blocking ‘Necessary Funding’

It appears even loyal Fox News has turned on Senate Republicans for their obstruction of the 9/11 first responders bill. Fox & Friends demanded the bill be passed; conservative guests have criticized Republicans’ opposition; and yesterday, host Shep Smith called out a dozen GOP senators by name who had refused to appear on his program to discuss the bill. Today, Smith zeroed in on Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), who has said he will block the bill, even if it means 9/11 responders have to wait until next year for benefits. In an act of public shaming, Smith displayed a photo of Coburn as if it were a wanted poster, urging his viewers to get a good look at “the man who is vowing to slow this down or block it, so the necessary funding for the illnesses of the first responders…doesn’t make it through”:

SMITH: Again, this is the picture of Senator Tom Coburn, Republican of Oklahoma. He is the man who is vowing to slow this down or block it, so the necessary funding for the illnesses of the first responders who made it to Ground Zero to try to save lives on the day that America changed — remember? This is the senator who is vowing to block it. So that it doesn’t make it through. Senator Tom Coburn, Republican of Oklahoma, the man who vows today to block or delay the 9/11 first responders bill despite the fact that senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and senator Chuck Schumer of New York say they have the votes to get it done.

Watch it:

http://thinkprogress.org/2010/12/21/shep-smith-coburn-911/

[OneGrassRoot]

1. Interesting.....

My goodness, can you imagine what would happen if the media got on the same page (a truthful page, for the first time in a long time) and started pointing to the people and institutions truly causing so much of our collective grief?

They'd have to bite the hands that feed them (media conglomerates), but just a rebel or two within each media outlet could turn the tide and make others get back in touch with their humanity. Just maybe.

Jon Stewart triggered this ripple effect regarding the 9/11 first responders. At first Shep didn't specify that it was Republicans at fault, but now I see he's diving deeper and others at Fox are following.

Fox as a network can only go so far in being truthful given their obvious agenda, but this is very interesting...

[bbgrunt]

2. thank heavens for one lone voice of reason on that channel.

I once thought that he should move to MSNBC, but he does much more good where he is.

[OneGrassRoot]

3. GREAT point. :) n/t

[elfin]

4. I wish he would jump to another network

He appears to be their only voice of semi-sanity, giving them some sort of legitimacy during that slot.

I suspect the regular viewers tune him out, or view him as token.

My in-laws really like him - and consequently have Pox on both before and after his show. I think they would follow him to another venue and lessen their time with Pox.

They are not Freepers, but pick up way too many strange "facts", just because they have it on due to not wanting to miss Shep.

[Ruby the Liberal]

5. He is our best hope of reaching the tea-addled brains that adore that channel

I have in the past commented similarly, but I see a huge benefit.

Both left and right loved his Katrina coverage (yours truly included). He has the credibility to inject some truth into that 24/7 propaganda network. God bless him for sticking with it.

[BeFree]

6. Meanwhile, on ABC

They are blaming Obama for not getting the law passed. Go figure.