For the most part, Maddow makes her point quite succinctly.

Her strongest point is when she questions FOX News as a credible news source. That is because FOX News ran with the story without having all the facts at their disposal and without having verified Breibart’s content.

Maddow mitigates her own efforts when she implies that FOX News had the entire tape and deliberately decided to smear the unfortunate Ms Sherrod. That is simply not the case. Shepard Smith showed his journalistic cojones by refusing to run with the story until the contents and context of the Sherrod speech could be verified (he pointedly smacked Breitbart in the process. Good on him). Rick Sanchez of CNN did the same thing, refusing to air the story until more was known.

FOX News is guilty of hyping the case, no question, but their guilt is primarily an example of journalistic failure. Consequently, they deserve all the crap that is thrown at them. That said, professional meltdown notwithstanding, FOX only ran the footage the asshole Breibart provided them. They were not in possession of the entire tape and did not deliberately selectively excerpt provocative remarks.

Lastly, FOX News was in good company in asking about the WH and the resignation. CNN did the same. Maddow’s points are all valid, accurate and worthy of further discussion. She did not have to shade the issue.

I am not defending FOX News in this matter because their behavior is indefensible. Period.

A noted blogger once remarked, ““I don’t know why things can’t just stay on the level of the factual,” he said. “I don’t know why everything has to have a slant. I mean, The New York Times has a slant, and in the past I’ve called them out for that…I miss the days of Walter Cronkite.”