Fox News perfects its Cindy Sheehan smears

"One of Neil Cavuto's guests on Your World w/Neil Cavuto today (August 12, 2005,) was Lance Cpl. Klay South. South, who sat rod-straight and was dressed in a Marine officer's evening dress uniform, was shot in the face and in the foot in Fallujah in November, 2004. His facial scars are quite prominent but he is nonetheless a good-looking, articulate man.

"He is not unaccustomed to attention. He was mentioned in a November, 2004, Washington Post article, and in that same month he sat very close to George W. Bush during an event at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. He will also be one of the soldiers profiled in a Fox News special to air Sunday evening titled, Company of Heroes.

"Early in the segment Cavuto said, 'Cindy Sheehan is a mom who's hurting, obviously. She lost her son. She's mad at the President. Are you?' (Note: Cavuto didn't say Sheehan lost her son in Iraq.)

"Fox went to a split-screen, showing video of Sheehan in Texas as South responded; a disheveled Sheehan pictured next to the crisp soldier. 'No,' he said. 'I can't be mad because I love my corps. I love my family. I love my country. Being in the hospital, I was with a lot of people and I never came across one military person that was bitter or family [sic] bitter about being injured or losing any loved ones. It's what you signed up to do. You're serving your country. It's an honor.'

"Comment: Voila. Fox takes an extraordinarily complex issue and turns it into a 40-second sound bite. Cindy Sheehan is unpatriotic, she doesn't love her country and she's dishonoring it and its soldiers. Beginning, middle, and end, of story."
NewsHound

"I think Bush has cornered himself by now; It’s a no win situation for him. If he meets with Cindy Sheehan after such an extended, callous refusal, he appears weak and will potentially invite even more protesters. Besides, nothing will sound heartfelt at this point. If he doesn’t meet with Cindy, his polls will continue to plunge. Thank you, Cindy."
We are mad as hell (AlterNet)