Shep: “Forget the National Day of Intolerance!”

Today Studio B anchor Shepard Smith threw a rather sharp elbow at fellow FNC anchor Mike Huckabee today. During his 3 p.m. ET show, Shep dubbed today the “National Day of Intolerance.” Not lost on his round-table Fox News co-workers nor his viewers was the fact that today is the day that the eponymous host of Huckabee called for a “Chick fil-A Appreciation Day.”

Eight days ago (July 31), Mike Huckabee declared that he was “incensed at the vitriolic assaults on the Chick fil-A company” because of the CEO’s recent remarks that the “Biblical view of marriage should be upheld. Consequently, he exhorted his fans to counter the “vicious hate speech and intolerant bigotry from the left” by celebrating August 1 as “Chick fil-A Appreciation Day” by patronizing the restaurant or signalling support via Twitter or Facebook.

Apparently, Shep was not quite on board with the whilom Arkansas governor’s request. After a story on the eight expelled badminton Olympians (with FoxSports.com national senior writer Peter Schrager), Shep acerbically added, “It’s National Badminton Day”: forget the “National Day of Intolerance.” Meanwhile, Schrager and FNC chief correspondent Jonathan Hunt, both sitting with Shep, simply could not contain their snickers.

Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day or National Day of Intolerance? They report. You decide.

[Author’s aside – Chick-Fil-A is written “Chick Fil-A,” supra, when Huckabee is quoted for textual accuracy: An insertion of sic, supra, was forgone to facilitate the natural flow of the story.]

Studio B with Shepard Smith – 08/01/12 (@ 3:24 p.m. ET)

Update: Vid via Mediaite.

Huck: McCain, Thompson “Not Smart Enough”?

FNC host Mike Huckabee: “Being called a liar by both John McCain and Fred Thompson…not good.” In his appearance on America Live this afternoon, anchor Megyn Kelly offered the former Arkansas governor and 2008 GOP Presidential candidate the chance to respond to the denials by both his former rivals John McCain and Fred Thompson to his claim that McCain had asked Thompson to stay in the race to help split the conservative vote to boost McCain’s chances.* Before doing so, Huckabee declared, “Being called a liar by both John McCain and Fred Thompson…is not good but, heck, I’ve been called worse by a lot of people, Megyn.”

Then, Huckabee explained, “I heard that news from my campaign chairman Ed Rollins who heard it from three different sources inside the [McCain] camp.” Deftly, he continued, “I thought it was a compliment in that it was a brilliant political move if they did it.” Then, with a sly smile, he snarked, “Now…if they weren’t smart enough to do it, then I apologize for giving them the benefit of being that smart.”

Ouch. Reagan’s 11th Commandment: Forgotten?

America Live – 01/13/12 (@ 1:19 p.m. ET)

[Author’s aside: For video of Thompson’s denial today on Fox & Friends, link here.]

Piqued Fred Thompson: Huckabee Untruthful

“There’s not one shred of truth….just a rewriting of history.” A visibly miffed former Senator Fred Thompson (TN-R) appeared on Fox & Friends today to rebut his former 2008 GOP Presidential rival and FNC anchor Mike Huckabee‘s allegations yesterday.* Before he gave his side, F&FW producers ran a clip of Huckabee indicating that a feckless Thompson had stayed in the ’08 GOP Prez race at his “good friend” McCain’s urging so that Thompson would split the vote with Huckabee to deny him a South Carolina victory; that “many people in the McCain camp had confirmed” that fact; and that “it was very painful at the time.” When F&F co-anchor Steve Doocy asked Thompson for his response, he laughingly sniped, “What Mike just said is, is fine except for one thing: there’s not one shred of truth to it.”

Pressing Thompson, co-host Alisyn Camerota inquired, “So, Senator McCain never asked you to stay in the race?” Emphatically, Thompson answered, “Correct! Senator McCain and I never had a conversation about staying in the race, staying out of the race.” He continued, “If I’d wanted to hurt Huckabee, I would have stayed in…as we went down to Tennessee…or would have endorsed John before then.” More definitively, he declared, “We didn’t [even] have a conversation with the intermediaries….There was nothing said about that.”

Clearly still miffed, Thompson elaborated, “Mike, Mike’s been around long enough to know not to…inhale all of that stuff too deeply. And, when he says [that] several McCain people have come to him and verified it, I, I must say–you know, I have nothing at all against Mike Huckabee–I doubt that. I doubt that.”

Then, calling Huckabee “out on the carpet” before his clearly uncomfortable FNC colleagues (F&F co-hosts Aly, Steve, and Eric Bolling), Thompson concluded, “And, if they did…he should name the names. Now, it’s just a rewriting of history that’s unnecessary.”

Coming to Huckabee’s defense, Steve stammered, “Well, it, it, apparently, it’s his perception on what happened.” Chiming in, less than convincingly, a smiling Aly asserted, “Well, we appreciate you clarifying all of that.”

Perhaps, Aly. But, Governor Huckabee probably doesn’t.

Fox & Friends – 01/13/12 (@ 7:52 a.m. ET)

Update: For columnist Tommy Christopher‘s subsequent take and the vid clip in Mediaite, link here.

Aly Addles “Bush’s Brain”

Oops! “Chivalrous” Rove calls Aly “Gretchen.” FNC contributor Karl Rove got off to a false start with Fox & Friends Weekend co-anchor Alisyn Camerota as the new year began. In his first appearance in 2012 on F&FW, Rove regaled Aly and her F&FW co-hosts, Clayton Morris and Dave Briggs with his arcane knowledge of national politics (as he took potshots at GOP opponents of the Bushes’ apparent Presidential pick, Mitt Romney). After awing the F&FW boys, the former Senior Advisor to George W. Bush made an ill-advised attempt to woo the girl.*

When his segment had drawn to an end and Dave, Aly, and Clayton had bid him adieu, Rove abruptly remarked, “I have incidentally made a New Year’s resolution!…Mine is to do a better job of protecting Gretchen against the two of you guys.”

Arching her eyebrows and smiling scantly at Rove’s amorous misstep, a slighted Aly exclaimed, “Uh. Or, Alisyn!”

Meanwhile, Dave’s eyes widened and his mouth gaped at Rove’s gaffe. Putting his hand on Aly’s shoulder in succor, he echoed, “Or, Alisyn!”  Then, pointing to Aly with his other, Dave gibed, “Or, remember her name! That might be a good place to start.”

Throwing his hands up in the air, a chagrined Rove responded, “Oh, Alisyn. I’m sorry!” Chuckling sweetly, Aly answered, “Karl, I accept your offer of protection. Call me anything.” Reddened from embarrassment, Rove replied, “I’m so sorry!”

Subsequently, after Clayton momentarily teased an upcoming story, the co-anchors said goodbye to Rove again. As they concluded, still piqued, perhaps, Aly deadpanned, “Great to see you, Mike Huckabee. Thank you.” As Clayton laughed at her snipe, a similarly amused Dave aptly declared, “Wow!”

Exactly, Karl. Aly: no Gretchen Carlson. As Dave cautioned, you may want to resolve to remember that in the future.

*Fox & Friends Weekend – 01/07/12 (@ 9:39 a.m. ET)

Update: Video (via Mediaite).

Juliet: F&F’s Fox–Still A Friend?

“I couldn’t take it anymore….I got so pressured.” After no-showing on Fox & Friends Weekend as a co-host and disappearing from Fox News altogether more than two months ago, anchor Juliet Huddy finally returned to the FNC morning program Saturday. Having adorned herself in a royal blue sleeveless short dress with a deeply plunging v-neck, the FNC vixen boldly retook her center seat atop the curvy couch between co-anchors Clayton Morris and Dave Briggs with nary an explanation.

Perhaps, it was the power of her bare beauty that quieted the questions of Clayton and Dave Saturday.  Certainly, the allure seemed manifest during a guest segment with the usually conservative former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee who had just returned from a trip to Israel. When the now host of his eponymous FNC show Huckabee handed out souvenir yarmulkes to Dave and Clayton, he gave a short sexy belly dancer skirt to Juliet: When he did, a randy Dave immediately demanded a subsequently blushing Juliet to “throw it on” as an a appreciative Clayton smiled sheepishly.*

However, today (Sunday) Juliet seemed to provide possibly a hint to her F&FW viewers as to why she had gone on an unscheduled Sabbatical. During a “Social Media Stress” segment, Juliet stated, “I got off Facebook, and I got off Twitter.”** When a seemingly incredulous Clayton asked, “Really?,” she elaborated, “I couldn’t take it anymore. Yeah, it made me crazy. I got so pressured. Yeah, I just, I can’t stand it!”

N.B. Juliet quit Tweeting on May 16, 2011, the very day that Carpe Diem reported that she had been an F&FW no-show and she subsequently seemingly defended herself, saying that she had thrown her back out during spring cleaning. Perhaps, the pressure of her Twitter followers (and her F&FW fans) did indeed get to Juliet and she not only needed to get off Twitter (and Facebook) but also to get off of the FNC airwaves as well.

Hopefully, Juliet’s concerns plumb no deeper. If so, now that she is back as an F&FW “Fox,” perhaps, she will soon similarly return to Twitter and Facebook as an F&FW “Friend” as well.

Regardless, hopefully, Juliet is doing well again and is back for FNC’s foreseeable future.

*Fox & Friends Weekend – 07/23/11 (@ 8:48 a.m. ET)

**Fox & Friends Weekend – 7/24/11 (@ 6:35 a.m. ET)

Rove Laughs at Trump: But, Huckabee Doesn’t

On Fox & Friends Weekend this morning, Karl Rove, Bush’s “Architect,” continued to deride the GOP’s new front runner, Donald Trump: But, strangely, he was rebutted by none other than Trump’s biggest GOP competitor, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. After calling Trump “a joke candidate” with “weird conspiracy theories” last night on On the Record with Greta van Susteren, Rove not only defended his caustic comments but also attacked Trump further as a “birther,” a big Democratic supporter, and an “interesting guy with a bad hair” deal on F&FW this morning. Later, during the program, Huckabee strongly defended his maverick Republican rival against the GOP establishment attack dog.

During the FNC contributor’s usual weekend appearance on F&FW, Rove was asked by co-anchor Dave Briggs why he had called Trump “a joke candidate” on Greta last night.*  Rove replied that “these early polls” simply showed that still non-anchored Republicans had “sorta flocked” to this “interesting guy” and, to boot, derogated Public Policy Polling (the group that had conducted the poll showing Trump with a nine-point lead over his closest competitor Huckabee) as a “Democrat outfit in North Carolina that does a notoriously bad job of polling in Republican primaries.”

Following-up Briggs’ query,  F&FW guest co-host Juliet Huddy asked, “Would he be a good President?” Derisively, Rove replied, “Not after what he’s done over the last couple of weeks. Look, he’s embraced this ‘birther’ thing. He had a lot of problems to begin with.” Elaborating, Rove harrumphed that Trump had given $196,000 to Democrats including Harry Reid, John Kerry for President, and Joe Biden; had called Pelosi great; and had given money to the last two leaders of the Democrats in the House. Concluding, he continued, “Look, if he’d gone out there and said, ‘I’m gonna fix our economy and I know how to create jobs and I’m a businessman and here are the five things I’m gonna do.” When Huddy countered, “Don’t you think people already assume that he can do, that that’s what he’s gonna do,” Rove sneered, “No, no! Look, look, look! All they know him [sic] is he’s an interesting guy who’s got a bad hair deal.”

Shortly thereafter, when Governor Huckabee appeared on the show, he was queried about Rove’s remarks by Briggs. Introducing the topic, Briggs said, “Karl Rove was just here and he called him [Trump] last night ‘a joke candidate’ [and] ‘inconsequential’  [and] he stuck by that this morning. Then, he inquired, “Does he have a realistic chance, Donald Trump, at winning this thing? Because, look, it might spike you early on, this ‘birther’ thing but, long term, when you get to a general election, is he a serious candidate?”

Coming to Trump’s defense, Huckabee answered, “I don’t think the ‘birther’ issue is a good issue. I don’t think it is lasting. It’s got him a lot of, maybe, attention. I don’t agree with it. But, I don’t think [that] people are rallying behind Donald Trump because of the ‘birther’ issue.”

Surprised, Briggs, replied, “No, you don’t?” Shaking his head, Huckabee answered, “No, I don’t.” Probing, Briggs inquired, “Then, why do they?”

Sounding almost like a supporter, Huckabee replied, “Because they know him. They feel like he’s a tough-minded, no-holds-barred business guy that would be tough with China, tough with the Saudis, [and] tough with the rest of the world.” When co-host Clayton Morris interposed, “And he’s got a popular television show what’s also helpful,” Huckabee added, “And, he knows how to fire people!”

Of course, Rove was smart enough to get ‘W’ elected twice: Nevertheless, his political acumen has been questioned of late by the right as he staunchly defends the GOP blue bloods against the insurgent blue collars. Perhaps, like the Tea Party, Rove may deem Trump “not sophisticated” enough to represent the Republicans. However, if Huckabee is right, “Bush’s Brain” may want to think again.

*Fox & Friends Weekend – 04/16/11 (@ 8:16 a.m. ET)

Pawlenty Again: Trump Like Hulk Hogan

“I like Donald Trump….He’s successful. He’s entertaining.” In a Fox & Friends interview this morning, former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty took another shot at GOP presidential co-leader Donald Trump this morning. For the second day in a row, Pawlenty compared Trump (real estate mogul and NBC’s The Apprentice reality star) to Hulk Hogan, (wrestling legend and VH-1’s Hogan Knows Best reality star). No umbrage meant, though.

Today F&F co-anchor Brian Kilmeade asked Pawlenty if an April 9-10 CNN/Opinion Research GOP presidential poll showing him with only 2% support vis-a-vis 19% for front runners Donald Trump and Governor Mike Huckabee was very discouraging to him. In response, Pawlenty declared, “Well, it’s not….In the early months here, you’re gonna see just people who have higher name I.D. doing better in those polls. And, if you threw in, you know, Hulk Hogan or somebody like that, they’d be at the top of the polls, too.”*

In a follow-up question, Kilmeade coolly queried, “Do you put Donald Trump with Hulk Hogan?” Laughing, Pawlenty replied, “No. I just mean in terms of familiarity. I like Donald Trump. I think he’s successful, he entertaining, and he’s gonna bring a lot to the debate…if he runs.”

However, belying Pawlenty’s denial that he was coupling Trump and Hogan together were similar statements that he made last night to Piers Morgan on his eponymous CNN show as reported by Politico. Apparently, using the same talking points, Pawlenty positioned himself as the “serious person who has tackled…[the]…issues” in the middle of a “continuum” with “Mitt Romney…with the most name-ID and money” on one end and people like “Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, Donald Trump, or I don’t know, Hulk Hogan” on the other. Like today, he hastily added that he intended “no disrespect.”

Perhaps, just as likely, Trump will take no offense.

*Fox & Friends – 04/13/11 (@ 7:04 a.m. ET)

Update: For Pawlenty’s YouTube vid of his F&F interview, link here.

Ayla Brown: Dad May Consider 2012 Run

Massachussetts Senator Scott Brown has not ruled out running for President in 2012 according to his daughter and former American Idol contestant Ayla Brown. In an interview on America Live with anchor Megyn Kelly yesterday, Ayla was asked whether her father had indicated any interest in running for president in light of a Gallup poll that ranked her father fourth as the 2012 GOP presidential favorite among Republican voters (ahead of Mike Huckabee and Newt Gingrich). Ayla responded, “He mentioned that a poll came out and that he was fourth in poll. But, he was just like, ‘I don’t think it’s for me right now. We have to see how the next couple of years goes first and do my job.'” [Italics added for emphasis.]

If Brown does indeed decide to run for President during his freshman term as a U.S. Senator, he would be following in the steps of another heartthrob pol, the current occupant of the White House, i.e., President Barack Obama.