Fox digs deeper. Tries to pretend Ricks "apologized" .
Fox News: Tom Ricks Apologized For Benghazi Criticism; Ricks: [Oh] No, I Didn’t[!]
Talking Points Memo has the update her!e
Fox News Channel executive vice president Michael Clemente on Monday responded to themuch-discussed interview with Tom Ricks, claiming that the Pulitizer Prize winner apologized privately for criticizing the network's coverage of the September attack in Benghazi, Libya. In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Clemente accused Ricks of using the interview to generate publicity for his new book, The Generals. Clemente also seemed to take exception to the lack of public contrition from Ricks.
“When Mr. Ricks ignored the anchor’s question, it became clear that his goal was to bring attention to himself -- and his book," Clemente told THR via email. "He apologized in our offices afterward but doesn’t have the strength of character to do that publicly."
But that's news to Ricks, who told THR in his own email that he never offered an apology to Fox - privately or publicly.
"Please ask Mr. Clemente what the words of my supposed apology were. I'd be interested to know," Ricks said. "Frankly, I don't remember any such apology."
Watch the exchange between Ricks and Scott:
Original story at Daily KOS with Video of the original encounter from Media Matters.
Ricks
Best hits:
Fox: When you have four people dead including the first US ambassador in more than 30 years, how do you call that hype?
Ricks: How many security contractors died in Iraq, do you know?
Fox: I don't.
Ricks: No, nobody does, because nobody cared. We know that several hundred died, but there was never an official count done, of security contractors dead in Iraq. So when I see this focus on what was essentially a small fire fight, I think number one, I've covered a lot of fire fights, it's impossible to figure out what happens in them sometimes. And second, I think that the emphasis on Benghazi has been extremely political partly because Fox was operating as a wing of the Republican party.
Fox: All right. Tom Ricks, thanks very much for joining us today.
Ricks: You're welcome.
Talking Points Memo has the update her!e
Fox News Channel executive vice president Michael Clemente on Monday responded to themuch-discussed interview with Tom Ricks, claiming that the Pulitizer Prize winner apologized privately for criticizing the network's coverage of the September attack in Benghazi, Libya. In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Clemente accused Ricks of using the interview to generate publicity for his new book, The Generals. Clemente also seemed to take exception to the lack of public contrition from Ricks.
“When Mr. Ricks ignored the anchor’s question, it became clear that his goal was to bring attention to himself -- and his book," Clemente told THR via email. "He apologized in our offices afterward but doesn’t have the strength of character to do that publicly."
But that's news to Ricks, who told THR in his own email that he never offered an apology to Fox - privately or publicly.
"Please ask Mr. Clemente what the words of my supposed apology were. I'd be interested to know," Ricks said. "Frankly, I don't remember any such apology."
Watch the exchange between Ricks and Scott:
Click to viewOriginal story at Daily KOS with Video of the original encounter from Media Matters.
Ricks
Best hits:
Fox: When you have four people dead including the first US ambassador in more than 30 years, how do you call that hype?
Ricks: How many security contractors died in Iraq, do you know?
Fox: I don't.
Ricks: No, nobody does, because nobody cared. We know that several hundred died, but there was never an official count done, of security contractors dead in Iraq. So when I see this focus on what was essentially a small fire fight, I think number one, I've covered a lot of fire fights, it's impossible to figure out what happens in them sometimes. And second, I think that the emphasis on Benghazi has been extremely political partly because Fox was operating as a wing of the Republican party.
Fox: All right. Tom Ricks, thanks very much for joining us today.
Ricks: You're welcome.