Fox News' Shep Smith Shames Coburn For Blocking 9/11 Bill

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Run time: 00:37 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcaruBfoC8U   Posted on YouTube: December 21, 2010 By YouTube Member: ThinkProgress2 Views on YouTube: 439   Posted on DU: December 22, 2010 By DU Member: Amerigo Vespucci Views on DU: 1091

 

Tuesday, Dec 21, 2010 18:15 ET
War Room
Shepard Smith attacks Tom Coburn for blocking 9/11 first responders bill
By Alex Pareene

For the second day in a row now, Fox News' Shepard Smith used his 3 p.m. show to publicly shame specific Republicans for blocking passage of the bill that would fund healthcare for ailing 9/11 first responders. Yesterday, Shep called out a dozen senators who refused to come on his show and explain themselves. Today, Shep singled out Sen. Tom Coburn, a conservative's conservative, who is at this point the last Republican still willing to publicly block the bill from coming to the floor.

Republicans were just sort of mindlessly blocking this bill because they could for weeks, until Jon Stewart pushed the issue into the national press. At that point, even Fox began pushing for the bill's passage, though only Smith and Chris Wallace have thus far actually pointed out that Republicans are the ones obstructing it. (Hannity guest-host Mark Steyn, in contrast, is not a big fan of the bill, because he is a monster.)

Coburn is a mean sonuvabitch who really doesn't care if you call him out, though. He responded by calmly explaining that he is opposing the bill because it provides "overly generous funding" to firefighters with cancer. There is really no shaming some people.

http://www.salon.com/news/tom_coburn/index.html?story=/politics/war_room/2010/12/21/shep_smith_coburn

[tomm2thumbs]

1. good for Shepard Smith - short and sweet - 'this is the guy, right here'

I hope the Republicans see how what is left of their good name in Fox circles is being eroded by such idiots as Coburn.

so much for the strategy of the GOP

[calimary]

5. Amazing how the voters of Oklahoma can't see it.

[rpannier]

2. coburn feels no shame nt

[Lucinda]

3. I saw his segment with Chris Wallace over the weekend too

Smith was seriously angry about this. Good for him!

[Blacksheep214]

4. Hey Oklahoma!

You've got some 'splainin to do!

Why do you keep electing this turd?

[avebury]

7. I didn't vote for him

Oklahoma is the reddest state in the nation filled with ultra right wing nuts and tea baggers. It is like living in the Christian version of a Taliban state. Rational thought is not part of the equation and trying to vote out people like Inhoffe and Coburn is a steep uphill battle. And it will only get worse with Mary Fallin taking over the Governor's Office next month.

Republicans like Bush, Chaney, Rove, McConnell, Boehner, Bachman, Graham, Coburn, etc. are doing far more harm to this country then the Taliban ever could. I am frustrated with the Democrats because these yahoos have given them to much fodder to work with in speaking out against the Republicans and Tea Baggers and the Democrats need to gain a voice and use that voice. When I heard about Coburn's efforts to prevent passage of the 911 First Responders I immediately picked up the phone and called his office.

I have no hope whatsoever for this country and my retirement planning will include a path to move out of the US when the time comes. The Republican Party and Tea Baggers have ruined this country. When you look at the state of our economy, what is going on here, and the behavior of the Republicans in Congress and the Tea Party people, the public has yet to realize that you can no longer get milk out of a cow once you kill the cow. Our problem is not that we cannot produce, it is that the majority of people don't have the money to spend. If there is no money to spend, there is no demand, and the economy can't turn itself around. If the Republicans continue to wack away at the majority of Americans, shoving them further into the cellar, the situation will not change, nor will the economy.

[Blacksheep214]

8. Thank you avebury!

That is a very clear explanation.

Like you I also am seriously considering where to go after retirement.

Lisa at allhatnocattle was in Costa Rica and had high praise for their country. Unfortunately she was there for medical care, but still, I will look into it.

This is not the country I served for!

[Lars77]

6. I still don't understand why Fox is doing this now

It can't be possible that they didn't know about it, so why did they not talk about it before?

Have they given Stewart any credit on this? I doubt it.


Smith does look like an island of reality in an ocean of dhiarrea over there, maybe he decided enough was enough, and took it on the air, forcing the rest of Fox to run with it as well.