Fox News Suggests Canadian Katrina Generosity Meant To Embarrass George W. Bush

[poppa]

By D.L. McCracken
Sep 13, 2005, 16:31
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Canadian Ambassador to the United States, Frank McKenna during an interview by Fox news reporter Frank Gibson last week was grilled by Gibson on Canada's motives for reacting so quickly to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.

The interview was shown during the September 9 episode of The O'Reilly Factor, All Things Considered and was titled, "KATRINA: Is Canada Doing Enough to Help?" The interview segment was introduced after Fox news man Tony Snow reported to Bill O'Reilly the fact that Canada "continues to ship oil relatively cheap" to the northern US states. Bill O'Reilly then introduced the interview segment by saying, "I don't know what the situation is with Canada, they've helped us out before but I'm gonna let them have a pass on this".

John Gibson took over and after thanking Canada through Ambassador McKenna for sending extra oil during the disaster, Gibson then added, "You kind of embarrassed us..the Vancouver Search & Rescue team showed up in St. Bernard's Parish before uh..any of the American Search & Rescue teams. We appreciate the help but ya know you're not supposed to embarrass us".

It gets worse.

McKenna appeared to be slightly taken aback by Gibson's statement, chuckled and went on to assure his host and the American public that it was not Canada's intention to embarrass the U.S. but to "help our neighbours".

At that point Ambassador McKenna went on to provide a detailed list of aid being sent to the Gulf region including three Canadian warships laden with supplies but Gibson again interrupted McKenna mid-sentence with an outrageous suggestion.

Gibson asks, "You know uh..Ambassador McKenna um..uh..uh..you know..just lemme uh..have you..uh..lemme address one thing. Uh we know that there's lots of people in Canada on the left side of the political spectrum who don't like George Bush. Is there any..any part of this..big Canadian help designed to..maybe embarrass the President?"

Ambassador McKenna deserves credit for maintaining his cool at this point in the interview and immediately assured Mr. Gibson that nothing could be further from the truth adding, "This has got nothing to do with George Bush, nothing to do with our relationship which is excellent by the way. This has got to do with the fact that we have been neighbours and friends for hundreds of years. You have come to our aid when we've been in trouble and Canada wants to be with you when you're in trouble. It's as simple as that".

Gibson perhaps chastened but probably not, then proceeded to list everything that Canada and Canadians have contributed to the relief efforts thus far, a detailed and rather long list. At one point as Gibson was naming various individual organizations and provinces who have donated assistance, he named Nova Scotia saying in an obviously astonished tone of voice, "Nova Scotia donated $100,000." At that point the interview ended.

It should be noted that Fox News and Frank McKenna could never be thought of as fast friends. Just this past July Ambassador McKenna spoke out against the U.S. news network and their penchant for spreading "disinformation" which can create a "false picture" of Canada. McKenna referred to this as the "Fox Factor" and urged all Canadians living in the United States to at least be aware of this fact.

Looks like Ambassador McKenna was right - who else but Fox News would actually question a country's generosity amidst a tragedy and suggest that our generosity was based on ulterior motives, in this case a desire to embarrass the United States?

The only embarrassment here should be experienced by Fox News for allowing their reporters to continually insult friendly nations.

Fox does it again! Maybe Rick Mercer should do a sequel to Talking to Americans...

[WiZZLa]

The term Fox News in itself is an oxymoron.

[x86asm]

The term Fox News in itself is an oxymoron.

ya tell me about it

[hyperion]

They're all biased, some more than others.

[ZenOps]

Sheesh thats what we get for sending help.

Honestly though, the BC search and rescue team is really bored this year, they probably need something to do. No major forest fires, and no real coastal disasters, not even an oil spill.

[Emancipated]

We make a magnanimous gesture and they spit on us instead. Outrageous, salacious and reprehensible!

[fozzey]

I thought the biggest morons were all in the white house, it seems they missed one. That's just incredible. Its almost like they are so used to being a-holes to each other when someone is actually nice they think there is a malicious motive behind it.

[15-20_God]

don't worry, if history has taught us anything all they're doing is laying the groundwork for an invasion by demonizing a foreign country.

[bug]

McKenna should demand a public apology from Fox News immediately. Bush doesn't need us to embarass him...he does that all by himself. Damn Americans don't seem to respect anyone but themselves. I worked with some americans from Georgia a few years back and found them to be extremely rude. They're too damn full of themselves.

[AnimeEd]

well, if it was meant to embarrass bush, then they should be happy that this is the way we choose to do it!

[Ziggy007]

FOX News is such a joke, they are more of a political propoganda station for G. Bush than anything else. Bush has them in his pocket deeper than some pieces of lint. They redefine the term "right wing" as they have gone as they possibly could on the "wing" and added a ten foot extension....

[gh05t]

FOX News is such a joke, they are more of a political propoganda station for G. Bush than anything else. Bush has them in his pocket deeper than some pieces of lint. They redefine the term "right wing" as they have gone as they possibly could on the "wing" and added a ten foot extension....

I concur.The sycophantic Rupert Murdoch and his Fox network(specifically the news) and is one of the main channels of propaganda for the Republican right which are often so wrong in their actions.

[hagbard]

Just love it when 'merican's shoot themselves in the foot.

[danfromwaterloo]

Does this all really shock you? Its Fox News. Lets compare news agencies to restaurants: you've got your Reuters, your AP, your BN, your BBC. These are the fine dining establishments of new reporting. Usually fairly impartial with a minimum of spinning. Then you've got your ABC, CBC, NBC, CBS, which are like Swiss Chalet; they're the mid-tier of eating. Not terribly good. Not terribly bad. Just average, with a little spin on everything.

Then you've got your fast food, your MSNBC and your CNN which spin fast and furious. Really bad for you, but you can't help it. Its news quick and dirty, and sometimes, not even correct. But good enough.

Then, at the bottom of the rung, you've got Fox News. This is the equivalent to eating out of a dumpster, or licking the ass of a hooker. Barely anything on the station is actually news, but more of fact-resembling editorialism. Worse yet, CONSERVATIVE fact-resembling editorialism.

I'm not even talking about Canadian Conservatism, which I disagree with, but at least I can respect their position on a lot of issues. American Conservatism is a whole different beast.

[Emancipated]

Then, at the bottom of the rung, you've got Fox News. This is the equivalent to eating out of a dumpster, or licking the ass of a hooker. Barely anything on the station is actually news, but more of fact-resembling editorialism. Worse yet, CONSERVATIVE fact-resembling editorialism. ..

Goodness gracious. Not even my morning coffee has the same jolt as this.