Fox News 'Debating' Health Care Reform: Two Against One

Martha Maccallum of Fox News "debated" health care reform with Bob Beckel and Kate Obenshain today.

The segment is called "Health Care Countdown: Debating the Differences."

Representing the left was Beckel, a professor of advanced political studies at George Washington University, and on the right was Obenshain, the vice president of the Young America's Foundation.

In typical Fox News style "journalism," the anchor clearly is not impartial and sides with the conservative. At one point Maccallum showed her disproval of Beckel by furrowing her brow in confusion, as if to say, "what the hell are you talking about you liberal moron?"

And in the usual transparent attempt to seem impartial, Maccallum uses the juvenile "some are calling this" or "some people might say" phrases to lead off the segment and questions.

After Beckel referred to how unpopular Social Security and Medicare were when they were created and how popular they are now, Maccallum said, "Well, I think a lot of people would maybe take some issue with how those programs have turned out. And some of those people are pointing at health care for the same reasons."

Some people aren't saying those things, Republicans are saying them, and Fox News is repeating them and pretending that they're just asking fair and balanced questions.

Rather than beating the right-wing drum herself, Maccallum could have just turned it over to Obenshain who was more than happy to tear into Beckel with the GOP talking points.

"This is an ideological bill driven by an ideological president with a determination to take over" one-sixth of the American economy, Obenshain said.

"What is ideological is to say that this is a government takeover of health care," Beckel responded. "That is an incredible distortion of the facts."

"And you're going to lose your majority Bob," Obershain screamed. "Go for it!"

Another fair and balanced report from Fox News with the conservative anchors and guest laughing at the foolish liberal who walked into their den.