On Friday, Media Research Center Research Director Rich Noyes targeted PBS on Fox Business Network's Risk and Reward over their failure to ask Hillary Clinton about her ongoing e-mail scandal at their Democratic presidential debate on Thursday. Noyes pointed out that "the far-left MSNBC did ask Hillary Clinton about this at their debate last week. Very gently, they said, can you reassure Democratic voters that this won't be a problem? PBS won't even go as far as MSNBC in bringing this issue before people vote. It's amazing."
Host Deirdre Bolton revealed that "just yesterday, same day as the debate, we learned that the State Department's inspector general subpoenaed the Clinton Foundation; and separately, a federal judge ordered the State Department to finish Hillary's email release by February 29." She asked Noyes, "Neither of those topics came up, right?" He confirmed, "Not a word about it," and added that "this week, we found out that...one-third of New Hampshire Democratic voters cared about honesty. Those people went 93 percent against Hillary Clinton. This is the big Achilles heel of her campaign."
Bolton also spotlighted how "Judy Woodruff, one of the anchors [of the PBS debate] has supported the Clinton Foundation in the past — apparently, made a donation, at one point, of $7,500." Near the end of the segment, the Fox Business host also mentioned that "there's a Gawker report that finds e-mails showing Hillary Clinton's high-powered press operation basically blackmailing reporters — promising perks and extra information, in exchange for very specific coverage — almost pre-edited."
The MRC research director countered that these journalists "don't seem to be blackmailed, so much as going gleefully along...if Hillary wants the word 'muscular' to describe her foreign policy speech, they'll put the word 'muscular' in. She wants it written this way; they'll write it that way....It's clearly a Hillary Clinton press corps."
The transcript of the Rich Noyes segment from the February 12, 2016 edition of Fox Business Network's Risk and Reward with Deirdre Bolton:
02/12/2016
05:52 pm EST
Fox Business Network — Risk and Reward with Deirdre BoltonDEIRDRE BOLTON (teaser): Well, a lot of questions from last night's debate.
JUDY WOODRUFF (from PBS Democratic presidential debate): How much larger would government be in the lives of Americans under a Sanders presidency?
WOODRUFF: What are women missing about you?
GWEN IFILL: Do you worry you at all that you will be the instrument of thwarting history?
WOODRUFF: What would you do that the nation's first African American president has not been able to?
IFILL (voice-over): How will you, as president, work to ensure low-income seniors get their basic needs met?
BOLTON: My next guest is wondering to questions about Hillary's emails. He joins me next.
HILLARY CLINTON, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (from MSNBC Democratic presidential candidate): I am 100 percent confident. This is a security review that was requested. It is being carried out. It will be resolved. But I have to add: if there's going to be a security review about me, there's going to have to be security reviews about a lot of other people — including Republican officeholders.
05:56 pm ESTJUDY WOODRUFF (from PBS Democratic presidential debate): How much larger would government be in the lives of Americans under a Sanders presidency?
WOODRUFF: What are women missing about you?
GWEN IFILL: Do you worry you at all that you will be the instrument of thwarting history?
WOODRUFF: What would you do that the nation's first African American president has not been able to?
IFILL (voice-over): How will you, as president, work to ensure low-income seniors get their basic needs met?
DEIRDRE BOLTON: A lot of questions from last night's Democratic debate, but when it came to Hillary Clinton's legal troubles — very quiet. (audio clip of crickets chirping) Media Research Center's Rich Noyes not surprised.
So Rich, yesterday — just yesterday, same day as the debate, we learned that the State Department's inspector general subpoenaed the Clinton Foundation; and separately, a federal judge ordered the State Department to finish Hillary's email release by February 29. Neither of those topics came up, right?
[Fox Business Network Graphic: "PBS Democratic Debate; No Hillary Email Questions"]
RICH NOYES, MEDIA RESEARCH CENTER: Not a word about it — and also, this week, we found out that if — you know, one-third of New Hampshire Democratic voters cared about honesty. Those people went 93 percent against Hillary Clinton. This is the big Achilles heel of her campaign.
I'm glad you ran the clip before the break. MSNBC — the far-left MSNBC — did ask Hillary Clinton about this at their debate last week. Very gently, they said, can you reassure Democratic voters that this won't be a problem? PBS won't even go as far as MSNBC in bringing this issue up before — before people vote. It's — it's amazing.
BOLTON: Judy Woodruff, we know — one of the anchors — has supported the Clinton Foundation in the past — apparently, made a donation, at one point, of $7,500. Is that part of the picture?
[Fox Business Network Graphic: "Clinton Foundation Donation, 2010: Judy Woodruff: $7,500"]
NOYES: Well, she — for her sake, she should have asked about this, to make sure people knew there was no conflict. The fact that she's omitted the questions about the Clinton Foundation scandal — even though it was in the news today; even though it's — it's apparently part of this FBI investigation — broader FBI investigation of Hillary Clinton — she should have wanted to make sure — you know, she bent over backwards to not have that kind of a conflict. The fact that she left it out; and Gwen Ifill, the other PBS moderator, didn't talk about it — you know, it just makes them look bad.
BOLTON: Rich, there's a Gawker report that finds e-mails showing Hillary Clinton's high-powered press operation basically blackmailing reporters — promising perks and extra information, in exchange for very specific coverage — almost pre-edited. What do you make of that?
[Fox Business Network Graphic: "Clinton Email To Reporters, July 15, 2009: '1) You in your own voice describe them [Clinton's remarks] as 'muscular'; 2) You note that a look at the CFR seating plan shows that all the envoys...; 3) You don't say you were blackmailed!' Philippe Reines, Clinton Spokesman"]
NOYES: Well, that's amazing, because — you know, they — they have these e-mails now that show the back and forth between Clinton's press aides and some of these reporters. And the reporters are — you know, they don't seem to be blackmailed, so much as going gleefully along with — you know, if Hillary wants the word 'muscular'—
BOLTON: Right—
NOYES: To describe her foreign policy speech, they'll put the word 'muscular' in. She wants it written this way; they'll write it that way. Then, they send e-mails back saying — you know, Hillary is pitch perfect when she talks about these things—
BOLTON: Okay. Rich, we got to leave it there—
NOYES: It's clearly a Hillary Clinton press corps—
BOLTON: I'm sorry to cut you off. We'll continue.
