Bret Baier Rips Howard Dean for Saying Chris Wallace Lied About Sherrod Coverage

Bret Baier took on former Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean for accusing Chris Wallace of lying about Fox News's coverage of the Shirley Sherrod affair.

As NewsBusters previously reported, Dean pointed his pathetically biased and accusatory finger at FNC while a guest on "Fox News Sunday" only to have it marvelously slapped down by Wallace.

The following day in the friendly confines of MSNBC's "The Ed Show," the former Vermont governor said, "I happen to like Chris Wallace, but he was really not being exactly accurate when he talked about 'We didn`t say one word about this before the secretary of Agriculture fired her.' The fact of the matter is they were pushing this story very, very hard all day."

On Wednesday's "Special Report," Baier struck back and struck back hard using a time lapse video to prove Dean completely wrong (video follows with transcript and commentary, h/t our friend Johnny Dollar):  

BRET BAIER, HOST: On another network, former Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean made a definitive statement about this network's coverage of the Shirley Sherrod story in the initial hours of the controversy. Here is what Dean said Monday after his weekend appearance on "Fox News Sunday."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HOWARD DEAN: I happen to like Chris Wallace, but he was really not being exactly accurate when he talked about we didn`t say one word about this before the secretary of Agriculture fired her. The fact of the matter is they were pushing this story very, very hard all day. It may be true that they didn`t mention her name, but they sure did run the tape without mentioning her name.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BAIER: Well, Mr. Dean, let's take a look. Andrew Breitbart posted the Sherrod clip on his website at 8:18 that morning. Here is a look at programming on Fox News Channel that day, Monday, July 19, in fast forward, beginning at 7 AM on "Fox & Friends." There's no mention of Shirley Sherrod, no playing of that clip. Not a single mention. Not a single frame of that video hit the air all day. By mid-afternoon, Shirley Sherrod herself said an Agriculture Department official demanded her resignation telling her to pull over to the side of the road and submit it on the order from the White House because Sherrod said the White House feared she would be on Glenn Beck that night. However, at 5 PM, Beck did not run the story or the video. Neither did this show. Nor did the "Fox Report." It wasn't until 8:49 PM eastern time when Bill O'Reilly ran that clip for which he later apologized. But, again, that airing of the clip was two hours after the official announcement of Shirley Sherrod's resignation and at least five hours after Sherrod said she was forced to step down.

It must be wonderful for people like Dean to have a network like MSNBC that will assist him in promulgating such falsehoods. That there are Americans who not only patronize such overt propaganda but also tolerate it is another matter indeed.

Bravo, Bret. Bravo!