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The New Hampsire GOP has withdrawn as co-sponsor of the FOX News debate.
The Union-Leader reports:
Manchester - The New Hampshire Republican Party has quit "with regret" as a co-sponsor of tomorrow night's nationally televised GOP forum on FOX News.
The 8 p.m. event at Saint Anselm College -- the last debate before Tuesday's primary -- became controversial when FOX refused to include Ron Paul.
In a press release, state Republican Party chairman Fergus Cullen said, "We believe all recognized major candidates should have an equal opportunity to participate in pre-primary debates and forums. This principle applies to tonight's debates on ABC as well as Sunday's planned forum on FOX. The New Hampshire Republican Party believes Congressmen Ron Paul and Duncan Hunter should be included in the FOX forum on Sunday evening. Our mutual efforts to resolve this difference have failed."
FOX News issued a one-sentence statement this afternoon from its vice president of news, David Rhodes: "We look forward to presenting a substantive forum which will serve as the first program of its kind this election season."
Given that it's Fox, probably the only program of its kind this election season.
In other Fox News News, Bill O'Reilly had another meltdown, this one notable for the fact that it happened off-air, and within striking distance of a presidential candidate--Barack Obama, no less. The Secret Service was not amused:
Fox News host Bill O'Reilly got into a confrontation with an Obama aide after O'Reilly started screaming at him as he tried to get Barack Obama's attention following a rally here. O'Reilly eventually did chat briefly with Obama and asked him to be a guest on his show....
The incident was triggered when O'Reilly--with a Fox News crew shooting--was screaming at Obama National Trip Director Marvin Nicholson "Move" so he could get Obama's attention, according to several eyewitnesses....
O'Reilly grabbed Nicholson's arm and shoved him, another eyewitness said. Nicholson, who is 6'8, said O'Reilly called him "low class."
....Secret Service agents who were nearby flanked O 'Reilly after he pushed Nicholson. They told O'Reilly he needed to calm down and get behind the fence-like barricade that contained the press.
Is this all part of a larger rightwing meltdown??? Consider Glenn Greenwald's look at Jonah Goldberg and Glenn Reynolds getting all hepped up about "social unraveling" if Obama should lose...
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