Tom Ricks, Pulizter Prize winning author of The Generals, is accusing Fox News of fabricating a report that he apologized for accusing them of "hyping" the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi and saying Fox News was "operating as a wing of the Republican Party," during an intervew, Monday, which Fox News abruptly cut off after 90 seconds, reports Rebecca Shapiro, of Huffington Post.
Ricks appeared on Fox News on Monday to promote his new book "The Generals." The interview was cut short, lasting only 90 seconds, after the Pulitzer Prize winning-journalist and author said that Fox News "hyped" the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi and was "operating as a wing of the Republican Party."
Fox News' executive vice president of news editorial Michael Clemente told the Hollywood Reporter that Ricks apologized after the feisty exchange and blamed his snappy response on fatigue caused by his book tour. Ricks denied that he ever apologized and clarified his hallway conversations following the interview in an email to Clemente.
Ricks hammered the point home when speaking with HuffPost Live's Ahmed Shihab-Eldin. In response to Clemente's statement indicating that Ricks "apologized" after the interview, "ignored the anchor's question," and doesn't have "the strength of character to [apologize] publicly," Ricks had one thing to say: "that's horseshit."
Tom Ricks says he did run into Fox News host Bret Baier in a hallway and made small talk that included saying he was tired, but that "it was not an apology for what was said at all."
Yesterday, Laura Clawson reported Tom Ricks comments on the original Fox News interview, in How to end a Fox News interview abruptly: Call Fox 'a wing of the Republican Party.'
Fox News needs to take greater care in the accuracy of their reporting lest they jeopardize their reputation, and journalistic integrity of their news division. (snark alert!)
12:35 PM PT: Here is the original video of the Tom Rick's Fox interview courtesy of Laura Clawson. (Or apparently not. Sorry, I'm having trouble with the new iframe embed codes which work for others but not me. I've left the non-working source code both in the intro and here in case some kind technical wizard can explain to me what I am doing wrong.)