Howard Dean tells Fox: Your coverage of Sherrod was racist

When Howard Dean appeared on Fox Sunday, he took the opportunity to tell the conservative network exactly what he thought of their coverage of the USDA worker who was forced to resign last week. Dean told Fox News' Chris Wallace that the network had behaved in a racist way when it came to the way they reported on the tape of Shirley Sherrod that was posted to Andrew Breitbart's BigGovernment.com.

Breitbart posted a video clip that appeared to show Sherrod saying she had withheld help from a white farmer because of the color of his skin. The NAACP condemned Sherrod and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack asked for her resignation. After the unedited video surfaced, it was clear that Sherrod was actually telling a story about how she overcame racism. The NAACP and Vilsack both quickly apologized for their mistake.

Appearing alongside Newt Gingrich, Dean was blunt with his accusation. "I don't think Newt Gingrich is a racist and you're certainly not a racist but Fox News did something that was absolutely racist," said Dean.

"They had a obligation to find out what was really in the clip. They have been pushing a theme of black racism, phony Black Panther crap and this business and Sotomayor and all this other stuff. The Tea Party called out their racist fringe and I think the Republican Party has got to stop appealing to its racist fringe," Dean continued.

"And Fox News is what did that. You put that on," he said.

"Wait, wait, wait," interrupted Chris Wallace. "I know facts are inconvenient things but let's try to deal with the facts. The fact is that the Obama administration fired or forced Shirley Sherrod to quit before her name had ever been mentioned on Fox News Channel."

While it's true that the that Fox News Channel did not air the video until after Sherrod resigned, their websites did push the story before her resignation. The Los Angeles Times' James Rainey reports: Too bad that message didn't reach the operators of Fox's websites and commentator Bill O'Reilly. FoxNews.com posted the story on Monday, and the FoxNation.com website followed with the video and the accusatory headline: "Caught on Tape: Obama Official Discriminates Against White Farmer." That night, O'Reilly called on Sherrod to resign. (She had already agreed to leave her post before the O'Reilly segment aired.) O'Reilly at least apologized for proceeding without all the facts. (Though he then proceeded to backhand Sherrod for two days running, suggesting she might be too dangerously left wing for government service.) The Fox corporate rep who took my phone call this week wouldn't explain why Fox's Web newsers made the same mistake — failing to recognize that the Breitbart video was a clip job or that Sherrod's story dated to a quarter-century ago, long before she worked for the feds.

"Fox News was not blameless during this," countered Dean. "I don't know if ever there was a clip of the white farmer saying 'Wait a minute, this woman helped us save the farm.' Did that ever appear on Fox News?"

"I don't know because I wasn't covering that part of the story but we certainly reported that part of the story," Wallace replied.

"Did Fox News play the clip that turned out to be inaccurate?" asked Dean.

"After she was fired," answered Wallace.

"Right. I don't think it matters whether it was before or after. The fact is you played it. You didn't do your job, said Dean. "There's been this ongoing theme [at Fox News] about black racism in America."

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Andrew Breitbart
• black panther
• Chris Wallace
• Fox News
• Fox News Channel
• Fox News Sunday
• Howard Dean
• NAACP
• Newt Gingrich
• racism
• Republican Party
• sherrod
• Shirley Sherrod
• sotomayor
• tea party
• Tom Vilsack

[USA4July1776]

Chronology of events:

Sherrod is forced to resign by phone as she drives between 3 pm and 4 pm, the White House argues that she's about to appear on Glenn Beck, it never happens as Glenn Beck doesn't even mention her between 5 pm and 6 pm. The first time FNC even mentions Sherrod is at 8 pm on the O'Reilly Factor, over 4 hours AFTER she'd already been fired by the White House.

Sorry if the facts don't feed into the leftist narrative, but truth and facts are inconvenient things to leftists.

[audaciousamateur]

Even when it's clear Dean wasn't aware of the timeline he still blames Glenn Beck. Beck took Shirley Sherrod's side and said her statements needed to be taken in context. He is the only one who got it right. Fox reported the story after she had been fired. At that point it was a legitimate news story. The White House fucked this up and are accusing Fox News of racism to cover their moronic and intellectually lazy asses.

[nneky100]

i think Chris just shat his pants.

[Psalm119v50]

Nobody forget, this dumbass was the head of the Democrat Party and was almost their nominee for President. As usual, the Demo-dumbasses just scream "racism" and babble on about things they nothing about.

[Psalm119v50]

@MrRoachiee3

Thank you for showing everyone how idiotic the left is on this issue. Like every issue.

[gombis666]

"Phony black panther crap?" So, 2 black panthers threaten people at a polling place and thats all fine and dandy with Howard Dean? He's such a cock sucking weakling....just like the black panthers.

[MrRoachiee3]

this fox news dude is lying through his ass. how could she be fired when bill O'rielly was asking for her to be fired. so wrong again foxx you just say shit thinking no one will call you out.foxx news were the ones pushing for her exit. then after finding out the facts turn on the obama admin to re-direct the blame for firing her. dam if you do dam if you dnt. Obama is looking like a puss-ass pres. shoulda been samuel jackson. different story there.

[demmmmm1]

Did FOX play the edited tape without doing any journalism on the story?? Yes, they did. Did FOX play the stupid ACORN tapes and hype the whole story without looking at the WHOLE tape or doing any JOURNALISM on it? Yes, they did.

Did FOX report Obama's India trip would cost as much as the Afghanistan War per day w/o doing journalism on it? Yes, they did.

FOX is not NEWS. Fox is the media arm of the Republican party.

[barefootization]

@USA4July1776 no truth a facts r inconvenient to both political parties dem an rep but totally moreso the right then the left

[Chslosers]

it was about to go on glenn beck.. so what's your point faggot howard? YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! as you once said.

[Scipio2021]

Both Obama and FOX were wrong for not fact checking.

FOX trying to change the subject to Obama does not excuse their own failure in this incident.