On Thursday night, Jon Stewart did some actual journalism in exposing just how badly hypocritical Fox News was being over the news that Al Gore's Current TV had been sold to Al-Jazeera.
LESTER HOLT (1/3/2013): Former Vice President Al Gore is a much richer man tonight, about a hundred million dollars richer, after selling his little-watched cable channel Current TV to the Arab news channel Al Jazeera.
Oh man! Former Democratic Vice President turned climate change crusader sells openly liberal cable channel to Muslims. Ladies and gentlemen, I think we have our first Fox boner alert of 2013! (audience cheering and applause)
....
Although the network that would air in Current's place isn't the Al Jazeera that runs in the Arab world. It's Al Jazeera English, which is actually a pretty well-respected news outlet. Still, Al Jazeera Arabic is a subsidiary of the group Gore sold to. So let's take a look at some of their other programs.
SAUDI CLERIC SALMAN AL-ODEH (8/13/2012): The role of the Jews is to wreak destruction, to wage war. ... The Jews believe that they have the right to kill anyone who does not adhere to their religion. ... They were making matzos with human blood. They eat it, believing that this brings them close to their false god, Yahweh.
You know, if that were true, you'd think matzo would be more flavorful, but it's not. Very dry, very plain.
You know, that's just awful. To air that on Al Jazee.... Oh, I'm sorry, that didn't air on Al Jazeera. I'm sorry, that aired on a network called Rotana. Ah, that's my fault. That's another television station in the Arab world. That one's owned, not by Qatar, but by a Saudi prince named Al-Waleed bin Talal, and also 20% of that is owned by... oh, a guy named Rupert Murdoch. Huh. That last name, that's familiar, but I can't place what his other holdings are.
Yeah, Rotana's the same network that aired Valley of the Wolves, a movie in which American soldiers are the bad guys, massacring Iraqi civilians and stealing Arabs' organs to sell them to Jews. I don't even know what to say. I mean, Rupert Murdoch, profiting from the airing of that type of anti-American propaganda. I mean, words fail me. Can anyone else jump in?
SEAN HANNITY: Let's not forget what [Rotana] is known for. ... Something's wrong with this picture.
BILL O'REILLY: [Rupert Murdoch's] cable network ... the anti-American network.
STUART VARNEY: ... a clearly anti-American news channel called [Rotana].
STEVE DOOCY: Now you've hit on it.
STUART VARNEY: What?! Are you kidding me??
STEVE DOOCY: That is just crazy.
Yeah, as always, I agree with you guys.
Video and full transcript below the fold.
I can tell you one guy who will soon find himself rolling in Jack Lew doodlestacks, as money will soon be called. Al Gore.
LESTER HOLT (1/3/2013): Former Vice President Al Gore is a much richer man tonight, about a hundred million dollars richer, after selling his little-watched cable channel Current TV to the Arab news channel Al Jazeera.
Oh man! Former Democratic Vice President turned climate change crusader sells openly liberal cable channel to Muslims. Ladies and gentlemen, I think we have our first Fox boner alert of 2013! (audience cheering and applause)
STUART VARNEY (1/4/2013): Al Jazeera, which is owned by the oil sheikdom of Qatar, right? So Big Al, who hates Big Oil, is actually making a ton of money by selling it to Big Oil!
That's a pretty legitimate point, actually. I mean, it is the guy from Inconvenient Truth. You'd think if anyone, he'd sell his network to, like, Tom's of Maine, or Pedal-Air, the world's only bicycle-based airline.
But well-played, Fox. You got him.
1/4/2013:
STEVE DOOCY: As it turns out, the liberal multimillionaire mogul tried to push to complete a deal to sell his Current TV channel to Al Jazeera before any of the new tax hikes would affect his big payday.
ALYSON CAMEROTA: But the sale, even though you say he was scrambling beforehand — there were reports that he was — didn't go into effect until January 2nd.
STUART VARNEY: Right.
Oh, so that's less of a burn. You know, Al Gore almost received something he really wanted, but missed it by a hair due to a mathematical technicality. Also known as the Al Gore story. I guess Fox won't have to call their doctor. It doesn't look like this will be a 4-hour erection. Or will it?
1/4/2013:
SEAN HANNITY: Let's not forget what Al Jazeera is known for. Now, this is the network where Osama bin Laden went when he wanted to get his message out to the world. ... Something's wrong with this picture.
BILL O'REILLY: Al Gore has sold his cable network to — wait for it — Al Jazeera, the anti-American network out of Qatar.
STUART VARNEY: He sells his news network to a clearly anti-American news channel called Al Jazeera.
STEVE DOOCY: Now you've hit on it.
STUART VARNEY: What?! Are you kidding me??
STEVE DOOCY: That is just crazy.
Oh my God, that means Muslims will be able to see into our homes! You know that, right? People on TV see into your homes. (stares into screen) Put your pants on.
Now look, Al Jazeera's Arabic channel has broadcast some very hateful stuff.
SHEIKH USEF AL-QARADANI: Oh Allah, take this oppressive, Jewish, Zionist band of people.
Worst Hanukkah special ever. That is hateful. Although the network that would air in Current's place isn't the Al Jazeera that runs in the Arab world. It's Al Jazeera English, which is actually a pretty well-respected news outlet. Still, Al Jazeera Arabic is a subsidiary of the group Gore sold to. So let's take a look at some of their other programs.
SAUDI CLERIC SALMAN AL-ODEH (8/13/2012): The role of the Jews is to wreak destruction, to wage war. ... The Jews believe that they have the right to kill anyone who does not adhere to their religion. ... They were making matzos with human blood. They eat it, believing that this brings them close to their false god, Yahweh.
You know, if that were true, you'd think matzo would be more flavorful, but it's not. Very dry, very plain.
You know, that's just awful. To air that on Al Jazee.... Oh, I'm sorry, that didn't air on Al Jazeera. I'm sorry, that aired on a network called Rotana. Ah, that's my fault. That's another television station in the Arab world. That one's owned, not by Qatar, but by a Saudi prince named Al-Waleed bin Talal, and also 20% of that is owned by... oh, a guy named Rupert Murdoch. Huh. That last name, that's familiar, but I can't place what his other holdings are.
Yeah, Rotana's the same network that aired Valley of the Wolves, a movie in which American soldiers are the bad guys, massacring Iraqi civilians and stealing Arabs' organs to sell them to Jews. I don't even know what to say. I mean, Rupert Murdoch, profiting from the airing of that type of anti-American propaganda. I mean, words fail me. Can anyone else jump in?
SEAN HANNITY: Let's not forget what [Rotana] is known for. ... Something's wrong with this picture.
BILL O'REILLY: [Rupert Murdoch's] cable network ... the anti-American network.
STUART VARNEY: ... a clearly anti-American news channel called [Rotana].
STEVE DOOCY: Now you've hit on it.
STUART VARNEY: What?! Are you kidding me??
STEVE DOOCY: That is just crazy.
Yeah, as always, I agree with you guys. We'll be right back.
Jon also looked at the possibility of the
platinum trillion dollar coin.
Jon then covered the
lack of anyone nominated to Baseball's Hall of Fame this year, and how the guys who took steroids are reacting to the news.
Meanwhile, Stephen looked at Obama's
upcoming second term.
He also covered the story of a
man having sex with a sofa, and the drama surrounding
Kevin Garnett talking trash about Carmelo Anthony's wife.
Jon talked with actor Josh Brolin, and Stephen had on musician Benjamin Gibbard, who performed "Bigger Than Love" and "I'm Building a Fire".