MRC’s Houck Tees Off on Liberal Media Memory-Holing Attempt on Kavanaugh’s Life

NewsBusters managing editor Curtis Houck returned early Tuesday to the Fox News Channel’s Fox News @ Night With Shannon Bream to call out the liberal media’s burying of the failed plot to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett KavanaughAnd how attacks on pro-lifers signal a dangerous escalation in political rhetoric.

Appearing alongside Cal-Berkley law professor John Yoo, Bream first went to Houck with comments from HBO’s Bill Maher in which he ripped The New York Times for having “buried” the threat to Kavanaugh when they would have done the opposite if it had happened to one of the liberal justices.

After Bream said a threat to any justice should be “front page news,” Houck replied that it only received front-page treatment with the Washington D.C.-area papers The Washington Post and The Washington Times While The Times not only relegated it to A-20 on Thursday, but took until paragraph five to get to the suspect’s motive.

Houck shared his thoughts about why the major newspapers and broadcast networks have moved on from Kavanaugh.

[I]f you asked a lot of these broadcast networks or newspapers, the excuse they would offer would be something rather lame in my opinion, like, you know, because it was foiled, because the lead the suspect confessed and we had all of these details, and it didn’t turn out as badly as it did. It is a shame that such a serious matter that did not come to pass has not received much coverage. 

Houck stated that there would be far more coverage if the incident had occurred. “Justice Sotomayor…[b]ut instead, you know, it’s some threats, like the threat to the Capitol, obviously far larger in scope [that] gets, you know, three, four times more coverage on the broadcast networks than it did on a Justice Kavanaugh.”

Bream replied that news outlets can and should “cover both” before going to Yoo by citing the double standard in terms of the left’s focus on January 6 but not Kavanaugh (click “expand”):

BREAM: The Wall Street Journal editorial board on the headline says the assault on the Supreme Court it says, “January 6th was an assault on the transfer of presidential power and Congress’s duty to certify the electoral college votes under the Constitution. The threat that the Supreme Court poses to the third branch, Democratic government, is growing. And especially this seeming nonchalance for last week’s arrest of an armed man outside the home of Justice Brett Kavanaugh?” John, can they not walk and chew gum? Yes, we could.

YOO: The Wall Street Journal He has a point. We are in the middle of watching these         nationally televised hearings about political violence to interfere with constitutional process of the changing government. That’s fine. I’m glad that Congress is finally putting his cards on the table and showing us but it’s been spending months investigating. But at the same time, we should follow the same standards when it comes to Justice Kavanaugh, which the assassination attempt, I don’t think a justice — someone’s tried to kill justice for over 100, more than 100 years. In the latter 19th century, you attempted to kill the Supreme Court Justice to make the Supreme Court change its decision in one the most historic Supreme Court cases of all time. It is using political violence in an attempt to stop constitutional government. You should at the very least apply the same standard to both stories.

Bream switched gears in response to attacks on crisis pregnancy centres and, unsurprisingly, the lack of coverage by the established media.

Houck responded by noting that the issue has fetched “only a couple of seconds here or there” on the broadcast networks, adding that “this is, again, another example of they should be able to walk and chew gum at the same time and…look inward to realize, you know, political violence…is getting so heated” that we’re near a breaking point.

Maher retorted that this was an odious shift. “in our body politic”These issues have led to the case of “strange bedfellows” Americans are standing up to those who have chosen silence.

Yoo closed out the segment by slamming the Departments of Justice and of Homeland Security, demanding they “spend just a portion of the resources they’ve poured into investigating January 6th to investigate these groups.”

“We should ask the same questions about any groups that are threatening violence, again to try to intimidate or pressure one of our three branches…I think that is a serious threat to our constitutional government,” he said.

To see the transcript of the segment from FNC on June 14, click “expand.”

FNC’s Fox News @ Night With Shannon Bream
June 14, 2022
Eastern 12:06

SHANNON Bream: After our Friday reporting, this past weekend saw a lot of time broadcasting on the hearings at the January 6th Committee, with almost none on Justice Kavanaugh’s life or the threats to his family. Let’s discuss that glaring dichotomy tonight with NewsBusters Managing Editor Curtis Houck, and Cal Berkeley Law Professor John Yoo. We are glad to have both of you back.

CURTIS HOUCK: Good evening, Shannon.

JOHN YOO: Hi, Shannon.

BREAM: OK. So, let’s play something from Bill Maher talking about the spotty coverage on Justice Kavanaugh and the attempt on his life.

BILL MAHER [on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, 06/10/22]: The New York TimesThis is what you should be burying.

JOSH BARO [on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, 06/10/22]It looked like the small thing that was below the fold.

MAHER [on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, 06/10/22]This would have appeared on the main page if it had been an unconstitutional Supreme Court Justice who was being killed. And that’s what’s so disappointing about a paper like the New York Times, because they just wear their bias on their sleeves. And they — if it’s not part of something that feeds our narrative, (BLEEP) it.

BREAM: We got a bit of bleep here. Ok. Curtis. Is that what you mean? It feels as if any Supreme Court justice, Justice Breyer or Justice Sotomayor, Kavanaugh, whatever it may be, is front page news.

HOUCK: Right. HOUCK: Yes. It was also covered in The Washington Post The Washington TimesThis is D.C. However, you should know that The New York TimesIt was decided that it would be best to just put the story on 20. The bottom white corner took several paragraphs and didn’t even mention the motive. You know, if you asked a lot of these broadcast networks or newspapers, the excuse they would offer would be something rather lame in my opinion, like, you know, because it was foiled, because the lead the suspect confessed and we had all of these details, and it didn’t turn out as badly as it did. It is a shame that this indictment has not been widely covered. This just shows that there is bias in the media. If this were Justice Sotomayor and any justice, we would have seen more. But instead, you know, it’s some threats, like the threat to the Capitol, obviously far larger in scope gets, you know, three, four times more coverage on the broadcast networks than it did on a Justice Kavanaugh.

BREAM These are big stories. You can’t do that. The Wall Street Journal editorial board on the headline says the assault on the Supreme Court it says, “January 6th was an assault on the transfer of presidential power and Congress’s duty to certify the electoral college votes under the Constitution. The threat that the Supreme Court poses to the third branch, Democratic government, is growing. And especially this seeming nonchalance for last week’s arrest of an armed man outside the home of Justice Brett Kavanaugh?” John, can they not walk and chew gum? Yes, we could.

YOO: The Wall Street Journal He has a point. Now, we’re watching nationally televised hearings regarding political violence meant to interfere with the constitution of the new government. That’s fine. I’m glad that Congress is finally putting his cards on the table and showing us but it’s been spending months investigating. But at the same time, we should follow the same standards when it comes to Justice Kavanaugh, which the assassination attempt, I don’t think a justice — someone’s tried to kill justice for over 100, more than 100 years. In the latter 19th century, you attempted to kill the Supreme Court Justice to make the Supreme Court change its decision in one the most historic Supreme Court cases of all time. It is using political violence in an attempt to stop constitutional government. You should at the very least apply the same standard to both stories.

BREAM: Well, and there’s another story that’s not getting a lot of attention. We’ve got video and — that shows you some of the clinics, the pregnancy, pro-life clinics that are out there that have been firebombed, vandalized, spray painted with messages. Like if, if abortion is not safe, you’re not safe. I mean, there’s been a lot of destruction. It Washington Examiner writing about this as, “Attacks against crisis pregnancy center, some of them faith-based, have risen steadily since the leak of a draft opinion the case Dobbs v. Jackson, Women’s Health Organization — that’s the abortion case — which suggests the court is considering overturning the legal precedent that prevents states from banning abortion. A Washington Examiner review identified recent incidents of arson, vandalism, or both at, at least 13 anti-abortion centers across the country.” Curtis, I haven’t seen a lot of reporting on that either.

HOUCK: No, we’re really getting only a couple of seconds here or there. The only time we’re actually getting more than a few seconds or a sentence or two is here on the Fox News Channel. I mean, really, this is, again, another example of they should be able to walk and chew gum at the same time and consider — really look inward to realize, you know, political violence in this point — at the point in the country is getting so heated, you know, whether it’s a Supreme Court justice or journalists or you know, pro-life groups now that are being attacked. All sides, everybody’s really feeling like, we’re really — something’s about to blow. Everyone should give everyone equal time. People need to be calm and patient. But with Bill Maher, you know, it just shows like this — it’s creating strange bedfellows across the political spectrum, people realizing that something’s going on in our body politic and it has to stop.

BREAM: Well, and the Catholic Telegraph writes about this, these “anarchist groups and individuals using the moniker Jane’s Revenge are among those who are claiming to plan a quote, night of rage to support — to respond to the Supreme Court’s expected overturning of Roe V. Wade. The grandiose statements of these actors portray pro-life groups, churches and crisis pregnancy centers as their enemies. And these actors seem to be behind at least six vandalism or arson attacks on pro-life groups, crisis pregnancy centers and churches.” John a night of rage sounds rather ominous. DHS warns that violence could come from both groups.

YOO: I wish the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security spend just a portion of the resources they’ve poured into investigating January 6th to investigate these groups. Take for example, the group that’s put the addresses of the justices’ homes on the Internet. That’s how the assassin, would be assassin found Justice Kavanaugh’s home. This group needs to be investigated. Do they have any connection to the officials in any other way? Is it possible that they are connected to the people who count out violence? These are similar questions people asked you about January 6. To try and intimidate or force one of the three branches of government into changing your mind, we should continue to ask similar questions to any group that threatens violence. That is a grave threat to our Constitutional government. I’m very surprised that Justice Department is not taking a firmer stance

BREAM Just to communicate a message, and calm the situation down. Gentlemen, we’re not going to solve it tonight. But we’re going to keep tracking it. John and Curtis: Thank you so much.

HOUCK: Thanks, Shannon.

YOO: Thanks, Shannon.