HuffPo Writer Alex Leo Used Doctored Video to Attack FNC's John Gibson

 ***UPDATE: Huffington Post just posted a retraction of the fake video story on John Gibson.-9:30 am 2/20/09-More updates below the fold.

Here is an example of how liberal lies are spread.  In the midst of  leftists attacking the New York Post over a cartoon by Sean Delonas,  The Huffington Post decided to throw its hat in the ring yesterday and wrote up a scathing attack of Fox News anchor John Gibson.   The Huffington post's Alex Leo accused Gibson of  comparing “Attorney General Eric Holder to a Monkey” during Gibson’s broadcast (H/T Johnny Dollar's Place).  HuffPo then posted a video of  the so-called crime. There is one problem, though.  The video Leo posted was doctored.  At 2:43 and 2:49 of the doctored video the same sentenced is pasted in to make it appear that Gibson is comparing Holder to a monkey.  Here is the fake video Huffington Post's Leo used to slander Gibson, and here is the real footage Fox News Channel ran.  

Below is Huffington Post writer Alex Leo’s attack referencing the fake video as authentic:

At the end of a long and pointless conversation between two Fox News reporters covering a zoo escape, John Gibson compared Attorney General Eric Holder to a monkey.... At 2:48, they toss to John Gibson who complains that he can't get away with saying "bright blue scrotum" on the radio then follows that up by saying, "We were talking about Eric Holder today on the radio and his bright blue scrotum."

Here is what Gibson and Gallagher actually said:

JULIE BANDERAS: Alright, I'm going to go up to Trace standing by with John Gibson.  Take it away, Trace.

TRACE GALLAGHER: She just gave it to us.  Julie, we were just talking about the bright blue scrotum that we heard twice up here, and even the radio..John's like saying, 'I can't even say that on the radio for crying out loud'...bright blue scrotum...a monkey on the loose.

JOHN GIBSON: We're talking about talking about Eric Holder today on the radio and his comment that this is a...

AUDIO DROP: Nation of cowards.

GIBSON: Nation of cowards.

 Even HuffPo commenters spotted that the video Leo was using as a fake. 

rustygriswold: Watch the video again, it says it is a fake. If you edit videos, you must not be very good. You can't even spot a fake.

rustygriswold: Ted, take the time and watch the unaltered video and stop embarrassing yourself.

 DocJerome:I am as vigilant as anyone when it comes to racial bigotry; however, the video posted here has clearly been altered, . . . you can hear the edit point (clipping). Take this down as it is a false story.

jtgun: The damage is done . Once the lie gets out there and goes viral , no retraction will ever fix it. It becomes fact .

pgsteward: If indeed this clip has been doctored, as it is suggested below, then the Huffington Post MUST do a new York Post and apologize immediately. This also begs the question: was this a deliberate story put out by HP or was it simply taking something that was phony and running with it without applying simple media accountability and checking the source and accuracy?

KDXMAN: Even after posting the unaltered video people still argue this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEVzFDm4hTI
HP should have checked it out and changed this dishonest story 

This is an outrageous libelous attack on John Gibson, and the Huffington Post should make a retraction based on the fact the video referenced in Leo’s screed is a fake.

#2 UPDATE: Huffington Post seems to be passing the buck on this one to TVNewser:

The video was doctored to include Trace Gallagher's voice saying, "bright blue scrotum" where Gibson played Holder's "nation of cowards" remark. The Huffington Post does not know the source of the video's doctoring — it was picked up off TVNewser. 

However, TVNewser will have none of that:

Update: Johnny Dollar says the end of that clip has been doctored. "The Huffington Post has some 'splaining to do. Why are they presenting a doctored video? Who altered the soundtrack? Who knew and when did they know it?"

#3 UPDATE: John Gibson has responded to the fake video story and TVNewser goes on to explain how the mistake occurred.(H/T TVNewser):

We don't know either. It came from YouTube user "john13210" and arrived in the anonymous tip box. We regret the error as well. The clip has since been removed from YouTube:

Gibson tells TVNewser, "The Huffington Post, in its zeal to slime me, went over the line and posted a phony, fabricated quote, attributed it to me, and which actually constitutes a lie, and a slander. The Huffington Post plays fast and loose on a regular basis, but this time it was caught in an out and out fabricated falsehood." 

 #4 UPDATE: (H/T Johnny Dollar via Brian Maloney at Radio Equalizer)Apparently, Daily Kos either has not received the memo that this story is a fake, or they are holding on to hope that it is indeed real.  As of 4:45pm on 2/20/09 Daily Kos has not retracted the story.

4:28am on 2/21/09: Daily Kos makes a retraction of the story at the link above. 

#5 UPDATE: The original YouTube video, which was doctored, has been removed.  Breitbart has the original doctored video on his site.  I have replaced the non-working video link with Breitbart's.