vt.Buzz ~ a political blog

Political notes from Free Press staff writers Terri Hallenbeck, Sam Hemingway and Nancy Remsen

5.18.2007

Letter to Fox News

Here's the letter that House Speaker Gaye Symington, D-Jericho, and Senate President Pro Tempore Peter Shumlin, D-Windham, sent to the head of Fox News as a result of a film crew's visit to the Statehouse cafeteria Saturday morning to question Rep. Bill Lippert, D-Hinesburg.

Dear Mr. Ailes:

Last week, a media crew dispatched by the Fox News program "The O’Reilly Factor" confronted a member of the Vermont General Assembly in the Statehouse cafeteria. The incident was witnessed by several members of the Legislature and later reported on the O’Reilly program. The news crew asked misleading questions that deliberately mischaracterized Vermont laws and our determination to protect our children.

The Vermont Legislature has a long history of being open and accessible to all who wish to participate and observe, and has always recognized and granted access to the press to perform its important role. However, the tactics employed by the producers of this television program are unacceptable and have no place in Vermont’s statehouse or Vermont politics. The camera crew came at Representative Lippert in such an aggressive manner that several bystanders thought he was under attack. Their questions were meant to provoke, rather than to elicit information.

As the leaders of the Vermont Legislature, we condemn in the strongest terms these hostile tactics and stand with our colleagues in the Legislature in support of the Chair of the House Judiciary Committee.

If it was the goal of your producers and Mr. O’Reilly to create a reaction among your viewers that would lead to intimidating threats against our colleague, they succeeded. Because of your program, Chairman Lippert has received numerous threats of personal injury and physical violence from your viewers.

If, on the other hand, it was Mr. O’Reilly’s goal to intimidate the Vermont Legislature into considering ineffective and misguided legislation or to weaken the Legislature’s steadfast support for our colleague, your tactics had the opposite effect. We hope the bipartisan opposition to your channel’s tactics of intimidation will serve as a reminder that while Vermont welcomes a healthy and honest debate on issues, we will not be bullied by outsiders whose primary interest is provocation and political theater.

Sincerely,

Gaye Symington,
Speaker of the Vermont House

Peter Shumlin
President Pro Tem, Vermont Senate

-- Nancy Remsen

posted by vt.Buzz | 2:16 PM |

Comments:

It is ridiculous to even give any more life to any fox program!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:27 PM, May 18, 2007

They should have added:

P.S. Jim Douglas really is pretty weak though.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:30 PM, May 18, 2007

Funny that Douglas has not said anything on this subject.

It'd be nice if he would join with the legislature in a call for civility.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:21 PM, May 18, 2007

I also am surprised that Douglas hasn't spoken out about this.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:22 PM, May 18, 2007

Douglas has spoken out and promotes Fox News tactics in Vermont's legislature.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:09 PM, May 18, 2007

At the very least, Gov. Douglas should issue a statement condemning the violent threats against Rep. Lippert.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:12 PM, May 18, 2007

When is Douglas going to sign the anti-discrimination bill to protect transgender Vermonters? Of course, he'll wait until late Friday night or on Saturday when the press is minimalized. Then again...at least he'll sign it.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:18 PM, May 18, 2007

A few comments re: the above:

1. I join in the condemnation of the O'Reilly crew's tactics.

2. You may call Governor Douglas "weak," but he is in his third term and he has beaten each of his opponents handily in each election. In addition, he may be "weak" but the Democratically-controlled Legislature is an ineffective, honest-to-God circus, and helps him roll to reelection every time. Based on this zoo of a session, it will happen again hands down.

3. Douglas hasn't signed the transgender bill (which he has said he expects to sign) possibly because it hasn't been officially delivered to him yet? There's an official schedule for these things. And besides, I seriously question the need for this bill, but that's a separate issue. And you sarcastically add that he'll probably sign it on a Friday night to reduce press coverage. How do you know what he'll do? And guess what? The great and wonderful Governor Dean signed the civil unions bill in 2000 under cover of darkness, and that bill was a lot more necessary and affected a lot more people. So if you're going to pre-emptively accuse Gov. Douglas of ducking the limelight on this one, don't forget Dean.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:35 PM, May 18, 2007

Did Outright Vermont write this press release? God forbid that a reporter should report on pedophile-friendly lawmakers! Perhaps the fools in Montpelier should pass a bill stating what the press may write about. Gee, I guess this is just the beginning inasmuch as Fox also had a report yesterday on the perverts in Brattleboro exposing themselves! I can hardly wait for the annual Burlington pervert-nude bicycle outing. What a wonderful message for the state to send visiting families to Vermont!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:54 PM, May 18, 2007

I'm not afraid of my kids seeing some goofy people ride their bicycles on Church Street nude. They just saw topless women at a beach in Mexico. They survived.

What busts my butt is having to have my children hear young people on Church Street shouting "F*** this!" and "F*** that!"

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:14 PM, May 18, 2007

Well, that's the result of either a liberal upbringing or none at all. And why would you take young children to topless beaches? What ever happened to camping in Maine or Disneyland?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:39 PM, May 18, 2007

The beaches weren't topless, fool. It's just that some of the women went topless. Nobody died. Nobody's scarred for life. Nothing happened. I can't think of anywhere I would want to go less than Disney. The ultimate in plastic American tackiness. Gross.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:41 PM, May 18, 2007

What about Graceland?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:53 PM, May 19, 2007

How about correcting kids using F*** this and that? Are we so isolated that as a community we don't think its OK to say "Hey, watch your language"?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:15 PM, May 19, 2007

Anything goes in liberal Vermont so why would any "progressive" parent teach their kids anything else - it's so hip to shock conservatives with foul language.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:27 PM, May 19, 2007

That has gotten so old!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:01 PM, May 20, 2007

get your F'in deer yet?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:55 AM, May 21, 2007

you know, kids love the beach.

but I loke to take them bowlong too.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:26 PM, May 21, 2007

Please take them somewhere.